John O'Dreams

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John O'Dreams is a traditional Irish song. The titular central character is equivalent to the Sandman, a fictional character who sends people to sleep. The song portrays all people as being "equal in sleep":

The Prince and the plowman, the slave and freeman All find their comfort in old John O'Dreams

Obviously, sleep is also a metaphor for death, both as an eventual equalizer of all things, and for the allusion to a "crossing over," as in a river, a prevalent theme in Western spiritual beliefs.

The most popular arrangement is by Irish singer/songwriter Bill Caddick. Singers Christy Moore and Jean Redpath also recorded versions. The enchanting arpeggiated melody is based on Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, "The Pathetique", and is thought to have originated in a Russian folksong.

[edit] Lyrics

When midnight comes and people homeward tread

Seek now your blanket and your feather bed

Home comes the rover, his journey's over

Yield up the night time to old John O'Dreams

Yield up the night time to old John O'Dreams

Across the hill, the sun is gone astray

Tomorrow's cares are many dreams away

The stars are flying, your candle is dying

Yield up the darkness to old John O'Dreams

Yield up the darkness to old John O'Dreams

Both man and master in the night they're one

All things are equal when the day is done

The prince the plowman, the slave the freeman

All find their comfort in old John O' Dreams

All find their comfort in old John O' Dreams

When sleep it comes the dreams come running clear

The hawks of morning cannot reach you here

Sleep is a river, flow on forever

And for your boatman choose old John O'Dreams

And for your boatman choose old John O'Dreams

When midnight comes and people homeward tread

Seek now your blanket and your feather bed

Home comes the rover, his journey's over

Yield up the night time to old John O'Dreams

Yield up the night time to old John O'Dreams