McKinley Howard (Kenny) Dorham (August 30, 1924 - December 5, 1972) was an … Read Full Bio ↴McKinley Howard (Kenny) Dorham (August 30, 1924 - December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas.

Dorham was one of the most active bebop trumpeters. He played in the big bands of Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton and Mercer Ellington and the quintet of Charlie Parker. He was a charter member of the original cooperative Jazz Messengers. He also recorded as a sideman with Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins, and he replaced Clifford Brown in the Max Roach Quintet after Brown's death in 1956. In addition to sideman work, he led his own groups, including the Jazz Prophets (formed shortly after Art Blakey took over the Jazz Messengers name). The Jazz Prophets can be heard on the 1956 Blue Note live album Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia.

Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did. For this reason, his name has become (in the words of writer Gary Giddins) "virtually synonymous with 'underrated.'"

During his final years Dorham suffered from kidney disease, of which he died.

I Had the Craziest Dream
Kenny Dorham Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In a dream the strangest and the oddest things appear
And what insane and silly things we do
Here is what I see before me, vividly and clear
As I recall it, you were in it, too

I had the craziest dream last night, yes I did
I never dreamt it could be
Yet there you were, in love with me

I found your lips close to mine so I kissed you
And you didn't mind it at all
When I'm awake such a break never happens
How long can a gal go on dreaming?

If there's a chance that you care

Then, please, say you do, Baby
Say it and make my craziest dream come true

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kenny Dorham's song "I Had The Craziest Dream" draw attention to the strange nature of our dreams and the vividness with which certain dreams stay with us. The opening lines straightaway give the impression of being in a dreamland - where strange things happen that we wouldn't expect. The lyrics further reiterate that sometimes we indulge in insane and silly things in our dreams. In the second stanza, the dream turns romantic, with the singer discovering that their love interest is in love with them. The dream's unrealisticness is emphasized in the line "I never dreamt it could be", but at the same time, the experience feels vivid and genuine enough to the singer, who remembers it vividly when they wake up. The singer found their love interest's lips, and they kissed them, and to their surprise, this was an experience the love interest didn't mind. The line "How long can a gal go on dreaming?" brings home the singer's dilemma - someone who is in love but wonders if it is only in their dreams.

Overall, the song's lyrics convey the sense of longing felt by someone who falls in love but is unsure if their affection will be reciprocated. It is a relatable feeling - to imagine what life might be like if our dreams were to become real. The singer is asking their love interest to consider the chance that they might care - and to make their craziest dream come true.

Line by Line Meaning

In a dream the strangest and the oddest things appear
During dreams, one's subconscious mind conjures up the most peculiar and unexpected things

And what insane and silly things we do
Sometimes, during dreams, we behave in a manner that we would never do in reality, as dreams can induce inexplicable and irrational behavior.

Here is what I see before me, vividly and clear
The dream was so vivid and realistic that it's still quite clearly remembered.

As I recall it, you were in it, too
The dream contained a prominent appearance of a person with whom the dreamer was familiar.

I had the craziest dream last night, yes I did
The dream was ridiculous, crazy, and illogical - so much so that it seems impossible it could've actually happened.

I never dreamt it could be
The dream was so startling and unusual that the dreamer never expected his subconscious mind to conjure up something so absurd.

Yet there you were, in love with me
The person with whom the dreamer was familiar was romantically invested in him in the dream.

I found your lips close to mine so I kissed you
The dreamer engaged in an intimate act with the person in the dream created by his subconscious.

And you didn't mind it at all
The person in the dream did not object to the intimate act, rather seemed to embrace it eagerly.

When I'm awake such a break never happens
In reality, such intimate moments or gestures are unlikely to happen spontaneously, as people usually have preconceived notions of social norms.

How long can a gal go on dreaming?
The dreamer wonders how long she can keep having such immersive and vivid dreams that seem so far from reality.

If there's a chance that you care
If the person that the dreamer feels a romantic attraction towards cares for them in reality, even a little,

Then, please, say you do, Baby
The dreamer hopes that the person in the dream that they were intimate with shares the same romantic feelings and will admit it to them in reality.

Say it and make my craziest dream come true
If the person admits to their feelings, it may enable the dreamer's deepest romantic fantasies to become reality, as the dream should be made a reality.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY WARREN, MACK GORDON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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