The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk and new wave. The trio was known for its melodic pop songs, its distinctly English flavour and its mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form The Style Council and later had a successful solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of The Jam’s original compositions, and he played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band’s songs, including the hits "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", "The Eton Rifles", "Going Underground" and "Town Called Malice".
For artists called "Jam", please see http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Jam.
Dream Time
The Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Backstreet's and all, I wanted to leave there
But no matter how fast I ran, my feet were glued
I just couldn't move there
I saw the hate and lots of people
I heard my name called above the noise
I tried to speak but my tongue was tied
[Chorus:]
I saw the lights and the pretty girls
And I thought to myself what a pretty world
But there's something else here that puts me off
And I'm so scared dear, my love comes in frozen packs
Bought in a supermarket
Streets I ran, through wind and rain,
Around this place amongst streaming sunshine.
Scared I was, sweating now.
Feeling of doom, my bowels turned to water
I felt hot breath whisper in my ear
I looked for somewhere to hide but every wheres closed
I shut my eyes pretend not to be here
This feelings much to real to ever disappear, oh no
[Chorus]
And I'm so scared dear
My love comes in frozen packs
The Jam’s song “Dream Time” expresses the desire to escape from an oppressive environment. The singer is stuck in a town he dislikes and wants to leave. However, he cannot shake off the feeling of being trapped, and despite his best efforts to escape, his feet are “glued” to the ground. As he runs along the streets, he is confronted by the hate and negativity of the people around him, making him feel helpless and alone. He tries to speak, but his tongue is tied, and he is eventually reduced to tears.
The chorus offers a glimpse of a better world: he sees “the lights and the pretty girls” and thinks to himself what a pretty world it is. However, he is also aware that there is something about this world that “puts him off”. The final lines of each stanza reveal the underlying fear and anxiety that consumes the singer: his love comes in “frozen packs bought in a supermarket”. The frozen packs are a metaphor for the emptiness of his life - love that is packaged and commodified.
Overall, the song “Dream Time” captures the feeling of being trapped in a suffocating environment, where one’s desires and dreams seem out of reach. The singer’s experience of feeling trapped and oppressed is relatable for anyone who has ever wanted to escape a place, a relationship or a situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Streets I ran, this whole town
I tried to run away from the streets and the people of the town.
Backstreet's and all, I wanted to leave there
Even the backstreets of the town didn't appeal to the singer anymore and they wanted to leave.
But no matter how fast I ran, my feet were glued
Despite running fast, the singer couldn't leave the town as they were stuck there.
I just couldn't move there
The singer was unable to move away from the town.
I saw the hate and lots of people
The singer saw a lot of hatred and numerous people in the town.
I heard my name called above the noise
The singer could hear their name being called out amidst all the noise in the town.
I tried to speak but my tongue was tied
The singer wanted to speak up but found themselves unable to do so.
Bumped into emptiness and started to cry, oh no
The singer felt empty and started to cry as a result.
[Chorus:]
The chorus begins.
I saw the lights and the pretty girls
The singer saw the town in a different light - with bright lights and pretty girls.
And I thought to myself what a pretty world
Despite seeing the town in a different light, the singer questioned the true beauty of the world he saw.
But there's something else here that puts me off
Despite the lights and pretty girls, something was off and didn't sit well with the singer.
And I'm so scared dear, my love comes in frozen packs
The singer feels scared and lonely, and resorts to finding love in frozen, packaged items from the supermarket.
Bought in a supermarket
The singer finds their love from a supermarket.
Streets I ran, through wind and rain,
Again, the singer tries to run away from the streets and the people of the town - through wind and rain this time.
Around this place amongst streaming sunshine.
The singer tries to find solace in the sunshine around the town.
Scared I was, sweating now.
Despite the sunshine, the singer still feels scared and anxious.
Feeling of doom, my bowels turned to water
The singer experiences a feeling of impending doom, causing physical distress.
I felt hot breath whisper in my ear
The singer felt a mysterious presence and was whispered to.
I looked for somewhere to hide but every wheres closed
The singer looks for a hiding spot but realizes every possible location is closed off.
I shut my eyes pretend not to be here
The singer closes their eyes, pretending they're not in the town anymore.
This feeling's much to real to ever disappear, oh no
Despite their best efforts, the singer's feelings were too real to just disappear suddenly.
[Chorus]
The chorus is repeated once more.
And I'm so scared dear
The singer is still scared of being in the town.
My love comes in frozen packs
The only comfort the singer finds in the town is through frozen, packaged items from the supermarket.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind