Slim Smith was born Keith Smith in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1948.

His … Read Full Bio ↴Slim Smith was born Keith Smith in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1948.

His recording career began in a group called The Techniques that recorded for Duke Reid amongst others. When the original Techniques disbanded in 1965 he formed The Uniques.

From 1969 he concentrated on his solo career, recording sides for Coxone Dodd's Studio One, ten of which were compiled for the album Born To Love. He then began a successful working relationship with Bunny Lee, scoring a hit with 'Everybody Needs Love'.

By the start of the 70s he was having mental problems, resulting in a stay in the Bellevue Mental Hospital. In 1973 he injured himself trying to get into his parents house and died of his wounds.

Just A Dream
Slim Smith Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was thinking bout her, thinkin' bout me
Thinkin' bout us, what we gon' be
Open my eyes yeah, it was only Just A Dream
So I traveled back, down that road
Will she come back, no one knows
I realize yeah, it was only Just A Dream

I was at the top and now its like I'm in the basement

Number one spot and now she find her a replacement
I swear now I can't take it, knowing somebody's got my baby
And now you ain't around baby I can't think
I should've put it down, should've got the ring
Cause I can still feel it in the air
See her pretty face run my fingers through her hair
My lover, my life, my shawty, my wife
She left me, I'm tied
Cause I knew that it just ain't right

When I be ridin' man I swear I see her face at every turn
Tryna get my Usher on but I can't let it Burn
And I just hopes she know that she the only one I yearn for
More and more I miss her, when will I learn
Didn't give her all my love, I guess now I got my payback
Now I'm in the club thinking all about my baby
Hey, she was so easy to love
But wait, I guess that love wasn't enough
I'm going through it every time that I'm alone
And now I'm missing, wishing she'd pick up the phone
But she made the decision that she wanted to move on
Cause I was wrong

If you ever loved somebody put your hands up
If you ever loved somebody put your hands up
And now they're gone and you're wishing you could give them everything
Said if you ever loved somebody put your hands up

If you ever loved somebody put your hands up
Now they're gone and you're wishing you could give them everything

Overall Meaning

The song "Just A Dream" by Slim Smith is a heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and regret. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about a romantic relationship that he had hoped would last. He thinks about what they could have been and what he could have done differently to keep his lover by his side. As the song continues, he realizes that his idealized version of their relationship was only "just a dream" and that his lover has moved on with someone else.

The lyrics are filled with powerful emotions of heartache, desperation, and longing. The chorus encourages listeners who have loved and lost to raise their hands, acknowledging the universal experience of love and its inevitable pain. The singer's vivid descriptions of his lost love create a strong sense of empathy and connection with the listener.

The song's central message is that love requires effort, commitment, and respect. The singer recognizes his mistakes and regrets not giving his lover more of his love and attention. He acknowledges that his lover made the decision to move on because he was wrong, but he is left empty-handed and wishing for a second chance. "Just A Dream" is a powerful song about the complexities of relationships and the fragility of love.

Line by Line Meaning

I was thinking bout her, thinkin' bout me
At that moment, I was contemplating about myself and my partner

Thinkin' bout us, what we gon' be
I was visualizing our shared future together

Open my eyes yeah, it was only Just A Dream
On waking up, I realized that everything I had dreamt about was not real

So I traveled back, down that road
I reminisced about our past together

Will she come back, no one knows
I'm not sure if she'll ever come back to me and our relationship

I realize yeah, it was only Just A Dream
I understood the painful truth that everything I hoped for was a mere figment of my imagination

I was at the top and now its like I'm in the basement
I had everything I wanted, but now I feel as low as possible

Number one spot and now she find her a replacement
I had the highest place in her heart, but now someone else has replaced me

I swear now I can't take it, knowing somebody's got my baby
It hurts me to accept the fact that someone else is with my love interest, the one I called 'my baby'

And now you ain't around baby I can't think
I can't even think straight without her presence around me

I should've put it down, should've got the ring
I regret not being able to take the necessary measures to recognize her worth and express my love by proposing to her

Cause I can still feel it in the air
I can sense her presence and remember the moments we spent together and how they felt

See her pretty face run my fingers through her hair
I miss running my fingers through her hair and experiencing the beauty of her face

My lover, my life, my shawty, my wife
I referred to her as the most important person in my life as my lover, shawty, and future wife

She left me, I'm tied
I feel stuck now that she has gone and left me

Cause I knew that it just ain't right
I recognized that my approach and perspective towards the relationship was flawed

When I be ridin' man I swear I see her face at every turn
I always imagine seeing her face every time I travel or go around the city

Tryna get my Usher on but I can't let it Burn
I tried to listen to some songs by Usher to relieve my pain, but it didn't help much

And I just hopes she know that she the only one I yearn for
I wish she would understand that she's the only person I long for and desire to be with

More and more I miss her, when will I learn
The more time passes, the more I miss her, yet I question myself - when will I truly learn from this experience?

Didn't give her all my love, I guess now I got my payback
I regret not loving her as much as she deserved, and now I feel the pain of losing her

Now I'm in the club thinking all about my baby
Even in a social environment like a club, all I can think about is her

Hey, she was so easy to love
I had no trouble loving her because she was such an amazing person

But wait, I guess that love wasn't enough
However, despite giving her all of my love, it was not enough to make the relationship work and that saddens me

I'm going through it every time that I'm alone
I struggle to deal with my emotions and memories of her every time I find myself alone

And now I'm missing, wishing she'd pick up the phone
I miss her deeply and wish she would call me to reconnect

But she made the decision that she wanted to move on
She decided to let go of our relationship and move on to new things

Cause I was wrong
I acknowledge that my mistakes played a part in the downfall of our relationship

If you ever loved somebody put your hands up
If you have ever loved somebody as much as I have, show it by putting your hands up

And now they're gone and you're wishing you could give them everything
Now that they're no longer with you, you deeply regret not giving them your all, and wish you could have done so

Contributed by Mason L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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