"Only in Dreams" is a song by American rock band Weezer. It is the tenth and final track on their 1994 self-titled debut album. At 7 minutes and 59 seconds, it is Weezer's longest song to date. It is noteworthy for its three-minute crescendo of the two guitars, bass, and drums, in which the dynamics gradually increase and the timbre builds up layers until the climaxing guitar solo at the end.
Background
The song's lyrics tell the story of a young man who wants to be romantically involved with the girl of his dreams. But because he cannot do so in reality due to how nervous he is, he can only fantasize about being with her in his dreams; hence the title of the song.[1] In a 2010 interview with Rolling Stone, Weezer's Rivers Cuomo stated, "I think most of our audience always thought it was a song about a girl when I’m really singing about my artistic process."[2] In a 2023 interview with Chris Shiflett, Cuomo said the long instrumental portion of the song was inspired by the jam bandPhish and their guitarist Trey Anastasio.[3] Cuomo said, "I went to Phish shows and had the tapes, and it was like, man, this is just so transcendent, the way [Anastasio] plays – and that’s kind of what I wanted to do."[3] Cuomo recalled that many of their earlier songs ended with lengthy jams because they had not written endings to them, and producer Ric Ocasek had shortened most of them to "normal endings" aside from "Only in Dreams".[3]
Reception
When asked in 2006 which Weezer guitar solo he is the most proud of/likes the most, Cuomo answered, "I'd have to go with 'Only in Dreams' and [Make Believe track] 'Haunt You Every Day' for sheer length. Epic, epic, epic. So few people play these kinds of solos anymore."[4]
IGN included "Only in Dreams" on their "Weezer Ultimate Mix" list, where they listed what songs they want to be compiled into a Weezer collection and called the song "the "Stairway to Heaven" for Generation X."[5] They also listed the song on their "Top 10 Ambiguously Inspiring Songs" list, where they called it one of Weezer's best songs.[6]Magnet considered "Only in Dreams" to be the third most overrated Weezer song.[7] The song was rated #8 in Q Magazine's "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks" in September 2007.[8] Melissa Bobbitt at About.com ranked it as the number 1 best Weezer song, stating "This is Weezer at their finest. From the syrupy opening bass line, to the sincere guitar work and the gawking lyrics, the immense closing song on their debut best represents the band".[9]
In an article devoted to the song by Kevin McFarland at The A.V. Club, he described it as "Cuomo's epic masterpiece", as well as a "glorious anomaly in the Weezer canon".[1]
"Only In Dreams" had typically been played at the end of a regular set (before the encore). However, this was not true for the Summer of 2002 Enlightenment tour, when the set lists were determined by the roll of a 20-sided die.[12]
The song was played live at The Roxy for the first time since 2015 on March 15, 2023.[13]
Covers
Ash has covered the song as a B-side of their 2001 single "Burn Baby Burn".
