I had long been thinking of a name for my online art gallery. Every name I thought up could already be taken when I would look up the domain name. One day, I woke up and the name Dreamer Gallery whispered in my mind. I checked it and in total surprise, it was available. Days later a package arrived in the mail, Prince’s LotusFlow3r album. I was stunned as I read the track list. Track number 11 is called Dreamer. Thanks, Prince.

Prince was a highly aware individual. He knew what was going on in the world. One thing that is powerful about artists are that the observe the world around them and they an affect change through their art. This is why there is a war on your mind through art and culture. Artists have the ability to shape the world using their influence. The song Dreamer is about being asleep in a world that is corrupt.  Here are the lyrics and my interpretation for you.

 

I was born & raised on the same plantation 
In the united states of the red, white and blue 
I never knew that I was different 
Til Dr. King was on the balcony 
Lying in a bloody pool 
Expected so much more from a loving society 

He was born in the US, referring to it as a plantation in reference to slavery. He didn’t feel any different as a child growing up until he saw how lack people are treated. Dr. King is in reference to Martin Luther King Jr, an activist who was assassinated in 1968.

A truthful explanation but you know what? 
I got another conspiracy 

If it was just a dream… call me 
Call me a dreamer 2 
With more rewards & accolades 
Than anyone before or after 
21st century, oh what a shame 
That race still matters 
A race 2 what and where we going? 
We r in the same boat 

He is remarking how it is in the 21st century that racism still happens. Is it a conspiracy? Is it just a dream that he sees it happening? Why is there still racism? He plays with the word race to refer to competition. Why do we compete to claim that one is better than another? We’re all the same, we’re all in the same situation no matter what race you are.

But I’m the only one rowin 
Last time I checked you were sleepin’ 
…but you can call me a dreamer 2 
Peanut butter logic served on a bed of lies 
Don’t go down 2 easy 
When you see your father cryin’ 
Have you ever clutched the steering wheel 
Of your car 2 tight? 

Society pretends that racism doesn’t exist, but you can’t hide the fact that it happens. Peanut butter logic refers to the made up cover-up stories they give to explain the crimes being committed. The cover-up stories don’t explain the nonexistence of conspiracy when you experience it for yourself in your own life. For example, the racial profiling that many black people experience when driving late at night.

Prayin’ that the police sirens 
Pass you by at night? 
While the helicopter circles 
And the theory’s getting deep 
Thing they’re spraying chemicals over the city 
While we sleep? 

He’s asking if you ever noticed what’s going on in the backdrop of society. He’s describing the conspiracies about being stopped at night while driving, for no reason by police. “Spraying chemicals”, He’s talking about chemtrails in the last few lines. Chemtrails are what they call the lines in the sky left by the chemicals they spray. It is still unknown what the purpose of this is for. It is still a government secret although it is very evident that it is happening.

From now on I’m staying awake…
So you can call me a dreamer 2 
Wake up wake up

He’s aware and he’s staying vigilant about what’s really going on. You may think what he’s saying is just a conspiracy theory, that it’s not really happening, so you can call him a dreamer. He’s urging you to wake up to what’s really going on in the world.

Prince is pointing out that the world is not what it seems. The only way to change the world is to wake up and become aware of what’s really going on. I leave you here with Prince’s comments about Dreamer and chemtrails.

©2016. Andrea Mai. All rights reserved.