We can’t define it. There’s no consensus on what it is. Nevertheless, we know that the American Dream is a real thing. There’s a particular approach to fantasy and imagination that only exists under American skies. It may have to do with the wildness of the frontier, the urgency of industry, or the optimism of a new start — regardless, everyone feels its pull. No matter how different the American Dream is something everyone has in common. Sometimes it may seem like the only thing everyone has in common: a sense of the romance and endless possibility of life in America at its best
And if people could choose one songwriter to explore the American Dream — to investigate its contours, ripples, and characteristic color — The Ides of March and Survivor founder Jim Peterik might be that guy. He’s responsible for ‘Vehicle”, the giant number two Billboard hit from 1970 by The Ides of March, as well as “Eye Of The Tiger”, the iconic 1982 anthem to tenacity by Survivor He’s written for some of the most distinctively American bands ever to pick up guitars and strum: Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beach Boys, REO Speedwagon, .38 Special, and many others. The songs he penned have scored the experiences of millions on boardwalks, high school and college football games, backstreets, block parties, and county fairs. His discography is part of the national soundtrack. It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that he’s been “American Dreaming” straight through his multi-decade career.
“American Dreamer,” his latest single, is both a continuation of that reverie and a completion of a narrative quest he began in 1979 with “Somewhere in America,” the kickoff track on Survivor’s debut album. All of the hallmarks of Peterik’s writing are present, including the thunderous drums, the muscular riffs, the sing-along choruses, the memorable melody and the scalding six-string solo, the optimism, the fighting spirit. For “American Dreamer,” he’s joined forces with another musician whose ambitions match his: singer Dave Mikulskis, a specialist in reinterpreting and reanimating the unforgettable radio hits of the 1980s. His understanding of Peterik’s intentions is total — because he’s an American dreamer, too.
The lyric clip for the song contains the elements of the American Dream as it’s widely apprehended by Americans: the blue skies, the broad vistas, the beaches and blue waves, the streets, and the beautiful young men and women who play there. The words are presented in chunky, robust letters: letters thick enough for a varsity sweatshirt. There’s also plenty of footage of Jim Peterik and Dave Mikulskis in the studio, doing what they always have done: weaving a dream big enough for a nation to inhabit. It’s a well crafted visual matched up with an undeniable earworm, encouraging all the American Dreamers out there to stand out, level up…and “shine like a star.”
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