1. The Glass Prison

[music by Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess]
[lyrics by Mike Portnoy]

[I. 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

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

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

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

Desperate attempt
Stop the progression
At any length
Lift this obsession

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

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

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

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

[II. RESTORATION]

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

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

"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"

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

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

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

Believe
Transcend the pain
Living the life
Humility
Opened my eyes
This new odyssey
Of rigorous honesty

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

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

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

[III. REVELATION]

Way off in the distance I saw a door
I tried to open
I tried forcing with all of my will and still
The door wouldn't open
[replaced with "but" in this line]

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

The glass prison which once held me is now gone
["now" is not heard in this line]
A long lost fortress
Armed only with liberty
And the key of my willingness

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


2. Blind Faith

[music by Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess]
[lyrics by James LaBrie]

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

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

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

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

Blind Faith we have in you
Invisible
Which direction do we choose
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

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

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

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

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

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


3. Misunderstood

[music by Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess]
[lyrics by John Petrucci]

Waiting
In the calm of desolation
Wanting to break
From this circle of confusion

Sleeping
In the depths of isolation
Trying to wake
From this daydream of illusion

How can I feel abandoned even when the world surrounds me
How can I bite the hand that feeds the strangers all around me
How can I know so many
Never really knowing anyone

If I seem superhuman
I have been
Misunderstood

It challenges the essence of my soul
And leaves me in a state of disconnection
As I navigate the maze of self control

Playing a lion being led to a cage
I turn from a thief to a beggar
From a god to God save me

How can I feel abandoned even when the world surrounds me
How can I bite the hand that feeds the strangers all around me
How can I know so many
Never really knowing anyone

If I seem superhuman
I have been
Misunderstood

Playing a lion being led to a cage
I turn from surreal to seclusion
From love to disdain
From belief to delusion
From a thief to a beggar
From a god to God save me

How can I feel abandoned even when the world surrounds me
How can I bite the hand that feeds the strangers all around me
How can I know so many
Never really knowing anyone

If I seem superhuman
I have been
Misunderstood


4. The Great Debate

[also known as "Conflict At Ground Zero"]
[music by Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess]
[lyrics by John Petrucci]

"A gallop snapshot poll taken immediately after President Bush's speach on
funding embryonic stem cell research last night shows that half of Americans
approve of his decision, 25% do not, and still another 25% are not sure what
to think."

"Most people don't even know what stem cells are."

"Who is going to scream the loudest? Will it be the right-to-lifers or will
it be the scientists? And now what is going to happen is there will be a
tremendous amount of lobbying in Washington, D.C.: scientists,
entertainers, people who want to see this research - will be coming forth."

"I am concerned about it. Christopher Reeves is concerned about it.
Everyone is concerned about it. The big question is do the ends justify
the means? When we talk about research, yes, we can cure a lot of things...
speculatively. But, where is the proof?"

"These developing human beings that you are talking about, these embryos,
were produced in an artificial, scientific environment. In vitro
fertilization is not God's will."

"That doesn't make them any less human, though, after that happens."

"We are on a road where we really don't know where we are going as far as
what's next. We are talking about harvesting embryos. We are talking about
this, we are talking about that, but what is the cost?"

"How could we possibly abandon the research?"

"That is right. That is the old question? If you think the research is good
then you may not have a problem with it. It is only if you think the
research is questionable that you get defensive about it. (You do have time
to research these embryos later if we choose to do so. While people are
suffering, we are not truly certain that this will provide a cure.)"

"And there was a great outrage in the conservative churches... You cannot
use developing humans... At that point in time they turn into humans."

"I feel that abandoning this research could be a mistake. Researching this
may allow us to save other lives or at least to improve the quality of
lives."

"We do not have the answers, yet. We need to put the money where we will get
those answers in the future. Listen, we are out of time."

