Too Drunk to Dream
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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Sober, life is a prison
Shitfaced, it's a blessing
Sober, nobody wants you
Shitfaced, they're all undressed
Sober, it's ever darker
Shitfaced, the moon is nearer
Sober, you're old and ugly
Shitfaced, who needs a mirror?
Sober, you're a cromagnon
Shitfaced, you're very clever
Sober, you never should be
Shitfaced, now and forever!

I gotta get too drunk to dream
'Cause dreaming only makes me blue
I gotta get too drunk to dream
Because I only dream of you

I gotta get too pissed to miss you
Or I'll never get to sleep
I gotta drink wine not to pine for you
And God knows that ain't cheap

I know you think I'm insane
I know it's not appealing
But till I'm feeling no pain
Guess what I'll be feeling?

I gotta get too fried to cry
Or I'll be crying all night long
I gotta get too high to sigh
Oh my God, where did I go wrong?

So why do I get plastered?
And why am I so lonely?
It's you, you heartless bastard
You're my one and only!

I gotta get too pissed to miss you
Or I'll never get to sleep




I gotta drink wine not to pine for you
And God knows that ain't cheap!

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields’ song “Too Drunk to Dream” reflects on the struggle of unrequited love and the need for escapism. The lyrics portray the dichotomy of being sober versus being drunk, revealing that when a person is sober, they feel trapped and undesirable, but when they are drunk, they feel clever and liberated. The singer expresses their desire to get too drunk or too high to forget about their unrequited love who is constantly on their mind at night. The lyrics suggest that drinking and getting drunk is the only way for the singer to deal with their overwhelming emotions and heartache.


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase “I gotta get too drunk to dream” emphasizing the need for the singer to escape their thoughts and the reality of their situation. The second half of the chorus suggests that dreaming only makes the singer feel worse and reminds them of the person they love but can’t have. The lyrics also reveal the singer’s desire to be too drunk or too messed up to feel emotions like crying or sighing since those emotions remind them of their unrequited love.


In conclusion, The Magnetic Fields' "Too Drunk to Dream" is a melancholic reflection on the pain of unrequited love and the need to escape through alcohol and drugs. The lyrics show the singer's desire to forget the person they love and the pain that comes with that love. The chorus repeats the need to get too drunk to dream, emphasizing the importance of escapism.


Line by Line Meaning

Sober, life is a prison
When sober, life feels like a jail because of the restrictions and limitations one must face.


Shitfaced, it's a blessing
When drunk, life appears to be a blessing due to the release from stress and carefree nature.


Sober, nobody wants you
When sober, no one has a liking towards oneself, often leading to feelings of rejection.


Shitfaced, they're all undressed
When drunk, everyone seems attractive and desirable.


Sober, it's ever darker
When sober, the world seems ominous and bleak.


Shitfaced, the moon is nearer
When drunk, everything appears to be more accessible and reachable, even the moon.


Sober, you're old and ugly
When sober, one feels unattractive and old.


Shitfaced, who needs a mirror?
When drunk, one feels so good about themselves they don't need a mirror to tell them otherwise.


Sober, you're a cromagnon
When sober, one feels primitive and inferior compared to others.


Shitfaced, you're very clever
When drunk, one feels smart and amusing, despite the actions that would suggest otherwise.


Sober, you never should be
Being sober is not a favorable state to be in.


Shitfaced, now and forever!
Drunk is the best state to be in, and it's something one should strive for always.


I gotta get too drunk to dream
The only way to avoid dreaming about someone is to get completely drunk.


'Cause dreaming only makes me blue
Dreams may bring sorrow and sadness instead of happiness and longing.


I gotta get too pissed to miss you
To forget about someone or get over them, one must become completely drunk.


Or I'll never get to sleep
Being sober means no rest, no peace and complete insomnia.


I gotta drink wine not to pine for you
Drinking wine is perceived as the solution to forget and let go of one's feelings towards someone else.


And God knows that ain't cheap
It's not easy to forget someone, and it costs a lot of money and time.


I know you think I'm insane
The desperation to forget someone may come off as crazy to others.


I know it's not appealing
The dire situation is not attractive or admirable in any way.


But till I'm feeling no pain
As long as the pain persists, the coping mechanism will remain until the situation resolves.


Guess what I'll be feeling?
The feeling that will be relevant is the constant yearning and pain over a lost love.


I gotta get too fried to cry
To stop all sadness and crying, one must get extremely high.


