Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the "fat… Read Full Bio ↴Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century.
His songs — such as "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River"), "Hard Times Come Again No More", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", and "Beautiful Dreamer" — remain popular over 150 years after their composition.

Beautiful Dreamer
Stephen C. Foster Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Beautiful Dreamer' by these artists:

Al Grant Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me Starlight and dewdrops Are …
Al Jolson Beautiful dreamer, Wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops Are a…
Al Jolson & Bing Crosby Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
AZU Take me to the winter sky For you and me 粉雪舞う12月の町を包むBellが…
Bing Crosby Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
Daisy Duck Oh, Daisy, have you seen Micky? I can't find him…
Don Gibson Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
EZOSHIKA GOURMET CLUB 毎日が喜びに満ち溢れたものなら誰だ何だって構わないもう一度あの時に戻れるなら「あーあ」なんて言うこともないな空…
Fred Mollin Beautiful dreamer, Wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops Are a…

Geoff Love & His Orchestra Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
George Morgan Beautiful dreamer wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops are w…
GLAY Soshite mezameta asa ni kaze o kanjite Yume no tsuzuki o…
Hank Snow Beautiful Dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are…
Hill Bowen & His Orchestra Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
John Leyton Beautiful dreamer, open your crazy eyes you've gotta wake up…
Johnny Hunter Safely in the arms of the night She lies waiting patiently…
Ken Dodd Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
Marty Robbins Beautiful Dreamer 美麗的夢仙 Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, S…
Mates of State You're spending too long The people were wrong They don't ev…
Maysa If we could see the world through the eyes of…
Mia Sable Your currency is poetry So what have I? In my dreams I'm…
Minnie & Daisy Oh, Daisy, have you seen Micky? I can't find him…
Music-Themes Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops are w…
Natalie Cole Beautiful dreamer, you are like magic to me 'Cause you share…
Nursery Rhymes 123 Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
Randy VanWarmer Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoa…
Raul Malo Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops are w…
Roy Orbison Beautiful Dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
Sheryl Crow Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops are w…
Slim Whitman Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song, List while I woo the…
Sowelu Asa ga kureba samete shimau yume nara Yoru ni nareba mata…
Stephen Foster Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
The Irish Tenors Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me Starlight and dewdrops are …
The Kids From Fame You You're different You go your own way Come what may Y…
The Melachrino Strings and Orchestra Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are …
TRUSTRICK 雨雲を過ぎたら風はもう止んで新しい出逢いがいつも道を変えた戦い方は無様溺れるだけだった足場はまた不安に日々…
UP UP GIRLS kakko Kari 打ちのめされた夜窓をそっと開けて風を部屋に入れる忘れたくても忘れられないジリジリとした焦りが駆けめぐる敵わない…
Various Artists [Calvin:] Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me starlight and dewd…
Y&T You know I've always loved you And my heart cries out…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Stephen C. Foster:

Hard Times Come Again No More Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many…
Oh! Susanna I come from clabama With my banjo on my knee…

Susanna I come from clabama With my banjo on my knee…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

SevenNationArmy123

7y↑283

Beautiful Dreamer Serenade
BY STEPHEN C. FOSTER

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd a way!

Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,—
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer awake unto me!

Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea
Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.

Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,—
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Indah Huegele

7y↑48

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd a way!

Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer awake unto me!

Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea
Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.

Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

All comments from YouTube:

SevenNationArmy123

7y↑283

Mister K

3y↑7

Thanks for the lyrics!👶

John Boydstun

Oh SUSAN

will byers is best boy

1y↑1

Slay

Joe Silva

52w↑11

Foster could write wonderful lyrics.. The first verse here is a poem by itself. The melody works very well to convey the mood of the lyrics.

lindsey lefrois

43w

Yes, Mr. Foster was undoubtedly an artist.

Cothteh

1y↑10

I lost my mother November 4. She used to sing this song in her recitals...I miss her so much...

🐺Marissa Wolff🎶

47w

I'm sure you've sung it at her funeral.

ho jeong

4y↑78

this song was written in his last days dealing with poverty and loneliness without his wife and his daughter. Dreaming a beautiful day with his family caused make this song even though no one was around him

Jean Stromberg

45w

How sad😢!

