Her self-titled debut album, Mathilde Santing, came out in 1982 and she gas released well over fifteen studio albums since, most of them sung in English, although she sometimes performs and records in her mother tongue as well. Known for her whispery and vulnerable vocal style, Santing is a prominent gay role model in The Netherlands. She sang at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam.
Santing's biggest chart success came in 1999 with the lush ballad 'Wonderful Life', which hit #6 in the Dutch Top 40. The song was taken from the 1999 album To Others To One, which is her highest charting album in her native Netherlands to date, reaching #4 in the Dutch album charts.
A Dream Goes on Forever
Mathilde Santing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But a dream goes on forever
I'm left standing here, I've got nothing to say
All is silent within my dream
A thousand true loves will live and die
But a dream lives on forever
The days and the years will go streaking by
We all have our everyday hopes and fears
And you'll find no exception in me
But that doesn't get me through a sea of tears
Over life's biggest tragedy
You're so long ago and so far away
But my dream lives on forever
I guess I believe that I'll see you one day
For without it there is no dream
You're so far away and so long ago
But my dream goes on forever
And how much I loved you you'll never know
'Til you join me within my dream
The lyrics of Mathilde Santing's "A Dream Goes on Forever" delve into the nature of dreams and their persistence even as everything else fades away. The first two stanzas sing about the inevitability of old soldiers and true loves fading away but how a dream can live on forever. The singer is left standing in silence within their dream, highlighting the power of dreams to hold us and keep us anchored even in the midst of chaos or confusion. The third stanza acknowledges that we all have hopes and fears, but even that recognition can't stop the sea of tears that come with life's biggest tragedy. The loss of someone dear is a tragedy, and the hope that they will one day be reunited in the dream gives comfort to the singer.
The final stanza of the song carries echoes of the previous stanzas, repeating phrases like "so far away" and "so long ago" to emphasize the distance between the singer and the one they love. However, the dream goes on forever, allowing for the possibility of a reunion in that realm, even if it doesn't come to fruition in reality. The final line, "Until you join me within my dream," carries a bittersweet longing and an awareness of the elusiveness of such a reunion.
Overall, "A Dream Goes on Forever" speaks to the power of dreams to hold onto and sustain us in difficult times, while also acknowledging the fleeting nature of life and love.
Line by Line Meaning
A million old soldiers will fade away
Many things, including old memories, will eventually fade away
But a dream goes on forever
But dreams never die and persist over time
I'm left standing here, I've got nothing to say
Feeling speechless or overwhelmed by what's happening
All is silent within my dream
All is peaceful within the dream world
A thousand true loves will live and die
Many meaningful relationships will come and go
But a dream lives on forever
But dreams never die and persist over time
The days and the years will go streaking by
Time passes quickly without us even noticing
But the time has stopped in my dream
The dream world operates by its own rules separate from reality
We all have our everyday hopes and fears
Everyone has their own worries and aspirations
And you'll find no exception in me
And I'm no different than anyone when it comes to these feelings
But that doesn't get me through a sea of tears
However, these dreams and hopes do not always shield one from sadness
Over life's biggest tragedy
During the most painful moments in life
You're so long ago and so far away
When thinking of long-lost loves and missed opportunities
But my dream lives on forever
The dream remains and persists, even if the reality does not
I guess I believe that I'll see you one day
Despite the odds, the dreamer holds out hope for a reunion
For without it there is no dream
Without this hope or dream, there is nothing left to hold onto
You're so far away and so long ago
Despite the distance in time and space
And how much I loved you you'll never know
The dreamer's love will never be fully communicated
'Til you join me within my dream
Unless they reunite in the dream world
Contributed by Keira I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Elle Desperada
Wonderful, both the song and the vid!
Finn Filemon
Simply beautiful!
AColubris
I like this!! You always manage to find the most unique photos! :)