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Dreams | Written by Jordan Woods-Robinson | Inspired by Langston Hughes
The Winner of our “Give Inspiration to Songs On Sunday” contest has been announced! Cindy Shopper of East Tennessee submitted a poem by Langston Hughes called “Dreams” and it was chosen to be the impetus for our latest track. Cindy will receive a custom SOS tshirt for her awesome submission.
The original poem was only 2 stanzas so I wrote 2 more to round out the song. The lyrics evoke a sense of grandeur but with a fragility that should resonate with every person that reads them. The idea that dreams should be so powerful and so bold that if they’re not achieved they will affect not only the dreamer but also those around them.
The original idea was for Dreams to have a very old-school Disney vibe with lots of choral voices and flirtatious, lively instrumentation around a dreamy-eyed melody. I wrote this on piano, however, and I was not able to provide the correct feel with my non-piano-playing-fingers… What came out was more of a crooner type feel so I went with that when matching the vocals.
My piano track, while complete, was still not what you would call ‘good’ so Justin Levine, pianist extraordinaire, tickled the ivories on this one and is the artist you’ll hear on the track.
I hope you enjoy and please keep dreaming!
-Jordan
Hold onto dreams
For if dreams die
Life is like a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly
_
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow
_
So hold onto dreams
For if dreams depart
Life bears no fruit
Of the mind or of the heart
_
Believe in your dreams
For dreams really do come true
And hold on to your dreams
And let your dreams take hold of you
Vocals: Jordan Woods-Robinson
Piano: Justin Levine
Mandolin Solo: Cory Maples
Mixed by: Cory at Lonely Nights Studios