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Stock No.

209096

I CAN DREAM, CAN'T I?


as sung by the Bluegrass Student Union

Words by IRVING KAHAL Music by SAMMY FAIN


Arrangement by ED WAESCHE

b
Intro freely
bb b C 1
V n . A
2 3
Tenor
Lead
oo Oh, why can't my dreams come

? bb C b . N
Bari
Bass b b

U U Verse

b b b 4 N. n A.
V n n . n .
5 6 7


true? As we eye the blue ho - ri - zon's

n. A .
? b N
. .
n

bb
u u

b ww b. b .
Vbb
8 9 10 11

. .
bend, earth and sky ap - pear to meet and

? bb A ww . .
b . n .
1937 (Renewed) THE NEW IRVING KAHAL MUSIC COMPANY
Administered by FRED AHLERT MUSIC CORP. and FAIN MUSIC COMPANY.
This Arrangement 2014 THE NEW IRVING KAHAL MUSIC COMPANY
All Rights Reserved Including Public Performance
Used by Permission of ALFRED MUSIC
I Can Dream, Can't I?
2

bb b 12 n ww w w
V n n nw
13 14 15 16

n
end but it's mere - ly an il - lu - sion;

? bb n w
w . ww b
b .
but


V b bb .


n

17 18 19 20

.
like your heart and mine, there is no sweet con - clu - sion.

n
? b n ..
A
bb

Chorus
b n n b
V b b
3 3
24


21 22 23


3
3
I can see, no mat - ter how near you'll be, you'll nev - er be -

b
3

? bb
3

b b
3
3

bb b n ww n. n n

3 3

. n b
26

V
25 27 28 29

3 3
3
long to me. But I can dream, can't I? Can't I pre - tend that I'm

ww b . N n 3
3

? bb n
3

b b .
3 3
3
I Can Dream, Can't I?
3

n b
bbb
3

b n n
32

V
30 31 33


3
locked in the bend of your em - brace? For dreams are just like wine

n
? b n b n n
3

bb n A

3

bb b
b
3

V
34 35 36 37


and I am drunk with mine. oo *I'm a - ware

? b A

bb
3

b n b
V b b n
3 3


38 39 40


3
3
my heart is a sad af - fair; there's much dis - il -

b
3

? bb
3

b
b
3
3

b b b 41 n ww n b 46N
V
42 43 44 45

3
lu - sion there. But I can dream, can't I? Can't I a - dore you, al -

? b b ww n n
3

b
3
*Harmony parts can oo from measure 37 to the pickup to measure 43.
I Can Dream, Can't I?
4

b b b n .. n n n b n b
3 3 3

b
3

V
47 48 49

3

3 3
3
though we are o - ceans a - part? I can't make you o - pen your

n n
? b b
3 3 3

b ..
3


b
3 3 3
3

U Reprise
bb b 50 n b ww b b
V
51 52 53


heart, but I can dream, can't I? Can't I love you and a -

b n w
? bb
b w

n
u

b b n .. n n n b n b
3


3 3

b
3

V b
54 55 56 57

3

3 3
3
dore you al - though we are o - ceans a - part? I can't make you o - pen your

n n
? b b n n

3 3 3

b ..
3

b
3 3 3
3

dream, I can dream, can't

bb b 58 n b w b
V
59 60

heart, but I can dream, can't

b n b
dream, I can dream, can't,

? bb
b
can't
I Can Dream, Can't I?
5

w
I? Oh, I can dream, can't I?

b . w b ww ww
V b b N
63 65
61 62 64

J
I? Oh, I?
I can dream. Oh, I can dream, can't I?
b b
? b .
ww ww
bb
I?
______________________________________________________
Performance Notes
Sammy Fain was a popular American songwriter in the early twentieth century Tin Pan Alley era. A self-taught pianist, Fain began as
a staff pianist and composer for Jack Mills publishing. Starting in the 30's, Fain began writing music for film and broadway musicals,
and stacked up an impressive nine Oscar nominations. Fain wrote such classics as Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella, I'll Be Seeing You
(both with lyricist Irving Kahal), and That Old Feeling, all of which can be found in the Barbershop Harmony Society music catalog.

Irving Kahal was a popular lyricist in in the 20's and 30's. Although he is generally best-known for his collaborations with composer
Sammy Fain, he penned the lyrics to other hits such as Wedding Bells are Breaking up That Old Gang of Mine, When I Take My Sugar
to Tea, and The Night is Young and You're So Beautiful. Kahal was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 1970.

I Can Dream, Can't I? was written in 1938, and enjoyed some success with Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra, but did not become a
number one hit until over a decade later. In 1949, The Andrews Sisters and Gordon Jenkins's orchestra topped the billboard charts
with their rendition. It has been covered by numerous artists over the years including Cass Elliot, The Carpenters, and Annie
Lennox.

Ed Waesche is one of the most-beloved arrangers in the world of barbershop harmony. Active until his untimely death in 2006, Ed
was a pioneer, arranging innovative hits for many of barbershop's greatest quartets and choruses. Many of these arrangements are
standard repertoire for the ensembles of today. Among his best-known arrangements are I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over, Midnight
Rose, Jeanie with the Light-brown Hair, Sweet Georgia Brown, Lover Come Back, What'll I Do?, and Over the Rainbow.

The Bluegrass Student Union forged a bond with Ed early on in their career and recorded a number of his, including I Can Dream,
Can't I? This publication includes the BSU tag, which they rewrote to end on a high, climactic finish.

Sing this song with great rhythmic freedom, allowing the lyrics to drive the tempo. The BSU used measures 37 to the pickup to
measure 43 as a lead solo, further highlighting the expressionate text.

As a final note: Questions about the contest suitability of this or any other song/arrangement should be directed to the judging
community and measured against current contest rules. Ask before you sing.
Rehearsal & Performance Notes
Rehearsal & Performance Notes
Rehearsal & Performance Notes

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