Dreams of Our Fathers

Dave Matthews Band

Oh, I'm choking, I'm choking
On the smoke from this burning house
I claw and I scrape
But I can't seem to get out
But who then, who is this
That's scratching from the ground
Oh, it's my world too
But who's gold is this I'm digging out?

Where we go, when we go
When we're dead
Is the verdict still out?
Do we get into line
To line up with those long dead now?
With the muffled tears of sorrow
Bones underground
Is this time our time?
Yes, it is
Without of with this shadow of doubt.

I don't want to wake up
Lost in the dreams of our fathers.
Oh, it's such a waste, child
To live and die for the dreams of our fathers
Though I must confess, yes
My view is a wonder about this
This love I possess, love
It must be the dreams of our fathers.

I want to go, I want to run
We turn, so sure someone's looking down
It's haunting me, haunting me
Leaves us here to get out
Though I don't believe, I don't believe
This flavor in my mouth
Is from my tongue alone
So bitter, I want to spit it out.

I repeat these words
They come out
Under the blue light in the sky
My empty pages are filling up
With these wicked lies
But I hear deep in myself
An echo, an echo
Of empty, empty emptiness
Comes up and swells inside.

I don't want to wake up
Lost in the dreams of our fathers
Oh, its such a waste, child
To live and die for the dreams of our fathers
Though I must confess, yes
My view is a wonder about this
This love I possess, love
It must be the dreams of our fathers

Rain on my head
Rain on my head
Rain on me
And then give me air
Rain on my love
Again and again
Why can't I dream you away from me?

Look here, look here
Bloated, floating
Go belly down
Belly up in the water
But who is this here that's drowned?
We followed a drunken man
He got us all spinning round
But it's like he swallowed himself
And didn't leave us a way out

I don't want to wake up
Lost in the Dreams of our Fathers
Oh, it's such a shame, child
To live and die for the Dreams of our Fathers
Though I must confess, yes
My view is a wonder about this
This love I possess, love
It must be the Dreams of our Fathers

This love I possess, love
It must be the Dreams of our Fathers
This love I possess, love
It must be the Dreams of our Fathers
This love I possess, love
It must be the love of our fathers

The dreams
The dreams
The dreams
This love I possess love


Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Dreams of Our Fathers Lyrics as written by David Matthews Glen Ballard

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

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Dreams of Our Fathers song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment
    i loe this song, and its a brilliant opening to the album
    angelicon May 07, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    well, this song bascially means to live your life in order to YOUR dreams, not anyone elses, and think for yourself and not for anyone else or let anyone else control what steers your life, a very common outlook but dave just does it so well
    daveandjackruleon May 27, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    if you live for your father you live for no one~he lived already. live for yourself you make the changes, you are the only one who has to live with you.
    caramel fireon June 18, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This song is pretty good... the chorus sucks.. Actually the Everyday CD isn't the best example of Dave. I am a rabid DMB fan and this just isn't as good as the early stuff. tis a shame, a shame. But the verses are really nice...
    Ilsedoreon April 30, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I myself think Dave's transition to the electric was rather neat. Just to hear how innovative he was on the acoustic, then translate it over to the electric was amazing. Now everybody thinks DMB has gone to shit because of that, but I don't think so. Carter made a statement about Everyday which I might paraphrase on. But he said, "Just because we've decided to try something new, doesn't mean we're not the Dave Matthews Band anymore. We're still going to be dmb and that's not going to change." He said something to that effect anyway. I'm not keen on the fact though that Glen Ballard and Dave wrote most of the music without getting input from the band. But it was different, and good. It also brought many people who hadn't heard Dave previously to appreciate his music. I've seen a few people get into Everyday, and that being the first time they've ever really heard dave, go back and listen to the earlier grassroots stuff. Then they'd really really dig it. It increased the fan base, and reached more people that could connect with their music. That is a good thing, and nowhere near a shame in my opinion.
    Squeegeon October 13, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    when we're dead is the verdict still out?
    mle_loveon January 02, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    It is about how the best intentions of our family for us can smother us and ruin our lives if we let them get in the way. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and the road to a messed up life is often following a path laid out for us be someone else. Regardless of whether they mean well or not. Be yourself or die!
    thecrossboneon February 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I hated this song. I disliked Everyday in general, but this was one of the worse songs.
    shan4shorton February 16, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    i am a dave fan too. hardcore you may say (own everything seen every gorge concert for 4 years). and i like some of his new stuff just as much as some of his old stuff. crush is my favorite song. and this is near the top of my list too. you know what people? music changes. and he did too. in all his songs he is writing about life, and a lot of your favorites are important ones to him and were period pieces about his life. so why is his life so bad now? i like this song and am writing my college admission essay on it and its influence to me. thank you
    s0medevi1on January 03, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    i am a dave fan too. hardcore you may say (own everything seen every gorge concert for 4 years). and i like some of his new stuff just as much as some of his old stuff. crush is my favorite song. and this is near the top of my list too. you know what people? music changes. and he did too. in all his songs he is writing about life, and a lot of your favorites are important ones to him and were period pieces about his life. so why is his life so bad now? i like this song and am writing my college admission essay on it and its influence to me. thank you
    s0medevi1on January 03, 2006   Link

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