I Have A Dream Lyrics – Mamma Mia!

Song Overview

Personal Review

“I Have a Dream” weaves a tapestry of hope and melody, its lyrics inviting listeners to believe in fairy-tale possibilities even when reality looms heavy. Key takeaways: a spellbinding ballad, a child choir climax, and a dream-as-antidote narrative that’s at once intimate and expansive. One-sentence snapshot: a gentle vow to hold fast to belief, painting the future with the colors of unrealized wonder.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, “I Have a Dream” first appeared on ABBA’s 1979 album Voulez-Vous and was issued as a single on December 7, 1979.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad’s lead vocal glides over a lush production featuring Janne Schaffer’s electric sitar and a final chorus of 28 schoolchildren, creating a shimmering bridge between pop and choral tradition.

The song settles into a mid-tempo ballad rhythm, fusing Europop and schlager sensibilities with sweeping strings and a breathy piano undercurrent. It feels at once familiar and otherworldly, as though a fairy-tale waltz crossed paths with a modern radio ballad.

Lyrically, it opens with a hopeful pledge:

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything

that frames the song as both personal mantra and universal anthem, urging us to carry melody through hardship.

Midway, the mood shifts into quiet conviction:

I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see

before ascending into that child-choir finale, where innocence and faith converge in joyful harmony.

On the 1999 London cast recording of Mamma Mia!, Lisa Stokke embodies Sophie’s inner optimism, transforming the studio version into a theatrical confession that ripples through the ensemble.

The refrain’s metaphor of “crossing the stream” embodies perseverance—encouraging a step into the unknown, buoyed by a dream that outlasts doubt.

Verse Highlights

Verse 1

The opening lines—

I have a dream, a song to sing / To help me cope with anything

Chorus

When the choir joins on “

I believe in angels / Something good in everything I see

Song Credits

• Featuring: Lisa Stokke
• Producers: Nicholas Gilpin & Martin Koch
• Composer(s): Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
• Release Date: October 17, 1999
• Genre: Pop; Musical theatre
• Instruments: Vocals; Piano; Orchestral strings; Electric sitar; Children’s choir
• Label: Decca (US); Polydor (Worldwide)
• Mood: Hopeful, Uplifting
• Track #: 24
• Language: English
• Album: Mamma Mia!: Original Cast Recording
• Music Style: Theatrical pop ballad
• Copyrights: © 1999 Polydor Ltd.

Songs Exploring Themes of Hope and Dreams

While “I Have a Dream” uplifts with childlike faith, John Lennon’s “Imagine” paints hope on a global canvas, asking us to envision unity beyond borders. Lennon’s sparse piano and whispered vocals create an intimate atmosphere, yet the lyrics—“You may say I’m a dreamer…”—invite collective dreaming in the face of division.

Meanwhile, Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” cherishes simple beauties—trees of green, red roses too—as proof that optimism can flourish in everyday moments. Armstrong’s gravelly voice lends weight to the sentiment, reminding us that wonder exists even amid uncertainty.

In contrast, Aerosmith’s “Dream On” channels ambition through rock’s catharsis, Steven Tyler urging “Sing with me, sing for the year…” over pounding drums and searing guitar riffs. Here, dreams are rallied as an anthem of persistence, the bittersweet plea to never give up echoing through each climactic scream.

Questions and Answers

Who sang lead on the original ABBA single?

Anni-Frid Lyngstad delivered the lead vocal, her clear tone guiding the song’s hopeful arc.

When was “I Have a Dream” first released?

It debuted as a single on December 7, 1979.

What unique instrument features in the recording?

Swedish guitarist Janne Schaffer plays an electric sitar, adding an unexpected shimmer to the arrangement.

How does the cast recording differ?

The 1999 Mamma Mia! version, featuring Lisa Stokke, weaves the song into Sophie’s storyline and concludes with a full company ensemble, replacing the original children’s choir.

Did the cast album earn any awards?

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Awards and Chart Positions

The original ABBA single topped the charts in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart over Christmas 1979.

On the US Billboard Hot 100 it peaked at No. 17, while the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart saw it rise to No. 1.

It earned Gold certification in the United Kingdom (500,000 units) and the Netherlands (100,000 units).

The 1999 London cast recording of Mamma Mia! reached No. 56 on the UK album chart and garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.

How to Sing?

The vocal range spans approximately G₃ to D₅, so begin with gentle warm-ups in your chest voice before navigating higher passages. Maintain a steady tempo around 75 BPM to preserve the ballad’s breathy intimacy. Focus on clear diction of “I have a dream” phrases, using forward resonance to project under the orchestration. In the climactic chorus, support the sustained high notes with diaphragmatic breathing and embrace a slightly brighter tone to match the child-choir energy.