1986Released
3:58

Did You Know?

Interesting facts and trivia about Don't Dream It's Over. By Songfacts®.

Crowded House lead singer Neil Finn wrote this song. He explained in an interview with Goldmine: "I wrote that on my brother's piano. I'm not sure if I remember what the context was, exactly, but it was just about on the one hand feeling kind of lost, and on the other hand sort of urging myself on: Don't dream it's over. That one actually fell out literally, without me thinking about it too much."

"Don't Dream It's Over" is the biggest hit for Crowded House, which formed after the New Zealand group Split Enz, well, split. This was 1985; group members Neil Finn and Paul Hester (drums) teamed with Nick Seymour (bass) to form a new group, which they named Crowded House during the making of their first album - they were living together in a very tight space while working on the album in Los Angeles, thus the band name. Split Enz crossed the oceans with songs like "History Never Repeats" and "Six Months In A Leaky Boat," and they got on MTV with their zany videos, but for the most part they were little known outside of Australia and New Zealand. "Don't Dream It's Over" took a while to catch on, but when it did it became a global hit, reaching #2 in America, where it was held back by Aretha Franklin's duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." The next single, "Something So Strong," went to #7 in America, but they never again cracked the Top 40 there. The rest of the world was a different story. Crowded House landed lots of hits throughout Europe, particularly in the UK, and were a top draw in Australia and New Zealand. They took a hiatus in 1996 but returned from time to time and started touring again in 2007. Subsequent lineups often included Finn's musician sons Elroy and Liam.

When Crowded House reunited in 2016, Neil Finn explained that he's happy to keep playing this one. He told ABC: "I really enjoy singing it every time I do it, and I'm super pleased and proud that the song that is almost the most identifiable for us is, I think, one of my best songs."

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Song Analysis

Key, BPM (tempo) and time signature of Don't Dream It's Over.
G♯Key
MajorMode
4/4Time Signature
82BPM

Album

The album Don't Dream It's Over is released on.

Released By

The record label that has released Don't Dream It's Over.
Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd.
© 2016 Capitol Records Inc.
℗ 2016 Capitol Records Inc.

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