This next clip is truly a special treat. Here is the exquisite harmony of the Everly Brothers performing “All I Have to Do is Dream,” with members of Bill Haley’s Comets playing backup.  It was a number one hit in June, 1958. In the clip below, it’s followed by the Everly Brothers’ wonderful “new” song, “Cathy’s Clown.”

“Dream” was written by Bordleaux Bryant, who, along with his wife Felice, formed one of the great songwriting teams.  In Rock and Roll: An Introduction, Michael Campbell and James Brody state that “[t]he theme of the lyrics is romantic love — commonplace in pop but increasingly on the wane in rock-era music.” On the other hand, in The Sound of the City, the British musicologist Charlie Gillet had this to say:

Boudleaux and Felice Bryant … showed a remarkable flair for conveying the narcissistic self-preoccupations of adolescents…. “All I Have to do is Dream” joined the short list of teen ballads that never lose their effect for teenagers caught in a particular situation; the song came as close as pop ever dared to the taboo topic of masturbation, as the singer insisted that he did not need his lover because he could fantasize about her at any moment. It was not established whether “she” was a particular girl, or just the perfect embodiment of the singer’s selfish needs.

While Gillett is entertaining, his comment strikes me as a tad overblown.  The song proclaims “I need you so that I could die/ I love you so….” — a remark that would seem to be directed to an actual person for whose company the singer is longing, rather than a mere fantasy.

Also, is it fair to characterize teenagers generally as narcissistic? Or masturbation (assuming that is what was accompanying the dreaming) as selfish?  If the attraction is mutual, one would think that upon hearing this lament, the dreamed-of-other would be deeply touched. Otherwise, she or he is probably not worth dreaming about in the first place.

In any event, a song intended to break down barriers by overtly celebrating masturbation did eventually become a hit on mainstream radio. Can you name it? (more…)