She dreams in color

GivenTwoFly · December 2004

So I'm looking at my daughter's graded paper, a sleep log she kept for a week. The teacher wrote a comment, "Most people dream in black and white" next to where my daughter mentioned she had a dream in black and white. Is that true? Do most people dream in black and white? I don't recall ever having dreamt in anything but color. You learn something new everyday...

Should this change my interpretation of Betterman?

Ms. Haiku · December 2004

Astrotravel is in color. You can go to different times and places in your dreams it's like soul traveling. Non-travel dreams are more likely in muted tones, so I read.

urockmyworld · December 2004

GivenTwoFly wrote:

So I'm looking at my daughter's graded paper, a sleep log she kept for a week. The teacher wrote a comment, "Most people dream in black and white" next to where my daughter mentioned she had a dream in black and white. Is that true? Do most people dream in black and white? I don't recall ever having dreamt in anything but color. You learn something new everyday...

Should this change my interpretation of Betterman?

I always got from Betterman that it was about a woman who had dreams of something better (basically the old cliche - don't know what you have until its gone) but did not know how to break it off with a "good guy" - not of literal dreams - please correct me if i am wrong.

Ms. Haiku · December 2004

urockmyworld wrote:

I always got from Betterman that it was about a woman who had dreams of something better (basically the old cliche - don't know what you have until its gone) but did not know how to break it off with a "good guy" - not of literal dreams - please correct me if i am wrong.

I agree with this.

saveuplife · December 2004

urockmyworld wrote:

I always got from Betterman that it was about a woman who had dreams of something better (basically the old cliche - don't know what you have until its gone) but did not know how to break it off with a "good guy" - not of literal dreams - please correct me if i am wrong.

I don't take it that way. I think it's about a guy who is cheating on her. The scene is set with her in bed waiting for him to come home... it's 4:00 AM... she wants to tell him to knock it off... she can't take this anymore... she practices this speach... as he opens the door... pretends to sleep...

She lies to everyone (including most importantly here herself) and says she's in love with him... she's scared to leave him even though she knows its for the best if she did...
** The line about she dreams in color she dreams in red is about her dreaming he would die... so she wouldn't have to confront this.

she keeps all this inside there's no one else who needs to know....

It's funny how people interpret songs so different... I feel like the woman in the song is the vicitim of the guy... the guy's a dick... but she's so depressed she doesn't think she can find anyone better... I think a better title for the song would be 'dependency'.

It was really interesting hearing a different take on it though.

LightYear · December 2004

saveuplife wrote:

I don't take it that way. I think it's about a guy who is cheating on her. The scene is set with her in bed waiting for him to come home... it's 4:00 AM... she wants to tell him to knock it off... she can't take this anymore... she practices this speach... as he opens the door... pretends to sleep...

She lies to everyone (including most importantly here herself) and says she's in love with him... she's scared to leave him even though she knows its for the best if she did...
** The line about she dreams in color she dreams in red is about her dreaming he would die... so she wouldn't have to confront this.

she keeps all this inside there's no one else who needs to know....

It's funny how people interpret songs so different... I feel like the woman in the song is the vicitim of the guy... the guy's a dick... but she's so depressed she doesn't think she can find anyone better... I think a better title for the song would be 'dependency'.

It was really interesting hearing a different take on it though.

I agree completely. The most powerful line so me is, "There's no one else that needs to know, she tells herself." It's the classic victim's complex where they know things are bad, but can't get out for one reason or another. THen the denial sets in.

I like your 'dreams in color' interpretation too. I thought the red sounded violent or at least very emotional. It might have been her dreaming all of the thoughts she was trying to supress throughout the day.

On a side note, all of my dreams are in color, but I can rarely see people's faces. I know who they are, but their faces are featureless.

PJam26 · December 2004

i dream in color.....i dont ever remember dreaming in black and white?? who knows i guess, i cant remember all my dreams anyway

ISN · December 2004

that's basically what the song is about as far as I can tell.....I didn't know people dream in black & white.....I always have vivid dreams in colour which I remember.....with music in the background......this song resonates with me so much.....it was the reason I joined the board after I broke up with my hopeless ex......the song's pretty hopeless too.....

urockmyworld · December 2004

saveuplife wrote:

I don't take it that way. I think it's about a guy who is cheating on her. The scene is set with her in bed waiting for him to come home... it's 4:00 AM... she wants to tell him to knock it off... she can't take this anymore... she practices this speach... as he opens the door... pretends to sleep...

She lies to everyone (including most importantly here herself) and says she's in love with him... she's scared to leave him even though she knows its for the best if she did...
** The line about she dreams in color she dreams in red is about her dreaming he would die... so she wouldn't have to confront this.

she keeps all this inside there's no one else who needs to know....

It's funny how people interpret songs so different... I feel like the woman in the song is the vicitim of the guy... the guy's a dick... but she's so depressed she doesn't think she can find anyone better... I think a better title for the song would be 'dependency'.

