Peak
27
Weeks
14
Score
1,466
Chart Year
1979
Blondie guitarist Chris Stein wrote the music for this song and came up with the line "dreaming is free." Lead singer Debbie Harry would often write lyrics after hearing the tracks for the songs, and that's what she did here. The song starts out with a coherent story - Harry getting propositioned in a restaurant - but it quickly veers off in many directions, simulating a dream where one idea jumps to the next with no real rhyme or reason. It works well with the theme and with the track, including the bridge where Harry repeats the first word of each line: Feet feet, walking a two mile Meet meet, meet me at the turnstile A similar structure can be heard in the 1982 Kim Wilde song "Kids In America." Chris Stein said this song was "pretty much a cop" of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. Perhaps is was just a convenient word to rhyme with "pleasure," but when Harry sings "a movie or a measure," the word "measure" could be interpreted a few different ways. It might mean a plan of action, as in taking some kind of trip, or possibly a measure in the musical sense, meaning the rhythm. Harry recalled to EW that this originated like many Blondie songs with Chris Stein coming up with "a track or a feel" and passing it on her. He told her, "I was thinking 'Dreaming. Dreaming is free," and then Harry filled out the story line.
When I met you in the restaurant You could tell I was no debutante You asked me what's my pleasure "A movie or a measure?" I'll have a cup of tea And tell you of my Dreamin', dreamin' is free Dreamin', dreamin' is free I don't want to live on charity Pleasure's real or is it fantasy? Reel to reel is living rarity People stop and stare at me We just walk on by We just keep on dreamin' Beat feet, walking a two-mile Meet me, meet me at the turnstile I never met him, I'll never forget him Dream, dream, even for a little while Dream, dream, filling up an idle hour Fade away (woo), radiate I sit by and watch the river flow I sit by and watch the traffic go Imagine something of your very own Something you can have and hold I'd build a road in gold just to have some Dreamin', dreamin' is free Dreamin', dreamin' is free Dreamin', (dream) dreamin' is free (Dream) dreamin' is free
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 29, 1979 | 79 | 47 |
| 2 | Oct 6, 1979 | 69 | 57 |
| 3 | Oct 13, 1979 | 56 | 70 |
| 4 | Oct 20, 1979 | 53 | 73 |
| 5 | Oct 27, 1979 | 42 | 84 |
| 6 | Nov 3, 1979 | 37 | 89 |
| 7 | Nov 10, 1979 | 33 | 93 |
| 8 | Nov 17, 1979 | 30 | 96 |
| 9 | Nov 24, 1979 | 28 | 98 |
| 10 | Dec 1, 1979 | 27 | 99 |
| 11 | Dec 8, 1979 | 31 | 95 |
| 12 | Dec 15, 1979 | 53 | 73 |
| 13 | Dec 22, 1979 | 97 | 29 |
| 14 | Dec 29, 1979 | 97 | 29 |