At first listen, “My Elusive Dreams” sounds like a simple tale of love and loss — a man and woman chasing better tomorrows that never come true. But when Tom Jones recorded it, the song became something else entirely: a mirror of his own life, when fame pulled him away from everything he once called home.
A Song Born from Restless Hearts
Written by Billy Sherrill and Curly Putman in 1967, “My Elusive Dreams” was originally performed as a duet — first by David Houston and Tammy Wynette. It told the story of a couple traveling from town to town, searching for happiness, only to realize that no place, no dream, could fill the emptiness between them.
When Tom Jones decided to sing it solo, he transformed that shared journey into a solitary confession. His voice carried not two people’s dreams, but the weight of one man’s regret. Each verse sounded like a letter to someone who once believed in him, but could no longer follow where he went.
Tom’s Personal Reflection Hidden in the Lyrics
In the late 1960s, Tom Jones was at the height of fame — performing in Las Vegas, touring America, surrounded by lights and applause. Yet, far away in Wales, his wife Linda stayed home with their young son. The distance between them grew larger than any stage.
When he sang “We didn’t find it, dear, we’ll just keep moving on…”, listeners could feel it wasn’t just a line — it was his truth. He was moving forward, yes, but never arriving anywhere that truly felt like home.
Many fans later said that this song felt like Tom was singing directly to Linda, as if she were the silent partner in his version of the duet.
The Unspoken Duet
The song has a haunting power because it sounds like two voices exist — even though only one is heard. Tom’s phrasing leaves space, as if waiting for an answer that never comes. That’s why “My Elusive Dreams” stands out among countless heartbreak songs: it isn’t just about losing someone — it’s about losing the shared dream that once bound two hearts together.
Legacy of a Restless Dream
Over the years, “My Elusive Dreams” has been sung by many — from Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood to Bobby Vinton & Dottie West — yet Tom Jones’s version remains the most introspective.
It wasn’t a duet on paper, but in spirit, it was a conversation between the man on the stage and the woman he left behind.
Lyrics
You followed me to Texas, you followed me to Utah
We didn’t find it there so we moved on
Then you went with me to A-la-bam’
Things looked good in Birmingham
We didn’t find it there so we moved on
I know you’re tired of fol-low-ing
My elusive dreams and schemes
For they’re only fleeting things
My elusive dreams
You had my child in Memphis then I heard of work in Nashville
But we didn’t find it there so we moved on
To a small farm in Nebraska, to a gold mine in Alaska
We didn’t find it there so we moved on
I know you’re tired of fol-low-ing
My elusive dreams and schemes
For they’re only fleeting things
My elusive dreams
Now we’ve left A-las-ka because thewas no gold mine
But this time only two of us moved on
And now all we have is each other and a little memory
To cling to and still you won’t let me go on alone
I know you’re tired of following
My elusive dreams and schemes
For they’re only fleeting things
My elusive dreams