Beautiful Dreamer

Album: Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster (1864)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Stephen Foster died of alcoholism and a fall from his bed in New York City in 1864. Shortly thereafter his renamed publishing company, William A. Pond Co., published the last song that he wrote a few days before his death, "Beautiful Dreamer." During his lifetime Foster earned only $15,091.08 in royalties from his sheet music and he died with just 38 cents in his pocket.

Comments: 1

  • Chloe Rowles from TexasI have loved this song since I was 10 years old and heard it in the movie 'Mighty Joe Young', the Terry Moore original version. It was the only melody that would calm down Joe. It has been my favorite ever since, 67 years.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.