Dream Theater: lyrical analysis

[Slater]

I listen to Dream Theater a lot... They aren't a Christian band, persay, although Myung and LaBrie both claim to be Christians openly. Still, I figure that if I analyze the lyrics and take a close look at what they're saying that I'll get a sense of DT's net world-view. So, that's what I'll do in this thread... try to analyze one song per day.

So, I'll start with one of my favorite albums: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulance. This 2 CD set is somewhat of a story, but the story of the Six Degrees doesn't start until the second CD. The first CD has 6 songs which address things like Alcoholism and even (so I've read) an insight into what LaBrie's faith in Christ means to him. So... Without further ado...

(btw, the lyrics are in italics. My comments are not.)

The Glass Prision
[spoiler]The intro, the first about 35 seconds... This static is the same static that is the final 40 seconds of the song Finally Free from Scenes from a Memory. Knowing this sets the listener up for what this song is about... alcoholism. If you've heard the song, you will recall that one of the last things that Nicholas did before his turntable was knocked over and he was killed was that he poured himself a glass of some alcoholic beverage.[/spoiler]
Part 1: Reflection
Cunning, Baffling, Powerful--
Been beaten to a pulp...
Vigorous, Irresistable--
Sick and tired and laid low...
Dominating, Invincible--
Black-out, loss of control...
Overwhelming, Unquenchable--
I'm powerless, have to let go...

The first stanza leaves the listener with a contrast of descriptions. Every odd-numbered line is describing something overpowering and mysterious, something of great influence in the persona's life. Every even-numbered line, however, describes something completely different. This something is the persona, "Beaten to a pulp." While it may not become immediately evedent to the average listener what this song is about until the very end, it is hard to understand the rest of the song without knowing. This song is about one's fight against Alcoholism. In particular, it is about Mark Portnoy's fight against the drink, and it true that Mark Portnoy wrote this song for Alcoholics Anonymous. Keep these things in mind while listening to this song...

I can't escape it
It leaves me frail and worn
Can no longer take it
Senses tattered and torn

Here we have the beginning of the persona's Reflection on what alcohol has become in his life. He "can't escape it;" it is a Prison. It drains everything from him and has left him in a desperate and confused state of wanting to escape.

Hopeless surrender
Obsession's got me beat
Losing the will to live
Admitting complete defeat

More Reflection. The persona has surendered any hope of being able to escape his "obsession" or addiction. It has gotten so bad that he cannot even see the point in life. It has broken him, similarly to what alcohol did to Mark Portnoy, and (reportedly) to his family.

Fatal Descent
Spinning around
I've gone too far
To turn back 'round

Again the persona admits how this addiction is slowly killing him. Again he admits that things seem hopeless: that he's in way too deep.

Desperate attempt
Stop the progression
At any length
Lift this obsession

Here we see that the persona, even though he feels trapped, is trying to free himself from his addiction... or at least that he's willing to go to "any length" to "lift this obsession."

Crawling to my glass prison
A place where no one knows
My secret lonely world begins

Here lies a somewhat important detail of the case. The persona's alcoholism is something that he's been trying to hide. It almost seems like he once felt safe in it: secluded from the rest of the outside world... But now it has left him lonely, and it has become his world.

So much safer here
A place where I can go
To forget about my daily sins

Well, if there was any doubt in the listener about whether or not the persona had turned to the Drink in order to hide from something, it should all be erased now. There was definitly something about his life that had him uncomfortable or even miserable, and this is why he felt that drinking would do him well. He felt safe when he was drunk because he was drowning his sorrows. As it is written in Proverbs 31: "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more."

Life here in my glass prison
A place I once called home
Fall in nocturnal bliss again

At this point, we get an insight into his drinking habits. Apparently, this was something that he did mostly at night... perhaps every night, like so many men (and women, I suppose) do. Perhaps his "home" was even a bar, but there is no real backing for that in the song. Still, it is evident that the persona felt at "home" when he was drunk.

Chasing a long lost friend
I no longer can control
Just waiting for this hopelessness to end

The "long lost friend" that he is talking about is the feeling that he got in his early days of alcoholism. But, as anyone dealing with any type of drug addiction can tell you, the more alcohol you consume, the more you need next time to get that buzz. The persona is chasing that feeling that's been gone for a long time; he's drank himself into the point where he's virtually numb to the positive feelings of alcohol. Even though he knows this, he continues to strive to reach that point again, and is thus out of control. It is a vicious cycle that he admits is hopeless, and is still waiting for it to terminate.

