"The Weight of Dreams" is a song by American rock band Greta Van Fleet. It was released on their second album The Battle at Garden's Gate in 2021. While not originally released as a single, the song peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart and was named by TotalGuitar as containing the greatest guitar solo of the 21st century.[1][2]
| "The Weight of Dreams" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Greta Van Fleet | |
| from the album The Battle at Garden's Gate | |
| Written | 2019 |
| Released | April 16, 2021 |
| Recorded | 2021 |
| Genre | Blues rock |
| Length | 8:51 |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Lyricist(s) | Josh Kiszka |
Background
editThe song was written and recorded during The Battle at Garden's Gates sessions in 2019. The song was released as the last song on the band's second studio album.[3] Despite not being released as a single, the song reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.[4]
Composition
edit"The Weight of Dreams" is in a 4/4 time signature and the key of A minor.[5] At eight minutes and fifty-one seconds, the song is the longest Greta Van Fleet song as of Starcatcher.[6] Towards the end of the song, guitarist Jake Kiska performs a guitar solo that has been renowned as one of the best of the 21st century and on the album.[7]
Lyrically the song has been described as being about "searching for something intangible, such as a dream or a goal, and trying to attain it by any means necessary"[8] Songtell describes the song as such "The song speaks to good and bad sides of following one's dreams, suggesting that the effort and risk is worth it, but one should also be cautious since it can be an arduous and difficult journey."[8]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Album Review Database | 90/100 |
| Best Ever Albums | 75/100 |
In 2023, the song was named by TotalGuitar as containing the best Guitar solo of the 21st century.[1][2][7][9]
Personnel
editGreta Van Fleet
- Joshua Kiszka – vocals, background vocals
- Jacob Kiszka – guitar, backing vocals
- Samuel Kiszka – bass, keyboards, background vocals
- Daniel Wagner – drums, background vocals
Additional musicians
- Jacob Braun – cello
- Alma Fernandez – viola
- Charlie Bisharat – violin
- Songa Lee – violin
Technical
- Greg Kurstin – production, engineering
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
- Julian Burg – engineering
- Alex Pasco – engineering
- Matt Wolach – mixing assistance
- Matt Tuggle – recording assistance
- Peter Luretig – recording assistance
- Brian Rajaratnam – recording assistance
Charts
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Hard Rock Songs (Billboard)[4] | 25 |
References
edit- ^ a b Rogers, Jenna ScaramangaContributions from Ellie; published, Amit Sharma (2023-07-17). "The greatest guitar solos of the 21st century... so far". guitarworld. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ a b "Total Guitar: 50 greatest guitar solos of 21st century". Steve Hoffman Music Forums. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "The Battle at Garden's Gate by Greta Van Fleet". Genius. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ a b "Greta Van Fleet Chart History (Hot Hard Rock Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ London, Amanda (2021-04-22). ""The Weight of Dreams" by Greta Van Fleet". Song Meanings and Facts. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ Writer, Madelyn Muschek, Staff (2021-04-19). "Beacon Beats: Greta Van Fleet's 'The Battle at Garden's Gate'". The Daily Beacon. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b News |, A. B. C. (2023-06-08). "Greta Van Fleet's Jake Kiszka reacts to "The Weight of Dreams" being named best guitar solo of 21st century". 105.7 The Point. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ a b "Meaning of "The Weight of Dreams" by Greta Van Fleet". www.songtell.com. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "The Greatest Guitar Songs of the 21st Century". Joe Bonamassa. Retrieved 2023-09-11.