Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, so… Read Full Bio ↴Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, songwriter, musical instrument inventor and multi-instrumentalist. An indie rock icon and longtime fixture on the Boston music scene, Sandman was best known as the lead singer and slide bass player of the band Morphine.

Sandman was also known as a prominent member of the Boston blues band Treat Her Right and the founder of Hi-n-Dry, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based recording studio and independent record label.

Sandman was born into a Jewish American family in Newton, Massachusetts. He graduated from college but worked a variety of blue-collar jobs, including construction, taxi driving, and commercial fishing. Sandman once noted he would often earn considerable overtime pay, which allowed him to take leave of work and travel outside of New England to places such as rural Colorado -- the setting for a number of Treat Her Right and Morphine songs, including "Thursday", "The Jury", and "I Think She Likes Me".

Along with Morphine, which he formed in 1989, Sandman was also a member of the bands Sandman, Candy Bar, the Hypnosonics, Supergroup (with Chris Ballew), and the Pale Brothers. He also performed as a guest with the Boston jazz band Either/Orchestra.

On July 3, 1999, Sandman collapsed on stage at the Giardini del Principe in Palestrina, Latium, Italy (near Rome) while performing with Morphine. He was soon pronounced dead of a heart attack at the age of 46. Sandman was survived by his girlfriend Sabine Hrechdakian, his parents Bob and Tel Sandman, and his sister Martha Holmes. Morphine immediately disbanded following his death, though the surviving members briefly toured with other musicians, creating Orchestra Morphine as a tribute to Sandman and the band's music.

Jealous Dream
Mark Sandman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I had a dream
A jealous dream
I dreamed you lied
And you cheated on me
In a motel room
Something went wrong
And I walked in, and I shot him down

He was a big man
He was a strong man
Such an ugly man

Pulled down my shades
My shades of green
And I had my self
A jealous dream

Just a jealous
A jealous dream

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mark Sandman's song "Jealous Dream" tell the story of a person experiencing a dream in which their partner is unfaithful. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and strong emotions. The singer feels betrayed, hurt, and filled with rage at the thought of their partner being with another person. They go as far as imagining taking revenge on the alleged cheater, walking in on them in a motel room and shooting them down. However, the lyrics also allude to the fact that this event is just a dream, as the singer "pulled down [their] shades of green" and "had [themself] a jealous dream."

On a deeper level, the lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary on the human psyche and the complex emotions that arise from jealousy and insecurity in relationships. The singer's jealousy and fear of being betrayed lead to a vivid and violent dream. The last line of the song, "just a jealous, a jealous dream", underscores the idea that jealousy and insecurities can create imagined scenarios that are not based in reality. These emotions may cause unnecessary drama and can harm relationships.

Overall, "Jealous Dream" is a haunting and evocative song that explores the dark side of human emotions. It can be seen as a cautionary tale about how jealousy and insecurity can lead to toxic behavior in relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

I had a dream
I had a surreal experience while asleep

A jealous dream
A dream characterized by or resulting from envy

I dreamed you lied
I imagined that you were dishonest with me

And you cheated on me
And you were unfaithful to me

In a motel room
In an establishment providing lodging for motorists

Something went wrong
An unexpected problem occurred

And I walked in, and I shot him down
And I entered the room and used a firearm to kill the man

He was a big man
He was a physically large male

He was a strong man
He possessed great physical power

Such an ugly man
He was very unattractive in appearance

Pulled down my shades
Lowered my window coverings