Dreams
Trent Reznor & Peter Murphy Lyrics


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Let go all the tears of your life
The one you left behind
Let the pain of the dream go by
It's over
The love is calling
I'm searching
You have gone to be free
The love is calling
I'm searching
You have gone to be free
When the light had gone
And the night was over
Yet the feeling will still exist
For you and me

Let go all the tears of your life
The one you left behind
Let the pain of the dream go by it's over
And the feeling still exists
For you and me
You have gone to be free

Let go all the tears of your life
The one you left behind
Let the pain of the dream go by it's over
Oh, and as you fly past the sign
That points to our way
Send your children a whispered song
Then allow yourself away

One two I am you
You are but a show
Three four there's no more




Your red mouth is aglow
Five six no more tricks
Now I'm feeling clean
The secret yeah it moved so fast
Had to dive into mid stream

Overall Meaning

The song "Dreams" by Trent Reznor and Peter Murphy is a beautiful depiction of the pain and longing felt after a loved one has left. The lyrics describe letting go of the tears and pain associated with the dream of being together, acknowledging that it's over, and moving on. The love still exists, but the person has gone to be free. There is a sense of searching and longing to reunite, even though the reality is that they are no longer together.


The chorus repeats the sentiment of being called by love and searching for the person who has gone. The second verse adds the imagery of the light and darkness passing, but the feelings remain. The bridge of the song adds an interesting twist, as if speaking directly to the departed loved one. The lyrics advise them to send a whispered song to their children as they leave, which adds a layer of sadness and nostalgia to the song. The final line of the song is enigmatic, "The secret yeah it moved so fast, had to dive into midstream," which suggests that something was lost or missed in the relationship, and the opportunity is now gone.


Line by Line Meaning

Let go all the tears of your life
Release all the sorrow you’ve accumulated in this life


The one you left behind
The past that you’ve left behind, including people and memories


Let the pain of the dream go by
Allow the memories to pass, along with any associated pain


It's over
The difficult time has ended


The love is calling
An invitation to love, along with expectation


I'm searching
Searching for you


You have gone to be free
You have departed to achieve freedom


When the light had gone
When the brightness had disappeared


And the night was over
When the darkness had ended


Yet the feeling will still exist
The emotion still exists


For you and me
Between the two of us


Oh, and as you fly past the sign
As you pass the sign while flying away


That points to our way
That shows the way to us


Send your children a whispered song
Send a quiet song to your children


Then allow yourself away
And then disappear without any further comment


One two I am you
We are the same person, and you are a reflection of me


You are but a show
You are just an act


Three four there's no more
There is no more of the same


Your red mouth is aglow
Your luscious mouth is bright red


Five six no more tricks
No more deception


Now I'm feeling clean
I am feeling pure again after being deceived


The secret yeah it moved so fast
The secret rapidly came to life


Had to dive into mid stream
I had to dive into the middle of everything, without preparation




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL STATHAM, PETER JOHN MURPHY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@V0lk

There are only 100 people in the audience, because those are the NIN fan club (Spiral) members that get let in early to the shows. I know, because I'm in that video. Best fan club benefits EVER.

@ridezafire

From What I Had Heard. This Had Not Been Rehearsed. So With That In Mind, This Is Incredible.

@tylerpurrden

I wish I could have an mp3 version of this to listen to. Like constantly

@MarcS4R

it is fucking incredible

@user-yd4bq3sv2x

As someone who was there yes this was all for members of the spiral and this was the first any of them had done this

@ellamierrose1812

I can't get enough of this song. Must have been badass to have been there.

@johnmchugh8049

It’s a catchy song so it would probably be easy to sing after hearing it a couple times

@salsa101

I been a fan of NiN since the 90's. they literally changed my appreciation for music. I came across tv on the radio around 2007 and fell in love with their style. This is the first time I seen this performance and match up. Seeing this is like one of those full circle moments for me. This is definitely a dream team. Trent never ceases to amaze me with his passion for creating music.

@forallthatisunreal

F/X Art Desk same. Word for word

@tylerpurrden

Could not agree more!!

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