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Isaac Wynne

Professor Calhoun

English Composition 2

14 February 2021

Dreams, by Fleetwood Mac

Many people in this generation may have found this song on Tiktok through the upbeat

sounding beat and music, but when the song was released it had a different meaning. The song

Dreams, by Fleetwood Mac, is a wonderful song produced in 1977 that depicts heartbreak and

loneliness through a sorrow-filled melody. The cover by Lanie Gardner is more upbeat and

uplifting and was released in 2020 close to 50 years after the music was created. Her take on

the song sounds more melodic and depicts a more happy transition through life. The original

song claims to mourn past relationships for what they were and could have been. The cover

song by Lanie Gardner reflects on the past with happiness and reminisces about the good times

and uses the lessons learned to build a better future.

Many people don’t know this but Dreams was created in under ten minutes. The song

was written by the singer Stevie Nicks. This song was inspired by Nicks after breaking up after

nearly a decade-long relationship. The band was going through a lot of heartbreak at the time

with many of the band members going through personal problems with their relationships.

This song has a deep and sad backstory that many were not aware of. By just listening to Nicks

singing the song, one can tell that the singer has a deep story and a heavy heart.

After hearing both of the songs, one can tell that the cover song appeals toward a

younger audience but also one that has a more positive outlook on their life experiences. Both
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songs can be listened to and enjoyed by all people, but the people that have gone through

more life experiences will better appreciate the lyrics

Lyrically speaking, the songs are identical. The main difference in the songs comes from

the beat and the rhythm. The beat in the original song is partially slower and the rhythm is

slower. In the cover song, the beat is faster and the rhythm seems to be faster too. Both

versions of the song rely on pathos to pass across the messages. The original song conveys

emotion in the lyrics and how they are sung by making the listener feel the solemnity all the

band members share. The cover song conveys emotions of positivity through how the words

are sung and how Gardner shows her emotions through facial expressions.

The original song, sung by Steve Nicks, has so much sadness throughout the lyrics and

the music. In the lyrics, it states, “Now here you go again. You say you want your freedom.

Well, who am I to keep you down?”. This could mean a few things. This seems to directly

relate to the fact the singer was going through a breakup, and this was her way of saying she

will stop trying to make the relationship work when it clearly wasn’t meant to be. By her saying

freedom, she means freedom from a relationship. The singer has more lyrics to back up this

claim by stating, “In the stillness of remembering what you had. And what you lost…” These

lyrics show that the singer is reminiscing about a past relationship and what she had before she

lost it. Even if the singer wasn’t talking about a relationship, the lyrics show that the singer is

thinking about her past. Nicks does a great job by telling her story through lyrics.

The cover song, sung by Lanie Gardner, has the same lyrics but it has a different

meaning. While the singer is saying the same lyrics such as “In the stillness of remembering

what you had. And what you lost…”. Gardner says these lyrics, just like Nicks, but with an
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optimistic and happy attitude as if the past brought back good times that she doesn’t want to

forget.

Both versions of the song convey a different message. The original song displays

sadness and mourning, while the cover song shows new light on the situation as if reminiscing

on past experiences and all the good that has come out of them. Both versions convey a similar

message but with a different meaning to each one.

Works Cited

Gardner, Lanie. Lanie Gardner - Dreams by Fleetwood Mac (Cover). Youtube, Youtube, 2 Oct.

2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1LhC1zGouc.

Mac, Fleetwood. Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (Official Music Video). Youtube, Youtube, 27 Sept.
2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4.

Gill, Moriah. “The Meaning Behind Fleetwood Mac's Hit Song 'Dreams'.” Rare, Rare, 17 Nov.
2020, rare.us/entertainment-and-culture/fleetwood-mac-dreams-lyrics/.