Aerosmith fans love them for their hard rock sound. But a lot of their songs also have a really good message as well. These are three Aerosmith songs that have surprisingly positive lyrics.
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“Dream On”
“Dream On” is Aerosmith’s first single. On their eponymous freshman record, Steven Tyler is the only writer of the song.
“Dream On” says, “Dream on, dream on, dream on Dream until your dreams come true / Dream on, dream on, dream on / Dream until your dreams come true.”
“It’s about dreaming until your dreams come true,” Tyler says.
One of Aerosmith’s classic hits, the song was surprisingly not a big hit at radio, not even hitting the Top 40.
“Angel”
In 1988, Aerosmith released “Angel”. On the band’s Permanent Vacation record, the song is written by Tyler and Desmond Child.
“Angel” says, “I want your love, let’s break the walls between us / Don’t make it tough, I’ll put away my pride / Enough’s enough, I’ve suffered, and I’ve seen the light / Baby, you’re my angel / Come and save me tonight / You’re my angel / Come and make it all right.”
The song was inspired by Tyler’s relationship with Teresa Barrick, whom he was dating at the time. The two married in 1988, divorcing in 2006.
“He said, ‘She’s my angel,’” Child tells Songfacts. “When he said ‘angel,’ I looked at him, and he has those big blubber lips like Mick Jagger, right? When he said ‘angel,’ it reminded me of Mick Jagger singing ‘Angie.’ I thought, I want him to say the word ‘angel’ over and over again, so I can see those big lips flap in the wind, saying ‘angel.’”
“I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”
Diane Warren is the sole writer of “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”. The song appears on the soundtrack for the blockbuster film Armageddon, starring Tyler’s daughter, Liv Tyler. It remains one of Aerosmith’s biggest hits.
“I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” says, “Lying close to you feeling your heart beating / And I’m wondering what you’re dreaming / Wondering if it’s me you’re seeing / Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we’re together / And I just wanna stay with you / In this moment forever, forever and ever / I don’t wanna close my eyes / I don’t wanna fall asleep / ‘Cause I’d miss you, baby / And I don’t wanna miss a thing.”
At the end of 1988, Mark Chesnutt released a version of “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”. Done at the request of his record label at the time, Chesnutt now says he regrets that song.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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