Jeremy Horne

2y↑67

I wish I could give more than one thumbs up. This is nothing short of beautiful.

Beverley Souders

I think this was played in King Kong.

knitting mama

10y↑292

This song may be over 100 years old but it is so beautiful...I have always loved this song...the melody is so lovely!!!

NS Steampunk

9y↑3

+knitting mama No doubt

Brian Byrne

knitting mama i

Heather

5y↑3

I know right! Also, I am related to him (before he passed)

Peyton Foster

@Heather are you related to Stephen Foster?

David R

Actually published 1864.

3 More Replies...

William

2y↑36

I cant think of a more beautiful enchanting song than this. Touches the heart every time

Sounds of nature

2y↑7

I first listened to this song when I was 16 and I loved it immediately. Now I’m 54 I still love this song. Steven Foster is and will be one of the greatest American musicians forever.

MacDazzle

8y↑49

My grandfather used to sing this to me when I was growing up in the early 1970s... he was occasionally still singing it up to his passing about 10 years back... his performance sat in his favourite chair technically wasn't a patch on this but if I had a recording I would always choose his... thanks for posting.

Attila709

4y↑118

There's a sadness in his eyes that only multiplies when listening to this song. He never lived to see it's success. It was his last gift to the world

Nellie K. Adaba

2y↑5

Unfortunately

Doug LaBrecque

6y↑26

This is the amazing Leslie Guinn! He taught at University of Michigan and has one of the most lyrical and beautiful baritones voices of our lifetime. Love him and love this recording. How gorgeous is this melody?

Washington Isaac Holmes

3y↑1

Hi Doug! It's been a while since our studio days with Professor Les Guinn. Your comments are 100% correct. What a glorious, intuitive artist and unforgettable artistry!

Lucy Evans

7y↑95

The picture in this video of him shows the pain in his eyes but also the love and the passion as well you can see him gaze off in the distance in a daze and I think it adds to the effect of this masterpiece ❤️

K Cook

6y↑4

Lucy Evans there very few pictures from this time of people abroad smiling due to how long it took to take a picture.

Kim Morrison

4y↑4

Thank you for pointing the deep expression in his eyes... he has soulful eyes...!

What an artist!! Beautiful song!!

Nugsy Malone

His eggs are getting cold

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Reading a lot into nothing.

Annie Artist03

1y↑18

Thumbs up if you’re also here thanks to Welcome Home :3

Cawfee Pawt

1y↑2

Ahhh absolutely!!

S Y

8y↑41

Beautiful performance of a beautiful song! Thank you, Stephen Foster, for all your wonderful music! You enriched the lives of so many millions!

Michele Delduca

7y↑4

Yes,that is definitely one of the most beautiful songs of all time, thank you,Stephen Foster. ❤️

ᴋɪᴢᴢʏ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ

5y↑18

So beautiful!! Stephen Foster is so great! His history must never fade away!

Justin Tai

3y↑9

This song is absolutely beautiful ❤️🌙⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🌌

Jon Alder

3y↑8

This is one of the most beautiful songs. It is one of the only songs powerful enough to teleport you back far enough to make you question if it was even the same life...

tubeyhamster

3y↑11

It is amazing that I, in 2020, am familiar with these melodies and many of the lyrics even though I have never knowingly sought them out before.

YUM YUM, MICHELE COOKS

3y↑10

I absolutely love this song, learnt to play it on piano.

Donavon Dilworth

2y↑6

One of the most beautiful songs ever written and wonderfully rendered here. Lovely!

Gabriel Salmon

9y↑60

Wow. This baritone's voice is extraordinary. I'll have to listen to more of his work.

kwesi atta Sakyi

5y↑20

Nostalgically beautiful. First learnt this song in 1963 at age 13.

Eric Davies

8y↑105

This is the most beautiful rendition of Beautiful Dreamer I have ever heard. Most singers seem intent on inserting their "personalities" onto the song and in the process murder this beautiful song. Pity about the noise in the background of the recording.

