R.E.M. by Ariana Grande became the fourth track on her fourth studio album, Sweetener. On August 17, 2018, Republic Records released this particular track. This song was released between July 2016 and May 2018, and the album as a whole received the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 61st Grammy Awards. This was Grande’s first Grammy win of her career. Let’s take a look at the context behind Ariana Grande’s R.E.M lyrics.
R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Movement) is a band that makes a song about the importance of sleep. Although the chorus of this song was lifted from Beyonce’s “Wake Up (R.E.M Demo),” she conveyed a similar sentiment in her 2008 song “Sweet Dreams.” This is one of the few tracks from Sweetener that isn’t totally new and unique.
Introduction
Life like dreams, body movement, elevated heart rate, and sexual desire occur during the “R.E.M.” stage of the sleeping cycle. “Last night, baby, I met you, yeah/when I was asleep,” Grande begins the song, describing a dream encounter with a charming man. Grande sings about how she knew she loved the guy she’s singing to the moment she met him in the first verse.
Grande continues to sing about how she knows she’ll marry this guy. The chorus gives the feeling that Grande doesn’t want to wake up because the person she’s singing to is a dream come true. She’s also concerned that her dream is too good to be true, as everything she saw in it seemed to be genuine and vibrant. Grande expresses more than lust or sexual desire for this person in the second verse. She wishes to be with that person for purposes other than intimacy. She does, however, praise their sexual abilities and points them in the direction of understanding that love is both mental and physical.
Lifelike dreams, body movement, elevated heart rate, and sexual desire occur during the “R.E.M.” stage of the sleeping cycle. “Last night, baby, I met you, yeah/when I was asleep,” Grande begins the song, describing a dream encounter with a charming man. Grande sings about how she knew she loved the guy she’s singing to the moment she met him in the first verse.
Grande continues to sing about how she knows she’ll marry this guy. The chorus gives the feeling that Grande doesn’t want to wake up because the person she’s singing to is a dream come true. She’s also concerned that her dream is too good to be true, as everything she saw in it seemed to be genuine and vibrant. Grande expresses more than lust or sexual desire for this person in the second verse. She wishes to be with that person for purposes other than intimacy. She does, however, praise their sexual abilities and points them in the direction of understanding that love is both mental and physical.
R.E.M Lyrics Meaning
Let’s look at the context behind R.E.M’s lyrics, which appear on Ariana Grande’s Grammy-winning album Sweetener.
[Verse 1: Ariana Grande]
Mmm, last night, boy, I met you, yeah
When I was asleep (‘Sleep)
You’re such a dream to me, mmm, woah
And it was on a day like this, yeah
If you can believe, if you can believe (If you can believe)
Mmm, you’re such a dream to me
Meaning
Grande starts the song with a dreamy lyric about her feelings for someone she encounters in her dreams. She is absolutely enamoured with the man who has won her heart, and she refuses to believe it is just an illusion. All appears to be genuine, and she detects the guy’s presence right in front of her. Ariana compares the man to a short, fun, and attractive dream. She seeks to persuade the man that he is something like a dream-come-true desire that she has never been able to let go of, even when dreaming.
[Chorus: Ariana Grande]
Before you speak, don’t move
‘Cause I don’t wanna wake up
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Don’t wanna wake up, oh
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Boy, you’re such a dream
If you can believe, babe
Boy, you’re such a dream to me
Meaning
Grande is too stubborn to wake up in the chorus, believing that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to see the man again. She adores him and does not want him to leave without speaking to her. The singer begs him not to move because she believes that the tiniest movement would wake her up. Grande is adamant that she will never wake up and break her wishes, except in her dreams.
The singer wants this dream to continue without interruption, and she has feelings for this man that go beyond love. He seems so real to her that she’s not sure whether it’s real or just a fantasy. However, her subconscious mind convinces her that it is just a fantasy, and she approaches the guy as if he were a ‘real’ dream.
[Verse 2: Ariana Grande]
“Excuse me, um, I love you”
I know that’s not the way to start a conversation, trouble
I watch them other girls when they come and bug you
But I felt like I knew you, so I just wanted to hug you
Plus you don’t know your way around
You can stop your playing now
All your worries, lay ’em down, shh, don’t say it loud
Is this real, baby?
(Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum)
You’re like: “I love you—who starts a conversation like that?” Nobody, but I do
But you are not a picture, I can’t cut you up and hide you
I’ll get you out my mind, mhm, or try to
But I just want to stand and yell
I will never dare to tell
Think I heard some wedding bells, shh, keep it to yourself
Is this real? (Is this real?)
