Dreamland
Roger McGuinn Lyrics


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It's a long long way to Canada
It's a long way from bow chains
Donkey venders slicing coconut
No parkas to their name
Black babies covered in baking flour
The cook's got a carnival song
Lay down someplace shady
With Dreamland coming on

Dreamland, dream on Dreamland

Walter Raleigh, Chris Columbus
Come a-marchin' out of the waves
And they claim the beach and concessions
In the name of the sun-tan slaves
I wrapped their flag around me
Like an Errol Flynn sarong
And I laid down thinking national
With Dreamland coming on

Goodtime Mary and the lady soldiers
Talking over a glass of rum
Burning on the inside
With a knowledge of things to come
There's gambling out on the terrace
Midnight rambling on the lawn
As they lean towards temptation
With Dreamland coming on

In a plane flying back to winter
With shoes full of tropic sand
There comes a lady in a foreign flag
On the arm of her Marlboro man
The hawk howls in New York City
Six-foot drifts on Myrtle's lawn
As they push the recline buttons down
With Dreamland coming on

African sand on the Trade Winds
On the sun on the Amazon




As they lean towards temptation
With Dreamland coming on

Overall Meaning

The song "Dreamland" by Roger McGuinn tells a story of a journey and a longing for a place that seems too far away. The opening line tells us that it is a long way from where the singer currently is to Canada. They are in a place where donkey vendors are slicing coconut and black babies are covered in baking flour. These are likely allusions to a tropical location. The cook sings a carnival song as the singer seeks some respite from the heat by finding a shady spot. It is in this moment that Dreamland comes on. We can interpret Dreamland to be a place of rest, beauty, and perhaps even a sense of security that the singer longs for in the face of the harsh realities of their current surroundings.


The verses that follow add more detail to the journey narrative. We hear about the flag of conquest that has been wrapped around the singer, but even with this sense of national identity, they are still able to long for Dreamland. We then hear about the exploits of Goodtime Mary and the lady soldiers, who are also drawn to temptation as Dreamland is coming on. The final verse describes the singer's return home, but we are left with the impression that the journey has not yet ended. The image of shoes full of tropic sand and a lady in a foreign flag on the arm of her Marlboro man suggest that the singer is still yearning for a place that is far away.


Line by Line Meaning

It's a long long way to Canada
Canada is far away.


It's a long way from bow chains
This place is far from slavery.


Donkey venders slicing coconut
Vendors are cutting coconuts using donkeys.


No parkas to their name
They don't have any parkas.


Black babies covered in baking flour
Black babies are covered in flour like baking ingredients.


The cook's got a carnival song
The cook is singing a festive song.


Lay down someplace shady
Find a cool spot and relax.


With Dreamland coming on
While the wonderful dream is happening.


Walter Raleigh, Chris Columbus
Explorers Raleigh and Columbus.


Come a-marchin' out of the waves
They appeared from the water.


And they claim the beach and concessions
They assert their authority on the beach and get perks.


In the name of the sun-tan slaves
For the sake of those who want to get a tan.


I wrapped their flag around me
I put on their flag as clothing.


Like an Errol Flynn sarong
Like a garment worn by a famous actor in the 30s.


And I laid down thinking national
I felt patriotic.


With Dreamland coming on
While the sweeping dream is happening.


Goodtime Mary and the lady soldiers
Mary and some women soldiers.


Talking over a glass of rum
They're chatting over a drink of rum.


Burning on the inside
They yearn and long for something.


With a knowledge of things to come
They have a premonition of the future.


There's gambling out on the terrace
There's betting happening outdoors.


Midnight rambling on the lawn
Walking around outside in the middle of the night.


As they lean towards temptation
As they are drawn to temptation.


With Dreamland coming on
While the magical dream is happening.


In a plane flying back to winter
On a flight back to cold weather.


With shoes full of tropic sand
Shoes filled with sand from the tropics.


There comes a lady in a foreign flag
A woman with a foreign flag on her.


On the arm of her Marlboro man
With a Marlboro man by her side.


The hawk howls in New York City
A bird of prey cries out in the city of New York.


Six-foot drifts on Myrtle's lawn
Large snow drifts on Myrtle's grass.


As they push the recline buttons down
As they lean back in their seats.


With Dreamland coming on
While the enchanting dream is happening.


African sand on the Trade Winds
Sands from Africa carried by the trade winds.


On the sun on the Amazon
Under the sun in the Amazon River.


As they lean towards temptation
As they are lured into temptation.


With Dreamland coming on
While the breathtaking dream is happening.




Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joni Mitchell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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