Stan daMann

8y↑6

there is a great version on youtube by the irish tenors.

flyingmerkel6

5y↑13

Some guy with a good voice sang a great song in a straightforward style. What a concept. All too rare these days.

none

5y↑5

I have yet to find a singer who gets the point. The Beautiful Dreamer is dead. He is grieving and trying to revive his Beautiful Dreamer. Try singing it like that! It's completely morbid.

Steve Franks

4y↑3

Greetings Eric, There is a split camp among museums and historians. Some who collect and display "period" instruments leave them in the condition they find them, while other believe in some basic restoration work to bring a historic musical instrument up to a playable standard.
What you hear are the clicks and clacks of the keyboard mechanism due to old felts that are hard, moth eaten, or simply missing. This makes the mechanism noisy. If too bad, impossible to play.
-- A piano tuner/technician retired.

Dude on a computer

4y↑3

RE: background noise...I believe all those "footsteps" were on the period correct piano. I was just going to post how I kind of liked hearing that! lol

9 More Replies...

Cathy Arrieta

7y↑6

Beautiful song. Beautiful voice. I just learned that it was first a poem. I sang this during my 5th grade. It was just beautiful.

jazzfusionary

4y↑5

It doesn't get any better than Stephen Foster. The vocalist is superb in this.

Casimir Alexander

4y↑8

I love this Singer’s Voice. This man’s voice. 💙🕊🙏🏻

John Cine

7y↑9

Beautiful and touching song.

damianop100

8y↑23

What a lovely, lovely song and my goodness, what a singer here, beautiful voice!

Indah Huegele

7y↑48

Michael Lenihan

2y↑1

It is one of the most beautiful songs, if not the most.

Mary Crow

2y↑1

A poet, truly

Karen Kavanagh

43w

Thank you for the poem.. I AM going to do embroidery work with these lyrics / poem onto linen and then into an ole frame . Gave myself a project!

….

3y↑4

I don’t care of old this song is I will always listen to this type of music forever.

Peyton Foster

3y↑9

I'm so glad I'm related to such a talented man like Stephen Foster

G S

For Real? Thats so cool. Such a talented young man and an American Legend

TheCoolGuy

2y↑3

Genuinely one of the finest compositions ever

Bergisch Platt

9y↑17

Thanks for sharing! This song is surely one of the all-time-stars.

Donald J Van Epps

9y↑31

Most beautiful song ever written!!

NS Steampunk

9y↑2

+Donald J Van Epps It is! I am singing this song and doing a drum piece for Performance Seminar!

Christabelle

1y↑1

The gentleman singing this nearly brought me to tears - truly a song that speaks to something within you.

Peter Lim

8y↑30

I sang this song when I was 16 in the then Malaya--accompanied by a teacher on the piano. Still my favourite song which I sing all the time--indeed sang this in several charity events. I am a self-taught tenor. The song was sold for just a few dollars. SF died alone in destitution as his wife and daughter had left him--he was an alcoholic...died in his late 30's? I live in Melb with my family--my instrument is violin.
Best wishes to all lovers of SF's songs

Thomas Farmer

2y↑2

I came across this song on the Concert Radio Programme in New Zealand. The rendition was sensitive by some wonderful tenor.
I didn't know who wrote the song so I searched it and came across this.
It is something from what I call the "pre-vulgar era" wonderful

Eddie Bisketti

4y↑8

There's nothing like the "real thing", baby. This is just one example. GREAT SONG

Insouciant

3y↑7

If I could choose one song to sing perfectly, it would be this.

Steven Torrey

7y↑6

Another beautiful rendition.

Air Glo

1y↑2

We sang this in elementary school about 70 years ago. It was already old and a classic then.

S B

3y↑5

I heard it at the end credits of Spongebob Square pants and I asked my nieces about it. That's how I found this one here. Love it.

Mangobee13

5y↑409

I’m 12 and all my friends make fun of me because I love 1800s music. I love it so much. Edit : Lmao They all love it now 😂

Crow T. Robot

5y↑51

A century and a half have passed since it was written and it is still being recorded and played. That should tell you something about your taste... and your friends.

