Britfunk pioneers EARL MCKENZIE and CLIVE GARDINER are two lifelong friends… Read Full Bio ↴Britfunk pioneers EARL MCKENZIE and CLIVE GARDINER are two lifelong friends who grew up together in Southall, West London, UK. Their mutual love of soul, funk and jazz inspired them to form a 7-piece band "The Class Of ‘78” in their teens featuring songs they had written and arranged together. After a few years of playing live, and with Earl and Clive now at university, they formed a self-contained duo called McKENZIE & GARDINER (aka McKENZIE GARDINER) with Earl on guitar, bass and lead vocals and Clive on keyboards and backing vocals writing songs individually and together. In 1983, they made their first demos in Brixton which won a competition in “Blues & Soul” magazine offering a day in the studio at Streetwave Records, West Acton. There they recorded FROM TIME (Groove Version) which landed them an artist and publishing deal. In July 1983 a new recording of FROM TIME was made and released as a 7” and 12” single produced by Joe Williams. Years later this became a highly sought-after Rare Groove slice of 80’s Boogie, with the original 12” selling for up to £200 on ebay. The 12” was re-released by French label Boogie Times in 2011 and has featured on Rare Groove CD compilations. A 12-track album of unreleased songs recorded in and around 1983 called "SONGS FROM TIME - THE LOST DEMOS” including FROM TIME (Groove Version) was released by Headstretch Records digitally in autumn 2013 and as a limited edition 8-track vinyl version in 2014. Proud to have been played by Dâm-Funk.

The Dream
McKenzie Gardiner Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

THE DREAM WAS WRONG
AND IT TOOK SO LONG TO FIND YOU
THE FEELING’S GONE
AND THIS LOVE SONG’S TO REMIND YOU
IT’S THE PAIN
THAT’S HURTING ME SO
IT’S THE SAME
WHEREVER I GO

I’LL NEVER EXPERIENCE
A TRUER ROMANCE
IT HIT ME LIKE THUNDER
I TOOK IT BY CHANCE
BUT IT’S GONE
LIKE A SHIP IN THE NIGHT
THE WARMTH OF YOUR BODY
SO SMOOTH TO THE TOUCH
WE MAKE LOVE LIKE FIRE
JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH
BUT IT’S GONE
LIKE A SHOWER IN SPRING

THE DREAM WAS WRONG
AND IT TOOK SO LONG TO FIND YOU
THE FEELING’S GONE
AND THIS LOVE SONG’S TO REMIND YOU
IT’S THE PAIN
THAT’S HURTING ME SO
IT’S THE SAME
WHEREVER I GO

IT’S EASY TO LOVE
BUT IT’S HARD TO FORGET
THE SENSE OF YOUR PRESENCE
HAS NOT LEFT ME YET
LIKE CHAMPAGNE
YOU GO STRAIGHT TO MY HEAD
IF PLEASURE IS LOVE BABY
I’VE HAD MY CAKE
I’M WAITING TO TASTE IT
WAS SIMPLE TO MAKE
BUT IT’S GONE
SOMEONE ELSE HAS MY SHARE

THE DREAM WAS WRONG
AND IT TOOK SO LONG TO FIND YOU
THE FEELING’S GONE
AND THIS LOVE SONG’S TO REMIND YOU
IT’S THE PAIN
THAT’S HURTING ME SO

IT’S THE SAME
WHEREVER I GO

Overall Meaning

In McKenzie Gardiner's song "The Dream," the lyrics delve into the complexities of love and the pain that can come with it. The opening lines suggest that the dream of love was shattered and it took a long time to find the person the singer is addressing. The feeling of love has disappeared, and this song serves as a reminder of what once was. The pain of this lost love is haunting the singer no matter where they go.

The second verse expresses the intensity and passion of the relationship that has now ended. The warmth of the other person's body and the intensity of their physical connection is described. However, like a ship passing in the night or a fleeting spring rain shower, it has all vanished and left the singer longing for what has been lost.

The bridge touches on the difficulty of moving on and forgetting someone who had such a strong presence in their life. The singer compares the impact of this person's love to being hit by thunder and admits that their memory lingers. The lyrics also suggest that pleasure was abundant with this person, comparing it to champagne that goes straight to the head. However, the pleasure and love have now vanished, and someone else has taken the singer's place.

Overall, "The Dream" conveys the pain and longing that can come from a failed relationship and the bittersweet memories that remain.

Line by Line Meaning

THE DREAM WAS WRONG
The idealized vision of our relationship was flawed and misleading

AND IT TOOK SO LONG TO FIND YOU
It required a great deal of time and effort to discover you

THE FEELING’S GONE
The initial strong emotion between us has faded away

AND THIS LOVE SONG’S TO REMIND YOU
This song is dedicated to you as a reminder of our love

IT’S THE PAIN
The source of my suffering

THAT’S HURTING ME SO
Causing me immense distress

IT’S THE SAME
Regardless of where I go or what I do

WHEREVER I GO
No matter where I travel or explore

I’LL NEVER EXPERIENCE
I will never encounter

A TRUER ROMANCE
A more genuine and authentic love story

IT HIT ME LIKE THUNDER
It struck me with immense and sudden impact

I TOOK IT BY CHANCE
I decided to embrace it despite the uncertainty

BUT IT’S GONE
Unfortunately, it has vanished

LIKE A SHIP IN THE NIGHT
Like a passing object in the darkness, disappearing quickly

THE WARMTH OF YOUR BODY
The comforting and intimate sensation of your physical presence

SO SMOOTH TO THE TOUCH
Delicate and pleasing to feel

WE MAKE LOVE LIKE FIRE
Our moments of intimacy are passionate and intense

JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH
I desire and crave it deeply, unable to be satisfied

BUT IT’S GONE
Yet, it has disappeared

LIKE A SHOWER IN SPRING
Similar to rainfall during the season of new beginnings, fleeting

IT’S EASY TO LOVE
Loving you is effortless and natural

BUT IT’S HARD TO FORGET
However, it is challenging to let go and erase from memory

THE SENSE OF YOUR PRESENCE
The awareness of your existence around me

HAS NOT LEFT ME YET
Still remains within me, lingering

LIKE CHAMPAGNE
Similar to the effervescence and intoxicating effect of champagne

YOU GO STRAIGHT TO MY HEAD
You have a direct and profound impact on my thoughts and emotions

IF PLEASURE IS LOVE BABY
If experiencing joy and satisfaction equates to love, my dear

I’VE HAD MY CAKE
I have already tasted and enjoyed the sweet pleasure

I’M WAITING TO TASTE IT
Yet, I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to indulge once more

WAS SIMPLE TO MAKE
Creating this connection was uncomplicated and straightforward

BUT IT’S GONE
Unfortunately, it has vanished again

SOMEONE ELSE HAS MY SHARE
Another person now possesses the portion that was once mine

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEMAINE CLEMENT, BRET MCKENZIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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