What if someone said
Promise lies ahead
Hopes are high in certain scientific circles
Life won't have to end
You could walk again

What if someone said
Problems lie ahead
They've uncovered something highly controversial
The right to life is strong
Can't you see it's wrong

Humankind has reached a turning point
Poised for conflict at ground zero
Ready for a war
Do we look to our unearthly guide
Or to white coat heroes
Searching for a cure

Turn to the light
Don't be frightened of the shadows it creates
Turn to the light
Turning away would be a terrible mistake

Anarchistic moral vision
Industries of death
Facing violent opposition
Unmolested breathe

Ethic inquisitions breed
Antagonistic views
Right wing sound bite premonitions
In a labyrinth of rules

Are you justified
Are you justified
Are you justified
Justified in taking
Life to save life
Life to save life
Taking life to save life

This embryonic clay
Wrapped in fierce debate
Would be thrown away
Or otherwise discarded

Some of us believe
It may hold the key
To treatment of disease
And secrets highly guarded

Are you justified
Are you justified
Are you justified
Justified in taking
Life to save life
Life to save life
Life to save life

Human kind has reached a turning point
Poised for conflict at ground zero
Ready for a war
Do we look to our unearthly guide
Or to white coat heroes
Searching for a cure

Turn to the light
Don't be frightened of the shadows it creates
Turn to the light
Turning away would be a terrible mistake

We're reaching
But have we gone too far

Harvesting existence
Only to destroy
Carelessly together
We are sliding

Someone else's future
Four days frozen still
Someone else's fate
We are deciding

Miracle potential
Sanctity of life
Faced against each other
We're divided

Should we push the boundaries
Or should we condemn
Moral guilt and science
Have collided

Turn to the light
We defy our own mortality these days
Turn to the light
Pay attention to the questions we have raised

"One of the big questions that still remains for me, though, is that all of
these embryos that are sent or will be discarded - is this worse than just
throwing those away?"

"You do not know that all of these will be discarded. All of a sudden you
say which ones will be discarded. And all of sudden you have people being
solicited for parts of their anatomy. Then they harvest parts of people's
bodies. That is how it starts."

"People are not soliciting; there are fertility clinics that have extra
embryos."

"The research is a scientific advancement. I know we are going down a road
that we may not know where we end, but that is exactly what science is all
about. I am very sorry, but I do feel sympathy for those whose spines have
been severed... There is a possibility that we might cure them. I am
concerned about a cure for juvenile diabetes and if these types of
scientific advancement can cure these diseases, then quite candidly I think
there ought to be at least what President Bush has proposed: some limited
research."

"Stem cells come from developing human beings and they should not be
experimented on that doesn't make sense or that is unethical, but at the
same time there is great promise."

"I have a 28-year old son who is paraplegic. And if there is a small
chance that my son can be able to have feeling and be able to walk then I am
all for it."

"Human beings have been evolving for 10's of thousands of years and we are
just injecting cells from embryos into people's brains. How do we come to
do something like that?"


5. Disappear

[music by Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess]
[lyrics by James LaBrie]

Why, tell me the reasons why
Try, still I don't understand
Will I ever feel this again
Blue sky, I'll meet you in the end
Free them, free the memories of you
Free me, and rest 'til I'm with you

A day like today
My whole world has been changed
Nothing you say
Will help ease my pain

Turn, I'll turn this slowly round
Burn, burn to feel alive again
She, she'd want me to move on
See me, this place I still belong
Give chase, to find more than I have found
And face, this time now on my own

Days disappear
And my world keeps changing
I feel you here
And it keeps me sane

So I'm moving on
I'll never forget
As you lay there and watched me
Accepting the end
I knew you were scared
You were strong I was trying
I gave you my hand
I said it's okay letting go time to leave here
And I'll carry on
The best that I can without you here beside me
Let him come take you home


6. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

[music by Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess]

[I. OVERTURE]

[instrumental]

[II. ABOUT TO CRASH]

[lyrics by John Petrucci]

She can't stop pacing
She never felt so alive
Her thoughts are racing
Set on overdrive

It takes a village
This she knows is true
they're expecting her
And she's got work to do

He helplessly stands by
It's meaningless to try
As he rubs his red-rimmed eyes
He says I've never seen her get this bad

Even though she seems so high
He knows that she can't fly
and when she falls out of the sky
He'll be standing by

