4 Famous Classic Rock Songs That Were Inspired by Dreams

Many artists find their inspiration during the brief lapses of time in which the subconscious becomes a bit more visible. In fact, these four classic rock songs that you likely know by heart were inspired by dreams in one way or another. Let’s take a look!

1. “Let It Be” by The Beatles

This legendary piece of work by The Beatles came to life after Paul McCartney was “visited” by his mother in a dream. Mary McCartney, who passed on when McCartney was a teenager, came to him in a dream and reassured him that everything going on with the creation of the band’s final album (and their upcoming demise) would end up being okay.

“She was reassuring me, saying, ‘It’s going to be ok, just let it be,’” said McCartney. “It felt so great. She gave me positive words… […] So I wrote the song ‘Let It Be’ out of positivity.”

2. “Break It Up” by Patti Smith

This example of classic rock songs based on dreams might be a bit surprising to some. “Break It Up” by Patti Smith was written after she had a “vision” of Jim Morrison in a dream. That, coupled with her experience visiting his grave in Paris, led to the creation of “Break It Up”.

“I came in on a clearing,” said Smith of the dream. “There were natives in a circle bending and gesturing. I saw a man stretched across a marble slab. Jim Morrison. He was alive with wings that merged with the marble. Like Prometheus, he struggled, but freedom was beyond him. I stood over him chanting, break it up break it up break it up… The stone dissolved and he moved away.”

3. “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones

This classic rock favorite came to guitarist Keith Richards in a dream. If anything, this scenario is reason enough for any musician to keep a tape recorder next to their bed whenever inspiration strikes.

According to Richards, the melody of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” came to him in a dream, and he quickly got the idea on tape before his post-nap memory wiped it from existence. 

4. “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix

“Purple Haze” conjures so much vivid imagery, and it only makes sense that the idea for the song would come from the odd way in which our brains process information while we sleep. This is one of the most famous classic rock songs based on dreams on this list, and it all came down to a surreal dream that Jimi Hendrix had.

Hendrix (who very much loved science fiction novels) once dreamed that he was walking underneath the ocean in a haze of violent hues. He believed the dream came to him after reading Night Of Light by Philip José Farmer. “Purple Haze” was written soon after, and we’re glad Hendrix’s sci-fi hobby yielded its inspiration.

Photo by Roy Cummings/THA/Shutterstock

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.