When I met you in the restaurant
You could tell I was no debutante
You asked me what's my pleasure; "A movie or a measure"?
I'll have a cup of tea and tell you of my dreaming
Dreaming is free
I don't want to live on charity
Pleasure's real or is it fantasy?
Real to real is living rarity
People stop and stare at me we just walk on by
We just keep on dreaming
Feet, feet, walking a two mile
Mee,t meet, meet me at the turnstile
I never met him I'll never forget him
Dream, dream, even for a little while
Dream, dream, filling up an idle hour
Fade away radiate
I sit by and watch the river flow
I sit by and watch the traffic go
Imagine something of your very own; something you can have and hold
I'd build a road in gold just to have some dreaming
Dreaming is free
IMO, Harry is exploring the dividing line between reality and our thoughts/dreams. She has little or no connection to actual people in the song but rather identifies almost totally with her dreams, even to the point of wondering whether pleasure is created by something real or if it is simply a mental state of being.
I think a subtext that is repeated here is that dreaming is free, i.e. it requires no emotional risk. Without that risk there is no chance of being hurt, so perhaps her attachment to her dreams is a function of a desire to avoid pain. In the end, she "sits by" and watches the world pass her by but is willing to "build a road in gold" in order to hold on to her dreams.
@jomo83 good interpretation. The "man of her dreams"
@jomo83 good interpretation. The "man of her dreams"
@jomo83 you are a total fucking idiot
@jomo83 you are a total fucking idiot
I have no way to confirm this other than asking by Debra, but by coincidence one day after watching the 1945 movie "Brief Encounter" I heard the song "Dreaming" and it all seemed to fit, making me believe that she might've been inspired by the movie to write this song.
Just about every line in the song describes the movie.
(I've never heard anything that would suggest that she has ever revealed this, so for now it's merely an assumption on my part)
The leading lady who's married, by chance meets a married man that she fancies in the restaurant of the British train station in Carnforth, and goes on to have a brief secret love affair with him.
They have tea together like good Brits (I'll have a cup of tea), and in the station there is a little musical group playing, he asked her if she'd like to stay and listen (to a measure), or see a movie. They ultimately go to a movie.
He offers to pay for her tea, but she refuses (She doesn't want to live on charity).
Reel to reel is living verite - movie reference of a style of documentary filmmaking that combines improvisation with the use of the camera to unveil truth of highlight subjects hidden behind crude reality.
People stop and stare at me, we just walk on by, We just keep on dreamin' - (There are gossipy nosey people that observe them together).
Beat feet, walking a two mile...Meet me, meet me at the turnstile (at the train station is where they'd continue to meet)
I never met him, I'll never forget him. (She never knew him previously, but now he's all she thinks about).
Dream dream even for a little while - (They typically have to cut short their dates because of their real lives, but she "fills up the idle hour" by soaking in all the love and romance she can 'til she has to go back home again).
I sit by and watch the river flow - (The two of them also had a favorite spot to hang out on a stone bridge over a waterway to be alone and to talk while watching the water flow).
I sit by and watch the traffic go. - (She sees trains coming and going while waiting for the one that he's on).
Imagine something of your very own, something you can have and hold - (She dreams that they could really be together).
Ultimately in the movie they have to stop seeing one another, and though she never reveals to her husband what has been going on, he somehow knows but loves her so much that he freely accepts her without making a deal of it. Very touching movie (I'm getting choked up thinking about it) and it wouldn't surprise me if Debra was so moved by it to write the song "Dreaming".
Yo Debra, if you happen to read this, hit me up. It was mere coincidence that made me connect the dots, but if I'm on to something I'd just love to hear from you what a genius you think that I am. LOL!
@MongSeanings I can believe what you wrote.
@MongSeanings I can believe what you wrote.
@MongSeanings The referenced movie, Brief Encounter (1945), is on YouTube for those interested in checking it out. youtu.be/HCt8S-Aio5M
@MongSeanings The referenced movie, Brief Encounter (1945), is on YouTube for those interested in checking it out. youtu.be/HCt8S-Aio5M
@MongSeanings - Your point makes a lot of sense. Also because Harry was born in 1945, the year in which that movie was released, and she probably grew up watching it over and over again. Besides sounding like a delighful story, movie industry didn't use to offer very many options back then.
@MongSeanings - Your point makes a lot of sense. Also because Harry was born in 1945, the year in which that movie was released, and she probably grew up watching it over and over again. Besides sounding like a delighful story, movie industry didn't use to offer very many options back then.
