"I'll See You in My Dreams" is a 2020 song by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The song was released as a single in March 2021.[1] The song was dedicated to Michael Gudinski with the music video released on March 3, the day after Gudinski died.[2][3] The song is the closing track on the 2020 album Letter to You, and along with the opening track "One Minute You're Here", it is one of the two songs about mortality and death that bookend the album.[4]
| "I'll See You in My Dreams" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promotional single by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | ||||
| from the album Letter to You | ||||
| Released | March 3, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | November 2019 | |||
| Studio | Thrill Hill Recording, Colts Neck, New Jersey, United States | |||
| Genre | Heartland rock | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bruce Springsteen | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band singles chronology | ||||
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Performances
editThe song was first performed in a solo-acoustic arrangement on November 18, 2020, at Springsteen's Stone Hill Farm in Colts Neck, New Jersey for a virtual broadcast of the annual Stand Up for Heroes event, along with another song from the same album, "House of a Thousand Guitars" and the 2007 song "Long Walk Home" [5] Later, it was one of the two songs from the album, the other one being "Ghosts", performed by Springsteen and the E Street Band on the December 12, 2020 episode of Saturday Night Live.[6][7]
On June 26, 2021, the song was added to the Springsteen on Broadway setlist, replacing "Born to Run" as the closing track, once again performed by Springsteen acoustically on guitar. [8][9]
On September 11, 2021, Springsteen performed the acoustic version of "I'll See You in My Dreams" at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks, during the 9/11 20th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony.[10]
As of 2024, on the ongoing 2023-25 Tour, Springsteen has closed all but two shows with the acoustic version of "I'll See You in My Dreams."
Critical reception
editMusic Musings & Such gave the song 9.7/10 points, describing Springsteen's voice in the song as contemplative and spirited and saying there is clearly a lot of meaning and personal relevance behind the words; the song has a definite energy and verve that portrays a sense of reconciliation and optimism.[11] Ultimate Classic Rock describes the album as ending as contemplatively as it begins, with the hopeful song declaring "death is not the end", and like the opening "One Minute You're Here," it serves as a melancholy bookend to Springsteen's most reflective work.[12] NJ.com ranks the song 7th on the album, describing it as "a vibrant and telling finale to a record that could easily function as a fond farewell for the full-band outfit if they choose to never record another LP as ambitious as this one."[13] Rolling Stone, comparing the song to opener "One Minute You're Here", says it is more of an upbeat and folky number that finds Springsteen echoing Dylan, declaring "death is not the end".[14]
Personnel
editBruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Roy Bittan – keyboards
- Charles Giordano – organ
- Nils Lofgren – guitar
- Patti Scialfa – guitar, backing vocals
- Bruce Springsteen – guitar, vocals, production
- Garry Tallent – bass guitar
- Steven Van Zandt – guitar
- Max Weinberg – drums
Technical personnel
- Ron Aniello – production
- Bob Clearmountain – mixing
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
Charts
edit| Chart (2020–2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| San Marino (SMRRTV Top 50)[15] | 31 |
| US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[16] | 21 |
References
edit- ^ Newsdesk, The Hot Press. "Bruce Springsteen drops 'I'll See You In My Dreams' lyric video". Hotpress.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen - I'll See You In My Dreams (Lyric Video)" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen Dedicates 'I'll See You In My Dreams' to Michael Gudinski". Billboard.
- ^ "One Minute You're Here by Bruce Springsteen - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen Setlist at Private Venue, Colts Neck". setlist.fm.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen Performs Two New Songs on 'SNL'". SPIN. December 13, 2020.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen Setlist at Saturday Night Live, New York". setlist.fm. 12 December 2020.
- ^ Cadillac, Pink (July 1, 2021). ""Springsteen On Broadway" 2021-06-30 St. James Theatre, New York City". Pink Cadillac - Bruce Springsteen Fan Blog.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen Setlist at St. James Theatre, New York". setlist.fm.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2021-09-11). "See Bruce Springsteen Perform 'I'll See You in My Dreams' at 9/11 20th Anniversary Memorial". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
- ^ "TRACK REVIEW: Bruce Springsteen - I'll See You in My Dreams". Music Musings & Such. 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen, 'Letter to You': Album Review". Ultimate Classic Rock. 15 October 2020.
- ^ NJ.com, Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for (October 23, 2020). "All 12 of Springsteen's new 'Letter to You' tracks, ranked best to worst". nj.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Grow, Kory (October 15, 2020). "Bruce Springsteen Confronts His Ghosts on the Rousing 'Letter to You'". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Top 50 – Radio San Marino RTV – 04/05/2021" (in Italian). San Marino RTV. May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2022.