Evita C

4y↑39

You are obviously rad. They are not on the level kid, not like you. Stay true. <3

jazzfusionary

4y↑21

Mango you have a great ear for music. There was a lot of passion in that era and it showed in the arts, especially with the great Stephen Foster.

Rose Trevino

4y↑18

Honestly, there is nothing Wong to listen to music from the 1800's. Most beautiful music in worlds history. This kind of music brings best happiness, and joyfulness to the heart. I'm born in 92 love this beautiful symphony of the word that this music bring to life.

51 More Replies...

Ian Beddowes

2y↑2

I loved this song from childhood. I did not know that it was written so long ago. I thought it was written in the 1930s. Wow. You live and learn! My father would play it on his musical saw, by the way.

Harry Olivar

7y↑15

I love this song. They should play it on the radio instead of the modern crap.

M.K.

8y↑19

Never get tired of hearing this song. Thank you

Steven Torrey

7y↑2

It is one of those perfect songs!

Henni Habeck

3y↑5

Thanks to all the nice music lovers who Share all of These gems with us, thanks a Lot,

Juliaflo

2y↑13

Without Stephen Foster, there probably would not have been an Irving Berlin.

In Vino Veritas

1y↑1

So haunting, so beautiful!!

Carmen Velazquez

4y↑1

Beautiful song.One of my favorites.

Logan Fruchtman

Foster is such a great composer and really set in stone original American classical music and a really underrated Romantic composer. I see him as the “American Schubert”.

marie Chin

3y↑1

It still sounds lovely
My dad used to sing it to my mum when I was little long time ago

Sydney Main

1y↑1

When I was a little girl I had this little music box since I before I can remember. It had ornate paintings of fairies all around the sides and it was pink on the inside with a fairy that would spring up and start twirling and playing this song. I found this video because my online music textbook for college had a link to this video. I didn't know my music box was playing this song this whole time and I can't believe found the song after hearing it for 19 years!

MrKaywyn

An exceptional voice.

YUP!!!

3y↑2

The piano is so beautiful. The meloncholey comes on slow but I notice it. It picks up through out the song. The first verse is alluding to the fact he's in pain. He wants to express it but he's not ready to accept what's happened. He's singing this as a gesture to awake his beautiful dreamers sleep with a heartfelt ballad. That's the words He is compartmentalizing emotions thru rebranding them into lyrics composed of metaphorical tone that is delivered thru the beautiful dreamers slumber being death, and the song is a tribute. That only comer with the Representative of the importance the B. Dreamer plays(ed) in our musician'

Jerry Boyer

4y↑2

Music, musicians, instruments...all God's wonderful gifts to mankind here...and hereafter(?). Awesome rendition!

ho jeong

4y↑14

I recommend the book "beautiful dreamer" about the life of Stephen Foster written by Ellen Hunter. Sometimes I have traveled the 19 C reading this book. How lovely and sad his life was

hugecashfan

8y↑11

This is so beautiful it makes me cry,always believe in your dreams everyone and that you are beautiful

Rosa ***

2y↑1

So sweet and lovely.
Love it 💞💞💞

Master-Blaster

2y↑1

The closer you get to the meaning, the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming.

Alvex Ok

5y↑2

There were numerous beautiful songs around the turn of the 20th century about dreaming, two of them are "Beautiful dreamer" and "Wake me tonight in dreamland"

GMine

4y↑8

My parents got me a snow globe with a beautiful dog inside with this song as the music <3 I love you so much mom and dad <3

paacer

5y↑1

Wonderful version by Leslie Guinn .

Cliff Morgan

7y↑116

You used to sang this to me.

You'll always be in my heart MOM.
I LOVE YOU.

NINE STAR

7y↑370

Not many women can say their husbands are romantic enough to sing this song to them.
Paul was. I loved him.
I am so happy but miss him so much.

Kim Sandlin

5y↑16

I lost my mom in January. I am so sorry for your loss and pain. 💜💙💚💛❤

Vineet Taneja

Paul Maulin

Fortress Four

4y↑3

Joe Kinchicken Sorry you feel that way Joe

8 More Replies...

A Hermes

A melody for the ages.

