Now here you go again, you say
You want your freedom
Well, who am I to keep you down
It’s only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully to the sound
Of your loneliness
Like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering
What you had (lonely)
And what you lost (ooh)
And what you had (ooh)
And what you lost (ooh)
Thunder only happens when it’s raining
Players only love you when they’re playing
Say women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean you’ll know
You’ll know
Now here I go again
I see the crystal visions
I keep my visions to myself
It’s only me who wants to wrap around your dreams, and
Have you any dreams you’d like to sell
Dreams of loneliness
Like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering
What you had (lonely)
And what you lost (ooh)
What you had (ooh)
Ooh, what you lost (ahh)
Thunder only happens when it’s raining
Players only love you when they’re playing
Women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know
Oh, thunder only happens when it’s raining
Players only love you when they’re playing
Say women, they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean you’ll know
You’ll know
You will know
You’ll know
(Stevie Nicks) © 1977 Welsh Witch Music (BMI)/Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
About the Song
Stevie Nicks wrote “Dreams” during the recording of Rumours in 1976. It describes the romantic breakup of her and bandmate Lindsey Buckingham, whom she had been dating for many years.
Stevie wrote the song in what she has described as Sly Stone’s basement at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, which was actually office space that had been converted into a grand recording studio, dubbed “The Pit”.
Released on March 24, 1977, “Dreams” was the second single from Rumours, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 18, 1977. It became Fleetwood Mac’s first and only single in the U.S.
Stevie Nicks talks about ‘Dreams’ on VH1 Storytellers
Dreams (Live, 1977)
The Corrs cover
In 1998, Irish band The Corrs covered “Dreams” for Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. The band also included the song on their second album Talk on Corners, releasing the track as the album’s fourth single. The Corrs’s dance pop rendition of “Dreams” was a Top 10 hit in Ireland and the UK.
Deep Dish cover
In 2005, dance music duo Deep Dish collaborated with Nicks for a new cover of the classic song. Initially, Deep Dish was going to use the original 1977 vocal track, but when Nicks found out about the project, she offered to sing new vocals.
The new version of “Dreams” debuted at Nicks’s Cesar’s Colosseum shows in Las Vegas on May 10, 2005, playing just before the start of the show. A year later, Deep Dish released the song as an official single, which became a Top 40 hit around the world (reaching No 24 on the Billboard Hot Club Play chart). Prominent DJs in Europe, such as Axwell, Tocadisco, and Marc JB, provided several remixes, which were spread around various CD and vinyl releases.
In 2016, Ali “Dubfire” Shirazinia (one half of Deep Dish) reflected on the collaboration, posting the following comments on the Dubfire Facebook page:
“#tbt 2005 working in an iconic LA studio with the legendary Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac while Sharam and I were covering their classic single “Dreams;” one of the songs I’m most proud of in the *Deep Dish catalog:) Despite all of her success, she was completely down to earth and humble; an absolute joy to be around, sharing crazy stories about the band and life on the road. She was especially open to exploring NEW directions for “Dreams.” I still get goosebumps when I recall those two days spent coaching her from the control room to approach it the way WE had reworked it. Surreal! Though we remained in contact for years after, sadly we both drifted apart, sucked into our respective worlds…”
Ali “Dubfire” Shirazinia reflects on working with Stevie Nicks on ‘Dreams’ in 2005
Dreams featuring Stevie Nicks (2006) – Official Video
Also Appears On
- Fleetwood Mac Live (1980)
- Greatest Hits (1988)
- 25 Years: The Chain (1992)
- Rumours – DVD-Audio (2001)
- Rumours – Super Audio CD (2001)
- The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (2002)
- Rumours Expanded & Remastered (2004)
- George Is On (“Dreams feat. Stevie Nicks”) – Deep Dish (2005)
- Crystal Visions: The Very Best of Stevie Nicks (“Dreams feat. Stevie Nicks” by Deep Dish) (2007)
- Rumours – Deluxe Edition (2013)
