Dreaming Of You

Album: The Singles Collection (2002)
Charted: 13
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This became The Coral's first UK Top 20 hit when this peaked at #13 in 2002. In 2008 a rough demo version was released on Disk 2 of the band's The Singles Collection. Frontman James Skelly explained on his record label's website: "It's bad quality, the guy who ran our record company lost the original DAT and so this is taken from a cassette tape. You can see there's a verse missing, but it's a work in progress and it's interesting to see how our songs develop."
  • Said Skelly: "When I was 15 I heard that Oasis's 'Shakermaker' was nicked off an advert so I tried to write a song with two chords robbed off an Alton Towers ad. It's probably the sh--iest tune I've ever written. But two years later I wrote 'Pass It On.'"
  • This was used in the season 2 episode "My Monster" of the American comedy show Scrubs.
  • Liverpool band Shack were an inspiration for this song after James Skelly and keyboard player Nick Power were invited by a mutual producer friend to watch them in the studio. Skelly recalled to Q magazine how he spent the day listening to Shack demo songs that became 1999's celebrated H.M.S. Fable. "It blew my mind," he said. "I was living at my nan's at the time and I was legging it down there the road because I could feel this song taking over my body. When I got in I sat down and in five minutes I'd written 'Dreaming Of You.'"
  • So who is the "you" that James Skelly is dreaming of? He suggested to The Guardian in a 2022 interview it may be actress and presenter Denise van Outen. "She was on the Big Breakfast back then," Skelly said. "It's just a song. I was only 17, I hadn't done much in my life. I do love the track, though. It's not deep, but its energy makes it special."

Comments: 2

  • Mark from UkDoes anyone know the identity of the fella in the American majors uniform in yhe video dreaming of you.. I have my suspicions that it's Corals late Manager Alan Wils? Just wondering if it was.. Old friends Rip Al x
  • Ret from Bristol, United KingdomAgain a surprise no comments. Does the singer have a really bad cold on this? This song describes a familiar scene, cooped up in your room waiting for the girl, knowing she's not good for him but taking another hit anyway
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Sam Hollander

Sam HollanderSongwriter Interviews

The hitmaking songwriter/producer Sam Hollander with stories about songs for Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, Train, Pentatonix, and Fitz And The Tantrums.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

When Rock Belonged To Michelob

When Rock Belonged To MichelobSong Writing

Michelob commercials generated hits for Eric Clapton, Genesis and Steve Winwood in the '80s, even as some of these rockers were fighting alcoholism.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?