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From album
No Need to Argue
The Cranberries · 1994 · Track 2
Details
Duración4:32
ÁlbumNo Need to Argue
Año1994
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The story behind
When you listen to *Dreams*, the voice of Dolores O'Riordan envelops you with a feeling of first love, of that pure and genuine emotion experienced for the first time. She herself said she wrote it thinking about her first love, while living in Ireland, describing that feeling of being truly in love. This song, along with *Linger*, was part of a demo tape that helped generate interest in the band, showcasing the power of their proposal from early on. Guitarist Noel Hogan, years later, reflected on how, after Dolores' departure, he could truly appreciate the depth of songs like *Dreams*, recognizing the ability of someone so young to create something so special, something he himself didn't value at the time, seeing it only as part of the usual repertoire.
Recorded at Windmill Lane studios in Dublin, *Dreams* was originally released in October 1992 as the first single from The Cranberries, and later became part of their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993). The production was handled by Stephen Street, who also took care of the engineering along with Aiden McGovern. This piece, which combines elements of alternative rock and dream pop, reached the top positions on major charts, hitting the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart. A 1990 demo version, released only in Ireland under the band's initial name, The Cranberry Saw Us, already showed the song's potential. At the end of the main version, the backing vocals of Mike Mahoney, who was Dolores O'Riordan's boyfriend, can be heard. Three different music videos were produced to promote the single, directed by John Maybury, Peter Scammell, and Nico Soultanakis. In 2017, the band revisited the song, releasing an acoustic and stripped-down version on their album Something Else.