Rodgers and Hammerstein were an American songwriting duo consisting of Rich… Read Full Bio ↴Rodgers and Hammerstein were an American songwriting duo consisting of Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960). They are most famous for creating a string of immensely popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s, during what is considered the golden age of the medium. Five of their shows were outstanding successes: Oklahoma! (their first collaboration); Carousel; South Pacific; The King and I; and The Sound of Music. Among the many accolades they garnered were thirty-four Tony Awards; fifteen Academy Awards; two Pulitzer Prizes; two Grammy Awards; and two Emmy Awards.

The pair wrote nine musicals together and collaborated on a musical film, State Fair. As producers, they also brought Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun to the stage, leaving an indelible mark on American musical theater and a legacy of successes that has never been equaled.

Our greatest living Broadway composer, Steven Sondheim, spent summers with Oscar Hammerstein during his formative adoplescent years. The legacy lives on.

I Have Dreamed
Rodgers And Hammerstein Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

LUN THA

I have dreamed that arms are lovely,
I have dreamed what a joy you'll be.
I have dreamed every word you whisper.
When you're close,
Close to me.
How you look in the glow of evening

I have dreamed and enjoyed the view.

In these dreams I've loved you so
That by now I think I know
What it's like to be loved by you,
I will love being loved by you.

TUPTIM

Alone and awake I've looked at the stars,
The same that smile on you;
And time and again I've thought all the things T

hat you were thinking too.

I have dreamed that arms are lovely,
I have dreamed what a joy you'll be.
I have dreamed every word you whisper.
When you're close,
Close to me.
How you look in the glow of evening
I have dreamed and enjoyed the view.

In these dreams I've loved you so
That by now I think I know.

BOTH

What it's like to be loved by you.
I will love being loved by you.

Overall Meaning

The song "I Have Dreamed" is a romantic duet from the musical "The King and I" by Rodgers and Hammerstein. This particular scene culminates the growing feelings and budding love between Lun Tha and Tuptim. The lyrics tell a story of two people who are deeply in love and how they have dreamed of being with each other. When the two are close to each other, their hearts beat faster and they bask in the warm glow of their love. In Tuptim's solo, she sings about how she has been thinking of the same things that Lun Tha has, and how they both have dreamed of holding each other in their arms.

The song itself is sung in a waltz-time signature and is filled with beautiful harmonies and melodic lines. The alternating vocal parts of Lun Tha and Tuptim are touching and full of emotion. The lyrics are poetic and conjure images of beautiful romantic dreams. The use of visual imagery is especially poignant in the line "How you look in the glow of evening." The line not only paints a picture of the beautiful scenery but also captures the emotional intensity of the moment.

Line by Line Meaning

I have dreamed that arms are lovely,
In my dreams, I have imagined that holding someone close and feeling their arms around me is a beautiful experience.

I have dreamed what a joy you'll be.
In my dreams, I have visualized you as a source of pure happiness and joy in my life.

I have dreamed every word you whisper.
I have imagined hearing every word you whisper to me, savoring the sound and the intimacy it brings.

When you're close, Close to me.
The closeness and proximity of your body to mine in my dreams is a deeply satisfying and comforting experience.

How you look in the glow of evening
In my dreams, I have seen you illuminated by the soft golden light of the evening, and you look radiant and beautiful.

I have dreamed and enjoyed the view.
I have taken pleasure in simply seeing you in my dreams, gazing upon your beauty and feeling contentment and peace.

In these dreams I've loved you so
In these imaginary scenarios, the love I have for you burns bright and intense, filling me with a powerful emotion.

That by now I think I know
I have experienced this love so vividly and so many times that it now feels like an intimate knowledge of what it is to love you.

What it's like to be loved by you.
Through my dreams, I have envisioned what it would feel like to be loved deeply by you, and have become intoxicated by the thought of it.

I will love being loved by you.
If my dreams come true and I am lucky enough to be loved by you, I know that I will revel in the experience and cherish it deeply.

Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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