[Slater]

(Post was too long for 1 post.)
Part II: Restoration
*police sirens*
Run - fast from the wreckage of the past
A shattered glass prison wall behind me
Fight - past walking through the ashes
A distant oasis before me

Now we see something different. Somehow, the persona has broken away from his adiction and is running from it. The sirens could represent that his flight is not without competition though, and the obsession is trying to pull him back in and lock him up again.
But even though he's escaped, he's exposed. The change is so sudden that he hasn't had time to recharge his batteries. And, while the Glass Prison is tempting him to return to a place where he can be "safe," some oasis is before him... But can he make it?

Cry - desperate crawling on my knees
Begging God to please stop the insanity
Help me - I'm trying to believe
Stop wallowing in my own self pity

The fight to escape the clutches of this addiction is not an easy one. The persona's virtually out of strength (or will against temptation) and ready to colapse. But he will continue to struggle against the evil force until he is completely spent. He cries out to God for help. It should be noted, however, that reports indicate that Mark Portnoy claims to not be a Christian... but still, he makes a good point. Getting away from an addiction of this strength requires a force that is not naturally in man. As will be echoed a few more times in the song, he admits that he can't win this fight alone.

"We've been waiting for you my friend
The writing's been on the wall
All it takes is a little faith
You know you're the same as us all"

The persona has reached the "oasis!" More than likely, this oasis is the AA, or something similar to that. He has found people who have gone against alcoholism and have either won the battle or are in the process of doing so. The people are happy to see that he's decided to get help and are ready to bring him in to their sanctuary of friendship. They remind him that the path that he was following does lead to ultimate destruction and doomsday in the second line of this stanza, which is an allusion to a Biblical story (Daniel 5) involving the hand of God writing on the wall of King Belshazzar's palace: a warning of the king's demise.
The friends encourage the persona by telling him that the battle can be won with just a little faith. This was the case with all of them, and no matter how he feels, he's just the same as they were.

Help me - I can't break out this prison all alone
Save me - I'm drowning and I'm hopeless on my own
Heal me - I can't restore my sanity alone

Here we have three more cries for help. It seems that he never truly escaped the prison completely, or maybe that he fell back into it. But he is repentant and wants more than ever to get out. He admits three times that doing this solo is a thing of vanity, and that unless he has someone to constantly remind him that drinking won't make things better (the word sanity here suggests that he has become insane: that is, he does something [drinking] in hopes of making the situation [alcoholism] better), it ain't gonna happen.

Enter the door
Desperate
Fighting no more
Help me restore
To my sanity
At this temple of hope

Goodness... Grammar won't help me analize this one easily. But that's ok. This part is a bit abstract, but it gets the point across powerfully. Obviously it is being communicated and/or acknowledged by the persona that he needs to quit fighting the way he was in the past and listen to the advice that his friends are giving him.

I need to learn
Teach me how
Sorrow to burn
Help me return
To humanity
I'll be fearless and thorough
To enter this temple of hope

Here we have a sudden boost of determination from the persona. He feels ready to "enter the temple" and to learn how to combat this obsession effectivly. He knows that the keys to returning to a state of normalacy lies in there...

Be-liev-e
Transcend the pain
Living the life
Humility
Opened my eyes
This new odyssey
Of rigorous honesty

He trusts those who are giving him advice. He admits that they know how to heal him, and they start to show him what he needs. First step: humility. The persona had not been humble about his problems before, but rather, selfish. He got himself trapped because he didn't think to have anyone else help him through his troubles.
The second step that he encounters is the "new odyssey." That is to say, he needs to be honest about how screwed he is. This point is biblically sound: in James we read that honesty is one of the keys to escaping sins. Of course, it isn't a natural thing to do, and that's why it's a "new odyssey."

Serenity
I never knew
Soundness of mind
Helped me to find
Courage to change
All the things that I can--ha!

The persona's starting to reap the benefits of his fight against alcoholism. Peace is starting to return to his life; he is no longer drowning. His mind is becoming more stable, and this helped him to become brave in the face of that which he once called "invincible." He's slowly turning the tables on his enemy.

"We'll help you perform this miracle
But you must set your past free
You dug the hole, but you can't bury your soul
Open your mind and you'll see"

But still, there are many steps that the persona needs to take in order to win the battle completely. He has to be willing to let go of his past... to let go of why he started drinking, why he continued to drink, and all the reasons why he didn't chose to battle it sooner. If he doesn't, he'll be liable to fall back into the hole that he dug. Still, even if he does fall in, they remind him that there is still hope; there is always hope. But for these things to come to past, he needs to have faith... something he hasn't quite tried yet...

Help me - I can't break out this prison all alone
Save me - I'm drowning and I'm hopeless on my own
Heal me - I can't restore my sanity alone

Part III: Revelation
Way off in the distance I saw a door
I tried to open
I tried forcing with all of my will but still
The door wouldn't open

The persona has come far in his fight against alcoholism... but he's not free yet. He finds the way out, and tries and strains to get out... to no avail...

Unable to trust in my faith
I turned and walked away
I looked around, felt a chill in the air
Took my will and turned it over

And now... dispair again. It seems like he will never be able to cross that final line and get out of there for good. He begins to concede... to pick up the bottle again, but... he feels a "chill in the air." This chill is a rememberance of what it was like when he was completely under the influence of alcohol, something he has the mind to know that it's something he doesn't wanna go through again. So he decides to try the one thing that he hasn't yet... the thing that he hasn't been able to trust in untill now. His final hope is faith. So he has faith, and...

The glass prison which once held me is gone
A long lost fortress
Armed only with liberty
And the key of my willingness

It's gone! The Glass Prision no longer holds our hero. It's all in the past, and admits that he beat it because he was willing to put trust in the advice of those trying to help him, and have faith...

Fell down on my knees and prayed
"Thy will be done"
I turned around, saw a light shining through
The door was wide open

By listening to this song, I wonder at what Portnoy was thinking. He's not a Christian, but the things he wrote (especially in this final stanza) seem so true. The pursona puts his faith in God, and that proves to be the final step in killing his obsession with alcoholism dead. Amen to that.
Song avaliable at: http://media.putfile.com/The-Glass-Prision
Note: No, I will not provide all the songs for listening. That would be... very bad.


Next time: Blind Faith

[Slater]

Blind Faith

Ok, this song is a bit tough for me to understand... I'll just say that much before I start. According to the official DTFAQ, this song has something to do with LaBrie's religious views.

Hear me, speaking
Asking why I even bother...
Tell me, how you
Live from day to day

Apparently, the persona (who is different from the persona in The Great Debate, mind you) is talking to someone. In short, this first stanza is asking the listener a simple question: "What is your life's purpose?" From the way that the persona puts it, it seems like he's talking to someone who doesn't really care what he has to say.


Take your time and look around
Is this utopia you've found?

Now the persona asks another question... "Have you found it?" This "it," being whatever a person thinks is the ultimate thing to have, is something the persona believes to not be Utopia. He challenges the listener to examine his life closely and see if things are really as perfect as they think they are.

Sick of all of this
The suffering and we just carry on.
Isn't it time we care and lose the hate,
Understand our fears?

Here, the Speaker brings up another point. All is not right in the world. People are not perfect people, and they don't treat eachother very nicely. He suggests that it's time for people to stop hating eachother and come together to "understand our fears." What are these fears he speaks of? They are the anxieties that so many people here today face: fear of death, financial loss, fear of anything that is important in someone's life that could go wrong. So the Speaker questions why we let these things get in the way of our lives.

But we do all that we can
Justify the means to an end
Sorry you must excuse me
I've painted my own Mona Lisa
She's fixed everything
Now I'm spoiled beyond my wildest dreams

The first two lines suggest that, while nobody really has the answers as to why they struggle through all of life's different quirks, everyone continues to support what they believe in no matter what it is that they're supporting... I think.
The next four lines are something even more weird. What is this Mona Lisa that the Speaker is talking about? My best guess is that it's his faith. As a matter of fact, I'm very sure it is. According to the Speaker, his Faith has fixed all of the problems and answered all of the questions faced in the first three stanzas, and he's quite content with those solutions. However, what is most troubling to me is the fourth line of this stanza. What does he mean that HE painted his own Mona Lisa? Does this mean that his faith is in something he fabricated, or that he modified his faith to fit his personality? Either way doesn't sit too well with me...


