Dream Police (song)

"Dream Police"
Single by Cheap Trick
from the album Dream Police
B-side	"Heaven Tonight"
Released	September 1979
Format	7"
Recorded	1978
Genre	Rock, power pop
Length	3:49
Label	Epic
Writer(s)	Rick Nielsen
Producer	Tom Werman
Cheap Trick singles chronology
"Ain't That a Shame" (1979) "Dream Police" (1979) "Voices" (1979)

"Dream Police" is the title of a song written by Rick Nielsen and originally released in 1979 by the American rock band Cheap Trick. It was the opening track of Cheap Trick's album Dream Police. The single peaked #26 on the US single chart.^[1] Nielsen has stated that the song "is an attempt to take a heavy thought - a quick bit of REM snatched right before waking up - an put into a pop format."^[2] Cheap Trick biographers Mike Hayes and Ken Sharp describe the song as "a magnificent tour-de-force, characterized by an addictively infectious chorus and jarring bursts of dissonance.^[2]

Tom Maginnis of Allmusic described the song as "a tongue in cheek Orwellian nightmare" and that it represents "late '70's power pop at it’s zenith."^[3] Maginnis also noted that "Dream Police" follows up on its B-side, "Heaven Tonight" (which had been released on a previous album), in that both songs represent dreams.^[3] Dave Marsh of 'Rolling Stone Magazine described the song as a "trash thriller like John Carpenter's Halloween, and also noted that it is "nearly as good as the earlier ones in which Cheap Trick used similar stylistic devices."^[4]

In popular culture

• The song was covered in 2011 by North Carolina-based band The Verses for the "Facility Review: Manifold Recording" feature in Pro Audio Review's October 2011 issue. The song was released internationally as a digital single via major retailers iTunes, Amazon, and more.
• The song was covered in 2010 by Rob Gravelle, former guitarist of Ivory Knight, and released as a digital MP3 single.
• The song was featured in the movie Hard Rock Treasures.
• The song was featured in the Simpsons episode Two Bad Neighbors Apu is seen singing the chorus.
• The song is featured as a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.
• The song was partially sung by the character Mike Damone in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High to try to drum up a (scalped) ticket sale.
• The song is featured on the Rite Aid Radio network, broadcast to Rite Aid Pharmacies across the country.
• The song was referenced in the TV series United States of Tara. The manager of the restaurant where the protagonist's daughter works, is seen singing it to her(the daughter) before they proceed to make out.
• Jim Norton of the Opie and Anthony Show has referred to this song as the "Suck Police".
• The song was featured in the Lost episode The Lie.^[5]
• The name of the song was mentioned on the series Life on Mars, where the police were telling Sam that they live inside his head.
• In 2010, Cheap Trick re-recorded Dream Police as "Green Police," a spoof of police who arrest people for acts deemed to be damaging to the environment. The song was the focus of a commercial played during Super Bowl XLIV for Audi.
• The song was covered by prominent punk rock band No Use for a Name, which featured on the Fat Wreck Chords compilation Harder, Fatter + Louder!
• The song was used in the promo commercials for the second season of Superjail!
• The song is offered as downloadable content for Rock Band 3 as of September 6, 2011.

Chart positions

Chart (1979–1980)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	26
Canadian RPM Top Singles	4
Dutch Singles Chart	28
Japanese Singles Chart	79
New Zealand Singles Chart	7

Heaven Tonight

The B-side of the "Dream Police" single was "Heaven Tonight," previously released as the title track of Cheap Trick's previous studio album, 1978's Heaven Tonight. It is a disturbing song that was written by Rick Nielsen and Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson. "Heaven Tonight" was one of two songs on the album that involved death, "Auf Wiedersehen" being the other. In this song, potential death comes from drug abuse; Nielsen described it as an "anti-drug" song.^[6] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the song as being "dreamily psychedelic."^[7] Mitchell Schneider of Rolling Stone Magazine noted a resemblance between "Heaven Tonight" and The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever."^[8]

Nielsen played a mandocello on the song, and other instruments include harpsichord and cello.^[6] Nielsen described the song as "a kind of parody on some of the drug songs of the sixties" and stated that "it could even be the basis for a movie."^[6] Petersson stated that they tried to make the song sound like Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir."^[6] Nielsen noted that the song's ending line: "you can never come down" was taken from a Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies song.^[6]

References

1. ^ "Cheap Trick Billboard Singles". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cheap-trick-p3879/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 2010-12-09. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Hayes, M. & Sharp, K. (1998). Reputation Is a Fragile Thing. Poptastic. pp. 75–76. ISBN 9780966208108. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Maginnis, T.. "Dream Police". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/song/dream-police-t2399191. Retrieved 2010-12-09. 
4. ^ Marsh, D. (November 29, 1979). "Dream Police". Rolling Stone Magazine. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/dream-police-19791129. Retrieved 2011-10-10. 
5. ^ Rothing, Hilary (2009-02-27). "Lost: Behind the Music". UGO Networks. http://www.ugo.com/tv/lost-music-dream-police-cheap-trick. Retrieved 2011-04-26. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d e} Hayes, M. & Sharp, K. (1998). Reputation Is a Fragile Thing. Poptastic. pp. 50–56. ISBN 9780966208108. 
7. ^ Erlewine, S.T.. "Heaven Tonight". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/heaven-tonight-r3731. Retrieved 2011-10-10. 
8. ^ Schneider, M. (August 10, 1978). "Heaven Tonight". Rolling Stone Magazine. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/heaven-tonight-19780810. Retrieved 2011-10-10.