James Blake - I Had a Dream She Took My Hand (Live)

This video features a live performance by James Blake of his song "I Had a Dream She Took My Hand" (0:04). The song, the second single from his album 'Trying Times', features Blake on vocals and organ, accompanied by a band, the Welsh Choir, the Shards Choir, and a brass section (0:04-3:30).

 The lyrics describe a dream where a hand guides the narrator to a feeling of being "higher than storms and lighter than sand" (0:28), and "deeper than wools, but safer than the end" (0:44). 

The dream takes a turn when the person begins to "dissolve" (2:03), and the narrator struggles to remember her face or name (2:12). The song concludes with the repeated phrase "Come back" (3:02), conveying a sense of longing and confusion about the dream's meaning (3:18). 

 The central themes of the song "I Had a Dream She Took My Hand" include: 

 The nature of dreams: The song explicitly deals with the experience of dreaming and its often elusive or fleeting nature (0:04, 0:19, 0:36, 1:08, 1:56). 

Guidance and connection: The recurring imagery of "she took my hand" (0:08, 0:24, 0:40, 1:12, 2:00) symbolizes guidance, comfort, and a profound connection.

 Paradoxical feelings and sensations: The lyrics present contrasting sensations like being "higher than storms and lighter than sand" (0:28-0:32) and "deeper than wools, but safer than the end" (0:44-0:50), highlighting the complex and often contradictory emotions experienced within the dream.

 Loss and fading memory: The dream turns to a sense of loss as the figure begins to "dissolve" (2:03), and the narrator struggles to "remember her face, remember her name" (2:12-2:16), suggesting the transient nature of dreams and the pain of their fading. 

Longing and desire for return: The repeated plea of "Come back" (3:02, 3:06, 3:11) at the end of the song underscores a deep longing for the dream's return and the comfort it provided. The search for meaning: The final lines, "I just want to know what it means" (3:18-3:26), directly state the narrator's desire to understand the significance of the dream experience.