Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American countr… Read Full Bio ↴Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.

Haggard was born in Oildale, California, during the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled after the death of his father, and he was incarcerated several times in his youth. After being released from San Quentin State Prison in 1960, he managed to turn his life around and launch a successful country music career. He gained popularity with his songs about the working class that occasionally contained themes contrary to the prevailing anti-Vietnam War sentiment of much popular music of the time. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, he had 38 number-one hits on the US country charts, several of which also made the Billboard all-genre singles chart. Haggard continued to release successful albums into the 2000s.

He received many honors and awards for his music, including a Kennedy Center Honor (2010), a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), a BMI Icon Award (2006), and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1977), Country Music Hall of Fame (1994) and Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (1997). He died on April 6, 2016 — his 79th birthday — at his ranch in Shasta County, California, having recently suffered from double pneumonia.

Haggard's last recording, a song called "Kern River Blues", described his departure from Bakersfield in the late 1970s and his displeasure with politicians. The song was recorded February 9, 2016, and features his son Ben on guitar. This record was released on May 12, 2016.

Haggard endorsed Fender guitars and had a Custom Artist signature model Telecaster. The guitar is a modified Telecaster Thinline with laminated top of figured maple, set neck with deep carved heel, birdseye maple fingerboard with 22 jumbo frets, ivoroid pickguard and binding, gold hardware, abalone Tuff Dog Tele peghead inlay, 2-Colour Sunburst finish, and a pair of Fender Texas Special Tele single-coil pickups with custom-wired 4-way pickup switching. He also played six-string acoustic models. In 2001, C. F. Martin & Company introduced a limited edition Merle Haggard Signature Edition 000-28SMH acoustic guitar available with or without factory-installed electronics.

The Dream
Merle Haggard Lyrics

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This is where dreams come to die
This is where dreams come to die
Then they fly back to heaven
But this is where dreams come to die

They're fun when you dream them
Everyone is laughing at you
And it's fun, watching them wonder

And all of the dreams are coming true

But this is where dreams come to die
This is where dreams come to die
Then they fly back to heaven
But this is where dreams come to die

This world is just a stop over
On their journey up to the sky
And here's to the trip back to heaven
Maybe be safe as they fly

But this is where dreams come to die
This is where dreams come to die
Then they fly back to heaven
But this is where dreams come to die

Then they fly back to heaven
But this is where dreams come to die

Overall Meaning

Merle Haggard’s song, “The Dream”, is a melancholic yet insightful reflection on the fleeting nature of dreams. The first stanza states, “This is where dreams come to die,” suggesting a place where dreams go to die, vanish or fade away. The repetition of this line emphasizes the finality of the statement, which is then followed by an interesting shift in perspective. The second stanza describes how dreams are fun when you dream them. Everyone is laughing with you, and it's fun to watch them wonder. The lyrics imply that dreams are thrilling and exciting, but their euphoria is temporary, and the harsh reality is that “This is where dreams come to die”. The song is not just about dreams, but it also deals with the transience of life that is concisely represented by dreams.

The chorus of the song repeats the lyric “This is where dreams come to die'' three times, emphasizing its importance. The final line of the chorus “But this is where dreams come to die” is a simple, yet powerful statement that encapsulates the primary message of the song. Life is fleeting, and so are dreams, they originate in heaven, stay alive for a brief period before flying back to their origin. The final verse speaks of how the world is just a stop-over on their journey up to the sky, and how here's to the trip back to heaven, which may be safe as they fly. The listener can interpret the song in various ways, as the definition of “dreams” could be subject to interpretation. It could refer to life itself or aspirations, desires, and expectations in life.

Line by Line Meaning

This is where dreams come to die
This place is where aspirations and hopes are crushed and shattered.

Then they fly back to heaven
However, those dreams that are broken here return back to the world of fantasies.

But this is where dreams come to die
Despite the reality of aspirations meeting their end over here, this still remains the place where the demise of dreams occurs.

They're fun when you dream them
Dreams are enjoyable while still in the world of sleep.

Everyone is laughing at you
In dreams, everything seems to happen just the way one wants it to, while in reality, it's quite the opposite.

And it's fun, watching them wonder
It's thrilling to imagine others being amazed by the dreams unfolding before them.

And all of the dreams are coming true
In dreams, everything desired becomes a reality without fail.

This world is just a stop over
This world only serves as a temporary halt, with the actual destination being the paradise of heavens.

On their journey up to the sky
During the ascent towards the heavens, dreams accompany an individual.

And here's to the trip back to heaven
Wishing for the safe return of dreams back to the beautiful abode of the heavens.

Maybe be safe as they fly
Hoping that dreams remain protected and unbroken during their ascent and return to the heavens.

Then they fly back to heaven
After a brief visit to the world of reality, dreams take flight towards the world of the divine, where they originally belong.

But this is where dreams come to die
Regardless of the ultimate destination of dreams, the crushing of aspirations still takes place in this world.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUDDY CANNON, WILLIE NELSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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