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Don’t You Dream of the Loves You Had Yesterday

Written: 1971

Writers: David Jenneson, Alan Hovden

Status: Recorded but unpublished

Genre and Style: Folk blues.

Comments: Dave: I wrote this song during the darkest days of poverty and isolation at Burner Mansion. It is the result of spending too much time in one’s room alone and broke. Considered too slow for dance audiences it never made the Burner play list. With it’s resigned, somewhat soulful lyrics it has a Fred Neil feel.

Comments: Al: I always admired Dave for the lyrical scope of this song… from masturbation to the unlikely imagery of Hiroshima after the bomb dropped… beautiful, lopsided soul!

The door slammed below me

But there’s nobody coming

Cup by my bedside

Stood empty, white and bare

The bed moved a bit with some kissing and sighing

But only I was there.

I’ve been in this room

So hopelessly long now

See if I remember

What its like to be touched

Of course I could always touch myself

It doesn’t mean very much

Some people tell me

They’re afraid of touching

Tell me they were born

With their hands wearing gloves

Me I’m not afraid of nothing

I’m not even in love

Don’t you dream of the loves that you had yesterday

If you let them they will haunt you like the words of a song

Life is so short

The nights are so long

Now how did you slip away?

My life tends to look

Like a picture on a postcard

Main Street , Hiroshima , 1945

Biggest surprise comes in the morning

I wake up still alive

I don’t want your compassion

Like a face on a bottle

I don’t want your little looks that say

I know what you mean

Bring your sweet lips down beside me

I’ll fill your head with dreams

Don’t you dream of the loves that you had yesterday

If you let them they will haunt you like the words of a song

Life is so short

The nights are so long

Now how did you slip away?

Somebody’s calling

Nobody answers

Voice fades away like an echo on the stairs

Every night I look out the same old window

See if anybody cares

So if you want me

You can dream about me

I’ll let you know that I live in a room

Crowded with people I just imagine

So maybe I’ll see you soon.

Don’t you dream of the loves that you had yesterday

If you let them they will haunt you like the words of a song

Life is so short

The nights are so long

Now how did you slip away?