Last night I had the strangest dream
I ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war
I dreamed I saw a mighty room
The room was filled with men
And the paper they were signing said
They’d never fight again
And when the papers all were signed
And a million copies made
They all joined hands and bowed their heads
And grateful prayers were prayed
And the people in the streets below
Were dancing round and round
And guns and swords and uniforms
Were scattered on the ground
Last night I had the strangest dream
I ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war
Ed McCurdy, 1950
I remember when I was in choir in the early 70s, and I heard this song for the first time. Our choir director sang it for us while playing her guitar, and I cried. I can’t say that I had a “real” sense of what war was, but I know that I was deeply moved by the words and the passion with which the choir director sang.
Sometime soon after, I heard it sung by Simon and Garfunkel on their Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. album. I remember feeling drawn to listen to the song over and over, so that I could commit it to memory. I didn’t have any reason to memorize the song; I simply felt compelled to do so.
It would be many years later that I heard the song again, at a rally in front of the San Francisco city hall, where Joan Baez singing. And again, it brought tears to my eyes. This time, however, my knowledge of war was deeper, my understanding of the need for Peace, greater.
And then, for some reason, the song came to me again today. I sang it a couple of times, and I will carry the underlying hope with me going forward. And, each time I say or sing the words, I will hold the belief that dreams do come true.