Dream Police

About Dream Police

"Dream Police" is a song written by Rick Nielsen and originally released in 1979 by the American rock band Cheap Trick. It is the first track on the group's album of the same name. The single peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Nielsen has stated that the song "is an attempt to take a heavy thought - a quick bit of REM snatched right before waking up - and put into a pop format." He also stated that "the song was about Big Brother watching you." Cheap Trick biographers Mike Hayes and Ken Sharp describe the song as "a magnificent tour-de-force, characterized by an addictively infectious chorus and jarring bursts of dissonance. Ultimate Classic Rock critic Dave Swanson similarly stated that "From the in-your-face power chord riff to Tom Petersson's surging bass lines, it is a tour de force. Swanson also points out that the strings play a similar role on "Dream Police" as the synthesizer did on Cheap Trick's earlier song "Surrender" and the Who's "Baba O'Riley."Tom Maginnis of AllMusic described the song as "a tongue in cheek Orwellian nightmare" and that it represents "late-seventies power pop at its zenith." Maginnis also noted that "Dream Police" follows up on its B-side, "Heaven Tonight" (which had been released on a previous album), in that both songs represent dreams. Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone described the song as a "trash thriller like John Carpenter's Halloween," and also noted that it is "nearly as good as the earlier ones in which Cheap Trick used similar stylistic devices."In the 2007 book "Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide", a section on Cheap Trick featured reviews on the top 20 stand-out tracks from the band. One track included was "Dream Police", where the author John M. Borack wrote "Entire careers have been built around lesser songs than this monster, which sits proudly alongside "Surrender" as the quintessential Cheap Trick song. Everything about it is perfect, from Zander's alternately cute and menacing vocal to Carlos's pounding drums to Nielsen's cracked spoken-word interlude. Oh, can't forget the instrumental build up heading back into the final chorus, which is pure genius." more »

Year:

1979

3:54

181 Views

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

The dream police
They live inside of my head
The dream police
They come to me in my bed
The dream police
They're coming to arrest me
Oh no

You know that talk is cheap
And rumors ain't nice
And when I fall asleep
I don't think I'll survive

The night the night

'Cause they're waiting for me
Looking for me
Every single night
(They're) driving me insane
Those men inside my brain

The dream police
They live inside of my head
The dream police
They come to me in my bed

The dream police
They're coming to arrest me
Oh no

Well I can't tell lies
'Cause they're listening to me
And when I fall asleep
Bet they're spying on me tonight,
Tonight

'Cause they're waiting for me
Looking for me
Every single night
(They're) driving me insane
Those men inside my brain

I try to sleep
They're wide awake
They won't let me alone
They don't get paid to take vacations
Or let me alone
They spy on me
I try to hide
They won't let me alone
They persecute me
They're the judge and jury all in one

'Cause they're waiting for me
Looking for me
Every single night
(They're) driving me insane
Those men inside my brain

The dream police
They live inside of my head
The dream police they come
To me in my bed

The dream police
They're coming to arrest me

The dream police (police, police)
The dream police (police, police)

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of Robin Zander (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick Nielsen (lead guitar), Tom Petersson (bass guitar), and Bun E. Carlos (drums). Their biggest hits include "Surrender", "I Want You to Want Me", "Dream Police" and "The Flame". more »

Follow 5 fans