"How To Ruin A Dream" genre: Folk
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	A variation on that old saying: "When the gods want to punish you, they give you want you ask for."
	MP3.com CD: Open Mike - buy it! Credits: Joe Kretschmer, words and music, vocal, guitar
	Story Behind the Song This song is autobiographical, but it's also my basic philosophy regarding my musical 'career', i.e., I like performing and recording, but I don't want to 'ruin the dream' by trying to earn a living doing this. I have ruined a number of dreams by making them come true, and this song recounts these experiences. Lyrics How To Ruin a Dream (c)2002 by Joe Kretschmer When I was ten years old, I wanted to be a taxidermist. Take those old dead animals and bring 'em back to life again That was all I wanted to do back then. When I was twenty years old, I wanted to be a writer. The great American novel would flow right from my pen. That was all I wanted to do back then. But when I finally stuffed some animals, they still looked pretty dead. My great American novel never really left my head. Looked like I'd have to find some other dreams instead. When I was thirty years old, I wanted to be a college professor. So I went back to school and I got my Ph.D. I thought that was all I wanted to be. When I was forty years old, I wanted to program computers. To make those little machines sing and dance for me. That was my idea of ecstacy. But when I taught at the university, it wasn't all I thought it would be, And writing computer code as a career, it wasn't very satisfying I fear. I began to see a pattern forming here. [bridge 1] Time goes by like a passing train, dreams fade like summer rain, And it isn't very often they come true. But if you want to ruin a fantasy, just make it become a reality. And remember that most dreams come postage due. When I was fifty years old, I wanted to be a songwriter. I dusted off my old guitar, and started makin' up tunes to play. But this was one dream I didn't want to go away. [bridge 2] So whenever a dream comes to me, I just don't take it so seriously. I remember what happened all those times before. You can dream and have some fun, just don't go runnin' after every one. When the times comes you can open any door. tag at end: Then you can go back and start to dream some more.

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