The Dream - David Roth

There are many professional ball players working in the NBA

Some who make more money in one game than we make in a year

And one by-product of this industry is something called a «sneaker deal»

All you have to do is have a promising career

Then the companies come courting, they see $$ signs in every pair

Of inexpensive highly marked up shoes that they’ll be hawking

Then they slap a famous name on footwear cheaply made in China

And they charge a hundred bucks a pair — the athletes do the talking

Unfortunately the targets of these ad campaigns are not

The rich and wealthy well-to-do's with lots of cash and extra savings

They’re the kids of working folks or single parents, some on welfare

Who now have the added pressure of these shoes their kids are craving

Here comes Hakeem Olajuwon, the wondrous Houston center

Who’s done everything a player could hope to do in his profession

Except 'have a shoe', he’s never 'had a shoe', can you believe it?

'Til the Rockets took the title home two seasons in succession

Whereupon a company picked up the ball and dropped a dime and rang him up

They said «We wanna put your nickname on our sneaker line, Hakeem

We’re proud that you’re a winner, we can both make lots of money

Every kid’ll wanna have 'em, and we’ll call your shoe «the Dream»

«You want to use my name for what?»

Was all Hakeem purported

«A shoe"they said. «A what?""A shoe.»

«God Bless You"he retorted

But Hakeem, a most religious man, reflected on their offer

And responded with a most resounding «Yes, on one condition

That these 'dreams' you wish to sell you price at less than thirty-five dollars

If you stick to that you have my permission.»

«But who would wear such cheap shoes?"they reacted in a panic

Knowing full well that the going rate was that and more times three

«I will,"said Hakeem to them and that’s just what he did

That whole next season in the NBA, for all the world to see

That’s right, he wore those low-cost brogans right there on his size sixteens

And on each box is printed «Make commitments, dare to dream»

Oh, by the way, they sold 1.8 million pairs it seems

Well, 1.8 million and one 'cause now I wear the Dreams