Dreams of Children
The Jam Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I sat alone with the dreams of children
Weeping willows and tall dark building, and
I've caught a fashion from the dreams of children
But woke up sweating to this modern nightmare, and
I was alone, no one was there
I was alone, no one was there

I caught a glimpse from the dreams of children
I got a feeling of optimism
But woke up to a grey and lonely picture
The streets below left me feeling dirty, and
I was alone, no one was there
I was alone, no one was there

Something's gonna crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight
You are going to crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight
Something's going to crack up your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight

I fell in love with the dreams of children
I saw a vision of all the happy days
I've caught a fashion from the dreams of children
But woke up sweating from this modern nightmare, and
I was alone, no one was there
I was alone, no one was there

Something's gonna crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight
Something's going to crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight
Something's going to crack up your dreams tonight
You will choke on your dreams tonight
Something's going to crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight
Something's going to crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight




You will crack on your dreams tonight
You will crack on your dreams tonight

Overall Meaning

The Jam's song Dreams of Children presents the contrast between the purity and joy of childhood dreams and the harshness and bleakness of the modern world. The first two stanzas follow the pattern of describing the beauty of the dreams of children and contrasting it with the ugliness of reality. The metaphor of weeping willows and tall dark building may represent the innocence and imagination of children and the frightening and oppressive nature of the adult world. The singer caught a fashion from the dreams of children and felt optimism but was let down by the grey and lonely picture of the streets. The repetition of "I was alone, no one was there" creates a sense of alienation and loss of hope.


The chorus declares that something is going to crack up the dreams tonight and that the singer will crack on their dreams. The repetition of this line emphasizes the uncertainty and vulnerability of the human condition, which can be shattered by the violent and unpredictable forces of life. At the same time, the verb "crack" can suggest a kind of breaking open or breaking free from the constraints of society, which may suggest an element of hope or revolution.


The last stanza introduces the idea of falling in love with the dreams of children and seeing a vision of happy days, which further contrasts with the emptiness and fear of the modern world. However, this hope is quickly crushed by the realization that waking up from the dreams leads to sweating and a "modern nightmare". The final repetition of "You will crack on your dreams tonight" serves as a warning or a prophecy that the singer and the listener must be ready for the inevitable collision of dreams and reality.


Line by Line Meaning

I sat alone with the dreams of children
Alone and lost in thought, pondering what children's dreams are and what they could mean


Weeping willows and tall dark building, and
Imagery description of the dreams that are being contemplated, reminiscent of nature meeting man-made structures


I've caught a fashion from the dreams of children
A sense of style or trend of optimism that was discovered within the children's dreams that has been captured or retained by the singer


But woke up sweating to this modern nightmare, and
Sudden re-entry into the reality of modern times that is dismal, causing the artist to feel disheartened and anxious


I was alone, no one was there
Feelings of isolation and loneliness


I caught a glimpse from the dreams of children
A brief and incomplete perception of the beauty and positivity that resides within the dreams of children


I got a feeling of optimism
The brief perception brought forth a sense of hope and positivity


But woke up to a grey and lonely picture
Returning to reality stripped away the optimism and dreamlike quality from before, leaving behind a dismal and lonely reality


The streets below left me feeling dirty, and
The mundane and grim environment of the city amplifies the artist's negative emotions and makes them feel unclean


Something's gonna crack on your dreams tonight
A premonitory feeling that something will shatter the artist's dreams tonight, causing them to feel broken and dispirited


You will crack on your dreams tonight
A repetitive and foreboding warning of the shattering of the singer's dreams tonight


I fell in love with the dreams of children
A strong admiration and fondness for the pure and genuine desires and aspirations within children's dreams


I saw a vision of all the happy days
A positive image of a future filled with happy and content days that are longed for


Something's going to crack up your dreams tonight
A repeated phrase that instills a sense of dread and forewarning of the fracturing of the singer's aspirations and positive outlook


You will choke on your dreams tonight
A more sinister version of the previous warnings, indicating that the shattering of the singer's dreams will be suffocating and painful


You will crack on your dreams tonight
The haunting repetition of the warning that the artist's dreams will be destroyed and broken




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Rob lloyd

A song from my early childhood. Begged my mom to buy me going underground and this was the b side. Played it constantly. I was 5. Not w bad first record.

The Fakey Cake Maker

My first record was Baggy Trousers by Madness hahaha! When I was 5 I discovered Weller though and have been a life long fan ever since.

Hammerton32

Dreams Of Children was supposed to be the A-side, but due to a mix-up in printing...

Connor Smart

It was pre ordered so much it reached number one in the charts during it's first week.

Urlocallordandsavior

Probably the most ambient Jam song.

Tiffany Noelle

Love this song ♡ thanks for posting

SMC Gmail

God. So tight. And the energy and authenticity - Britpop wasn't a patch on The Jam

xRxixcxhxtxexrx

Brilliant band only better than them is seeing them live all those years ago...damn I feel old

Colin Jennings

Quite brilliant tune. Better than going underground IMHO.

Paul Towmy

The prophecy of the lyrics of so many Jam songs, is frightening. Brilliant, but frightening.
When I first discovered The Jam, aged 13, I had NFI. Now 50 - the spine chills.

"You'll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns" - & they did, & they will again, still nothing learnt!?
"We ruled the world we killed and robbed The fucking lot but we don't feel bad"
- endless top quotes.

More Comments

More Versions