The Dream
View chords used in this chart
Intro
C F
C G7
C F
G7 C
[Verso 1]
C F
My ears do ring and my heart does sing
C G7
When a steam train whistle blows
C F
And anywhere that train is bound
G7 C
It's there I too would go
C F
I had a dream the other night
C G7
Interrupted by this sound
C F
It was the whistle of a southbound freight
G7 C
Rolling through my old hometown
C F
I pinched myself, yeah, still alive
C G7
And hearing what I heard
C F
There was one toot and then another
G7 C
And then, by gosh, a third
C F
They echoed through my mind
C G7
Just like a childhood memory
C F
The dreamy call of an iron horse
G7 C
Was reaching out to me
F
I know I'm dreaming
C G7
But could it really be?
C F
It started seeming
C G7 C
That train was there for me
[Verso 2]
C F
That choo-choo chugged through a foggy mist
C G7
And stopped right where I stood
C F
I'd hop inside that locomotive
G7 C
If I only could
C F
But this I knew was nothing more
C G7
Than a wishful little dream
C F
That toot and choo-choo couldn't really
G7 C
Be what it had seemed
C F
But then, a dapper man walked up
C G7
And tipped his hat to me
C F
Well, in my sleepy state, I wondered
G7 C
Who this man could be
C F
He said he came to give my dream
C G7
A special nice reward
C F
And with a smile upon his face
G7 C
He bellowed, "All aboard!"
F
Was this for real
C G7
Or just a fantasy?
C F
"Wow, what a deal!"
G7 C
I shouted out with glee
[Verso 3]
C F
I climbed inside the cabin
C G7
Took a look at all the stuff
C F
And then I felt that choo-choo train
G7 C
Begin to huff and puff
C F
Well, in my dream, a red bandana
C G7
Fluttered from my neck
C F
And over my shoulder, there was a cord
G7 C
And I figured, "What the heck?"
C F
I wrapped my fingers 'round that cord
C G7
And slowly pulled it down
C F
And as I did, I heard that
G7 C
Sweet and old familiar sound
C F
With that, the locomotive started
C G7
Chugging down the rails
C F
I gave that cord another tug
G7 C
I listened to the wail
F
I made it whistle
C G7
Yes, I'm an engineer
C F
Give it a listen
C G7 C
And tell me what you hear
[Verso 4]
C F
The old conductor looked at me
C G7
And tipped his hat once more
C F
He told me it was time to leave
G7 C
And he vanished in a roar
C F
Yes, dreams, alas, must always end
C G7
For every girl and boy
C F
I was rustled from my slumber
G7 C
By a muffled rumbling noise
C F
I wiped the sleep dust from my eyes
C G7
And listened closely to
C F
The clear refrain of a distant train
G7 C
And a plaintive "woo-woo-woo!"
C F
There's just one thing about that sound
C G7
That made me think that day
C F
The closest railroad tracks to me
G7 C
Are many miles away
F
I got to fearing
C G7
That this was still a dream
C F
What I was hearing
G7 C
Was not what it might seem
[Verso 5]
C F
But soon, I heard another whistle
G7 C
Hooting in the night
C F
I went to my window and looked outside
G7 C
To see a wondrous sight
C F
Up in the dark but moonlit sky
C G7
Beneath a thousand stars
C F
A big black locomotive pulled
G7 C
A hundred railroad cars
C F
White puffs of smoke rose from the stack
C G7
And I can faintly see
C F
That old conductor looking down
G7 C
And he tipped his hat to me
C F
When in a wink, he vanished
C G7
In a trail of shiny steam
C F
I rubbed my eyes and realized
G7 C
That this was not a dream
F
I made it whistle
C G7
Yes, I'm an engineer
C F
Give it a listen
C G7 C
And tell me what you hear
How to play The Dream
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is C. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.