Rooted in the Canberra indie rock scene, the group was formed in 1996 by Narrabundah College school friends Paul Murphy, Toby Martin and Andy Cassell. The fourth founding member, Danny Lee Allen, never lived in Canberra, instead growing up in Maroubra and then Coogee in Sydney, meeting Paul through attending Marcellin College in Randwick. Andy Cassell was one of three partners in the Ivy League / Winterman & Goldstein group of companies. Of the original members, only Martin and Allen remained. The band's first show was in November 1997 at the Warren View Hotel in the inner Sydney suburb of Enmore. At this stage, Allen had played drums for approximately two months. Their first album, Urban and Eastern, was released in 2000.
In 2003, the band played at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas and performed on 4 dates with The Vines and The Music on a US West Coast tour.After various configurations, including the temporary membership of John Lattin of La Huva, the lineup was finalised in 2004 through the addition of Cameron Emerson-Elliott on guitar (previously a member of The John Reed Club) and Patrick Matthews on bass (formerly of The Vines). A series of chance happenings lead Epitaph Records boss Brett Gurewitz to hear their second album, Skeleton Jar, in 2004 and release it in the U.S. in 2005. The band supported Death Cab for Cutie in 2005 on a coast to coast US tour.
Their single "Forever Young", a cover of the 1984 song by Alphaville, was used in the television show The O.C. and heavily featured in promos for Australian TV station Channel Ten at the beginning of 2006. The song debuted on the Australian charts at No. 2 in March 2006, and eventually peaked at No. 1. It was also No. 1 in the first ever digital download chart. During 2006, they supported Coldplay in their sold-out tour of Australia. They also won an ARIA for Breakthrough Single.
In July 2006, the band released their third album, Casino Twilight Dogs, which featured "Forever Young", along with the album's second single, "Catching & Killing". On 24 July 2006, Casino Twilight Dogs debuted at #10 in the ARIA Album Charts. The album was produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla.
They supported Kings Of Leon and Interpol on their 2008 tours of Australia.
They released their fourth album, The Night Is Ours, in July 2008 through Ivy League in Australia and in April 2009 on Worlds Fair Records in the US. The song "What is A Life" from The Night Is Ours was featured on The CW show Gossip Girl episode "The Bonfire of the Vanity".
Youth Group toured the US twice in 2009, as well as once again opening for Death Cab for Cutie in Australia, before moving into a hiatus. Though the band are still on good terms, they are focusing on other projects. Martin released a solo album, Love's Shadow, in July 2012 on Ivy League Records. Allen currently lives in New York and tours with We Are Scientists and plays with Brooklyn band, The Drums. Elliott and Matthews are both currently members of Sydney-based indie rock band Community Radio. Matthews also spent time in The Jewel and the Falcon.
The band reunited to play shows in 2015.
In My Dreams
Youth Group Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For a minute there I thought my dream was real
Sometimes you come to me as a flock of birds
Sometimes you come dressed as Allen Ginsberg
Until the mornin' light the same dream every night
In my dreams you are alive and breathin'
I just can't break this it seems
In my dreams, in my dreams
Sometimes a bolt of light comes through the sadness
That there is a reason for the madness
Somehow it stirs a joy within me
I understand that the root of pain is beauty
Until the morning light the same dream every night
In my dreams you are alive and breathin'
Standin' at my door like St. Steven
I just can't face this it seems
In my dreams, in my dreams
Old grief has favored me with a thousand sittings
A series of portraits that go on and on and on
On and on and on and on
On and on and on
In my dreams you are alive
In my dreams you are alive
In my dreams you are alive
In my dreams you are alive
In my dreams you are alive and breathin'
Standin' at my door, not speakin'
I just can't break this it seems
In my dreams, in my dreams
The lyrics of Youth Group's song "In My Dreams" speaks to the idea of loss and grief, particularly the struggle to cope and move on from it. The song centers on the persona's persistent dream of a deceased loved one that they cannot seem to shake off. The persona in the song is happy for the moments when they can "steal" time away to reminisce about their lost loved one. They remark on the fleeting feeling of hopefulness when they briefly thought their dream became a reality. The deceased loved one appears in the persona's dream in various forms, sometimes as a flock of birds and sometimes as Allen Ginsberg.
