4 Songs You’ll Be Surprised To Find Out Were Written in Dreams

Sometimes an artist’s subconscious knows better than they do. Sometimes a songwriter can try and try and try to write a hit track, but nothing good comes out of it. But then—one night’s sleep can change everything.

That’s just what we wanted to highlight below. We wanted to showcase four songs from this century that were penned during slumber. Indeed, these are four songs you’ll be surprised to find out were written in dreams.

“The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash from ‘American IV: The Man Comes Around’ (2002)

While his career began in the 1950s, Johnny Cash was still writing songs around the dawn of the 21st century, including this song. It was inspired by a dream the famed country star had about Queen Elizabeth II. In the dream, the monarch compared the crooner to “a thorn tree in a whirlwind.” Well, that line stuck, and Cash used it as the entry point to writing this tune, which also has some biblical references.

“Enterlude” by The Killers from ‘Sam’s Town’ (2006)

According to The Killers’ lead singer Brandon Flowers, another famed rocker appeared to him in a dream and gave him a little inspiration. Noting that “it sounds ridiculous”, Flowers said the former Nirvana lead vocalist came to him in a dream and was singing the melody for the 2006 song “Enterlude”. Added Flowers, “I remember thinking he sounded like Bob Dylan, so that made it even weirder!” Okay, then!

“Only If For A Night” by Florence And The Machine from ‘Ceremonials’ (2011)

Not all dreams are cheery. The backstory to this song is rather sad. “Only If For A Night” by Florence And The Machine is about lead vocalist Florence Welch’s late grandmother, who died by suicide. In fact, one of the lyrics Welch included in the song describes a dream she had as a young person about her grandma’s passing. Welch sings, “And she was there all pink and gold and glittering / I threw my arms around her legs / Came to weeping.”

“Huey Newton” by St. Vincent from ‘St. Vincent’ (2014)

Sleep. It’s the best. But sometimes it can be difficult to come by. St. Vincent’s Annie Clark was inspired to write this song during an Ambien-induced hallucination. She was in her hotel in Helsinki, Finland, trying to get some rest after a long flight. So, she took the sleep aid pill, got into that weird half-sleep stage, and then this tune arrived by accident. We certainly wouldn’t recommend this tactic, but it worked for Clark in 2014.

Photo by Beth Gwinn/Redferns

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