A guy named Henning (that's his first name) writes and sings the songs in School for the Dead. That's primarily what one needs to know about this band. In fact, Henning, just recently won the WRSI (one of Rollingstone's Top 10 Radio Stations) Singer Songwriter Contest. Yay.
Members of School for the Dead have been in bands with and/or recorded with such luminaries as Mark Mulcahy (Miracle Legion), Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Lloyd Cole, Joe Pernice (Scud Mountains Boys, The Pernice Brothers) and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.
Bands that members of SFTD have been part of include The Maggies, New Radiant Storm King, The Aloha Steamtrain, The Mammals, The Gay Potatoes, Lo Fine, The Figments, King Radio, Spanish for Hitchhiking, The Tea Lights, and Humbert.
With that information, the savvy reader will have discerned that SFTD is based in the Northeast. Yes, that is the case.
School for the Dead has shared the stage with World Party, Robyn Hitchcock, Evan Dando, Freedy Johnston, Mates of State, Of Montreal, J. Mascis, Jane Siberry (Issa), Fountains of Wayne, Martin Sexton, Harry and the Potters, Naked Eyes, and Ivy among many others.
Here's what some people have said about School for the Dead:
"For about four or five years now, I've been playing Henning's songs for people and saying they were my own. Please don't tell him that. Brief, romantic and simple, in a why-didn't-I-think-of-that way, his stories and melodies touch people without resorting to attitude or pretense. If his name weren't so hard to pronounce, he'd be Yngwie Malmsteen by now."
-- Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne)
"an intriguingly bright disc...rich in verbal color...Listening to "Henning's School for the Dead," I was struck by a simple truth: I like contemporary rock a lot more than I used to....loud or not, intelligible lyrics really are art, and, by the way, there's still a lot to be said for melody."
-- John Stiffler, Daily Hampshire Gazette
***1/2 - "retro sensibilities and comfortable pop songwriting clever imagery and arrangements"
-- James Heflin, Valley Advocate
"Henning's School for the Dead" is the cleanest piece of pop music to come out of Northampton in a while. While he'd also make it in the lands of R.E.M. and Husker Dü, Ohlenbusch is a model of Western Massachusetts pop... (he) has a penchant for saying things how they really are."
-- Josh Shear, Chicopee Herald
Boring Dream
School for the Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It went on and on forever it seems
And I could have sworn it was real
I could've sworn that the light flickered on when I threw the switch
That's how you check
When I woke up I was still pretty bored
When I woke up I was... still... pretty... bored
I could've sworn I was born and I loved and I'm alive
Am I wrong?
Somewhere, someone is thinking things about me
And I, I, I can't understand why
I don't want to be a pedestrian I want to be king
Just for a while, just to see
Last night I had the most dreadful thought
Am I the sum of the things I've bought?
And how could I live with myself?
How could I live with myself if the power went out?
What would I do?
Somewhere, someone is thinking things about me
And I, I, I can't understand why
I don't want to be king, I'll stick with pedestrianism
It just seems easier, and safe.
I know, I realize
Around every corner, more beauty lies
I know I realize
We extend our arms beneath infinite skies
Oh no, what can I do?
If it's a mid-life crisis at twenty two
Does that mean I'll never see forty five?
I know, I realize
Around every corner, more beauty lies
I know I realize
We extend our arms beneath infinite skies
Oh no, what can I do?
If it's a mid-life crisis at thirty two
Does that mean I'll never see sixty five?
Last night I had the most dismal night
There was nothing I could say that would make things right
But I could've sworn I was smart
I could've sworn that my brain was as big as my heart
Was I wrong?
Somewhere, someone is thinking things about me
And I, I, I can't understand why
And I, I, I can't understand why
And I, I, I can't understand why
The song “Boring Dream” by School for the Dead discusses the monotony of life and the stresses that come along with it. Throughout the song, the singer describes how he feels stuck and unable to escape the tediousness that seems to have taken over his life. He talks about a dream he had that he thought was real yet turned out to be incredibly boring. Moreover, he reflects on how he could have sworn that he was living his life to the fullest, but that he might be wrong. He contemplates the meaning of his life, whether it is defined by what he has bought, and whether the value of his life comes from how much power he has. He compares himself to a pedestrian and wonders if he should aim bigger and become a king. However, he quickly changes his mind and decides that being ordinary feels easier and safer.
