Nothing but Free || Official Lyric Video || Dream SMP Original Song

Nothing but Free is out on all streaming services! The animatic for this song will also premiere on Monday, the 17th, at 4 pm est. These links are below along with my long rant/summary about writing this song :)
Trailer for animatic: • Nothing but Free Trail...
SmartLink: ditto.fm/nothi...
Nothing but Free is based not only on Dream escaping prison, it is based on everyone in any type of scenario where they have escaped something damaging. A toxic relationship, a tolling job, high school (hah jk… no I’m not), etc. I felt particularly connected to the meaning of this song when we created it due to some circumstances that I was able to finally escape and feel what it’s like to truly have freedom in your life, away from the things that were holding you back from your true potential.
The song begins by explaining how silly it is when people think that they have control over you and who you want to be, when that is simply never the case, even though it may seem like it is at times. It begins as Dream talking to his past self, who, in Oblivion, was clearly ashamed of who he had become. Past Dream doesn’t know what Present Dream has had to go through, so, where is his right of speaking? (I also wrote that line as though Dream were talking to me about writing Oblivion and thinking that I knew Dream better than himself, when clearly, I guess I didn’t. Kinda a self roast.) Continuing on, there is so much that Dream has missed, however, if it weren’t for all of that pain, he wouldn’t be experiencing such a joyous and liberating feeling. Finally, he is choosing to push aside the things that have happened to him in the prison, the damage that was done, and becoming the person he wants to be (which is not a good person but hey it’s his choice). In the next verse, it goes on to talk about how we rely on flimsy people. It could be that he never should have relied on George and Sapnap. It could be that George and Sapnap should never have relied on him. But in general, humans tend to look past dangerous qualities of people and put their trust in them, only to be let down in the end and stuck in a trap that they can’t escape. Finally, it comes to the bridge, my favorite part. Of course he has been through so many painful things in that prison, physically and mentally. He can never forget that or dismiss the fact that it happened (Oblivion, which you can hear in the background of the bridge). But the great thing about life is everyone gets to choose. Dream simply chose to ignore every single lesson he could have learned. He chose to ignore that the things he went through could have formed him into a better person. And in a more vague and worldly sense, we can choose to not let the past hurt us and be a barricade to our new and better self. Now, Dream is off, returning back to the man he once was with more pride and excitement to continue his master plan, but this time, he’s nothing but free.