Beautiful Dreamer
Encyclopedia
"Beautiful Dreamer" is a parlor song by Stephen Foster
(1826-1864). It was published posthumously in March 1864 by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of New York. The first edition declares on the title page that "Beautiful Dreamer" is "the last song ever written by Stephen C. Foster. Composed but a few days prior to his death". Carol Kimball, the author of Song, points out however that the copyright date on the first edition is 1862, and this suggests, she writes, that the song was composed and readied for publication two years before Foster's death. There are at least 20-odd songs, she observes, that all claim to be Foster's last, and it is unknown which is indeed his last. The song is set in a 9/8 rhythm with a broken chord accompaniment.
The song tells of a lover serenading a 'Beautiful Dreamer', who is oblivious to all worldly cares and may actually be dead. Foster's work features many dead young women including Annie, Laura Lee, and Jeanie. Helen Lightner writes, "This sentimental ballad is folk-like in character with its repetitious but lovely melody and its basic harmonic accompaniment ... The quiet and calm of this mood is portrayed by the monotony of the arpeggiated accompaniment, by the repetitiveness of the melodic pattern, and by the strophic form itself."
with John Scott Trotter & his Orchestra; Steve Conway with Jack Byfield & his Orchestra; Thomas Hampson with Jay Ungar
(mandolin), David Alpher (piano), and Molly Mason (guitar); John Leyton
; Roy Orbison
on the album In Dreams; and in 1963 by The Beatles
. In an unusual twist Jim Reeves
recorded a version of the song whilst on tour in South Africa in 1962. Reeves' version was sung in Afrikaans under the title Bolandse Nooientjie. Although Reeves could not speak Afrikaans, this was remedied by the South African composer and songwriter Gilbert Gibson who would stand behind Reeves and whisper the words of the song to Reeves who would then sing the same words into the microphone.
It has been heard in various guises in many films including Gone with the Wind
; Duel in the Sun; Mighty Joe Young; The Death Collector
; Batman
(1989); The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
; the animated An American Tail
; Friends 'Til The End
; Office Space
; the Marx Brothers
's Go West; The Old Chisholm Trail
; and The Naked Spur
.
In television the song has cropped up in episodes and programs that include "The Berenstain Bears and the Talent Show" and "The Berenstain Bears and the Female Fullback"; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
; Saved by the Bell
; Drake and Josh, SpongeBob SquarePants
, That's So Raven
; Rugrats
; Cat in the Hat
; Peter Gunn
; and Leonardo.
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
(1826-1864). It was published posthumously in March 1864 by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of New York. The first edition declares on the title page that "Beautiful Dreamer" is "the last song ever written by Stephen C. Foster. Composed but a few days prior to his death". Carol Kimball, the author of Song, points out however that the copyright date on the first edition is 1862, and this suggests, she writes, that the song was composed and readied for publication two years before Foster's death. There are at least 20-odd songs, she observes, that all claim to be Foster's last, and it is unknown which is indeed his last. The song is set in a 9/8 rhythm with a broken chord accompaniment.
The song tells of a lover serenading a 'Beautiful Dreamer', who is oblivious to all worldly cares and may actually be dead. Foster's work features many dead young women including Annie, Laura Lee, and Jeanie. Helen Lightner writes, "This sentimental ballad is folk-like in character with its repetitious but lovely melody and its basic harmonic accompaniment ... The quiet and calm of this mood is portrayed by the monotony of the arpeggiated accompaniment, by the repetitiveness of the melodic pattern, and by the strophic form itself."
Lyrics
1.
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
2.
Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea
Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelei;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Recordings, film, and television
The song has been recorded by Bing CrosbyBing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
with John Scott Trotter & his Orchestra; Steve Conway with Jack Byfield & his Orchestra; Thomas Hampson with Jay Ungar
Jay Ungar
Jay Ungar is an American folk musician and composer. -Biography:Ungar was born in the Bronx , the son of immigrant Jewish parents from Eastern Europe. He frequented Greenwich Village music venues during his formative period in the 1960s...
(mandolin), David Alpher (piano), and Molly Mason (guitar); John Leyton
John Leyton
John Leyton is an English actor and singer. As a singer he is best known for his hit song, "Johnny Remember Me" , which reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961.-Career:Leyton went to Highgate School and after completing his national service, he...
; Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
on the album In Dreams; and in 1963 by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. In an unusual twist Jim Reeves
Jim Reeves
James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound...
recorded a version of the song whilst on tour in South Africa in 1962. Reeves' version was sung in Afrikaans under the title Bolandse Nooientjie. Although Reeves could not speak Afrikaans, this was remedied by the South African composer and songwriter Gilbert Gibson who would stand behind Reeves and whisper the words of the song to Reeves who would then sing the same words into the microphone.
It has been heard in various guises in many films including Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
; Duel in the Sun; Mighty Joe Young; The Death Collector
The Death Collector
The Death Collector is a 1976 low-budget crime film directed by Ralph De Vito and starring Joseph Cortese, Joe Pesci and Frank Vincent...
; Batman
Batman (1989 film)
Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
(1989); The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a short story by James Thurber. The most famous of Thurber's stories, it first appeared in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and was first collected in his book My World and Welcome to It...
; the animated An American Tail
An American Tail
An American Tail is a 1986 American animated adventure film directed by Don Bluth and produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios and Amblin Entertainment. The film tells the story of Fievel Mouskewitz and his family as they immigrate from Russia to America for freedom. However, Fievel gets lost and must...
; Friends 'Til The End
Friends 'Til the End
Friends 'Til the End is a 1997 television film directed by Jack Bender.-Plot:Heather Romley and Suzanne are both singers who have been competing against each other as long as they can remember...
; Office Space
Office Space
Office Space is a 1999 American comedy film satirizing work life in a typical 1990s software company. Written and directed by Mike Judge, it focuses on a handful of individuals fed up with their jobs portrayed by Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, and Diedrich...
; the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
's Go West; The Old Chisholm Trail
The Old Chisholm Trail
"The Old Chisholm Trail" is a cowboy song that dates back to the 1870s, when it was among the most popular songs sung by cowboys during that era. Based on an English lyrical song that dates back to 1640, "The Old Chisholm Trail" was modified by the cowboy idiom...
; and The Naked Spur
The Naked Spur
The Naked Spur is a 1953 American western movie directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in their third collaboration. The screenplay was written by Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay - a rare honor for a Western. The...
.
In television the song has cropped up in episodes and programs that include "The Berenstain Bears and the Talent Show" and "The Berenstain Bears and the Female Fullback"; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman is an American post-Civil War western/drama series created by Beth Sullivan. Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn, played by Jane Seymour, left Boston in search of adventure. She goes to Colorado Springs, Colorado where she establishes herself as doctor/adviser.The show ran on CBS...
; Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
; Drake and Josh, SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
, That's So Raven
That's So Raven
That's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...
; Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
; Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat (TV special)
The Cat in the Hat is an animated musical television special first aired on CBS on March 10, 1971, based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss' children's book of the same name and produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
; Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
; and Leonardo.