Steven Yourke

3y↑1

Yes! This is the way it should be sung.

ronnie knotts

Just...beautiful. I forgot this when I really shoudn't have. It is now back in my mind. Well done SF.

Sarah G

This was playing in my head randomly so I had to look it up 💕

George Carlsen

Beautiful dreamer is such a beautiful song and Stephen Foster music will never die. It has bough a lot of pleasure to the people Such a wonderful composer in Music. All of his music is still played today for people to listen too.

Cybervamp Stevens

2y↑1

I want this song played in my wake - funeral......, 🖤

Kayleigh Smith

4y↑4

Beautiful voice, beautiful song ... I sing this song to my 6 month old boy xx

Gerald Lewis

4y↑1

Great rendition by Leslie...and as Mr. Davies said 4 years ago, pity about the b.g. noise. It sounds like someone knocking on a glass door a hundred feet away...during the whole song. Looming above all that is my years-old opinion that this is the most beautiful song America has ever created.

Jade Bell

5y↑1

😍😍😍 my heavens. This is beautiful !!

KEN GIBSON

5y↑1

Just beautiful. What a talent. Thank you. Ken. (UK).

David G

39w

My grandmother passed when i was young and left a music box that would play this and memories flood in anytime i hear it

AmyClassical

Oh I just had this to play,didnt know it had lyrics! Beautiful😀

William Lecorchick

My mom used to play this song on the piano, she was schizophrenic and passed away about 10 years ago. Sweet memory!

UFBUtifuleyes

1y↑1

I know this will sound weird, but I always associated this song with the movie An American Tail, because that's where I first heard it as a kid, when Fieval was lost and looking for his parents in New York, this music added a layer of sadness to it (in a good way)

Cybervamp Stevens

I love this song , I used to ask my 86 year old lady friend sign it to me <3 !!!!

Runi Johannesen

Lovely music ❤👍

peterstang

A vintage beautifully performed.

dghghg

3y↑2

Wonderful song, In certain westerns i have heard this song.

Horatio Nelson

Which ones

Sukkiejhay

Beautiful piece, heard the girl sing it in raising Dion 🔥

lindsey lefrois

8y↑4

"Beautiful Dreamer" is said to have been inspired by two woman in Stephen Foster's life who died young, a sister and a lady-friend.

Karen Kavanagh

43w↑1

His wife & daughter
. The man is recalling wonderful memories , day dreaming of what use to be ...

lils

2y↑1

this song is beautiful oml

Jason Dickinson

9y↑24

Period instrument(s)? How old is this baritone?
But really, for me, an exemplary performance. Thank you.

oppie47

9y↑9

Jason Dickinson
LOL! No, by period instrument(s), I'm refering to the guitar, bugle, flute, violin & melodeon used in other songs from this same set of recordings.

Jon Nicholson

9y↑6

Jason Dickinson
Plus that definitely sounds like a Square Piano. (Square Grand). The tone at least sounds like one.
Which would've been the period correct type of piano.

Steve Franks

4y↑5

Greetings Jason, One thing that makes this recording so special is they are using "period" instruments from the Civil War years, collected and put on display at the Smithsonian Institution. All these instrument likely played a lot of Foster tunes while the Civil War raged in elsewhere in the country during the 1860s.
I always collect recordings where historical "period" instruments and tunings are used.

GuyInAChair Applees

3y↑1

Anyone else have this in their childhood music box

hui zhou

7y↑2

Stephen Foster folk songs were among the few American music allowed to be broadcast in China after the diplomat relationship was established in 1978. John Denver is popular before 80's in China.

presentacion valenzuela

7y↑3

So beautiful, too beautiful for words.

Stephanie Slevin

7y↑4

So beautiful

MochoStudios

Props to the people from 1864, this is ... something from civil war era music.

Cybervamp Stevens

☁️💜☁️ I love this song.... I used to sit with my 87 yr old lady friend named Ruth and we used to sing this song....she did most of the singing...lol... I miss her.....