Nadler studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she began her performing career after writing songs for many years.
The foundation of her sound is her haunting mezzo-soprano, and a delicate 6-string acoustic guitar, often accompanied by a variety of instruments, including electric guitar, theremin, and piano. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
She has American Gothic leanings; her songs often take place in an imagined, idealistic time with a cast of characters of her own creation.
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marissa-Nadler/300932499775
Bandcamp: http://marissanadler.bandcamp.com/
Was it a Dream
Marissa Nadler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I hit you when you're down
I keep changing apathy
From the river to the town
Was it a dream?
Or something sinister?
Was it a dream
Or something sinister?
To celebrate martyrdom.
Keep thinking it was a dream
That you're never gonna wake
The time we spent
In a box in my own town
It's true I lost you
Stumbling from room to room
Hoping I wake up somehow next to you
It's true that I lost a year,
Stronger, but don't know what to do
Hoping I wake up somehow next to you
Eyes on the mirror looking through
It's the same wall, but everything is new!
In Marissa Nadler's song "Was it a Dream", the singer seems to question her own reality and whether or not what happened between her and her partner was real or just something she imagined. She can't escape the guilt she feels for hitting her partner and wonders if it actually happened or if it was just a sinister dream. The singer feels a sense of apathy and confusion as she moves from "the river to the town", hinting at a sense of aimlessness and disorientation in her life.
The singer seems to mourn the loss of her partner as she describes the time they spent together in the town as well as in their own private box. She wonders if she will ever wake up and be with her partner again, or if it was just a dream. The singer appears to be searching for a way to make sense of her life and the changes that have occurred since she lost her partner. She looks in the mirror and sees that everything around her has changed, but she is still struggling to cope with her loss.
Overall, "Was it a Dream" seems to delve into the themes of guilt, confusion, and loss. The singer grapples with her own sense of reality and tries to make sense of the changes around her. The lyrics convey a deep sense of longing and despair as the singer contemplates the possibility that she has lost something precious.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep thinking it was a dream
I can't believe it actually happened, it feels like it was just a bad dream
That I hit you when you're down
I hurt you when you were already vulnerable and struggling
I keep changing apathy
My emotions are all over the place, from numbness to intense feeling
From the river to the town
My feelings change from being at peace in nature to feeling out of place and lost in the chaos of city life
Was it a dream?
I can't make sense of what happened, it feels so surreal
Or something sinister?
Maybe there was something dark and sinister behind what happened
I got a better half
I have someone special in my life
To celebrate martyrdom.
But sometimes it feels like love is painful and self-sacrificial
That you're never gonna wake
It's like you're never going to come back from this, you're gone forever
The time we spent
I treasure the memories of the time we had together
In a box in my own town
But now I feel trapped and confined in my own familiar surroundings
It's true I lost you
I can't deny that you're really gone and I don't know what to do without you
Stumbling from room to room
I feel lost and disoriented, moving aimlessly around my own home
Hoping I wake up somehow next to you
I wish this was all just a bad dream and I could wake up beside you again
It's true that I lost a year,
Time has passed since you left and I feel like I lost an entire year of my life
Stronger, but don't know what to do
I've been through a lot, but I still feel lost and confused
Eyes on the mirror looking through
I'm staring at myself in the mirror, but I don't feel like I know myself anymore
It's the same wall, but everything is new!
Even though everything looks the same, everything has changed and I feel like I'm in a totally new world
Contributed by Jayce A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Argi Skelton
I keep thinking it was a dream that I hit you when you were down
I keep changing everything from the river to the town
Was it a dream or something sinister?
Was it a dream or something sinister?
I got a better half, it's sad I know I know
I got a better half, it's sad I know I know
I keep thinking it was a dream that you never come around
All the time we spent in a box in my hotel
Was it a dream or something sinister?
Was it a dream or something sinister?
I got a better half, it's sad I know I know
I got a better half, it's sad I know I know
It's true that I lost a year stumbling from room to room
Hoping I'd wake up somehow next to you
It's true that I lost a year stumbling from room to room
Hoping I'd wake up somehow next to you
Was it a mirror looking through?
It's the same world but everything is new
It's the same world but everything is new
It's the same world but everything is new
Graham H.
Slowly becoming more and more obsessed with this album and this sound. It has such a rich atmosphere and texture to it, listening to July is almost a visual experience for me.
jahmali65
Her voice and music - what a great gift!
Bruno Souza
Gente.. como não havia encontrado essa sutileza antes?? Amei <3
Argi Skelton
I keep thinking it was a dream that I hit you when you were down
I keep changing everything from the river to the town
Was it a dream or something sinister?
Was it a dream or something sinister?
I got a better half, it's sad I know I know
I got a better half, it's sad I know I know
I keep thinking it was a dream that you never come around
All the time we spent in a box in my hotel
Was it a dream or something sinister?
Was it a dream or something sinister?
I got a better half, it's sad I know I know
I got a better half, it's sad I know I know
It's true that I lost a year stumbling from room to room
Hoping I'd wake up somehow next to you
It's true that I lost a year stumbling from room to room
Hoping I'd wake up somehow next to you
Was it a mirror looking through?
It's the same world but everything is new
It's the same world but everything is new
It's the same world but everything is new
metal guru61
This hazy-relaxed song deliberately slowly peels off the timid layers from the soul.
Hins0000
Just found it!Amazing! Beautiful!💕
celia ayneto
Amazingly touching <3
Paul Lazarus
A couple of days ago i was at the beach and it was late and i just stood on the shore watching the black waves stretch on and on...
I was playing this song on my phone while this random couple were making out behind me...it felt so melancholic! God l love you Marissa!
Probably the only person in Chennai/India who listens to you! :D
Narcissist Reality
Not the only person in India, I can assure you that! :D
lachikibaby90
You guys are awesome haha