R.E.M.’s beautiful cover of John Lennon classic ‘#9 Dream’
John Lennon held so much talent that he could write music in his sleep. At least, that was certainly the case for his classic song, ‘#9 Dream’, which literally came to him in a dream. The song was written by the singer during his ‘lost weekend’: a period of time that marked Lennon’s long separation from Yoko Ono when he moved to California and recorded the covers album Rock and Roll along with Walls and Bridges.
‘#9 Dream’ was a part of Walls and Bridges, and apparently came to Lennon already “churned out” with “no inspiration”. Despite later claiming it a “throwaway”, Lennon’s mistress May Pang said it was “one of John’s favourite songs, because it literally came to him in a dream,” adding, “He woke up and wrote down those words along with the melody. He had no idea what it meant, but he thought it sounded beautiful.”
Its dreamlike quality comes through in its melodic and relatively mellow sound, remaining a favourite among Lennon’s fans and considered one of the standout tracks on Walls and Bridges. Its ethereal appeal undeniably has an enduring impact, which R.E.M. proved in 2007 with a reimagining of the track some 30 years later.
The song sits among many Lennon covers on the benefit album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur for Amnesty International’s campaign to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Alongside R.E.M., artists like U2, Christina Aguilera, Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz, and Avril Lavigne all had a stab at recreating small pieces of Lennon’s legacy.
R.E.M.’s version of ‘#9 Dream’, ultimately, remains a standout, however, with its loyalty to the woozy quality of the original and an added unique flavour of their own sound. R.E.M.’s version also featured Michael Stipe’s distinctive vocals along with the band’s signature musical style, which combined elements of alternative rock and folk-rock to create a stunning interpretation of the track.
For the album, Lennon’s publishing royalties were donated to Amnesty International by Yoko Ono. The Darfur conflict, which began in the early 2000s, involved ongoing violence and human rights abuses in the Darfur region of Sudan. The Instant Karma project aimed to raise funds and promote the message of peace and human rights championed by Lennon.
Ono said: “It’s wonderful that, through this campaign, music that is so familiar to many people of my era will now be embraced by a whole new generation. John’s music set out to inspire change, and in standing up for human rights, and selling more records, we really can make the world a better place.”
