☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the emotional pain and confusion someone feels when they are abandoned by a loved one.
- The singer asks his former lover to continue living in her fantasy world, despite the pain and disappointment she has caused him.
- He talks about the need and desire he had for his former lover, and how she has thrown their relationship away.
- He is desperate and feels humiliated, often laughed at by the person he loves, while she tells her friends how much he begged her to stay with him.
- The repeated plea of 'Dream On' shows a mix of sarcasm and hope that his ex-partner will one day realize what she has lost.
Interpretation
The song 'Dream On' by
Nazareth is about the emotional pain, loss, and disappointment someone feels when a loved one leaves them. The singer pleads with his former lover to continue living in her fantasy world ('Dream On') even though she has broken him ('Though I'm Broken In Two') and hurt him ('What You're Doing To Me'). He talks about how much he needed her ('You'll Never Know How Much I Needed You') but she chose to throw their relationship away ('You Can Count The Reasons Why You've Thrown It Away'). In his desperation, he is even laughed at by her ('You Can Laugh At Me Because I'm Crying') while she tells her friends how much he begged her to stay ('You Can Tell Your Friends How Much I Begged You To Stay'). The singer expresses his deep sadness and confusion as he tries to cope with the end of a relationship. The repeated plea of 'Dream On' could be a mix of sarcasm and sincere hope that his former lover will one day realize what she has done.