It was really interesting hearing a different take on it though.

you really broke it down...when you put it that way *hides head in shame* - your right though everyone interprets it differently - but yours makes complete sense...I saw it that way because of something I was personally going through at the time...now I will never look at it again the same way...in some ways that may not be a bad thing

casper leblanc · December 2004

I believe it was in the Atlanta '94 show, where Betterman was played for one of the first times ever (ps: not included in the official Dissident-digipack but found on many a bootleg), Ed introduced it by saying:

"It's about the bastard that married my momma"

So I agree to a great extent with saveuplife on this one. But hey, everybody should give a lyric the meaning that he feels with it. I know I always do.

heavymetalguitarist · December 2004

I dont ever remember my dream being in black and white.
Infact, I can vividly remember colour details, sometimes even smells.
Hehe...had this wierd thought, may be the teacher who said that all dreams are in black and white, was born in 1920s...so all her initial dreams weren't in color.

skinnylegs · December 2004

I always dream in color. Anyway, when he says "she dreams in red" I see it that he's saying her life sucks in reality, but her dreams are colorful and vibrant and red is the most vivid and vibrant of all the colors. Also symbolizes love and passion which she probably wishes for and is completely lacking in her current realationship.
I take the lyrics to Betterman very seriously because they probably hit a little too close to home for me.

keyinmyhand · December 2004

i always dream in color. I believe "She dreams in red..." tells us that she feels angry at herself that she cannot let go of the loser that she is with. She knows it would be the best thing for her, but for some reason she is stuck to him. A false sense of security or love. Whatever it may be, makes for a good song. One of my favorites.

(o:sam:o) · December 2004

ISN wrote:

that's basically what the song is about as far as I can tell.....I didn't know people dream in black & white.....I always have vivid dreams in colour which I remember.....with music in the background......this song resonates with me so much.....it was the reason I joined the board after I broke up with my hopeless ex......the song's pretty hopeless too.....

i read somewhere that its a rela gift to dream with music because its supposed to be very rare. the song yesterday came about that way. it rocks that you can be that creative in your dreams

(o:sam:o) · December 2004

ISN wrote:

that's basically what the song is about as far as I can tell.....I didn't know people dream in black & white.....I always have vivid dreams in colour which I remember.....with music in the background......this song resonates with me so much.....it was the reason I joined the board after I broke up with my hopeless ex......the song's pretty hopeless too.....

i read somewhere that its a real gift to be able to dream in music because its very rare, thats how yesterday came about. it rocks that you are so creative in your dreams

Gossard_Is_God · December 2004

Ive only ever had dreams in colour.

bigmuzz · April 2005

i always dream in colour, ive never dreamt in black or white.

the "dreams in red" in better man is obviously rage or death or hate. red is the traditional colour of emotions like hatred and those stated above.

also, along with the "always dreaming in black and white" question, ive always wanted to know if people who are fluent in more than one language, what language do they dream in. is it one or the other, or a mix of both???

smithnic · April 2005

bigmuzz wrote:

i always dream in colour, ive never dreamt in black or white.

the "dreams in red" in better man is obviously rage or death or hate. red is the traditional colour of emotions like hatred and those stated above.

also, along with the "always dreaming in black and white" question, ive always wanted to know if people who are fluent in more than one language, what language do they dream in. is it one or the other, or a mix of both???

There's a theory that most males dream in non color. Not sure why, or even if it's true, but I certainly dream in color.

Speaking of dreams, there are friends of mine who swear that during some dreams they figure out it's a dream and can do whatever they want. I'm more of a passanger on a ride, reacting to events, and communicating, but I can't take over and consciously know it's a dream. Of course once they know it's a dream they, and I quote, "find the hottest girl around." Could be fun I guess. LOL

a5pj · April 2005

Speaking of dreams, there are friends of mine who swear that during some dreams they figure out it's a dream and can do whatever they want. I'm more of a passanger on a ride, reacting to events, and communicating, but I can't take over and consciously know it's a dream. Of course once they know it's a dream they, and I quote, "find the hottest girl around." Could be fun I guess. LOL[/quote]

The Waking Life is a movie that came out a couple of months ago and deals a lot with this, pretty good, a lot of discussions on the topic.

sidenote- I can't tell if i dream in color or black and white becuase I rarely remember my dreams when I wake up, so you guys are all lucky!

capybaralet · April 2005

I don't dream visually, but I dream in colour, if that makes any sense.

in the song:
I think dreaming in colour is more exciting (think of the wizard of oz)
and red is the colour of romance and passion, etc.

so dreaming of things beign more exciting, instead of a passionless relationship.

by the way:
WORST PJ SONG EVER

Tremor Andronicus · April 2005

Prior to the 1950’s in cultures around the world that studied dreams, there never was any mention of the nature of color in dreams. Freud never broached the subject, nor did Jung, nor did any of their successors - including lay and professional dream analysts. In the 1950’s, however, and into the 1960’s, this question of color actually grew to be hotly debated. Some dreamers contended they only dreamed in black and white, while another group said they only dreamed in color. Others speculated that perhaps all people actually dream in black and white - but that we “add in” colors when we remember our dreams.

Why the historical discontinuity? And why 1950?

Have I stumped you?

The answer, evidence suggests, lies in the spread of black and white television sets across our world, beginning - you guessed it - in the 1950’s. Apparently people who were watching black and white television sets during these two decades frequently carried the black and white color scheme into their dreams - and thus the debate was born.

Why did we never hear of this issue prior to 1950? It is true that we had black and white movies and print photography beginning at the turn of the century, but apparently these media’s ability to captivate the imagination was not as pervasive as watching the television for several hours a day proved to be.

An interesting sidenote. We hardly ever hear of this debate anymore. Why? Very few people still have black and white television sets.

She dreams in color

Comments

Categories