[3] Written by guitarist Chris Stein and singer Debbie Harry and partially inspired by ABBA's "Dancing Queen," the song also features an active drum performance by drummer Clem Burke, who did not expect the final recording to feature his busy drum track.

The song has since become one of Blondie's most famous tracks, appearing on several compilation albums and becoming a mainstay of the band's live set list.

[4] Harry explained the process of writing the lyrics in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying, "Sometimes Chris will come up with a track or a feel and pass it on to me, and he'll say, 'I was thinking "Dreaming/Dreaming is free",' and then I'll fill it out with a story line or some more phrases.

Stein has since claimed that "Dreaming" is "pretty much a cop" of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA; he continued, "I don't know if that was where we started, or if it ended just happening to sound like that.

"[4][5] Michael Gallucci of Ultimate Classic Rock said the song "tak[es] a cue from Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.

"[7] According to the band's keyboardist Jimmy Destri, the song, like many from the Eat to the Beat album, was recorded live in the studio.

A music video was produced to promote the single featuring Debbie Harry wearing a solid blue unitard and matching sheer blouse designed by Stephen Sprouse.

Burke later expressed disappointment at the song's inability to reach number one in Britain unlike other Blondie singles, saying, "English audiences are notoriously fickle.

Stewart Mason of AllMusic praised Stein's guitar work and Burke's drumming on the song, writing of the latter, "It's an amazing performance, possibly the most over-the-top effort by a rock & roll drummer in the entire 1970s, and a must to hear.

Don't make that mistake with 'Dreaming,' or you might miss the hurting yet ultimately hopeful heart beating inside that pristine pop shell.

[16] Billboard called it a "a driving rocker that moves at rollercoaster intensity" and praised Debbie Harry's lead vocals as "clear and mesmerizing.

Billboard writers named "Dreaming" as the fourth-best Blondie song, writing, "The feel-good, uplifting vibes of this power pop ballad still hold their influence today.

"[18] Ultimate Classic Rock named it the band's fifth-best song, stating, "'Dreaming' wraps everything Blondie did so well—girl-group bounce, big pop hook, the meshing of styles and eras—in the thickest battalion of drums and backing vocals they ever recorded.