Dream Operator

Everyone should be ashamed for not commenting on this song yet. Hands down, one of their best songs.

It obviously uses the word "dream" to refer to the life of a human being. You yourself are the sole operator of your personal dream.

I believe that this song is about someone reflecting on his life and how he got where he is. As a boy, he had many dreams, and now he is living the life he 'dreamed of'. The irony is that, as the lyrics state, as a boy-he wished he was an older version of himself who finally achieved what he was dreaming about - yet, the older version of himself wishes he was younger to dream again.

The lyrics and tonality of the song suggest that it might be someone nearing the end of his life, reflecting back - and realizing that just like a dream, his life has been so short.

The lyrics also express that the dream is some form of entity that manifested itself in real life, in the older version of the person. Everyone dreams thousand of dreams, - but as time goes on - living the life you dreamed about, may have been the result of a single dream (and I'm using that term broadly to indicate any hope or vision).

It's a great song.

I've loved this song for years. Been meaning to explain what it means to me for a long time. I think the song illustrates something Alan Watts, the British philosopher-mystic said in his myriad talks and wonderful books. He opined that at the moment of death, the ego illusion of being a separate being in a bag of skin and bones, falls away, and we realize that Who we really are is one with God.

The songwriter (David Byrne) is taking the viewpoint of God throughout the song. I don't know what every phrase means, e.g., "shake it up, dream, hidi-ho dream," etc., but in essence it is God talking to a dying person (which is every one of us), offering Her Hand and the grace of faith to "let go of your life" in the knowledge that Understanding will follow in the afterlife.

Our life itself, as ego-identified beings, has often been likened to a dream, throughout literature, e.g., Wordsworth, Shakespeare, et al. The song posits that death is an awakening from this dream

I love this song, but am having some trouble figuring out the meaning. I was hoping someone would comment...

I love this song so much. I'm probably wrong, but it feels like he is writing the song to himself as a child. How his dreams from when he was younger have been finally realized, and he is living his dream.

I get the idea he is singing this to his own child.

So, just a few notes: a dream, obviously represents life, but it’s revealed that you control your life, being the dream operator, and this is emphasized. It’s almost like, as a message to himself, or his past self, he’s trying to get a message through, saying: “do you know who you are? YOU’RE the dream operator!” It can also be noted that, if this is a message to himself, any reference to someone else has to be interpreted as himself as well.

It also emphasizes the idea of looking back on a life, saying: “and every dream (life) tells it all, and this is your (my) story.”

In conclusion, I think with later parts, this may actually be himself looking back on his life near death (this is a bit of a stretch, but seems appropriate, given later parts of the song), and talking to aspects of himself, though this last part is necessary, and is the least backed-up.

Why can't I edit my comment?

I dreamt about this in the 80\'s and now I don\'t know where I am!⚡????‍☠️