At the age of two he moved with his mother to Atlanta, Georgia where she raised him until her sudden death at the age of thirty-five. Afterwards, he was taken in by his grandfather, who was an avid music fan. It was through this relationship that he was introduced to many legendary artists that made up his grandfather's record collection. As soon as he heard the soulful sounds of Sam Cooke and Al Green, The-Dream was hooked. In the third grade he began his musical venture by enrolling in introductory trumpet classes at Grove Park Elementary School. He continued playing the trumpet through high school and later learned to play the drums and guitar.
In junior high and high school his musical influences extended toward such artists such as Timbaland , Missy Elliott, Aaliyah and Tupac Shakur. His talents continued to naturally develop and eventually lead The-Dream to begin singing, rapping and song writing.
In addition, he is an accomplished artist and has created many paintings and sculptures, some of which have been shown at various art galleries throughout Atlanta.
In 2001, The-Dream was introduced to Laney Stewart of Redzone Entertainment. Although their first meeting wasn't very successful, things fared better the second time around and Laney pulled him into his camp. The two immediately collaborated to write for the multi-platinum group B2K.
In early 2003, The-Dream was signed by Laney Stewart to a new publishing deal with Morningside Trail through a joint venture with peer music. Since then he has continued writing for other artists including the newest single "Me Against The Music" for Britney Spears. The-Dream recently worked on Jive artist Nivea's forthcoming sophomore effort (April 2005) including the hit single "Okay" featuring Lil' Jon and Youngbloodz.
In 2006, The-Dream was brought in by Tricky Stewart of Redzone to collaborate with various artists including Bayje (Atlantic), Dear Jane & J.Holiday (Capitol), and Brit & Alex (Interscope).
To kick off the New Year, The-Dream began 2007 with major success. With the help of Tricky Stewart, " umbrella" was created and taken to several different labels with artists ranging from Britney Spears at Jive to Mary J. Blige and Akon. Yet, it was the genius of Karen Kwak that got the record into the hands of Def Jam Record's CEO, LA Reid. Def Jam flew The-Dream and Tricky to LA to record with Rihanna, where they also wrote "Breakin' Dishes," a song off Rihanna's latest release, Good Girl Gone Bad.
Despite his current success, The-Dream never stops dreaming. Look out for The-Dream's future collaborations with hot artists such as Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Karina Pasian, Young Joc, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Jazzy Phae, Keke Palmer, Gia, Tricky Stewart, Don Vito, Wynter Gordon, Shontelle, and Lucy Walsh.
1977
The-Dream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what I would give to see your face (yeah)
Wherever you are I pray you're safe (yeah)
Forgive me for my selfish ways (yeah)
For I know that you're better off these days (yeah)
Baby I miss you, every time it rains
And no matter how bright the sun may shine
It never dries away the pain
Singin' ohhh ohhh. Ohhh ohhh
Singin' ohhh ohhh. Ohhh ohhh
And you're written all over me
So much so, I can't believe
Your grandchildren are a sight to see
Every day they're more of you, and less of me
And what a cliche
I know you hear
No fear, I know you're near
And no matter how many things I have
No one will ever love me your way
No matter what love invades my space
One thing's for sure, you won't be replaced
Baby I miss you, every time it rains
And no matter how bright the sun may shine
It will never dry away this pain
And I'm singin' ohhh ohhh. Ohhh ohhh
And I'm singin' ohhh ohhh. Ohhh ohhh
If you can't see the tears running down my eyes
I guess I've got to make the song cry
If you can't see the tears running down my eyes
Shit, I guess I've got to make the song cry
Mama I miss you, every time it rains
No matter how bright the sun may shine
It will never dry away this pain
And I'm singin' ohhh ohhhh. Ohhhhh ohhhh
And I'm singin' ohhh ohhhh. Ohhhhh ohhhh
And I'm singin' ohhh ohhhh. Ohhhhh ohhhh
The lyrics of The-Dream’s song “1977” are a poignant tribute to the artist’s mother who passed away. The first stanza expresses regret for not being able to communicate with his mother and see her again. The artist prays for her safety and confesses to feeling selfish for not being a better son. The second stanza speaks to the lasting impact that the artist’s mother had on him. He sees her influence in his children, emphasizing that there is more of her in them than him. He acknowledges the cliche of saying that his mother is still with him, but he truly feels her presence and knows that she is always near. The final stanza sees the artist directly addressing his mother and expressing how much he misses her every time it rains. He acknowledges that nothing can replace her love and influence in his life.
Overall, the song is a moving tribute to the artist’s mother that touches on themes of grief, regret, and the lasting impact of a loved one. The-Dream’s lyrics are poignant and heartfelt, expressing a sense of vulnerability that is relatable to anyone who has lost someone close to them.
Line by Line Meaning
I just can't say
I cannot express my feelings for you accurately
And what I would give to see your face (yeah)
I would do anything to see your face again
Wherever you are I pray you're safe (yeah)
I hope that you are safe wherever you may be
Forgive me for my selfish ways (yeah)
Please forgive me for my past mistakes and selfish behavior
For I know that you're better off these days (yeah)
I acknowledge that you are in a better place now
Baby I miss you, every time it rains
I miss you every time it rains, which reminds me of you
And no matter how bright the sun may shine
Even on bright days, I still miss you
It never dries away the pain
The pain I feel for losing you never goes away
Singin' ohhh ohhh. Ohhh ohhh
Expressing my sadness through these sounds
And you're written all over me
You left a significant impact on my life, and I can't forget you
So much so, I can't believe
Your impact on me is so strong that I am in disbelief
Your grandchildren are a sight to see
Your grandchildren are beautiful and remind me of you
Every day they're more of you, and less of me
Your grandchildren are growing up to be more like you, and I am becoming less important
And what a cliche
I know you hear
I know this is a common sentiment, and you have heard it before
No fear, I know you're near
I am comforted by the thought that you are still close to me in spirit
And no matter how many things I have
No matter what I own or how successful I become
No one will ever love me your way
No one can love me the way you did
No matter what love invades my space
Even if I find love again, it will never replace what we had
One thing's for sure, you won't be replaced
I will never forget you, and no one can take your place
If you can't see the tears running down my eyes
If you cannot see how much I am hurting
I guess I've got to make the song cry
I will express my pain through music
Mama I miss you, every time it rains
Mother, I miss you every time it rains
No matter how bright the sun may shine
Even on sunny days, I still miss you
It will never dry away this pain
The pain of losing you will never go away
And I'm singin' ohhh ohhhh. Ohhhhh ohhhh
Expressing my sadness through these sounds
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CARL TERRELL MITCHELL, SAMUEL C. LINDLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind