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A Change Of Seasons I: The Crimson Sunrise |
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A Change Of Seasons II: Innocence |
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[l: Mike Portnoy]
Open your eyes
And turn off your mind
Step right up folks and you will find
Agrowing trend
An epidemic
Spread with zen
And hypodermics
Just close your mind
You can find all you need with your eyes
The big machines take care of
You until you kill yourself
And then the sales go through the roof
Calculated, formulated
Feed my head with simple thoughts
And let me breathe instead of being taught
All bottled up and tearing at the seams
I'm bored
Just let me breathe
A daily dose of eMpTyV
Will flush your mind right down the drain
Shannon Hoon and Kurt Cobain,
Make yourself a household name
Just close your mind
You can find all you need with your eyes
The big machines take care of you
Until you kill yourself
And then the sales go through the roof
Calculated, formulated
Feed my head with simple thoughts
And let me breathe instead of being taught
All bottled up and tearing at the seams
I'm bored
Just let me breathe
Strike up your best angst ridden posture
Manufactured anger
Let's not forget my legacy
All my heroes have failed me
Now they're dead and buried
Just close your mind
You can find all you need with your eyes
The big machines will take care of you
Until the fashion fades
And the checks go through
my bank roll's red and my face is blue
And still they'll turn their backs on you for
Someone new
Feed my head
With some real thoughts
And let me think instead
Of being taught
I'll say things
You won't believe
Just stand back
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'Love, just don't stare'
He used to say to me
every Sunday morning
The spider in the window
The angel in the pool
The old man takes the poison
Now the widow makes the rules
'So speak, I'm right here'
She used to say to me
not a word, not a word
Judas on the ceiling
the Devil in my bed
I guess Easter's never coming
So I'll just wait inside my head
Like a scream but sort of silent
living off my nightmares
Voices repeating me
'Feeling threatened?
We reflect your hopes and fears.'
Voices discussing me
'Others steal your thoughts
they're not confined
within your mind.'
Thought disorder
Dream control
Now they read my mind on the radio
But where was the Garden of Eden?
I feel elated
I feel depressed
Sex is death, Death is sex
Says it right here on my Crucifix
Like a scream but sort of silent
living off my nightmares
Voices protecting me
'Good behavior
brings the Savior
to his knees.'
Voices rejecting me
'Others steal your thoughts
they're not confined
to your own mind.'
[Dialogue by rap artist Prix-mo reading from the book "Cultural Revolution".]
"I don't wanna be here, 'cause of my
suffering, 'cause of my illness.
Only love is worth having, only
love is what matters, loving every
people on equal terms. "
"You've got to know who you're
dealin' with because, like a stranger,
a-heh, just might come in through
here with a gun... and then, what
would you do? (Heh.)"
"Everything is immaterial..."
"'n' you know that reality is immaterial."
"This is not reality..."
I'm kneeling on the floor
staring at the wall
like the spider in the window
I wish that I could speak
Is there fantasy in refuge?
God in politicians?
Should I turn on my religion?
These demons in my head tell me to
I'm lying here in bed
Swear my skin is inside out
Just another Sunday morning
Seen my diary on the newsstand
Seems we've lost the truth to quicksand
It's a shame no one is praying
'Cause these voices in my head
keep saying...
'Love, just don't stare.'
'Reveal the Word when you're
supposed to'
Withdrawn and introverted
Infectiously perverted
'Being laughed at and confused
keeps us pleasantly amused
enough to stay.'
Maybe I'm just Cassandra fleeting
Twentieth century Icon bleeding
Willing to risk Salvation
to escape from isolation
I'm witness to redemption
heard you speak but never listened
Can you rid me of my secrets?
Deliver us from Darkness?
Voices repeating me
'Feeling threatened?
We reflect your hopes and fears.'
Voices discussing me
Don't expect your own Messiah
This neverworld which you desire
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[Images and Words: Dream Theater]
Just let me catch my breath...
I've heard the promises
I've seen the mistakes
I've had my fair share of tough
breaks
I need a new voice, a new law,
a new way
Take the time, reevaluate
It's time to pick up the pieces,
Go back to square one
I think it's time for a change
There is something that I feel
To be something that is real
I feel the heat within my mind
And craft new changes with
my eyes
Giving freely wandering
promises
A place with decisions I'll
fashion
I won't waste another breath
You can feel the waves coming on
(It's time to take the time)
Let them destroy you or carry
you on
(It's time to take the time)
You're fighting the weight of
the world
But no one can save you this
time
Close your eyes
You can find all you need in
your mind
The unbroken spirit
Obscured and disquiet
Finds clearness this trial
demands
And at the end of this day sighs
an anxious relief
For the fortune lies still in his
hands
If there's pensive fear, a
wasted year
A man must learn to cope
If his obsession's real,
Suppression that he feels must
turn to hope
Life is no more assuring than
love
(It's time to take the time)
There are no answers from
voices above
(It's time to take the time)
You're fighting the weight of
the world
And no one can save you this
time
Close your eyes
You can find all you need in
your mind
I close my eyes
And feel the water rise around
me
Drown the bead of time
Let my senses fall away
I can see much clearer now,
I'm blind
Find all you need in your mind
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Derek Sherinian Piano Solo |
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[l: John Petrucci]
Sometimes, for a moment of bliss
And the passion, we're craving
There's a message we miss
Sometimes when the spirits left alone
We must believe in something
To find if we've grown
Tragic reflex, shattered calm
Static progress, senses gone
Numb awareness, final psalm
Swept away with the tide
Through the holes in my hands
Crown of thorns
At my side drawing lines in the sand
Sometimes, if you're perfectly still
You can hear the virgin weeping
For the savior of your will
Sometimes, your castles in the air
And the fantasies you're seeking
Are the crosses you bear
Sacred conflict, blessed prize
Weeping crosses, stainless eyes
Desperate addict, faith disguised
Swept away with the tide
Through the holes in my hands
Crown of thorns
At my side drawing lines in the sand
We fabricate our demons
Invite them into our homes
Have supper with the aliens
And fight the war alone
We conjure up our skeletons
Enlist the den of theives
Frightened from our closets
Then sewn upon our sleeves
In the stream of consciousness
There is a river crying
Living comes much easier
Once we admit
We're dying
Sometimes, in the wreckage of our wake
There's a bitterness we harbor
And hate for hatred's sake
Sometime we dig an early grave
And crucify our instincts
For the hope we couldn't save
Sometimes a view from sinless eyes
Centers our perspective
And pacifies our cries
Sometimes the anguish we survive
And the mysteries we nurture
Are the fabrics of our lives
Swept away with the tide
Through the holes in my hands
Crown of thorns
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To Rise, To Fall.
To Hurt, To Hate.
To Want, To Wait.
To Heal, To Save.
Can't hear it
we fear it
awareness won't come near it
Distractive
Reactive
Disguised in spite of time
I never bared my emotion
My passion always strong
I never lost my devotion
but somewhere fate went wrong
Can't let them rape me again
Your venom's not family here
won't let them fill me with
fatalistic remedies
What if the rest of the world
was hopelessly blinded by fear?
Where would my sanctity live?
Suddenly nobody cares.
It's never enough
You're wasting your time
Isn't there something I could say?
You don't understand
You're closing me out
How can we live our lives this way?
You tell me I'm wrong
I'm risking my life
Still, I have nothing in return
I show you my hands
You don't see the scars
Maybe you'll leave me here to burn.
What if the rest of the world
was hopelessly drowning in vain?
Where would our self pity run?
Suddenly everyone cares.
Blood...Heal me
Fear...Change me
Belief will always save me
Blood...Swearing
Fear...Staring
Conviction made aware
Give up on misery
Turn your back on dissent
Leave their distrust behind
Wash your hands of regret
Do you feel you don't know me anymore?
And do you feel I'm afraid of your love?
And how come you don't want me asking?
And how come my heart's not invited?
You say you want everyone happy
Well, we're not laughing.
And how come you don't understand me?
And how come I don't understand you?
Thirty years say we're in this together
So open your eyes.
People in prayer for me
everyone there for me
Sometimes I feel I should face this alone
My soul exposed
It calms me to know that I won't
Blood...Heal me
Fear...Change me
Belief will always save me
Blood...Swearing
Fear...Staring
Conviction made aware
Give up on misery
Turn your back on dissent
Leave their distrust behind
Wash your hands of regret
Blood...Heal me
Fear...Change me
Belief will always save me
Blood...Swearing
Fear...Staring
Conviction made aware
Learning from misery
Staring back at dissent
Leaving distrust behind
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A Change of Seasons IV: The Darkest Of Winters |
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[l: John Myung]
[I. IT'S RAINING]
Under the sun, there is nothing to hide
Under the moon, the stranger waits inside
People disappear
The music fades away
Splashing through the rain
I'll dream with them one day
It's raining, raining,
On the streets of New York city
It's raining, raining, raining deep in heaven
I may have wasted all those years
They're not worth their time in tears
I may have spent too long in darkness
In the warmth of my fears
Take a look at yourself
Not at anyone else
And tell me what you see
I know the air is cold
I know the streets are cruel
But i'll enjoy the ride today
It's raining, raining,
On the streets of New York city
It's raining, raining, raining deep in heaven
I may have wasted all those years
They're not worth their time in tears
I may have spent too long in darkness
In the warmth of my fears
As I walk through all my myths
Rising and sinking like the waves
With my thoughts wrapped around me
Through a trial of tears
Hidden by disguise, stumbling in a world
Feeling uninspired, he gets into his car
Not within his eyes to see, open up, open up
Not much better than the man you hate
[II. DEEP IN HEAVEN (instrumental)]
[III. THE WASTELAND]
Still awake
I continue to move along
Cultivating my own nonsense
Welcome to the wasteland
Where you'll find ashes, nothing but ashes
Still awake
Bringing change, bringing movement,
Bringing life
A silent prayer thrown away,
Disappearing in the air
Rising, sinking, raininc deep inside me
Nowhere to turn,
I look for a way back home
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[l: John Petrucci]
He's just the kind of man
You hear about
Who leaves his family
For an easy out
They never saw the signs
He never said a word
He couldn't take another day
Carry me to the shoreline
Bury me in the sand
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over you head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
She's not the kind of girl
You hear about
She'll never want another
She'll never be without
She'll give you all the signs
She'll tell you everything
Then turn around and walk away
Carry me to the shoreline
Bury me in the sand
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over you head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
Carry me to the shoreline
Bury me in the sand
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over you head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
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[l: John Petrucci dedicated to John E. Petrucci]
I was sitting on the edge of his bed
Staring at the headlines on the paper
He said, "look at poor gene kelly
I guess he won't be singing in the rain."
You can take away my heroes
Can you take away my pain
Take away my pain
Leave the cold outside
Please don't let it rain
Don't stumble on my pride
Take away my pain
I'm not frightened any more
Just stay with me tonight
I'm tired of this fight
Soon I'll be knocking at your door
She was standing by the edge of his bed
Staring at the message on their faces
He said, "what else can you do babe?
I guess I won't be coming home again."
They just took away all my promises
Make them take away my pain
Take away my pain
Leave the cold outside
Please don't let it rain
Don't stumble on my pride
Take away my pain
I'm not frightened any more
Just stay with me tonight
I'm tired of this fight
Soon I'll be knocking at your door
His final scene
The actor bows
And all those years
Are gone somehow
The crowd applauds
The curtain fails
I was standing by the edge of the water
I noticed my reflection in the waves
Then I saw you looking back at me
And I knew that for a moment
You were calling out my name
You took away my hero
Will you take away my pain
Take away my pain
Let the cold inside
It's time to let it rain
There's nothing left to hide
Take away my pain
I'm not frightened any more
I'm learning to survive
Without you in my life
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Silence disguised
I watch you
Show me the hurt
that haunts you
would you despise the thrill
If all you hide were mine?
I can't hold on any longer
These feelings keep growing stronger
Echoes that deafen the mind
will bury my voice in their wake
Caught in a Web
Removed from the world
Hanging on by a thread
Spinning the lies
devised in my head
I've seen the path
the one you take
shows the truth
for you to make
This turn of phrase
we might not see
is the thirst of desire
found so easily
Try to push me 'round
the world some more
And make me live in fear
I bare all that I am
made of now
Attractive I don't care
'Cause even when I danced with life
no one was there to share
Does this voice the wounds of your soul?
Does this voice the wounds of your soul?
Caught in a Web
Removed from the world
Hanging on by a thread
Spinning the lies
devised in my head
Tried to live the life
you live and saw
It doesn't work for me
I bare all that I am
made of now
Attractive, I can't be
Inside the Dance of Life is one
I'll never hold to me
You can't heal the wounds of my soul.
You can't heal the wounds of my soul.
Caught in a Web
Removed from the world
Hanging on by a thread
Spinning the lies
devised in my head
Caught in a Web
Refused by the world
Hanging on by a thread
Spinning a cage
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Daybreak
at the bottom of lake
it's a hundred degrees I can't breathe
And I won't get out
'til I figure it out
Though I'm weak like I can't believe
So you tell me 'trust me' l can trust you
Just let me show you
But I gotta work it out in a shadow of doubt
'cause I don't know if I know you
Doing fine but don't waste my time
Tell me what it is you want to say
You sin, you win, just let me in - hurry
I've been out in the rain all day
So you tell me 'trust me' I can trust you
as far as I can throw you
And I'm trying to get out of a shadow of doubt
'cause I don't know if I know you
Don't tell me you wanted me
Don't tell me you thought of me
I won't, I swear I won't
(Did)
I'll try, I swear I'll try
(Lie)
Mother Mary quite contrary
Kiss the boys and make them wary
Things are getting just a little bit scary
It's a wonder I can still breathe
Never been much of a doubting Thomas
but nothing breaks like a broken promise
You tell me 'bout your two more coming
but once is just enough for me
I had gotten used to being a soul destroyed
She comes in apparently to fill the void
All dogs need a leash and
at least I'll forget it
And she would never hurt me though
she's never said it
But I'm not gonna ask her today
I don't wanna scare her away
Your town, I'm all alone
and I just can't stare at the phone
I wanna talk about lifelong mistakes
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[l: John Petrucci]
There, there it is
I swear he's gonna murder that poor kid
Wait, I hear it again
Don't turn on the lights until we
Hear the way it ends
Under peruvian skies
Vanessa regretfully waits
The story unfolds in her eyes
Where midnight hysteria's
No big surprise
Battered and bruised
Always confusing
The love that she's losing for hate
Poor vanessa
Hey, I hope you know
I'm taking all of this time with me when I go
Shame, you're not to blame
I'm the monster you created
In your daddy's name
Under peruvian skies
Vanessa regretfully waits
The story unfolds in her eyes
Where midnight hysteria's
No big surprise
Battered and bruised
Always confusing
The love that she's losing for hate
Poor vanessa
Terror by night
Liar by day
Telling her secrets
Won't take them away
Under peruvian skies
Vanessa regretfully waits
The story unfolds in her eyes
Where midnight hysteria's
No big surprise
Battered and bruised
Always confusing
The love that she's losing for hate
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John Petrucci Guitar Solo |
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[Images: Dream Theater]
[Words: Moore]
Lost in the sky
Clouds roll by
and I roll with them
Arrows fly
Seas increase
and then fall again
This world is spinning around me
This world is spinning without me
Every day send future to past
Every breath leaves me one less
to my last
Watch the sparrow falling
Gives new meaning to it all
If not today nor yet tomorrow
then some other day
I'll take seven lives for one
And then my only father's son
As sure as I did ever love him
I am not afraid
This world is spinning around me
The whole world keeps
spinning around me
All life is future to past
Every breath leaves me one less
to my last
Pull me under Pull me under
Pull me under I'm not afraid
All that I feel is honor and spite
All I can do is set it right
Dust fills my eyes
Clouds roll by
and I roll with them
Centuries cry
Orders fly
and I fall again
This world is spinning inside me
The whole world is
spinning inside of me
Every day sends future to past
Every step brings me closer
to my last
Pull me under Pull me under
Pull me under I'm not afraid
Living my life too much in
the sun
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[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by John Petrucci]
The smile of dawn
Arrived in early May
She carried a gift from her
home
The night shed a tear
To tell her of fear
And of sorrow and pain
She'll never outgrow
Death is the first dance, eternal
There's no more freedom
The both of you will be
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[Images: Dream Theater]
[Words: Myung]
There was no time for pain
No energy for anger
The sightlessness of hatred slips away
Walking through winter streets alone
He stops and take a breath
With confidence and self-control
I look at the world and see no
understanding
I'm waiting to find some sense
of strength
I'm begging you from the
bottom of my heart to show
me understanding
I need to live life
Like some people never will
So find me kindness
Find me beauty
Find me truth
When temptation brings me to
my knees
And I lay here drained of
strength
Show me kindness
Show me beauty
Show me truth
The way your heart sounds
makes all the difference
It's what decides if you'll endure
the pain that we all feel
The way your heart beats
makes all the difference
In learning to live
Here before me is my soul
I'm learning to live
I won't give up
Till I've no more to give
Listening to the city
Whispering its violence
I set out watching from above
The 90s bring new questions
New solutions to be found
I fell in love to be let down
Once again we dance in the crowd
At times a step away
From a common fear that's all
spread out
It won't listen to what you say
Once you're touched you stand
alone
To face the bitter fight
Once I reached for love
And now I reach for life
Another chance to lift my life
Free the sensation in my heart
To ride the wings of dreams
into changing horizons
It brings inner peace within my mind,
As I'm lifted from where I've
spilt my life
I hear an innocent voice
I hear kindness, beauty and truth
The way your heart sounds
makes all the difference
It's what decides if you'll endure
the pain that we all feel
The way your heart beats
makes all the difference
In learning to live
Spread before you is your soul
So forever hold the dreams
within our hearts
Through nature's inflexible grace
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[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by Mike Portnoy]
I'm much wiser now
A lifetime of memories
Run through my head
They taught me how
For better or worse
Alive or dead
I realize
There's no turning back
Life goes on
The offbeaten track
I sit down with my son
Set to see the Crimson Sunset
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
Many years have come and gone
I've lived my life, but now must move on
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
He's my only one
Now that my time has come
Now that my life is done
We look into the sun
"Seize the day
And don't you cry
Now it's time
To say good-bye
Even though
I'll be gone
I will live on
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