The lyrics suggest the way grief can haunt a person even in their dreams. The persona longs for the presence of their loved one, describing them as "alive and breathing," and "standing at my door like St. Steven." The tone of the song is tinged with an underlying hopelessness, with the persona acknowledging their inability to break free from their dream. The lyrics also hint at the idea that there is beauty in pain, that "the root of pain is beauty." The persona finds some comfort in this notion, as it stirs a joy within them despite their sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Happy again for the precious time I steal
I feel joyful when I take a break from reality and immerse myself in my dreams.
For a minute there I thought my dream was real
Sometimes my dreams feel so vivid that it's hard to distinguish them from reality.
Sometimes you come to me as a flock of birds
In my dreams, you appear to me in various forms and shapes, such as a group of birds.
Sometimes you come dressed as Allen Ginsberg
You take different forms in my dreams, such as dressing up as a famous poet like Allen Ginsberg.
Until the mornin' light the same dream every night
I have the same dream every night, until I wake up in the morning.
In my dreams you are alive and breathin'
In my dreams, you're alive and breathing, unlike in reality where you're no longer with me.
Standin' at my door like St. Steven
You appear to me in my dreams as if you're standing at my door, just like the Christian martyr St. Steven.
I just can't break this it seems
I can't seem to let go of this dream, even though it's not the reality.
Sometimes a bolt of light comes through the sadness
Occasionally, in the midst of the sadness, comes a glimmer of hope or understanding.
That there is a reason for the madness
I believe that there is a purpose behind the chaos and turmoil I'm experiencing.
Somehow it stirs a joy within me
Despite the struggle, there's a sense of happiness that arises in me when I think about that purpose.
I understand that the root of pain is beauty
I've come to realize that there is a certain beauty to be found in pain and suffering.
Old grief has favored me with a thousand sittings
I've experienced so much grief and loss that it feels like an old friend or companion.
A series of portraits that go on and on and on
The memories of the pain and the people I've lost seem to be never-ending.
In my dreams you are alive
Again, in my dreams, you're alive and with me, even if it's just for a moment.
Standin' at my door, not speakin'
You come to me in my dreams, but sometimes you don't speak, you're just there.
I just can't face this it seems
The reality of your absence is too much for me to bear and I can't seem to confront it.
In my dreams, in my dreams
These dreams are my way to escape and hold onto the past.
Contributed by Lucas F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lina 8289
IN MY DREAMS LYRICS
Happy again for the precious time I steal
For a minute there I thought my dream was real
Sometimes you come to me as a flock of birds
Sometimes you come dressed as Allen Ginsberg
Until the mornin' light the same dream every night
In my dreams you are alive and breathin'
Standin' at my door like St. Steven
I just can't break this it seems
In my dreams, in my dreams
Sometimes a bolt of light comes through the sadness
That there is a reason for the madness
Somehow it stirs a joy within me
I understand that the root of pain is beauty
Until the morning light the same dream every night
In my dreams you are alive and breathin'
Standin' at my door like St. Steven
I just can't face this it seems
In my dreams, in my dreams
Old grief has favored me with a thousand sittings
A series of portraits that go on and on and on
On and on and on and on
On and on and on
Lina 8289
IN MY DREAMS LYRICS
Happy again for the precious time I steal
For a minute there I thought my dream was real
Sometimes you come to me as a flock of birds
Sometimes you come dressed as Allen Ginsberg
Until the mornin' light the same dream every night
In my dreams you are alive and breathin'
Standin' at my door like St. Steven
I just can't break this it seems
In my dreams, in my dreams
Sometimes a bolt of light comes through the sadness
That there is a reason for the madness
Somehow it stirs a joy within me
I understand that the root of pain is beauty
Until the morning light the same dream every night
In my dreams you are alive and breathin'
Standin' at my door like St. Steven
I just can't face this it seems
In my dreams, in my dreams
Old grief has favored me with a thousand sittings
A series of portraits that go on and on and on
On and on and on and on
On and on and on
sherwoodd1
i been listening to this song for ages, its a great how you put it on a tv show and then everyone realises how good it is.
Chelsea Bitondo
I love this song and I also first heard it on Private Practice. It was such an emotional scene. Perfect song for it.
twinsgemini123
I LOVE THIS GROUP..HAVE THEY EVER MADE A BAD SONG...TOTAL AWESOME
april941990
god...just heard this on private practice. so beautiful and emotional which fits the scene it was used for perfectly
Leah24392
Love Youth Group so hearing them on PP was immense :)
Thomas Cacciamani
This is literally the only place I can find this song.
Thank you so much for uploading this.
Lliones66
thanks to you ;)
mette011
I sure do appreciate Youth Group :D
7slasher7
Just heard on Private Practice. Great scene,great song...