I've Got a Dream is performed by a bunch of pub-dwellers who initially intimidate Rapunzel and Flynn, but they eventually bond over their shared desire for more in their lives. The song revolves around the notion that "'Thugs' means, 'criminals who are basically misunderstood'."
Critical reception
ComingSoon said the song was "memorable for the silly barbarians". Purity and Precision says that in regard to the dreams of the thugs, "Note the traditionally feminine nature of most of those activities, just as an aside. The message? Well, for one thing, you can escape from vicious thugs by telling them about your dream and appealing to their "humanity"… and criminals are victims of social prejudice who, despite their persistent interest in all things criminal, are really basically good people. ". In regard to the lyrics quality of the song, for example "rhym 'femurs' and 'dreamers' and has a line that goes, 'I’ve got scars and lumps and bruises/plus something here that oozes'", Vulture commented: "Very nice". On the men's desires, BitchFlicks wrote "Even tough guys have nuance and feminine qualities!". The Independent Critic deemed it "very Enchanted like" The Dive Review said "If Tangled’s laughs resemble anything, it’s probably closest to the absurd, surreal comedy of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, particularly moments like the big "I’ve Got a Dream" production number". TheScoreCard wrote ""I’ve got a dream" is the only song I will be able to remember. I appreciate it even if it’s grammatically incorrect. It’s fast and fun. It reminds me of "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast". The site also said it was the best scene. WeAreMovieGeeks wrote "Luckily "I’ve Got a Dream" is livened up by some great animation of the forest thugs. I found it distracting that these medieval folks were using modern phrases like "downer" and "freak-out". Perhaps I’m nitpicking too much." WhatCulture said "Another very funny sequence sees a group of murderous ruffians burst into a brilliant song called "I’ve Got a Dream", in which they all state that they’d rather become interior decorators or concert pianists than tough fighters. It is a song that recalls Howard Ashman’s lyrics for "Gaston" in Beauty and the Beast as much as the animated sequence channels Monty Python and Mel Brooks." FilmTracks wrote " At least there's no yodeling in "I've Got a Dream", and Moore's contribution actually works well when mixed with all the colorful secondary voices."
