Asleep and Dreaming
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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I've seen you laugh at nothing at all
I've seen you sadly weeping
The sweetest thing I ever saw
Was you asleep and dreaming

Well you may not be beautiful
But it's not for me to judge
I don't know if you're beautiful
Because I love you too much

I've seen you laugh at nothing at all
I've seen you sadly weeping
The sweetest thing I ever saw
Was you asleep and dreaming

I've seen you when your ship came in
And when your train was leaving




The sweetest thing I ever saw
Was you asleep and dreaming

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields's song Asleep and Dreaming is a heartfelt love song that speaks of the beauty in the imperfections of the one you love. In the first verse, the singer speaks of seeing his/her beloved laughing for no reason as well as crying in sadness. However, the singer believes that the most beautiful sight is that of his/her partner asleep and dreaming. This could be interpreted as the singer finding peace and comfort in simply watching his/her loved one rest and escape reality through their dreams.


The second verse speaks of the subject's physical appearance. The singer acknowledges that his/her partner may not be traditionally seen as beautiful, but that is not important because the love they share outweighs any superficial judgment. The final lines of the verse express that the singer cannot truly determine his/her partner's beauty because his/her love is so strong.


Overall, the song highlights the small moments of intimacy that can be so powerful in a relationship. The beauty in lying next to your partner, watching them sleep and dream, can be just as profound as the big events in life like arriving or departing from a trip.


Line by Line Meaning

I've seen you laugh at nothing at all
I've observed you experiencing moments of pure joy with no apparent reason behind them.


I've seen you sadly weeping
I've witnessed you in moments of great sadness where tears flow freely.


The sweetest thing I ever saw Was you asleep and dreaming
The most endearing moment I have ever experienced with you was seeing you fast asleep, lost in a dream world of your own.


Well you may not be beautiful But it's not for me to judge
Though you may not fit the conventional standards of physical beauty, it is not my place nor desire to evaluate you according to these standards.


I don't know if you're beautiful Because I love you too much
I refrain from labeling you as beautiful or not because your worth to me transcends physical appearances.


I've seen you when your ship came in And when your train was leaving
I have witnessed your successes and your failures, your moments of triumph and those of defeat.


The sweetest thing I ever saw Was you asleep and dreaming
The most poignant and heartwarming moment I have ever experienced with you was seeing you fast asleep, lost in a world of your own design and imagination.




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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