I too adore this song and think it's one of Henley's greatest works lyrically.
I think it's a continuation (or possibly conclusion) of his theme of Lost Idealism and disillusionment.
It ends hopefully, which hasn't always been the case.
I think this theme can be seen as early as Certain Kind of Fool, After the Thrill is Gone, The Last Resort, and The Sad Cafe.
Henley's solo work continues the theme with Dirty Laundry, Boys of Summer, End of the Innocence...
This song may be his finest work lyrically.
I don't know when I realized the dream was over.
There was no particular hour, no given day.
You know, it didn't go down in flame.
There was no final scene, no frozen frame.
I just watched it slowly fade away.
It's the brutal acknowledgement that our dreams that we let go of don't happen because of life changing events, they fade over time cognizantly.
"Some of the dreams came true, some just passed away, and some of them stayed behind inside the Sad Cafe"
But whereas in previous songs this theme was mourned, like a death to our own humanity. Here, he says that just because they faded once, doesn't mean its gone forever. There's a chance for that moment to come around again.
As the allusion turns to a woman he lost...
"I've been stumbling through some dark places, but i'm following the plow.
I know I've fallen out of your good graces, but it's all right now."
And although the time has past, he's still hoping that his turn will come around again. Like the grey spider who keeps building the web after each time it's been torn down.
I too adore this song and think it's one of Henley's greatest works lyrically. I think it's a continuation (or possibly conclusion) of his theme of Lost Idealism and disillusionment. It ends hopefully, which hasn't always been the case.
I think this theme can be seen as early as Certain Kind of Fool, After the Thrill is Gone, The Last Resort, and The Sad Cafe.
Henley's solo work continues the theme with Dirty Laundry, Boys of Summer, End of the Innocence...
This song may be his finest work lyrically.
I don't know when I realized the dream was over. There was no particular hour, no given day. You know, it didn't go down in flame. There was no final scene, no frozen frame. I just watched it slowly fade away.
It's the brutal acknowledgement that our dreams that we let go of don't happen because of life changing events, they fade over time cognizantly.
"Some of the dreams came true, some just passed away, and some of them stayed behind inside the Sad Cafe"
But whereas in previous songs this theme was mourned, like a death to our own humanity. Here, he says that just because they faded once, doesn't mean its gone forever. There's a chance for that moment to come around again.
As the allusion turns to a woman he lost...
"I've been stumbling through some dark places, but i'm following the plow. I know I've fallen out of your good graces, but it's all right now."
And although the time has past, he's still hoping that his turn will come around again. Like the grey spider who keeps building the web after each time it's been torn down.
Hope is on the breeze.