# What are the background lyrics in Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-background-lyrics-in-fleetwood-mac-s-dreams/848728>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** music\
**Created:** [March 1, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-background-lyrics-in-fleetwood-mac-s-dreams/848728 "2020-03-01T01:02:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-background-lyrics-in-fleetwood-mac-s-dreams/848728/1 "2020-03-01T01:02:08Z")

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One of my favorite songs is Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” but I have never been able to understand the background lyrics.

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y3ywicffOj4/maxresdefault.jpg "Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (Official Music Video) [4K Remaster]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3ywicffOj4)

The relevant lyrics are in the pre-chorus portion, which goes

> [@](#):
>
> Like a heartbeat drives you mad  
> In the stillness of remembering what you had  
> And what you lost and what you had and what you lost

Every few beats during this portion, there is a single syllable background lyric. I can’t understand it though.

Can anyone help?

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**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-background-lyrics-in-fleetwood-mac-s-dreams/848728/2 "2020-03-01T06:33:57Z")

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Lonely, mem’ry  
Lonely, ooh-ooh, aah, aah

is my guess

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**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-background-lyrics-in-fleetwood-mac-s-dreams/848728/3 "2020-03-01T10:31:13Z")

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It sounds to me like “heart”, “beat”, “still”, “ness”, “lone”, and “ly” and then it seems to go into “oo”s.

Great song, btw. I still have my parents’ original LP.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-background-lyrics-in-fleetwood-mac-s-dreams/848728/4 "2020-03-01T14:12:16Z")

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Thanks!

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-background-lyrics-in-fleetwood-mac-s-dreams/848728/5 "2020-03-01T14:31:36Z")

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“Heartbeat, stillness, lonely.”

Trivia fact: “Dreams” was the only song off “Rumours” to hit number one, despite it being one of the biggest albums of all time.

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**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2020, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-background-lyrics-in-fleetwood-mac-s-dreams/848728/7 "2020-09-29T00:05:32Z")

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We grew up in a cultural/musical Renaissance. Started listening to the Beatles in 65. Great music came out like every other day. Fleetwood Mac with Stevie and Lindsey was at a peak of those times.