Ambiguity - Faye Webster and her Baseball Player | Shanna Nayely Duay

    "A Dream With a Baseball Player" is a piece written by indie singer-songwriter and musician Faye Webster. Her music blends elements of indie folk, indie pop, and alternative country. Her work is often characterized by dreamy melodies, their relatable lyrics, and her distinctive vocal style. She's known for her poetic storytelling and unique blend of genres, creating a sound that's both nostalgic and contemporary. Recently, she’s been blowing up on various social media platforms for the depth in many of her song lyrics and their appeal and relatability to a teen girl audience. Despite only gaining popularity fairly recently, she actually debuted with her first song and album “Dancing With the Angels” and “Faye Webster” all the way back on June 5, 2012. 

 

    Being a part of her target demographic - that is teenage girls - I’ve enjoyed listening to many of her songs, and have particularly liked her well-known "A Dream With a Baseball Player." In the song, Webster sings about dreaming of being with a baseball player, but it's not necessarily about the sport itself. Instead, she uses the baseball player as a metaphor for someone unattainable or out of reach, representing a longing for connection or intimacy. The dreamlike quality of the music and lyrics adds to the sense of wistfulness and yearning expressed in the song. The first three verses to me portray the bittersweet, disconnected feeling the best, as they depict the disconnect Webster has as she grapples with the complexity of her emotions.

 

[Verse 1]

I saw you last night in my dream

That's still the closest you and I have been

That's kind of sad, don't you think?

 

I think so

[Verse 2]

How am I supposed to ever be with him

When he and I don't speak the same language?

But we have conversations in my head

 

[Verse 3]

There's so much going on

My grandmother's dead

And I can't sleep 'cause this isn't my bed

He doesn't even know those things exist

 

What I especially like about this song besides its melodic tune is the chorus and its ambiguity. The repetition in her words ‘I don’t know’ suggests alternate meanings. There’s the ‘obvious’ message of her falling in love with one she’s deemed out of reach, but there’s also the slightly changed definition with a pause, an audible comma per se. It goes from “How did I fall in love with someone I don't know?” to “How did I fall in love with someone, I don't know.” The comma takes her original question and reframes it as a statement. Her inexperience in love is shown through this brilliant double meaning. It amazes me how the meaning of her statement can be changed with a singular pause - a comma. All in all, I really enjoyed this song by Faye Webster and would recommend it as a pleasant listen to anyone. 

 

[Chorus]

How did I fall in love with someone

I don't know?

I don't know

I don't know