“Dreams” Lyrics & Meaning (Fleetwood Mac)

Dreams is one example where age does matter.

If you’re younger than a certain age, this song reminds you of skateboarding with cranberry juice.

The rest of us are happy that video brought renewed attention to a wonderful song.

No matter your age, you probably have some questions about the Dreams lyrics meaning.

That ends today.

Keep reading to learn what Stevie Nicks was singing about in this beautiful Fleetwood Mac hit.

 

Dreams Lyrics And Meaning

Dreams is a 1977 song performed by Fleetwood Mac. It was featured on their album Rumors and holds a significant place in the band’s history, and in pop culture in general.

The song was written by Stevie Nicks during a time of personal turmoil. It reflects the emotional challenges that the band went through.

Dreams became a successful track for Fleetwood Mac. It topped the Billboard Top 100 upon its release. The song has always resonated with its audience and has re-entered the charts on multiple occasions.

It recently went viral on TikTok, which made it famous among younger generations, too. The song has sold over a million copies and also topped the charts in the United Kingdom and Canada.

Nicks wrote the song in early 1976 at Record Plant Studios in California. When she played the song back to the rest of the band, they didn’t love it.

But after some convincing, they agreed to record it and it’s great that they did. Great for them and their careers, and great for all of us fans. And also for that guy from the TikTok video.

Let’s take a look at the Dreams lyrics in full, before diving right into the meaning.

 

Dreams Lyrics

 

Verse 1

Now, here you go again
You say you want your freedom
Well, who am I to keep you down?
It’s only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully to the sound
Of your loneliness

Pre-Chorus

Like a heartbeat drives you mad (Heartbeat)
In the stillness of rememberin’ (Stillness)
What you had and what you lost (Lonely, ooh)
And what you had and what you lost (Ooh, ooh)

Chorus

Oh, thunder only happens when it’s rainin’
Players only love you when they’re playing
Say, “Women, they will come and they will go”
When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know
You’ll know

Verse 2

Now, here I go again
I see the crystal visions
I keep my visions to myself
It’s only me who wants to
Wrap around your dreams
And have you any dreams you’d like to sell?
Dreams of loneliness

Pre-Chorus

Like a heartbeat drives you mad (Heartbeat)
In the stillness of rememberin’ (Stillness)
What you had and what you lost (Lonely, ooh)
Oh, what you had, oh, what you lost (Ooh, ah)

Chorus

Thunder only happens when it’s rainin’
Players only love you when they’re playing
Women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know
Oh, thunder only happens when it’s rainin’
Players only love you when they’re playing
Say, “Women, they will come and they will go”
When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know

You’ll know
You will know
Oh, you’ll know

 

Dreams Meaning

The lyrics of Dreams explore the longing for freedom that we can feel when we are in a relationship. The song starts with Nicks saying that she wants freedom in her life and how its a common reason for wanting to break up with someone.

She then sings that she doesn’t hold any resentment toward the person she wants to break up with. She has reflected on, and accepts, the consequences of freedom.

This is also shown through the iconic chorus where she sings, “Thunder only happens when it’s raining, players only love you when they’re playing.” It shows just how turbulent a relationship can be and that there can be superficiality in relationships.

The inspiration for this song came from Nick’s personal life at the time. There were uncomfortable dynamics within the band as her relationship with her bandmate Lindsey Buckingham was falling apart.

Other band members were having issues with divorce and substance abuse, which further added to the meaning of the song.

Some have interpreted the meaning of the song as being about a universal human experience of longing for something that is no longer available. The title Dreams could represent an idealized version of a relationship that only exists in a person’s imagination.

This interpretation is supported by the lyrics, “It’s only right that you should play the way you feel it, but listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness.” It suggests that the singer is aware that their longing for the past is based on an imagined form of reality.

Other lyrics can reflect a sense of nostalgia, such as when Nicks sings, “Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom, well, who am I to keep you down?” It’s a sense of wanting to move on from the relationship and reflecting on what it used to be like.

One of the main emotions explored in Dreams is longing. It’s about having a deep desire for something, such as a person or a place. That longing in this song may be freedom and it’s something that Nicks was struggling to cope with.

She repeatedly asks, “Can you spare a little more time?” as though she isn’t ready for the relationship to end. There may still be a small part of her that wants to see if it’ll work out in the end, even if the other person in the relationship doesn’t want that.

 

Dreams Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

A big reason the TikTok video was so popular is that the general vibe of the video perfectly matches the vibe of the song. Anyone could feel that, even if they have no idea as to the Dreams lyrics meaning.

Now that you do have an idea what the lyrics are about, you can see how well they match with the overall feel of the song. And with the impulse to slowly weave your way down a street on a skateboard while drinking cranberry juice.

If you enjoy Fleetwood Mac, we also have a breakdown of the Silver Springs lyrics, an analysis of the Rhiannon lyrics and a deep-dive into the Landslide lyrics.