Dream Weaver

"Dream Weaver" is a song by Gary Wright that was a hit single in the US, reaching #2 in the Billboard charts^[1] while it reached #1 in the Cash Box charts in 1976.^[2] Taken from the album The Dream Weaver released the previous year, it features Wright on vocals and keyboards, and Jim Keltner on drums. In 1992, Gary Wright re-recorded a longer version of "Dream Weaver" for the Wayne's World movie soundtrack.

According to Gary Wright, the song was inspired by Autobiography of a Yogi, which was given to him by George Harrison.^[3] Paramhansa Yogananda's poem "God! God! God!" made reference to "the idea of the mind weaving dreams." The expression "Dream Weaver" was popularized by John Lennon in 1970 in his song "God", taken from his solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. This song depicts Lennon's declaration that he was the dream weaver of the sixties, breaking away from the influences and dogmas that influenced his life.

The song is widely considered the first synthpop hit song, with all instrumentation created by synthesizer except for the Keltner percussion.

In popular culture

While the original inspiration for "Dream Weaver" was spiritual, a brief snippet of the chorus has become a Western pop-cultural cliché following its serious, and later comically parodic, use as the soundtrack for sudden infatuation or love at first sight.^[4]

"Dream Weaver" was featured in this manner in the Fox television series That '70s Show in the episode "The First Time".

Portions of "Dream Weaver" were first sampled in a short film appearing in the 1990 Wayne's World episode of Saturday Night Live, in which guest star Wayne Gretzky appears, and Wayne is picturing that song playing as he imagines himself defeating Gretzky in street hockey and then winning his wife, Janet Jones. The song would later be re-recorded for the soundtrack of the 1992 film Wayne's World.

Since then, a similar form of sampling of the song has been used to note the meeting between, or the longing of one character for another, as indicated in the 2003 movie Daddy Day Care as well as in the Pixar film Toy Story 3 when Ken first meets Barbie.

This song, and its keyboard intro/outro, according to Wes Craven, inspired the concept behind the film A Nightmare on Elm Street.^[5] The song has also appeared in films and television programs such as The People vs. Larry Flynt and the fifth season episode of Nip/Tuck, "Dawn Budge II"

"Dream Weaver" was also featured over the closing credits of the sixth episode of the fourth season of the classic HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David.

Use by other musical artists

"Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive" are sampled in "Wordz of Wisdom", a single from 3rd Bass's 1989's The Cactus Album.

In 1999, it was covered by dance artist Erin Hamilton for her album One World. It was also featured prominently in the gay love story film Trick also released in 1999.

In 2000, Crowbar recorded a doom metal version of "Dream Weaver" for their album Equilibrium.

Chart performance

Charts

Chart (1976)	Peak position
Canada (RPM)^[6]	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^{[ 1]}	31
US Billboard Hot 100^{[ 1]}	2
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^{[ 1]}	14

Certifications


Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)^[7]	Gold	1,000,000^{^}
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References

↑ Gary Wright Biography – Billboard.com
↑ Cash Box Top Singles – 1976
↑ The Dream Weaver Inspiration – Gary Wright's homepage5
↑ http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StandardSnippet
↑ Wes Craven. A Nightmare on Elm Street DVD audio commentary.
↑ "Top Singles – Volume 25, No. 01 April 03 1976". RPM. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
↑ "American single certifications – Gary Wright – Dream Weaver". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 6, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

Preceded by "Love to Love you Baby" by Donna Summer	RPM number one single (Canada) April 3, 1976	Succeeded by "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" by The Four Seasons
Preceded by "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" by The Four Seasons	Cash Box Top 100 singles March 27, 1976	Succeeded by "Lonely Night (Angel Face)" by Captain and Tennille

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