Nightmares, just like dreams, are a depiction of what is on one’s mind. Some people believe that nightmares are significant, while others do not pay much attention to them. Here are some of the best songs about nightmares.
“A Nightmare to Remember” – Dream Theater
Not all nightmares are wrong, and in some cases, they are preferred and thrilling to the one who has them. This song is based on a real-life event that the writer, John Petrucci, had where he got into a car accident with his father.
This song is quite long at sixteen minutes which is a testament to how much the writer wanted to express and put across. The song is from the Black Clouds & Silver Linings album.
There is a lot of heart in the songs, and it comes across quite effortlessly. The instruments on this track do quickly bring you into the dream world. The fact that the song has positive anecdotes is surprising and pleasant.
“All Nightmare Long” – Metallica
This nightmare is based on an incident in Tunguska in 1908 where three people died after a meteor explosion. This track focuses on the worms found at the explosion scene, which can bring the dead back to life. As with most hard rock tracks, the video has a dark theme with all the zombies and explosions and the headless corpse that escapes the Soviet lab.
“Lucid Dreams” – Juice WRLD
Falling in love is great, but a breakup can make one feel paralyzed. In this song, Juice struggles to deal with a breakup, which sends him into sleep paralysis. He then compares how seeing his former lover has him in a nightmare trance, and he is unable to move and resigns to just watching. The video also depicts the strangeness and connection between sleep paralysis and nightmares.
“Burning House” – Cam
There is no more fantastic nightmare than when a loved one is involved and is in danger. The burning house is based on Cam’s dream where she tried to rescue her boyfriend, who was trapped in a burning house. It is easy to feel the anguish and frustration she goes through as her worst nightmare is ongoing.
“Stranger Cat” – Sirens
There is an excellent correlation between insomnia and nightmares. When the brain is not fully rested, people are more vulnerable to having hallucinations. This song is about how the singer had a phase where she had multiple sleepless nights, which caused many nightmares for her. She felt bound by these nightmares and could not escape them no matter how hard she tried.
“Last Night I Had a Dream” – Randy Newman
There is just something rather unsettling and confusing when retelling a nightmare. It is confusing to tell other people what the nightmare is about effectively and its meaning. This song portrays the intense feelings behind nightmares and how engulfing they can get.
“The Green Manalishi” – Fleetwood Mac
Having nightmares about something you wholly desire can be quite the pain. This song is about the evils that are brought about by money. One of the band members, Peter Green, details how the devil cautioned him on the perils of money. The nightmare here is how he desired money so much, and after he acquired it, he changed for the worst.
“Dream Evil” – Dio
Not only is this song about nightmares, but the lyrics and video are capable of causing them as well. In the song, a little girl has disturbing dreams involving demons, serpents, and black cats that lead to horrible nightmares. There are a lot of issues raised about nightmares in the video.
“Monsters Under The Bed” – Eugene McGuiness
The theme of this song is centered on depression and the clear link it has to nightmares. The song endeavors to bring to light that depression does not only affect your mood but also your sleeping patterns which eventually cause you to have nightmares.
“American Bad Dream” – Kane Brown
This song has been lauded for bringing attention to the mass shooting issue. The track expresses Kane’s concerns over how children must be in a state of uncertainty and fear over the increase in school shootings.
He hypothesizes that children are nowadays more prone to having nightmares due to the anxiety around the shootings than how he grew up and his carefree attitude.
In Conclusion
No one wants to have a nightmare, but this is the case, they will happen now and then. Some of the songs on this list offer guidance, while others show that one is not alone when nightmares occur.
