Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: emo
Song Meaning of “I Dreamed a Dream” by Smoking Popes
I Dreamed a Dream by Smoking Popes can be interpreted as a song about a journey from hope to despair. The song begins with an optimistic outlook and dream, which turns out to be a fantasy. The singer is full of ambition, dreaming of a glorious future and hoping to make something of him/herself. In the chorus, the singer expresses their hopes for a better tomorrow, echoing modern-day messages of social justice and a more promising future. As the song progresses, however, the message shifts. The singer’s dream of a better tomorrow is slipping through their fingers. The singer is resigned, realizing that they have been dreaming of an unattainable dream, and the hope they once felt is quickly replaced with despair.
The song speaks to the reality of social injustice in the world, as well as the often-persistent divide between what is hoped for and what can actually be achieved. It’s a message of powerlessness in the face of a world where seemingly utopian dreams remain just that. The slow, sad melody reflects the weariness of a person carrying the weight of expectations that will go unfulfilled. As the song draws to a close, the singer comes to terms with the fact that they have only dreamt a dream and will never find true fulfillment in their pursuits. I Dreamed a Dream reminds us of the power of hope; but also of the realities of the world as well.