T'Pau formed in 1986. The members originated from the towns of Shrewsbury and Wellington in central England and took their name from a Vulcan high priestess in the classic Star Trek episode Amok Time. Their debut single and first hit was the 1987 release Heart and Soul. Initially a flop in the UK, it first became a hit in the U.S. Billboard charts, reaching #4, a feat it repeated in the UK Singles Chart some months later. The same year, the band had their biggest hit with the ballad, China in Your Hand, which spent five weeks at Number One in the UK chart, and also claimed the top slot in several European countries, although oddly the song made little impact on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
They had a number of smaller hits which made it to at least the UK Top 40, including the singles Valentine, Sex Talk (a new recording of early flop single Intimate Strangers), I Will Be With You, and Secret Garden. Their 1987 album Bridge Of Spies (the album was called T'Pau in the U.S.) was a best seller and won several British record industry awards.
Nevertheless, the band failed to maintain their success and split in 1991. But Decker reformed the band with a new line-up in 1998, and T'Pau have in recent years attempted a comeback.
In May 2005, Carol Decker reached the final round of the ITV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, singing the T'Pau hit China in Your Hand.
See also: Official site
SWEET DREAMS
T'Pau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And this walk is a hell of a walk
You see, me and the dog always seem to walk too far
Now this road is a road
And this house never leaves me alone
You see, me and the house never seem to get along
And the people I meet
I never seem to believe my eyes
Sweet dreams when you go to bed, ooh
Is your daddy gonna climb into your head
Oh, oh, Well then you'll never be the same again
Oh no! Let your momma get you something for the pain
Yeah!
Well this hole is a hole
And I fell to the bottom I know
You see, me and the hole we don't feel the need to part
And the things that I've seen
Would make you want to cry
You see, I've never been to a place I like
Sweet dreams when you go to bed
Is your momma gonna climb into your head
Oh, oh, Well then you'll never be the same again
Oh no! Let your daddy get you something for the pain
Don't say this is paradise!
And the things that I've seen
Would make you want to sit down and cry
I've never been to a place I like
Don't say this is paradise!
Sweet dreams!
Sweet dreams when you go to bed, ooh
Is your daddy gonna climb into your little head
Oh, oh, Well then you'll never be the same again
Oh no! Let your momma get you something for the pain
Don't say this is paradise!
Don't say this is paradise
Don't say this is paradise
Don't say this is paradise
Don't say this is paradise
This ain't your sweet dreams
Oh no, sweet dreams!
The song "Sweet Dreams" by T'Pau is a melancholic piece about a person's inner turmoil and struggles. The songwriter uses vivid metaphors to describe the different issues they encounter in their life. The stanza "Well, this dog is a dog, And this walk is a hell of a walk" refers to a burdensome journey the songwriter takes with their dog as a companion. They seem to walk too far, and the experience is exhausting. The second line, "You see, me, and the dog always seem to walk too far," suggests that the dog helps keep the songwriter company but also causes them trouble.
The second stanza of the song talks about a house that never leaves the songwriter alone. They always seem to have an ongoing problem with the house. In line two, "And this house never leaves me alone," the house is symbolic of a persistent issue or an emotional burden that the songwriter carries. They continue to be haunted by their troubles, and they can't escape the constant strain. The songwriter also looks into the different individuals they meet, and they don't seem to feed their desires. The lyrics state, "And the people I meet, they don't feed my desires, I never seem to believe my eyes," which implies that the person hasn't found what they are truly looking for in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well this dog is a dog
This dog is just a regular dog.
And this walk is a hell of a walk
This walk is very long and tiring.
You see, me and the dog always seem to walk too far
I always end up walking too far with my dog.
Now this road is a road
This road is just a regular road.
And this house never leaves me alone
This house always feels like a burden to me.
You see, me and the house never seem to get along
I never seem to be able to get along with this house.
And the people I meet
The people I meet.
They don't feed my desires
They do not satisfy my wants.
I never seem to believe my eyes
I often have trouble believing what I see.
Sweet dreams when you go to bed, ooh
Have sweet dreams when you go to bed.
Is your daddy gonna climb into your head
Will your father be on your mind?
Oh, oh, Well then you'll never be the same again
If he is, you will be changed forever.
Oh no! Let your momma get you something for the pain
Ask your mother for something to ease your pain.
Yeah!
Just an expression of affirmation.
Well this hole is a hole
This hole is just a regular hole.
And I fell to the bottom I know
I fell all the way to the bottom.
You see, me and the hole we don't feel the need to part
I feel no need to leave this hole.
And the things that I've seen
The things I have seen.
Would make you want to cry
They are very sad and emotionally moving.
You see, I've never been to a place I like
I have never been to a place that I enjoy.
Don't say this is paradise!
This is not paradise!
Sweet dreams when you go to bed
Have sweet dreams when you go to bed.
Is your momma gonna climb into your head
Will your mother be on your mind?
Oh, oh, Well then you'll never be the same again
If she is, you will be changed forever.
Oh no! Let your daddy get you something for the pain
Ask your father for something to ease your pain.
Don't say this is paradise!
This is not paradise!
And the things that I've seen
The things I have seen.
Would make you want to sit down and cry
They are very sad and emotionally moving.
I've never been to a place I like
I have never been to a place that I enjoy.
Don't say this is paradise!
This is not paradise.
Don't say this is paradise
This is not paradise.
Don't say this is paradise
This is not paradise.
Don't say this is paradise
This is not paradise.
This ain't your sweet dreams
This is not your sweet dreams.
Oh no, sweet dreams!
Have sweet dreams!
Contributed by Mason L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.