Dreaming can be an intoxicating experience. It can make you feel like you are on cloud nine, making you feel as if you’re cruising down the highway on cruise control — and in a Cadillac nonetheless. It can give you the sense of satisfaction of feeling like you’ve made it like you have the world at your fingertips. But what if it’s all a facade? Maybe all of it is an illusion. Because isn’t that what dreaming really is?
Indie-folk singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers captures this disillusionment with the superficiality of life in her latest single, “So Sick of Dreaming,” released on March 19. The track, the second single off her forthcoming third studio album, Don’t Forget Me, set for release on April 12 via Capitol Records, is a reflection of hollowness when you’re chasing those dreams. Rogers debuted both “So Sick of Dreaming” and the album’s title track, released last month, during her sold-out summer 2023 North American headline tour, describing the song as a “rough journal entry” inspired by attending friends’ festivities while craving simplicity.
“So Sick of Dreaming” serves as a country-folk track that feels, characterized by sweeping guitars in this artistic frustration and emotive lyrical delivery that Rogers is known for. In the first verse, Rogers describes her Cadillac dreams and desires to walk on water with the realization that it only deepens her heartbreak. In the pre-chorus, she sings, “But when every little thing’s up for takin’ / Oh, it makes me want to sing, my heart’s breakin’ / Oh, there ain’t no diamond ring you could buy me to take me home.” Here, Rogers expresses a sense of emptiness for materialistic pursuits amidst something as superficial as a ring.
It’s true what they say: “you can’t buy happiness.” In the chorus, Rogers declares, “I’m so sick of dreaming / All that I’m needin,’” expressing her frustration about trying to find something more and never feeling fulfilled. She’s sick and tired of the allure of materialism in the second verse, recognizing that no amount of wealth or success can soothe this burning ache inside of her.
Happiness at the core is subjective. Why do these feelings have such a pull when you feel overwhelming confusion? The bridge of “So Sick of Dreaming” features Rogers’ spoken words underscoring this fundamental idea. After being stood up at a restaurant, she expresses her contempt for the person who cancels on her for something as superficial to her as a New York Knicks game.
Ultimately, Rogers’ “So Sick of Dreaming” is a reminder of the complexity of fulfillment in a world filled with manipulation and materialism. Instead, its pain lies in the chase of dreamy disillusionments that only lead to emptiness.
“I wanted to make an album that sounded like a Sunday afternoon,” explains Rogers. “Worn in denim. A drive in your favorite car. No make up, but the right amount of lipstick. Something classic. The mohair throw and bottle of Whiskey in Joan Didion’s motel room. An old corvette. Vintage, but not overly Americana. I wanted to make an album to belt at full volume alone in your car, a trusted friend who could ride shotgun and be there when you needed her.”
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