Matthew Stephen Ward (b 4th October 1973, Newbury Park, California), known … Read Full Bio ↴Matthew Stephen Ward (b 4th October 1973, Newbury Park, California), known by his stage name M. Ward, is a U.S. singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to prominence in the Portland, Oregon music scene. In addition to his solo work, he is known as a member of She & Him and Monsters of Folk.

Ward was previously with the band Rodriguez, which included bassist Kyle Field (of Little Wings fame) and drummer Mike Funk. They recorded and released on cassette Box Plots and Cash Crops and then the album Swing Like a Metronome in 2000. Duet for Guitars #2 was released on Howe Gelb's Ow Om record label. Ward's 2001 album, End of Amnesia, was released by Future Farmer Records, and his subsequent albums have been released on Merge Records. A collection of live recordings, Live Music & the Voices of Strangers, was a self-released disc that was sold at his shows. His next album, Transfiguration of Vincent, was released in 2003, followed by Transistor Radio in 2005. A year later, Post War was released.

In 2006, he contributed a song to, and helped produce, the John Fahey tribute album, I Am the Resurrection. He also contributed the song "Transfiguration #1" from Transfiguration of Vincent to the Brushfire Records soundtrack for A Brokedown Melody, a Jack Johnson surfing film.

His album, Hold Time, was released in 2009. The album A Wasteland Companion followed in 2012. The album title alludes to T.S. Eliot's 1922 modernist poem, The Waste Land. In 2016, he released More Rain. On June 8, 2018, M. Ward released What a Wonderful Industry.

Side Projects

In 2008 M. Ward combined forces with Zooey Deschanel and became She & Him. They have released two albums so far, Volume One in 2008 and Volume Two in 2010. He is also one fourth of the folk supergroup, Monsters of Folk, alongside Jim James from My Morning Jacket, and Conor Oberst & Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes. Their self-titled release, Monsters of Folk, was released in 2009.

* Official website

Bad Dreams
M. Ward Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh! Every night I'm dreaming of you and we're weaving through a crowded room
And I ask you to be my best friend too and then I lose you.
On a steamer with a small-city band I chase you through the room again and you're gone before the next dance ends

(I don't what it means) Bad Dreams
But I should do what I want to do and I should dream about whoever I want to dream about
But every night I'm calling out your name and every time you get away.
Oh and I'm damned before I even begin but ill chase you through the room again

And I'll ask you to be my best best friend and then I lose you.

Overall Meaning

M. Ward's song "Bad Dreams" is a song about unrequited love and the pain of chasing someone who doesn't feel the same way. It begins with the singer lamenting the fact that every night, he dreams of the person he loves, but can't seem to hold onto in real life. He imagines the two of them weaving through a crowded room, and asks her to be his best friend, but ultimately loses her. This sense of loss and longing is palpable throughout the song, as the singer chases after the object of his affection on a steamer with a small-city band, only to watch her slip away once again.

The chorus of the song reveals the title's meaning, as the singer confesses that he doesn't know what his dreams (or his feelings) mean, only that they torment him every night. He knows he should be able to dream about whoever he wants to and pursue his desires freely, but he can't help the way he feels. He calls out the person's name, but they always slip away, leaving him feeling helpless and trapped in an endless cycle of desire and pain.

Overall, the song conveys a sense of helplessness and loss, as the singer struggles to come to terms with his unrequited feelings and the pain that they cause him. The lyrics are raw and vulnerable, and the haunting melody only serves to amplify the emotional impact of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh! Every night I'm dreaming of you and we're weaving through a crowded room
Despite wanting to move on, the singer still dreams of the person they lost and wishes to be close to them once more.

And I ask you to be my best friend too and then I lose you.
The singer desires more than a romantic relationship and wants to form a deep friendship with the person they dream of, but they always end up losing them.

On a steamer with a small-city band I chase you through the room again and you're gone before the next dance ends
The singer's dreams take on a vivid quality where they pursue the person they long for, but can never seem to catch them before they disappear again.

(I don't know what it means) Bad Dreams
The repetition of the phrase 'bad dreams' seems to reflect the artist's confusion and frustration with their recurring dreams.

But I should do what I want to do and I should dream about whoever I want to dream about
The artist acknowledges that they have the right to follow their own desires and dreams, regardless of the outcome.

But every night I'm calling out your name and every time you get away.
Despite the singer's efforts to move on, they can't help but call out to the person they lost and feel the pain of their absence when they can't catch them in their dreams.

Oh and I'm damned before I even begin but ill chase you through the room again
The singer feels hopeless and defeated in their pursuit of the person they lost, but they still hold onto the hope that they can eventually find them.

And I'll ask you to be my best best friend and then I lose you.
The artist continues to yearn for a deeper connection with the person they miss, but always ends up losing them before they can form that bond.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Matthew Stephen Ward

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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