“Sonny’s Dream” is a beloved folk song written in 1976 by Newfoundland songwriter Ron Hynes, inspired by his uncle, Sonny O’Neill. Though often mistaken for a traditional ballad due to its timeless feel, the song is a modern classic that has been widely embraced in the folk world.
The story centers on Sonny, a young man tied to a lonely rural life with his mother. His father is away at sea, and Sonny stays home to help on the farm. While he dreams of a wider world beyond the fields and ocean, he remains grounded by a sense of duty and the emotional weight of his mother’s loneliness. The lyrics explore this quiet tension—between responsibility and yearning, family and freedom.
Originally recorded by Hynes’ band, The Wonderful Grand Band, “Sonny’s Dream” has since been covered by artists like Christy Moore, Mary Black, Emmylou Harris, and others. Daoirí Farrell’s recent version, featured on his album The Wedding Above in Glencree, offers a heartfelt, stripped-back rendition that highlights the song’s emotional core. Through Farrell’s voice, the story of Sonny becomes not just a personal tale, but a universal one—about love, sacrifice, and the dreams we leave behind.
(written with ChatGPT)
{t:Sonny's Dream}
{st:Daoiri Farrell - Ron Hynes}
Capo 5
(Intro)
[Am] [G/B] [C]
[Am] [G/B] [C]
Sonny [G]lives on the farm [C/G]in a [G]wide open space [C]
[G]Take off your sneakers [G/B]and [C]stay out the [G/B]race
And [D]lay down your head [C]by that [D]sweet river bed
[G/B]Sonny al[C]ways remembers the words Mama [G]sai[D]d
{soc}
Sonny [G]don't go away, [C]I'm [G]here all alone [C]
Your [G]daddy's a sailor [G/B]and he [C]never comes [G/B]home
[C]And [D]nights are so long and silence goes on
[G/B]I'm [C]feeling so tired and not all [G/B]that [G]stro[D]ng
{eoc}
Oh, [G]Sonny works the farm though he's barely a man
And there ain't that much to do, but he [C]does what he [G]can
And he [D]watches the sea from his room on the stairs
And the [C]waves keep on rollin', they've done that for [G]years
Well, it's one [G]hundred miles to town, Sonny's never been there
so he goes to the highway and he [C]stands and he [G]stares
And the [D]mail comes at four but the mailman is old
Oh, but [C]still he dreams his dreams full of silver and [G]gold [D]
{soc}
Sonny [G]don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your daddy's a sailor and he [C]never comes h[G]ome
And [D]nights are so long and silence goes on
And I'm [C]feeling so tired and not all that [G]strong [D]
{eoc}
Sonny's [G]dreams can't be real, they're just stories he's read
Stars in his eyes, oh, and [C]dreams in his [G]head
And he's [D]hungry inside for the wide world outside
I [C]know I can't hold him, I've tried and I've [G]tried and I've [Am]tried [G] [C]
(Outro)
Oh, I've [Am]tried [G] [C]
And I've [Am]tried [G] [C]
