The album is as eclectic as Oren’s home bases of Tel Aviv, Israel (where he was born), Berlin Germany (where he recorded the album), and Los Angeles, CA (the home of his new label). It was released in Europe and immediately garnered great press with Uncut raving in a four-star review that the album is “cinematic and mellow, like Nick Drake in a cheerful summer bonnet…”
Many people in the US will be familiar with Oren’s music as his album track ‘Her Morning Elegance’ was featured in a national ad campaign for Chevy Malibu. He also wrote the end credit “A Dance ‘Round the Memory Tree” for the film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian joining Regina Spektor and Hanne Hukkelberg on the soundtrack.
Born in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Oren began his creative journey as a playwright. At the age of 21 he wrote and directed a play for the Israeli Fringe Theater Festival, which won the awards for best newcomer writer and director. He later moved to London on a scholarship to attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. While still at school he wrote a play he later directed in an Off West-end theater to critical acclaim. The production was named by Time-Out London as one of the best 5 shows in London during its run. Oren moved to NY where he gradually began to shift his focus from playwriting to a shorter form of storytelling, the song. Two years later he relocated to Berlin and began work on The Opposite Side of The Sea.
In 2007 the album was released in Europe, then found its way to the KCRW playlist in LA. Shortly after that the album track ‘Her Morning Elegance’ was synched to a Chevrolet Malibu TV campaign. Oren, who does not own a television and has not driven a car for 10 years, continues to ride the bus. With the earnings from the TV ad he started his own label in the US, named it, then renamed it, changed it again and finally decided to call it Quarter Past Wonderful. He then released The Opposite Side Of The Sea on iTunes US, where it climbed to #30 on the charts.
Oren Lavie's music doesn't come right at you through the front door; its elliptical nature is mysterious and dense and remains slightly unresolved. His vignettes of life are heartbreaking. One can hear his playwright past in his narratives as his songs unfold like a collection of short stories in musical poetic form.
http://www.orenlavie.com/
A Dream Within A Dream
Oren Lavie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From unknown destination
Across open streams
Through fields of carnation
It enters a city, a building
It stretches ahead
It stops at the feet
He's aware of a small inclination
A dream in a dream
He pays no attention
Oranges hover
And faces all over
He knows
Is how the dream goes
Caught within a dream
Within a dream
A man within a man
Caught within a thought
Within a thought
And oceans so deep
He will drown in his sleep
The wind whistles low
And the windows are yielding
The telephone rings
In the opposite building
A voice with a likeable,
Unrecognizable air
It runs in the walls
It isn't quite there
He's aware of a change in the weather
A dream in a dream
He'll think of it later
A wonderful melody line
That he couldn't quite get
He couldn't remember
He'll never forget
Caught within a dream
Within a dream
A man within a man
Caught within a thought
Within a thought
And oceans so deep
He will drown in his sleep
The lyrics to "A Dream Within A Dream" by Oren Lavie is a surrealistic, thought-provoking journey through the subconscious mind of the singer. The song describes the journey of a man on an endless road leading to an unknown destination, passing through streams, fields of carnations, and eventually entering a building that stops at the feet of his bed. The singer is aware of a small inclination, a dream within a dream, but he pays no attention. Oranges hover and faces all over, and he knows that it's just how the dream goes. He is caught within a dream within a dream and a man within a man, caught within a thought within a thought, and he will eventually drown in his sleep in the ocean so deep.
The wind whistles low as the road leads to a city, and the windows are yielding. The telephone rings in the opposite building, and a voice with a likable, unrecognizable air runs through the walls but isn't quite there. The singer is aware of a change in the weather, a dream within a dream, but he'll think of it later. He hears a wonderful melody that he couldn't quite get, and he couldn't remember, but he'll never forget, as he is caught within a dream within a dream, a man within a man, caught within a thought within a thought, and the oceans so deep will eventually drown him in his sleep.
The song's lyrics are open to interpretation, but it seems to explore the idea of being trapped in a cycle of thoughts and dreams. The singer is caught in a never-ending loop of dreams within dreams and thoughts within thoughts, unable to escape the endless journey down the road to an unknown destination. Overall, Oren Lavie's "A Dream Within A Dream" lyrics evoke a sense of the surreal, a dreamlike journey through the subconscious mind.
