Comments on: Song of the Day #282: ‘Dreaming with a Broken Heart’ – John Mayer

By: Amy

Amy — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:48:05 +0000

Nice research, Peg I like that idea. And I’m with Clay and Kerrie. We definitely should never limit our interpretations to those the author/songwriter may have had in mind when writing.

By: pegclifton

pegclifton — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:15:39 +0000

Interesting discussion–I read that dreaming of roses means that a joyful occasion is nearing, and you will possess the faithful love of your sweetheart. So maybe he’s hoping to have his dream come true??

By: Kerrie Rueda

Kerrie Rueda — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:38:27 +0000

I have never thought that this was anything but a break-up song (one that I like a lot, by the way). But I can definitely see the alternate interpretation working, too.
His song “Say” is similar. They used it in the movie “The Bucket List” where the interpretation is pretty clear. It could be interpreted as a break-up song as well (I think), but when I hear it, I have one very clear understanding of it in my mind and I cry every time in spite of myself.

Interpret away – I’m with you, Clay; meaning is in the ear of the listener.

By: Clay

Clay — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:19:10 +0000

Tell that to Jenn.

I don’t think it’s safe to say any song is “just” anything, regardless of the songwriter’s intent (which we don’t even know most of the time). If, to somebody else, a song means something beyond your interpretation, well, that’s what the song means. Period!

John Mayer is definitely alterna-safe… that I agree with.

I don’t know that any of his lyrics are “particularly deep, complex or insightful” but I don’t think the two possible meanings of this song require them to be any of those things.

By: Dana

Dana — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:01:36 +0000

Well let’s substitute “boring” with “alterna-safe” and call it a day.

I have never heard a Mayer lyric that I found particularly deep, complex or insightful. I doubt he was intending for these lyrics to work on 2 levels. It’s just a breakup song. Period.

By: Clay

Clay — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:45:29 +0000

I wonder if he meant it to be ambiguous in that way. Because he could easily have added a line about her moving on with somebody else, or about her “last breath” (or something like that) depending on which way he wanted to go.

Or maybe it never occurred to him at all. I guess that’s what interpretation is all about… that point where it no longer matters what the writer intended and the thing takes on a life of his own.

As for the whole “boring” argument… I think it’s as simple as music that’s boring to one person isn’t necessarily boring to another. And replace boring with pretty much any other adjective and the same is true.

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:31:23 +0000

I don’t find this song boring at all. I actually find it quite poignant. While I don’t think Mayer necessarily intended to limit either possible interpretation, the line “She takes you in with her crying eyes” leads me to lean toward the break-up theory. The enigmatic roses in the hand in the last verse might be the best evidence for the alternative (aka Jenn’s) theory. Regardless, any song about a heartbroken lover who has lost his partner can likely work for a heartbroken lover who has LOST his lover, in a far more permanent, devastating sense. I don’t see why Mayer’s song would be any different.

By: Dana

Dana — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:24:20 +0000

Well, after my discovery of lyrical meaning for yesterday’s song, I thought I could strike gold twice using Wikipedia. No such luck. So, left only to my own interpretation, I see this as simply a breakup song. I don’t really see a single line that suggests that it is about a dead lover.

Oh, and by the way, I maintain that there is nothing less boring about Mayer than James Taylor:) This song could put me right to sleep….goes on way too long.

I’m gone, gone, gone, gone, gone….