About Anne Dalmadge Expertise I can Answer any questions about lyrics, songs, albums, or pretty much any questions about the band, but my strong subject is lyrics and songs.
Experience I have been an avid Dave listener for four years, my brother got me into his music, we went to his last concert here together, I have all of his albums including Boyd's True Reflections, and can name almost all of his songs when i hear only about ten seconds or less of them.
I was wondering if you knew anything about the background and inspiration for "The Dreaming Tree," especially if it had anything to do with a Brazilian folktale by the same title. The text for the folktale can be found at http://www.spiritoftrees.org/folktales/murray/dreaming_tree_amazon.html.
I'm actually writing a paper on this song (believe it or not), so if you happen to remember where you got your information from, it'd be great to have the source info as well so I can cite it. But don't worry about it if that's too much trouble.
Thanks so much - hope this isn't too much of a bother - I really appreciate your help!
Cheers,
Yihong
Answer After reading the story, and my thoughts on the meaning of the song, I don't think they have anything in common at all, I think Dreaming Tree is about change. Like when he says "no matter what the world, you'll always be my baby" and "Mommy come quick the dreaming tree has died" But also the first verse, "Funny how progress takes away, what forever took to find." going back to the Dreaming tree dying, aka, change, I think the Dreaming Tree symbolizes youth, memories, and forever holding onto those memories. There is also a part with the girl "from the start, she knew she had made, easy up till then, for sure she'd make the grade, adorers came in hordes, to lay down in her wake, gave it all she had, but treasures slowly faded, now she's falling hard, feels the falling dark, how did this come apart? She drinks to fill it up, a smile of sweetest flowers, wilted so and sours, black tears stain the cheeks, that once so admired." He talks about change in a certain girl's life, going from good to bad. Then he talks about dependency "oh, if I had the strength to, I would leave you all, to your own devices, would you not fall, can you take pity, this thing I do." he's talking about someone either being dependent on him, or thinking or feeling the need to have someone be dependent on him. Then dependency on someone else "help me, save me, take me back, please." But, he pretty much says everything in the song. But I don't think the legend and the song have any connection, but that's just my opinion.