Or I'll be crying all night long
Sobriety often leads to uncontrollable crying and sadness.


I gotta get too high to sigh
Higher the high, lesser the sigh- this is the philosophy behind being completely high.


Oh my God, where did I go wrong?
The desperation for a way out of the situation because one realizes it's going too far.


So why do I get plastered?
The need to get drunk stems from a deeper desire to forget painful memories and problems without any repercussions.


And why am I so lonely?
The reason behind being unable to move forward is the feeling of loneliness, isolation and abandonment.


It's you, you heartless bastard
The cause of all pain and misery is the person who left, who is being blamed for the entire situation.


You're my one and only!
Despite everything, that one person is important to the individual and can't be forgotten.


I gotta drink wine not to pine for you
Wine is perceived as the healing elixir that can cure an aching heart.


And God knows that ain't cheap!
The solution to heartache is costly and might take a while to work, if at all.




Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

leandro di buono

Sober, life is a prison
Shit faced, it is a blessing
Sober, nobody wants you
Shit faced, they're all undressing

Oh, sober, it's ever darker
Shit-faced, the moon is nearer
Sober, you're old and ugly
Shit-faced, who needs a mirror?

Oh, sober, you're a Cro-Magnon
Shit faced, you're very clever
Sober, you never should be
Shit faced, now and forever

[Chorus 1: Stephen Merritt]
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Cause dreaming only makes me blue
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Because I only dream of you

I've got to get too pissed to miss you
Or I'll never get to sleep
I've got to drink wine not to pine for you
And God knows that ain't cheap
[Verse 1: Stephen Merritt]
I know you think I'm insane
I know it's not appealing
But 'til I'm feeling no pain
Guess what I'll be feeling?

[Chorus 2: Stephen Merritt]
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Because dreaming only makes me blue
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Because I only dream of you

I've got to get too fried to cry
Or I'll be crying all night long
I've got to get too high to sigh
Oh, my God, where did I go wrong?

[Verse 2: Stephen Merritt]
So why do I get plastered?
And why am I so lonely?
It's you, you heartless bastard
You're my one and only

[Chorus 1: Stephen Merritt]
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Cause dreaming only makes me blue
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Because I only dream of you
I've got to get too pissed to miss you
Or I'll never get to sleep
I've got to drink wine not to pine for you
And God knows that ain't cheap
And God knows that ain't cheap



All comments from YouTube:

libertina4

pure poetry

IAN m

This one of the few songs I've cried singing well i smiled the whole time.

martilook

Hahahahahaha, it's the first song I've found completely accidentally and I LOVE IT!

leandro di buono

Sober, life is a prison
Shit faced, it is a blessing
Sober, nobody wants you
Shit faced, they're all undressing

Oh, sober, it's ever darker
Shit-faced, the moon is nearer
Sober, you're old and ugly
Shit-faced, who needs a mirror?

Oh, sober, you're a Cro-Magnon
Shit faced, you're very clever
Sober, you never should be
Shit faced, now and forever

[Chorus 1: Stephen Merritt]
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Cause dreaming only makes me blue
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Because I only dream of you

I've got to get too pissed to miss you
Or I'll never get to sleep
I've got to drink wine not to pine for you
And God knows that ain't cheap
[Verse 1: Stephen Merritt]
I know you think I'm insane
I know it's not appealing
But 'til I'm feeling no pain
Guess what I'll be feeling?

[Chorus 2: Stephen Merritt]
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Because dreaming only makes me blue
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Because I only dream of you

I've got to get too fried to cry
Or I'll be crying all night long
I've got to get too high to sigh
Oh, my God, where did I go wrong?

[Verse 2: Stephen Merritt]
So why do I get plastered?
And why am I so lonely?
It's you, you heartless bastard
You're my one and only

[Chorus 1: Stephen Merritt]
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Cause dreaming only makes me blue
I've got to get too drunk to dream
Because I only dream of you
I've got to get too pissed to miss you
Or I'll never get to sleep
I've got to drink wine not to pine for you
And God knows that ain't cheap
And God knows that ain't cheap

Tyler Wright

The soundtrack to my life haha

4bananna

This song is the story of my life

Boulevard Shagnasty

any good long term heartbroken drug binge deserves its own theme ya

Brianna Smith

Yesss

Alice Cullen

Shut Up Little Man! brought me here. What an amazing song to choose for those two. I love it!

The Inundation

jamming this song out at 10 with some wild turkey at 11:34 a.m.

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