The Frames (formed 1990) is a band based primarily in Dublin, Ireland. As o… Read Full Bio ↴The Frames (formed 1990) is a band based primarily in Dublin, Ireland. As of late 2004, the band consists of Glen Hansard (vocals, guitar), Joe Doyle (bass guitar, vocals), Colm Mac Con Iomaire (violin, keyboard and vocals), Rob Bochnik (lead guitar), and Johnny Boyle (drums). On both versions of the album "Fitzcarraldo" the band went by the moniker "The Frames DC", to avoid being mistaken with a United States band of the same name.

The Frames have been together since 1990 and are a survivor of Dublin's prolific early 90's rock and roll scene. They have also been essential in the development of the current crop of emerging Irish rock bands, such as Turn. The Frames have toured with various other Irish artists, including Damien Rice and Bell X1. In December 2004, Hansard appeared on stage in a collaboration with singer songwriter Paddy Casey.

The name The Frames reportedly arose from Hansard's habit, at a young age, of fixing the bicycles of many of his friends. The large number of bicycle frames lying around his house led neighbours to dub it the "house with the frames".

Their new, 6th studio album, The Cost, is available in Ireland since 22 September 2006 and worldwide since 20 February 2007.

Lead singer Hansard recently collaborated with Czech musician Markéta Irglová, which led to the solo album "The Swell Season". Glen and Markéta also star and perform in the John Carney movie Once (www.oncethemovie.com). The movie received several awards including the World Cinema Audience Award - Dramatic at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival as well as an Oscar for best Song for the track "Falling Slowly".

On several occasions the members of The frames appear on stage during the Swell season gigs.

www.theframes.ie

Dream Awake
The Frames Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a point in all this dreaming,
to every man his just dessert
and every time I caught you leaving

i had to dream awake
i had to dream awake

for every time I came home screaming,

got sent away, with no warmth at all,

I had to dream awake..
i had to dream awake

there's a calling, a calling, a calling
to everyone, who lost something.

who had to dream awake.
who had to dream awake
so take us under now
take us under now

there's a fight were not conceding,
words get mixed and the point is lost
we have to dream awake.
we had to dream awake

so take us under now
take us under now

there's a warning, a warning, a warning
to everyone, who took something

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Frames' song Dream Awake are about the struggle to persevere through difficult times and remain hopeful. The verses describe feeling lost and alone, with nobody there to comfort or understand the pain. Every time the singer is met with disappointment or hardship, they find solace in dreaming, in creating an alternate reality where things are better. However, this is a temporary escape, as they always must return to the harsh reality of their situation. The chorus offers a glimmer of hope, calling for someone to "take us under now", which can be interpreted as a call for help or a desire to be swept away from the difficulties of their life. Despite the challenges they face and the disappointments they encounter along the way, the song ultimately conveys an uplifting message about the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

Overall, Dream Awake is a powerful and poignant song that speaks to the universal experience of struggle and hope. Through its introspective lyrics and soaring melodies, the song encourages listeners to keep dreaming, keep fighting, and keep moving forward in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a point in all this dreaming,
There's a purpose to all these thoughts and hopes,

to every man his just dessert
Everyone deserves what they have earned or worked for

and every time I caught you leaving
Whenever I noticed you were departing from me,

i had to dream awake
I needed to face reality and stop living in fantasies

i had to dream awake
I repeatedly had to face the truth

for every time I came home screaming,
Whenever I returned home with rage or pain,

got sent away, with no warmth at all,
I was isolated without care or comfort

I had to dream awake..
I needed to confront the actuality of my situation

i had to dream awake
I had to face the reality again and again

there's a calling, a calling, a calling
There's a beckoning, an urging, a summoning

to everyone, who lost something.
To everyone who had something taken away or misplaced