Elis Lovric - America Of My Dreams (Lyric Video)

"America of My Dreams" is not a song about politics - it’s about courage - for all those who still believe, who hold on to their dreams and keep walking, no matter what.
Ever since I was little, I was deeply in love with American films — they shaped my sense of freedom, beauty, and possibility. I adored Bette Davis and dreamed of stepping into the TV screen to become an actress in Hollywood. I soaked in Elvis’s music and movies, played every summer on repeat, and tried to dance like Gene Kelly in my living room (and even attempted flips like Mary Lou Retton 🤸‍♀️), eagerly awaited the suspense of Hitchcock, and felt the spark and brilliance of Marilyn Monroe. That love became part of this song 💖✨

In 2024, I had the honor of being one of nine artists selected by the BELEM project, which supports music in underrepresented languages. My original song “Merika”, written in 2003, was chosen and has now been reborn in English.

The translation process was intense — not a direct rewrite, but a complete re-creation to preserve the soul of the original. America means many things: a place, a hope, a dream. For me, it’s where we feel free, alive, surrounded by love and purpose. A fairytale lived.

This lyric video was created with the help of my new digital collaborator Chatko (AI – ChatGPT), who generated the visuals based on my concept and edited/animated by David Tadić — thank you 💻✨
Big thanks to my long-time collaborator Matej Zec for his humanity, empathy, professionalism, and patience through all versions and mixes — until I felt truly satisfied ❤ 🎵
And to all who supported me along the way — you live in this song 💖
Maria, Elisabeth, Sanda, Robert, Florian, Bruno, Josip, Svetlana, Daniel, Val, Nellie, Silvia, Andy… and the BELEM team.

──── ✦ HRVATSKI ✦ ────

"America of My Dreams" nema veze s politikom, ona je za sve one koji su sanjali ili još uvijek sanjaju, i ne odustaju.
Još kao mala bila sam zaljubljena u Hollywoodske filmove — oblikovali su moju predodžbu slobode, ljepote i mogućnosti. Obožavala sam Bette Davis i sanjala da uđem u televizor i postanem glumica u Hollywoodu. Upijala sam Elvisove filmove koji su išli svakog ljeta na repeat, pokušavala plesati poput Genea Kellyja u dnevnoj sobi (ali i izvoditi akrobacije poput Mary Lou Retton🤸‍♀️ ), jedva sam čekala napete Hitchcockove filmove i uživala u prštavosti i bravuri koju je prenosila Marilyn Monroe. Ta ljubav postala je dio ove pjesme.

U 2024. godini, imala sam čast biti jedna od devet dobitnica BELEM projekta koji podupire glazbu na manje zastupljenim jezicima i otvara joj prostor za veću međunarodnu vidljivost. Među odabranim pjesmama našla se i moja „Merika“, koju sam napisala 2003. godine, a sada je dobila svoje novo ruho na engleskom jeziku.

Proces prevođenja bio je izazovan. Morala sam napisati pjesmu potpuno ispočetka jer nije bilo moguće prepjevati original bez da se izgubi srž izvornog značenja. Riječ Amerika za mene znači puno toga: ona je i kontinent, i simbol ostvarenih snova — ''a place where dreams come true'', država u kojoj su mnogi naši preci našli bolji život, metafora vrhunskih ostvarenja. Budući da ta simbolika nije lako razloživa, osobito u ovom vremenu velikih svjetskih previranja, proces prepjeva bio je zahtjevan i dug.

U studio sam odlazila više od deset puta i imala stotinu tekstualnih preinaka, no svaki trud se isplatio. America of My Dreams je duhovna blizanka moje Merike koja odražava istinu mog srca. Amerika je za mene mjesto gdje smo svoji, ostvareni, živimo ljepotu, radimo ono što volimo, okruženi ljudima koje volimo, cijenimo i koji nas vole i cijene. Tamo gdje je život naša bajka.

Ovaj lyric video kreiran je uz pomoć mog novog digitalnog suradnika Čatka (AI - ChatGPT), koji je stvorio vizuale prema mojoj zamisli i sinopsisu. Video je editirao i animirao David Tadić, hvala Ti 💻✨
Hvala mom dugogodišnjem suradniku Mateju Zecu na ljudskom pristupu, empatiji, profesionalnosti, strpljenju u svim verzijama i miksevima, sve dok nisam bila potpuno zadovoljna ❤ 🎵
Hvala svima koji ste podržavali, navijali, bezrezervno pomagal i voljeli me u ovom procesu, to me svaki put dirne iznova 💖 Maria, Elisabeth, Sanda, Robert, Florian, Bruno, Josip, Svetlana, Daniel, Val, Nellie, Silvia, Andy....i svi iz BELEM tima.

Supported by BELEM project - Belem Lyric Studio
© & ℗ 2025 Akcent Studio

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AUDIO:
Music, lyrics & arrangement: Elis Lovrić
Production: Elis Lovrić and Matej Zec
All vocals & guitar: Elis Lovrić
Cello: Bika Blasko Piano: Dina Rizvić
Recorded at G.I.S. Studio by Matej Zec
Mix & Mastering: Matej Zec

LYRIC VIDEO
Concept & Synopsis: Elis Lovrić
Photos generated by ''Chatko'' - AI (ChatGPT)
Video editing and lyric animation: David Tadić

[silambre]

What a beautiful dream, Elis! So emotional to think about how many people in the world recently or in the past have been dreaming about it, wishing about a better future, and have been through Ellis Island ... some of my ancestors as well, that I discovered afterwards on the online Island immigration records ... ancestors who have been living there for a few generations now growing up as Americans rather than their previous Italian roots, seeking for a better life...
And it has been such a dream for a lot of artists, musicians, such a point of reference for who were looking for freedom or as refugees... a strange, surreal freedom that has been built from the annihilation of the real previous inhabitants... and who knows how it will end up... such a dream Elis, it has been, and as you say, probably it represents a symbol of freedom that is already in our hearts... maybe just a dream, a beautiful dream... Congratulations! 🤩

[marijaribaric]

Elis, divno je, proslijediti ću je mojoj nećakinji Deni u Americi, vjerujem da će puno osjećaja (i sebe), pronaći upravo u ovim tvojim riječima❤

[Teraboto]

Bravoooo🎉 Slijedeće zajedno BPW putovanje idemo u Ameriku