Blind Faith we have in You
Invisible
Which direction do we choose?
Predictable


In any case, these are good comments. The first two lines describe the Speaker's faith... Blind. This perfectly fits the faith that Jesus wants his followers to have; for us as Christians to believe without seeing. The second half of this stanza suggests the idea of absolutism, that there are absolutes in life. His question says that his faith holds all the answers to life's twists and turns, in some form or another. They are Predictable.

Take the streets, the beaten path
Our system works for whom I ask.
Yeah, I have it all
The bigger house
An iron fence to keep you out

My oscilation between saying "Amen brother" and "what the crap?" continues as we reach this stanza. The first two lines could be interpreted in different ways depending on how the sentence is punctuated. I don't know whether or not it's supposed to be a question, and lyrics sites don't give an answer to either side, so I shall treat it as a declaritive sentence. Thus, the Speaker says that this faith works for him and anyone else who he knows follows it.
Now, what on earth do the next three lines mean? Surely it is not a Christian ideal to appear rich or to block people out of our lives. But that's what's being communicated here.

When did we all let You down?
So come Messiah show us how, how...
Our human spirit drowns
Don't think you hear me now
No sign of You around
What is it You hope to see?

Now it appears that the Speaker feels a deep sense of conviction in his life. He feels like he's let the (true) author of his faith down. So, he asks the Messiah (Jesus) to provide him with an example of how to live. He admits that he feels like he's being ignored by Christ for whatever reason. His faith is weak; he wants to see God and know exactly what it is that He has planned for his life.

Blind Faith we have in You
Invisible
Which direction do we choose?
Predictable
Give us something we can use
Desirable
Cause you've done all You can do
Regrettable

Already discussed the first 4 lines. The third pair of lines is pretty self-explanitory. The Speaker doesn't feel like he's getting enough out of his faith and is asking for more. While his faith is good, it leaves something to be desired. In the fourth pair of lines, he expresses frustration with his God, implying that He hasn't done enough on Earth to make things better.

And still life pushes on
With or without you
We've got to carry on
Our will will guide us to
A place where we belong
Know there lies the truth
I am the believer who gives purpose on to You

It seems like the Speaker is still more frustrated with his faith. He claims to see no real difference in the lives of those who have faith and those who don't. Life goes on just the same for both parties. Still, he knows that what he has faith in is true.
Now, the last line here bothers me. Am I reading this correctly? Is he saying that faith gives purpose to God? If so, talk about an oxymoron... This comment does not reflect on the truth of Christianity at all.

I don't think we let You down
So come Messiah show us how, how...
Throw us a pure lifeline
I hope that you hear me:
Too proud to be around.
There's more to us than we see now

The Speaker claims that he hasn't done anything wrong in his faith, and blames Christ for being "too proud to be around." There's something ironic about that... The Speaker claims to be the blameless one, yet calls God prideful?
In the third line, the Speaker again asks God to reviel His plan for his life, but his attitude is clearly one of not believing that God will make those things known to him.
"There's more to us than we see now." Well, at least there's one thing that I can agree with in this stanza. We are spiritual beings.


Blind Faith we have in you
Invisible
Which direction do we choose
Predictable
Self ignorance, abuse
Desirable
Cause you've done all you can do
Incredible

I think I've already adressed the points in the chorus.

General Song Conclusion: Meh... If this song really is a summary of LaBrie's faith, then I don't think that faith is something to be too proud of. It certianly isn't the best Christian walk I've seen, nor is it the worst... But it's more bad than good.
Maybe I'm just bias. IMO, the lyrics suck, the tune sucks, and... it sucks. Sorry if this review is lackluster, but I can't get into this song: it's one of the few that I just wait for to end so we can move on to...

Misunderstood

[Michael]

Train of Thought and Octavarium are the two albums I'm most familair with, so I may not have this totally right.

Not to pick a fight or anything, but I think DT's lyrics are awful. At least, when James Labrie is writing them. Portnoy's are acceptable and Petrucci's are sometimes pretty good, but I don't listen to DT for their lyrics.

Like I said, I don't want to pick a fight or run your analysis in the ground, I just think they could probably really improve their writing skills in the future, especially Labrie.

[ShiroiHikari]

I just recently acquired a copy of Images and Words. I need to listen to it some more before I can form a solid opinion, but so far I really like it.