Dream A Little Dream Of Me | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
|3/4 G Am7 G/B |4/4 C F#dim7 | Ab6 G | C F#dim7 | Ab6 G |
Verse 1
| C F#dim7 | Ab6 G |
Stars shining bright above you,
| C C/B Bb6 | A7 |
night breezes seem to whisper, “I love you”.
| F | Fm | C Ab | G6 |
Birds singing in the sycamore tree, dream a little dream of me.
Verse 2
Say nighty night and kiss me,
just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me.
| F | Fm | C Ab7 G7 | C E |
While I’m alone and blue as can be, dream a little dream of me.
Chorus 1
| A F#m | Bm7 E |
Stars fading but I linger on dear,
| A F#m | Bm7 E7 |
still craving your kiss.
| A F#m | Bm7 E |
I’m longing to linger ’til dawn dear,
| A F#m | Ab7 G7 |
just saying this.
Verse 3
| C D#dim7 | Ab G |
Sweet dreams ’til sunbeams find you,
| C Gsus4/B Bb69 | A7 |
sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you.
| F | Fm | C Ab7 G7 | C C/G |
But in your dreams, whatever they be, dream a little dream of me.
Instrumental
| C D#dim7 | Ab G7 | C Gsus4/B Bb69 | A7 |
| F | Fm | C Ab7 G7 | C E |
Chorus 2
||: A F#m | Bm7 E :||
Stars fading but I linger on dear,
still craving your kiss.
I’m longing to linger ’til dawn dear,
| A F#m | Ab7 G7 |
just saying this.
Verse 4 (as verse 3)
Sweet dreams ’til sunbeams find you,
sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you.
| F | Fm | C Ab7 G |
But in your dreams, whatever they be, dream a little dream of me.
Outro
| C D#dim7 | Ab G |
| C D#dim7 | Ab7 G |
| C D#dim7 | Ab G |
| C D#dim7 | Ab7 G7 |
| C D#dim7 | Ab7 G7 | C |
Dream A Little Dream Of Me Chords: Exploring the Harmonic Movements
The version I played above, as well as the chords and lyrics, are based on Mama Cass’s rendition of Dream a Little Dream of Me.
This arrangement is in the key of C for the verses and modulates to the key of A for the chorus.
This could be seen as a modal interchange since C major shares its key signature with A minor. Essentially, we move from A Aeolian to A Ionian.
The intro begins similarly to Blackbird, using G – Am7 – G/B, before shifting into jazzier territory:
|3/4 G (V) Am7 (VI) G/B (V/3) |
||: 4/4 C (I) F#dim7 (bVdim7)| Ab6 (bVIx) G (V) :||
Unlike Blackbird, which moves I – II – I/3, the first three chords here ascend the scale differently, moving V – VI – V/3.
The F#dim7 chord could also be played as Adim7 (same notes), creating a smooth transition into Ab6, which then resolves neatly to G (V).
Once you can play these changes, understanding the chord theory behind them becomes much easier. There’s TAB available for all of this—here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Dream a Little Dream of Me – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Dream A Little Dream Of Me Chords: Mastering the Verse and Chorus Progressions (Continued)
The verse progression begins just as the intro does, but be sure to pay special attention to the standout IVm (Fm):
| C F#dim7 | Ab6 G | C C/B C/Bb | A7 |
| F | Fm | C Ab7 | G6 |
There’s a modal interchange in the verse—specifically, the Ab chord is borrowed from C Aeolian. This is similar to The Thrill Is Gone, a blues progression in Bm.
If you’re wondering why it’s written as Ab instead of G#, it’s because this section temporarily shifts to C minor, where Ab is diatonically correct.
The second verse follows the same chord structure until the final two bars, where it sets up a modulation to the chorus with an E chord.
The chorus shifts to the key of A, following a classic I – VI – II – V progression:
||: A (I) F#m (VI) | Bm7 (II) E (V) :||
In the final bars, Ab7 and G7 prepare the transition back into the key of C for the next verse.
When the verses return, the chords slightly change—see if you can spot the differences! For instance, F#dim7 and D#dim7 contain the same notes, but on an acoustic guitar, choosing the right bass note is key.
| C D#dim7 | Ab G |
| C Gsus4/B Bb69 | A7 |
| F | Fm | C Ab7 G7 | C C/G |
The best way to master this is to study the TAB, play along with my video, and then revisit the chords—trust me, they’ll seem much simpler after that!
So simple, in fact, that all you’ll need is this chord chart.
Dream A Little Dream Of Me Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Dream A Little Dream Of Me chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Dream A Little Dream Of Me chord chart iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Dream a Little Dream of Me – A Jazz Standard
This timeless classic was written in 1931 by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, with lyrics by Gus Kahn.
It quickly became a jazz standard, recorded by countless artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, Louis Armstrong, and perhaps most famously, Doris Day.
Beyond these well-known versions, Dream a Little Dream of Me has been sung by millions of jazz vocalists in clubs and at parties around the world, keeping it in the public’s consciousness for nearly a century.
While it’s best known as a vocal piece, don’t let that stop you from practising your jazz solos over its changes—the progressions are built on some of the most common jazz movements.
Interestingly, if you check the chords in iRealBook, you’ll notice they differ significantly from those used in Mama Cass’s version—even the chorus follows a different modal interchange! How deep down the rabbit hole will you go to uncover all the variations?
Dream A Little Dream Of Me Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Dream A Little Dream Of Me (Mama Cass) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: