What Are We Dreaming Of? ─ from Keane's "Clear Skies"

      When it comes to dreams, what kind of image comes to your mind? Perhaps the song "Clear Skies" can tell us more. As Keane mentioned that this is about American dream, they might kind of put the title related to the "weather" for comparing between America and England. So I think it is very obvious that clear skies representing a great many images such as dream, hope, energy, positiveness, or something pretty bright and attractive resembling America. As we can pay more attention to the lyrics here,
/I've never seen such beauty
I've never seen such clear skies
I've never seen high hopes
I've never seen such tired eyes/
     
     But why they put tired eyes here? My interpretation might be inclined to the dreams that people are eager to pursuing. The dreams seems to be settled by this society and people should follow the trend, the ritual, or I should point out more specifically, the conformity, which we unconsciously sink into a concept for being harmonious and sticking in a groove. It is like a grand dream formed by this society so that the public consider it as the same achievement. Seen in this light, the reality or this society somehow gives us a certain image for us to idolize. And American culture has become the icon that young age desire to pursue the dream such as film stars, models or something popular related to the entertainment field. Of course, other fields are also promoted quickly that we wish we could catch up and be the part of them. Here the lyrics show this kind of yearning:
/And I wish that I could be
Everything you are
And I wish that I could see
The world the way you do, as selfishly as you
And I wish that I could state
My faith the way you do, as certainly as you/

     It seems that owning power and being splendid are such a great glory for us even though being selfish and bold for whatever we do. The brilliance of the dream we desire will procure a golden opportunity for us to do things firmly. And it relatively converts our perspective and belief into this "public dream." That is, our thinking are controlled by this "public dream" so as to make us feel a sense of security and even assume that we live the way we really fond of. As the lyrics manifest:
/Pulled the roots up piece by piece
Felt life washing over me
I took my pills and went to sleep
Oh, I sang myself to sleep/

     Nonetheless, the quick development of America might corrupt somehow. I think this song is trying to show both up and down side. When the brightness come so soon for somewhere, someone, something etc., they may corrupt so soon as well. For instance, the lyrics here indicate:
/And it's further to fall down because you fly so high/
/the streets are burned by the summer sun
And there's nowhere to run to when your time has come/

     So the key point is that their experiences and base are not ready for the ruin or defect. As to this point, I suppose it somehow might reveal the America and England where are two very different from their period of historical backgrounds. We know for sure that the development of American history is much shorter than England. But England, or the entire Europe has been gone through thousands of years. It has become a sophisticated land. Besides, don't forget England was the Great Britain. Nowadays the changing and the growth of America may direct young age and mass public for its popular culture. It somehow becomes worrying. Because Keane is a British band, that's why I make this point in order to compare America and England according to this song. They perhaps criticize this kind of phenomenon in such a hidden device.
   
     At last, the lyrics show it again, /Clear skies gonna fall on you/. Perhaps it means that every single person, places and anything that they will undergo this sweet process. "Clear skies" may represent the dreams of ours, but are we ready or afraid of facing its fall as well?