@MongSeanings yeah go ask “Debra”. Fucking moron
@MongSeanings yeah go ask “Debra”. Fucking moron
@MongSeanings I think, you're spot on! Maybe, she also met with her partner the similar way?
@MongSeanings I think, you're spot on! Maybe, she also met with her partner the similar way?
@MongSeanings This is very interesting. I really think you've hit on something. The "cup of tea" line is very British and non-American and you've made many of the other odd lyrics fit. I'm going to follow up your theory. BTW, as the nastier commenters observed, Debra isn't correct. Her stage name was Debbie, but her birth name was Angela.
@MongSeanings This is very interesting. I really think you've hit on something. The "cup of tea" line is very British and non-American and you've made many of the other odd lyrics fit. I'm going to follow up your theory. BTW, as the nastier commenters observed, Debra isn't correct. Her stage name was Debbie, but her birth name was Angela.
this song means when you first meet your first love nothing else matters even though you live miles apart because you know you can still see him in your dreams.
@websyi I agree! I saw them in 1983 and she said it was about her first love.
@websyi I agree! I saw them in 1983 and she said it was about her first love.
@websyi I agree! I saw them in 1983 and she said it was about her first love.
@websyi I agree! I saw them in 1983 and she said it was about her first love.
Stonking great pop tune - I wish I could go back to the 70's and fuck her. She wrote most of the songs too,
@Lemonhead She's still alive! Take a swing!
@Lemonhead She's still alive! Take a swing!
i can't imagine debby aging..i saw her old face earlier and can't identify her..her young face stands out as the symbol for girl rock long before the courtney love's or the brody armstrong's or dalle's..debby and patti smith really brought girls into the core of rock music..so shut up ashley simpson..nah..just joking..i don't like hating..sorry..
@strummerville She didn't age that well, but, unlike some, I think you can still see the same face, just much older.
@strummerville She didn't age that well, but, unlike some, I think you can still see the same face, just much older.
sticks and stones covered this song. it's probably one of my top 10 favorite covers.
This song is actually areference to the first time Debbie Harry met Blondie guitarist ad long time partner Chris Stein....when I met you in a restaurant ...etc
This song is actually areference to the first time Debbie Harry met Blondie guitarist ad long time partner Chris Stein....when I met you in a restaurant ...etc
They didn't meat in a restaurant, they met at CBGB's in 1974.
They didn't meat in a restaurant, they met at CBGB's in 1974.
@bjort - that doesn't mean they couldn't have dated in a restaurant the next week,,,
@bjort - that doesn't mean they couldn't have dated in a restaurant the next week,,,
would somebody be so kind to explain what exactly a "measure" is? in this context?
btw, the Billy Corgan version is actually sung with Deborah Harry herself...
@Heinrich I've been trying to figure this out for years as well. I think she's referring to a "measure" of liquor. Think of James Bond ordering a drink in Casino Royale when he says to put "a measure" of Gordon's gin in his martini. SO in this context I think someone's asking her whether she'd rather go to a movie or have a drink. I'd say have both!
@Heinrich I've been trying to figure this out for years as well. I think she's referring to a "measure" of liquor. Think of James Bond ordering a drink in Casino Royale when he says to put "a measure" of Gordon's gin in his martini. SO in this context I think someone's asking her whether she'd rather go to a movie or have a drink. I'd say have both!
@lee6713062 I think you might be correct with your conclusion. That is does she want to see a movie or have a drink
@lee6713062 I think you might be correct with your conclusion. That is does she want to see a movie or have a drink
@Heinrich A "measure" is also a musical term. In 4/4 time, a measure is a 4-beat part of the song. So it's possible that the guy in the song is asking her to go see a band, concert, etc.
@Heinrich A "measure" is also a musical term. In 4/4 time, a measure is a 4-beat part of the song. So it's possible that the guy in the song is asking her to go see a band, concert, etc.
@Heinrich In the 80s I went to London clubs and it was slang for a metric equivalent to a gram of cocaine.
@Heinrich In the 80s I went to London clubs and it was slang for a metric equivalent to a gram of cocaine.
I think she just goes about her life but has no real life outside her job (for whatever reason) and watches people and dreams about what her life could be if she cold just meet that special someone. She is very nice and kind but because she does not stand out in the crowd, she is over looked but still holds out hope for her prince charming (he see's the real her and isn't hung up on the cosmetics and flash of life).