Story Behind The Song

This is a true story, and more or less autobiographical.

Song Description

Making dreams come true doesn't automatically fulfill your life goals.

Lyrics

How To Ruin a Dream (c)2002 by Joe Kretschmer

When I was ten years old, I wanted to be a taxidermist.
Take those old dead animals and bring 'em back to life again
That was all I wanted to do back then.

When I was twenty years old, I wanted to be a writer.
The great American novel would flow right from my pen.
That was all I wanted to do back then.

But when I finally stuffed some animals, they still looked pretty dead.
My great American novel never really left my head.
Looked like I'd have to find some other dreams instead.

When I was thirty years old, I wanted to be a college professor.
So I went back to school and I got my Ph.D.
I thought that was all I wanted to be.

When I was forty years old, I wanted to program computers.
To make those little machines sing and dance for me.
That was my idea of ecstacy.

But when I taught at the university, it wasn't all I thought it would be,
And writing computer code as a career, it wasn't very satisfying I fear.
I began to see a pattern forming here.

[bridge 1]
Time goes by like a passing train, dreams fade like summer rain,
And it isn't very often they come true.
But if you want to ruin a fantasy, just make it become a reality.
And remember that most dreams come postage due.

When I was fifty years old, I wanted to be a songwriter.
I dusted off my old guitar, and started makin' up tunes to play.
But this was one dream I didn't want to go away.

[bridge 2]
So whenever a dream comes to me, I just don't take it so seriously.
I remember what happened all those times before.
You can dream and have some fun, just don't go runnin' after every one.
When the times comes you can open any door.

tag at end:
Then you can go back and start to dream some more.