I love you so and that is why/
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is dream.

“All I Have to Do is Dream” is a song about unrequited love. The Everly Brothers aren’t just singing about dreaming about their girlfriend while their apart…”Gee Whiz, I’m dreaming my life away”.  (I am not a big fan of the “Gee Whiz” but, I suppose in 60 years or so we should expect that language changes a bit). Like many early 60s pop songs, the lyrics were not incredibly deep, but rock was just starting to get their too. The Beatles were doing “She Loves You”—not exactly Earth-shattering lyrics wise. Only folk and soul really had great lyrics at that time.

What “All I Have to Do” did have is a timeless melody that still sounds great sixty years later. Also, the Everly Brothers were the pioneers of the harmonizing duos and bands. It is especially apparent in this song. The Simon & Garfunkels, & Beach Boys, CSNY were influenced heavily by their work.

I don’t value influence that much at all in these rankings. I believe that the song should still sound relevant if it is truly one of the top 500 top pop and rock songs. But it is interesting to see where some of our favorite bands drew inspiration from. This song is one of the classics.

All I Have To Do is Dream Lyrics

Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream,
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream.
When I want you in my arms,
When I want you and all your charms,
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream.

When I feel blue in the night,
And I need you to hold me tight.
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam.

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine,
Anytime night or day.
Only trouble is, gee whiz,
I’m dreamin’ my life away.

I need you so that I could die,
I love you so and that is why,
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream.
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam.

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine,
Anytime night or day.
Only trouble is, gee whiz,
I’m dreamin’ my life away.

I need you so that I could die,
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream.
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream.
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream.

Songwriters: Boudleaux Bryant

Fade into you/
I think its strange you never knew.

“Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star is about the disconnect between the feelings of the narrator and her lover. While she is “all in”, she feels a distance from the other side. How can this guy/girl not feel the same way when I feel so strongly and it feels so right to me?

We get the sense that Hope Sandoval feels that the other person is very unknowable and mysterious. Is that because of their lack of interest in her or because they are an enigmatic individual? Most enigmatic individuals will make themselves known to another person they are very into.

The melody sung by Hope Sandoval is beautiful and haunting. She sings “Fade Into You” as if she is full of sorrow and that is why it resonates. Good songs become great when the artist believes, feels and expresses the lyrics.

The guitar work in this song is also excellent. Using a slide on the guitar often sounds very country music-like, but it doesn’t sound anything like that here. This song feels moody and very representative of some of the great work being done by female artists in the early to mid-nineties.

Fade Into You Lyrics

I want to hold the hand inside you
I want to take the breath that’s true
I look to you and I see nothing
I look to you to see the truth

You live your life, you go in shadows
You’ll come apart and you’ll go black
Some kind of night into your darkness
Colours your eyes with what’s not there

Fade into you
Strange you never knew
Fade into you
I think it’s strange you never knew

A stranger’s light comes on slowly
A stranger’s heart without a home
You put your hands into your head
And then smiles cover your heart

Fade into you
Strange you never knew
Fade into you
I think it’s strange you never knew

Fade into you
Strange you never knew
Fade into you
I think it’s strange you never knew
I think it’s strange you never knew

Songwriters: Hope Sandoval / David Roback

Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams, he worries
Did he hear a goodbye?
Or even hello?

“Helplessly Hoping” is another song by Steven Stills about his (somewhat unrequited) love for Judy Collins. Suite Judy Blue Eyes is another great famous song about their relationship. In Helplessly Hoping, he sees himself as almost an afterthought to her—even though their lives seem to fit together quite well—at least in his mind. At one point he refers to himself as a harlequin to her—cheap entertainment. But in the chorus, he sees a life where they fit together perfectly.

Will she start to see things the way he does? The answer is no, as we can see in the above quote. While he is spending a lot of time and energy consoling her of her bad dreams, he is still not getting anything back from her. Did she ever say goodbye? Was there anything even there to begin with?

“Helplessly Hoping” is a classic Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song: the strength is in the songwriting and the harmonies. The guitar work is also quite good, but the harmonies are what really blow you away. Note that the whole song is sung in harmony. That is not a technique you hear often. The reason is that it is hard. This requires amazing discipline and also putting your ego aside a bit, as there is no true lead singer. CSN did this better than CSNY mainly due to the fact that Young’s voice was so distinctive that he would often sing lead.

Helplessly Hoping Lyrics

Helplessly hoping
Her harlequin hovers nearby,
Awaiting a word.
Gasping at glimpses
Of gentle true spirit
He runs, wishing he could fly.
Only to trip at the sound of good-bye.

Wordlessly watching,
He waits by the window
And wonders
At the empty place inside.
Heartlessly helping himself to her bad dreams
He worries.
Did he hear a good-bye? Or even hello?

They are one person;
They are two alone.
They are three together;
They are four each other.

Stand by the stairway,
You’ll see something
Certain to tell you confusion has its cost.
Love isn’t lying
It’s loose in a lady who lingers,
Saying she is lost,
And choking on hello.

written by Stephen Stills