Innocent When You Dream

this song will be playing while my friends & family inebriate themselves around my casket.

Oh, I thought it was "such a subtle feeling" the way he sang it. "Sad old feeling" does make more sense.

I think the song is about hopes (= dreams) that are dashed by reality. In this case, reality is the infidelity of the singer.

there's a Documentary called "In the realms of the Unreal", this song brings tears to my eyes whenever I see it.

this is about dying alone, with regret

Always thought it was "sallow" before I looked at the lyrics. I like my version better, Waits will just have to deal with it.

I've thought about the meaning of this song for honestly much of my life.

I think that much of it is a rumination on the fact that many of our dreams are inevitably broken promises. That giddy idealism you have with your childhood friends that eventually grow apart, promises of love to a romantic partner with whom it doesn't work out. Maybe something tragic happens outside our control, breaking our promises for us. Even our aspirations are promises to ourselves that we may inevitably break if we fail, give up, or simply decide we want something else.

And yet, how could we fault ourselves for harboring beautiful dreams? We must press on and continue to feel completely and earnestly. And so, you're innocent when you dream.

I wish I knew more about the Frank's Wild Years stage play, as there may be a much more literal interpretation, but I think this works outside whatever more specific context is provided.

I hear you howleykid. Mine too . . . mine too . . .

When I heard the song the first time I thought it's kind of weird. Maybe it's because I'm never used to such strange voice. But I really love the lyrics. Most of the songs pertain to someone being left by someone they love. With this one though, as you engage yourself with the words, you discover that the persona did the other thing around, which gives the first lines of the song a heavier feeling as you read it again.