description Beautiful Dreamer Overview
"Beautiful Dreamer" is a parlor song composed by American songwriter Stephen Foster and published posthumously in 1864. Written in a 9/8 waltz tempo, the piece features a gentle melody and lyrics that speak of a lover serenading a sleeping woman. It was created during a period when sheet music was the primary medium for distributing music, intended specifically for performance in domestic settings. The composition remains a significant artifact of nineteenth-century American popular music.
help Beautiful Dreamer FAQ
Was Beautiful Dreamer Stephen Foster's final song?
"Beautiful Dreamer" is often described as Foster's last song, but that claim is difficult to establish from the surviving chronology. It was published by Wm. A. Pond & Co. in 1864, shortly after Foster died in New York.
Is Beautiful Dreamer actually a waltz?
Yes, the song is written in a lilting compound triple meter commonly notated as 9/8. That pulse gives its melody a rocking, serenade-like character suited to the repeated address to the sleeping "beautiful dreamer."
Who has recorded notable versions of Beautiful Dreamer?
The song has been recorded by artists ranging from Bing Crosby to Roy Orbison. The Beatles also performed a rock arrangement for BBC radio in 1963, with George Harrison singing lead.
What are the lyrics of Beautiful Dreamer about?
The singer asks a sleeping beloved to awaken while the noises of the world fade into moonlight and music. Unlike Foster's minstrel material, it is a sentimental parlor serenade intended for domestic singing.
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