Song Analysis - Dream World

 I've mentioned that I really enjoy the tracks from the 1978/1979 era, the Voulez-Vous era.  I feel like ABBA were at the peek in terms of vocal arrangements and harmonies, they had a formula that really worked and all of their songs from this era, specifically Lovelight, Kisses Of Fire, Just A Notion, Angeleyes, and Dream World all contain this pristine quality that I just love so much.

ABBA began recording Dream World, previously titled Dream Land, on September 16th, 1978.   The song features both Agnetha and Frida on join lead vocals, with their perfect blend of voices, though Agnetha does get her own solo spot in the post-chorus. In typical ABBA fashion, this song is also sort of sad lyrics, set to a very upbeat and fun track that sounds almost carnival-esque.  

The song is essentially saying, "We're not perfect together, we're completely different from each other, we don't have to put up appearances like if we were stars in a movie, so why are we even bothering with this facade?"  which is honestly really really sad.  And then the chorus is basically saying that how they were living had essentially been entirely fantasy, a dream world.  I especially like the line, "Boy meets girl, doesn't mean they're in a dream world," because just because you met someone that you think is compatible with you doesn't mean it's actually going to work out.  But then, the song actually takes a more lighter and hopeful feel with the line, "Here I am, there you are, we've gotta make it together.   And we've made it so far, so it can only get better."  This line could be seen as sarcasm, and that the narrator in the song doesn't actually believe this statements, but then post-chorus makes me think that it is an actual thought of optimism.  "When you reach out and you say to me, "How I love you, girl."  When I hold you, baby can't you see? It's a real dream world."  

It's like they're saying it is all just a fantasy, but at the same time, it's their own real fantasy, and they're going to push through.  And I like that.  Though the second verse kind of gives us a little insight as to what this couple in the song are going through and why they're not compatible.  "You had your hopes and your high expectations.  Somehow it doesn't seem right.  I'm getting fed up with your accusations.  I'm not your angel in white."  It's like basically, the narrator's partner has too high expectations, and sees the narrator as angelic and perfection, and as a result she feels like she's being made to live up to these expectations when she's not even like that, it's just a false perception that he has placed on her.  

Now personally, I find the verses and the chorus to be slightly disjointed.  Not musically, but rather lyric wise.  Like the song fluctuates between being "we should break up" to "no there's actually hope for us.  We'll make it through!" and maybe that could be one of the reasons why this song remained in the vault for many many years?

While the song was originally recorded as a song to be included on ABBA's forthcoming album that they were having a lot of trouble conjuring up this time around, clearly Bjorn and Benny weren't all that happy about it, and instead of throwing away the melody, they reused the post-chorus section for a song titled "I Can Do It" that later became Does Your Mother Know.  The synth bass line??? that is heard underneath Agnetha's vocals can be heard in the intro of this early version of Does Your Mother Know performed during ABBA's Switzerland TV special, and it's even heard when ABBA would perform the song live in concert during the guitar break.  And the melody was reused for the "Take it easy, try to cool it girl. Take it nice and slow.  Does your mother know?" section of the verse in Does Your Mother Know.

Anyways, I still really love Dream World so much.  I especially love the "ta ta-ta-ta"s throughout the verses, sang presumably by Agnetha, Frida, Benny, and Bjorn.  

The song was first heard in July 1986, when Michael B. Tretow included the song in a Radio Programme called Sommar.   This original version of the song did not have a fade-in intro to the song, but when the song was mixed for release on the 1994 Boxset "Thank You For The Music," a fade-in was added to the song.  However ultimately when the song was included on the Voulez-Vous Deluxe Edition CD, they released the original version without the fade-in, which I much prefer because I really really like the sudden start of the song without the fade-in.

Also if you all remember, I use to use this song as the outtro to all my YouTube videos with the song set to a clip of ABBA ice skating in 1979.  Don't ask me why I did that, I guess I just really enjoyed that clip and this song haha.