Meaning
Grande is likely to propose to this guy because she feels like she is going to erupt with love for him. But she tells him that saying “I love you” does not begin a conversation. She describes how she feels when other girls irritate him, then proceeds to flatter this guy with her undisclosed desires. Ariana loses all control of her feelings and even admits that she needs to embrace him for a brief moment. Throughout it all, she continues to doubt herself aloud, wondering if it was only a dream or if it was anything more.
Ariana believes he will respond with a question about who initiates a discussion with a proposal. She says she doesn’t know about anyone, but she will always start a conversation with a “I love you.” The singer is experiencing a range of emotions, including joy and pure love. Grande tells the man that she won’t cover him like an image, but she will try to forget about him. She is still perplexed and claims that she would just ‘try’ to forget about him, which she admits might not be successful because she adores him.
Ariana Grande’s dream even goes so far as to consider marrying the man, and she wonders if this dream would turn out to be a beautiful nightmare.
[Chorus: Ariana Grande]
Before you speak, don’t move
‘Cause I don’t wanna wake up
Wake up, wake up, wake up
Don’t wanna wake up, oh no
Wake up, wake up, wake up
‘Cause you’re such a dream
If you can believe
You’re such a dream to me, mmm, boy
[Verse 3: Ariana Grande & Pharrell Williams]
I could buy you anything, but I cannot buy you
Before your boy gets smart, I would never try to
You know I’m thinking to myself, “What happened? Why you?”
But when I see you in my dreams, psh, I know
You know how to treat it, you know how to eat it
You know how to beat it (I know how to keep it)
The Good Housekeeping Seal
(Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum)
I don’t just wanna touch you
I’m tryna turn two single people into a couple
What’s your next month like? Tell me what you’re up to
We can leave right now, boy, you don’t need a duffel
What about La Perla? Let Vickie keep her secret
Boy, it ain’t no secret if I know you’re gonna peep it, oh
Meaning
Pharrell Williams joins Grande in this verse to tour her dreams with love-coated lyrics. She then goes on to say that anything can be purchased for a dollar, except for this man. For a brief moment, she is perplexed as to why she has such strong feelings for him. She considers how happy he will make her if he gives her all the attention she needs. Ariana is certain that it was he who would shower her with joy and excitement. The singer says that he is the only one who can make her feel sexually high.
The guy is compared to the ‘Good Housekeeping Seal,’ a limited warranty feature that shows a product’s high quality. She states that she isn’t against physical intimacy, but she does want to merge with him and build a single soul from two bodies. Grande invites the man to leave if he so desires, but not with all of his things. She goes on to say that he will undoubtedly learn all of her secrets, including her favourite lingerie.
[Chorus: Ariana Grande]
Before you speak, don’t move
‘Cause I don’t wanna wake up
Wake up, wake up, wa-wake up
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wa-wake up
(No I don’t want, no)
‘Cause you’re such a dream (Does this end?)
If you can believe, you’re such a dream to me
To me, mmm, boy, to me, mmm, yeah
Conclusion
With this Sweetener track, love is in the air. The lyrics, in my opinion, hit the heart with true love that occurs in a world other than life. Dreams can be fun, thrilling, or even terrifying. But in this song, Grande has gone all out to capture what true love feels like, especially when a charming man appears in a dream. The art of desire and emotional bonding between a man and a woman are fused in this album, which is a beautiful mix of emotions.
Some Fun Facts About The Song
- Pharrell Williams produced this track. This song used a hook from an unreleased Beyoncé track “Wake Up” also produced by him. Ariana Grande wrote on Twitter, “It’s an entirely new song now, but the hook was so dreamy it had to find a home.”
- The title of this song wasn’t stylized in lowercase like all the rest of the tracklist.
- Ariana Grande has explained that the story of the song is “dreaming someone into your life” since “R.E.M.” stands for “rapid eye movement” occurring in someone’s sleep when they see dreams.
- Comedian Pete Davidson, Ariana Grande’s fiancé, received credits for additional vocals.
- This track was first teased in Ariana Grande’s “No Tears Left To Cry” music video.
- “Let Vickie keep her secret” is a reference to Victoria’s Secret.
About The Artist
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer and actress. Born in Boca Raton, Florida, Grande began her career at age 15 in the 2008 Broadway musical 13. She rose to fame for her role as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television series Victorious (2010–2013) and Sam & Cat (2013–2014). She subsequently signed with Republic Records in 2011 after the label’s executives discovered YouTube videos of her covering songs. Her 1950s doo-wop-influenced pop and R&B debut album, Yours Truly (2013), topped the US Billboard 200 chart, while its lead single, “The Way”, charted in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100. Upon release, critics compared Grande to Mariah Carey for her wide vocal range and whistle register.
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariana_Grande