Line by Line Meaning
The road stretches on
The journey ahead seems long and uncertain
From unknown destination
The destination is unclear and unknown
Across open streams
The journey is across clear and open streams
Through fields of carnation
The path leads through fields of bright flowers
It enters a city, a building
The journey leads to a city and a building
It stretches ahead
The way forward seems long
It stops at the feet
The journey ends at the foot of his bed
The feet of his bed
The end of the journey is at the foot of his bed
He's aware of a small inclination
He senses a subtle change or shift
A dream in a dream
He realizes he is dreaming
He pays no attention
He ignores the surreal elements of the dream
Oranges hover
In the dream, oranges are floating in the air
And faces all over
The dream is filled with many faces
He knows
He understands
Is how the dream goes
This is just the nature of dreams
Caught within a dream
He is trapped inside the dream
Within a dream
The dream is layered and surreal
A man within a man
He is inside himself, a dream within a dream
Caught within a thought
His mind is consumed by a thought
Within a thought
He is lost in a thought within a dream
And oceans so deep
He is surrounded by deep, overwhelming thoughts
He will drown in his sleep
He will be consumed by his own thoughts and dreams
The wind whistles low
The wind is blowing softly
And the windows are yielding
The windows are giving way to the wind
The telephone rings
The phone rings in the dream
In the opposite building
The sound of the phone is coming from a building across from him
A voice with a likeable,
A friendly voice
Unrecognizable air
The voice is not identifiable
It runs in the walls
The voice seems to be coming from within the walls
It isn't quite there
The voice is hard to locate or pinpoint
He's aware of a change in the weather
He senses a shift in the dream's mood or tone
A wonderful melody line
There is a beautiful melody in the dream
That he couldn't quite get
He can't remember or comprehend the melody
He couldn't remember
He has forgotten the melody
He'll never forget
He will always remember the feeling and emotion of the melody
Contributed by Ella H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
✨iuaena sta(rm)y✨
the road stretches on from unknown destination
across open streams
through fields of carnations
it enters a city, a building
it stretches ahead
it stops at the feet
the feet of his bed
he's aware of a small inclination
a dream in a dream
he pays no attention
oranges hover and faces all over he knows
is how the dream goes
caught within a dream within a dream
a man within a man
caught within a thought within a thought
an ocean so deep
he will drown in his sleep
ths winds whistles lower and the windows are yielding
the telephone rings in the opposite building
a voice with a likable, unrecognizable air
it runs in the walls
it isn't quite there
he's aware of a change in the weather
a dream in a dream
he'll think of it later
a wonderful melody line that he couldn't quite get
he couldn't remember
he'd never forget
caught within a dream within a dream
a man within a man
caught within a thought within a thought
an ocean so deep
he will drown his sleep
This song, his voice , those deep lyrics and those beats!!!!! Just heaven..hi I'm your new fan from India, I got to know you through IU South Korean top musician.. she's your fan
Carmello Tave
I love it
✨iuaena sta(rm)y✨
the road stretches on from unknown destination
across open streams
through fields of carnations
it enters a city, a building
it stretches ahead
it stops at the feet
the feet of his bed
he's aware of a small inclination
a dream in a dream
he pays no attention
oranges hover and faces all over he knows
is how the dream goes
caught within a dream within a dream
a man within a man
caught within a thought within a thought
an ocean so deep
he will drown in his sleep
ths winds whistles lower and the windows are yielding
the telephone rings in the opposite building
a voice with a likable, unrecognizable air
it runs in the walls
it isn't quite there
he's aware of a change in the weather
a dream in a dream
he'll think of it later
a wonderful melody line that he couldn't quite get
he couldn't remember
he'd never forget
caught within a dream within a dream
a man within a man
caught within a thought within a thought
an ocean so deep
he will drown his sleep
This song, his voice , those deep lyrics and those beats!!!!! Just heaven..hi I'm your new fan from India, I got to know you through IU South Korean top musician.. she's your fan
Rainy Autumn
"All that we see or seem / is but a dream within a dream."
-Edgar Allan Poe-
Camila Wanderley
This song is so dreamy (: Reminds me of inception and dreams of my own...
Виктория Лютова
Это волшебство...Прекрасный сон... погружение вне времени
Larissa Mendes Samake
Essa musica é Incrível ! E a voz e os instrumentos ! perfeito ! :3
erecy Aparecida
Linda canção. Amei 😀
Carlos Gutierrez
This is completely beautiful.
Julia Baraniecka
It's so beautiful.
zeroaleph
wonderful song!! well done...