The chorus of the song repeats itself twice, where the singer accepts that he has a lot to learn and hopes that it is not too late. He sings about realizing that there is beauty around every corner and that he needs to take advantage of it before it is too late. However, he also worries that he might be facing a mid-life crisis at the early age of twenty-two, raising concerns about whether he will ever see forty-five.
In summary, “Boring Dream” is a song that tackles social and personal issues related to the purpose of life, the concept of success, and the struggles of feeling insignificant in a fast-paced world. The mundane dream serves as a metaphor for the life he leads, driving home the point that there should be more to existence than simply going through the motions.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I had the most boring dream
The singer had a very dull dream last night
It went on and on forever it seems
The dream seemed to never end
And I could have sworn it was real
The dream was so vivid that the singer thought it was real
I could've sworn that the light flickered on when I threw the switch
The artist had a false sense of reality in the dream
That's how you check
The artist believed that the false reality was an indicator of reality
When I woke up I was still pretty bored
The singer remained bored even after waking up from the dream
But I could've sworn this was my life
The singer had a feeling that their life was dull and uninteresting
I could've sworn I was born and I loved and I'm alive
The artist believed that their existence lacked excitement or purpose
Am I wrong?
The artist questions whether their perception is accurate or not
Somewhere, someone is thinking things about me
The artist is aware that others have opinions about them
And I, I, I can't understand why
The singer is confused about why others think of them in certain ways
I don't want to be a pedestrian I want to be king
The artist desires to be more than ordinary
Just for a while, just to see
The singer is curious about what it would be like to have power or status
Last night I had the most dreadful thought
The singer had a scary or concerning thought last night
Am I the sum of the things I've bought?
The singer ponders whether their material possessions define their identity
And how could I live with myself?
The artist questions how they could be content with their life if their possessions define them
How could I live with myself if the power went out?
The artist worries about their reliance on material possessions and technology
What would I do?
The singer does not know how they would cope without their possessions or comforts
Somewhere, someone is thinking things about me
The singer is aware that others have opinions about them
And I, I, I can't understand why
The artist is confused about why others think of them in certain ways
I don't want to be king, I'll stick with pedestrianism
The artist decides to remain ordinary instead of seeking power or status
It just seems easier, and safe.
The artist prefers the comfort and security of a normal life
I know, I realize
The singer has come to a realization
Around every corner, more beauty lies
The artist has come to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the world
We extend our arms beneath infinite skies
The world is vast and full of opportunity
Oh no, what can I do?
The singer is worried about the limitations of time and aging
If it's a mid-life crisis at twenty two
The singer feels that they are experiencing a crisis at a young age
Does that mean I'll never see forty five?
The artist worries that their crisis will cause them to miss out on life's milestones
I know, I realize
The artist has come to a realization
Around every corner, more beauty lies
The singer has come to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the world
We extend our arms beneath infinite skies
The world is vast and full of opportunity
Oh no, what can I do?
The artist is worried about the limitations of time and aging
If it's a mid-life crisis at thirty two
The artist feels that they are experiencing a crisis at an older age
Does that mean I'll never see sixty five?
The artist worries that their crisis will cause them to miss out on life's milestones
Last night I had the most dismal night
The singer had a particularly negative evening
There was nothing I could say that would make things right
The artist was unable to improve the situation
But I could've sworn I was smart
The singer believes that they are intelligent
I could've sworn that my brain was as big as my heart
The singer believes that their intelligence is on par with their compassion
Was I wrong?
The singer questions whether their self-perception is accurate or not
And I, I, I can't understand why
The artist is confused about why others think of them in certain ways
And I, I, I can't understand why
The artist is confused about why others think of them in certain ways
And I, I, I can't understand why
The singer is confused about why others think of them in certain ways
Contributed by Cameron K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.