She was raised in a small midwestern town
By a charming and eccentric loving father
She was praised as the perfect teenage girl
And everyone thought highly of her

And she tried everyday
With endless drive
To make the grade
Then one day
She woke up to find
The perfect girl
Had lost her mind

Once barely taking a break
Now she sleeps the days away
She helplessly stands by
It's meaningless to try
All she wants to do is cry
No one ever knew she was so sad

Cause even though she gets so high
And thinks that she can fly
She will fall out of the sky
But in the face of misery
She found hopefulness
Feeling better
She had weathered
This depression

Much to her advantage
She resumed her frantic pace
Boundless power
Midnight hour
She enjoyed the race

[III. WAR INSIDE MY HEAD]

[lyrics by Mike Portnoy]

Napalm showers
Showed the cowards
We weren't there to mess around

Through heat exhaustion
And mind distortion
A military victory mounted on innocent ground

Hearing voices from miles away
Saying things never said
Seeing shadows in the light of the day
Waging a war inside my head

Years and years of
Bloodshed and warfare
Our mission was only to get in and kill

A free vacation
Of palmtrees and shrapnel
Trading innocence for permanent psychotic hell

Hearing voices from miles away
Saying things never said
Seeing shadows in the light of the day
Waging a war inside my head

Feeling strangers staring my way
Reading minds never read
Tasting danger with each word I say
Waging a war inside my head

[IV. THE TEST THAT STUMPED THEM ALL]

[lyrics by Mike Portnoy]

Standing in the darkness
Waiting for the light
The smell of pure adrenaline
Burning in the night

Random blinding flashes
Aiming at the stage
Intro tape begins to roll
Igniting sonic rage

Still they keep me between these hollow walls
Hoping to find in me
The answers to the test that stumped them all

"The boy is simply crazy
Suffering from delusions
We honestly think that maybe
He might need an institution

He lives in a world of fiction
And really could use some help
We have just the place to fix him
To save him from himself"

Curled up in the darkness
Searching for the light
The smell of stale sweat and shit
Streaming through the night

Random urine testing
Pills red, pink and blue
Counseling and therapy
Providing not a clue

Still they keep me between these hollow walls
Hoping to find in me
The answers to the test that stumped them all

"We can't seem to find the answers
He seemed such a clear cut case
We cannot just let him leave here
And put all this work to waste

Why don't we try shock treatment
It really might do some help
We have just the tools to fix him
To save him from himself"

[V. GOODNIGHT KISS]

[lyrics by Mike Portnoy]

Goodnight kiss in your nightgown
Lavender in your bed
So innocent as you lie down
Sweet dreams that run through your head

Are you lonely without Mommy's love?
I want you to know I'd die for that moment
You're just a poor girl
Afraid of this cruel world
Taken away from it all

It's been 5 years to the day and
My tainted blood's still the same
I can't help acting this way and
Those bastard doctors are gonna pay

I'm so lonely without baby's love
I want you to know I'd die for one more moment
I'm just a poor girl
Afraid of this cruel world
Taken away from it all

[VI. SOLITARY SHELL]

[lyrics by John Petrucci]

He seemed no different from the rest
Just a healthy normal boy
His mama always did her best
And he was daddy's pride and joy

He learned to walk and talk on time
But never cared much to be held
and steadily he would decline
Into his solitary shell

As a boy he was considered somewhat odd
Kept to himself most of the time
He would daydream in and out of his own world
but in every other way he was fine

He's a Monday morning lunatic
Disturbed from time to time
Lost within himself
In his solitary shell

A temporary catatonic
Madman on occasion
When will he break out
Of his solitary shell

He struggled to get through his day
He was helplessly behind
He poured himself onto the page
Writing for hours at a time

As a man he was a danger to himself
Fearful and sad most of the time
He was drifting in and out of sanity
But in every other way he was fine

He's a Monday morning lunatic
Disturbed from time to time
Lost within himself
In his solitary shell

A momentary maniac
With casual delusions
When will he be let out
Of his solitary shell

[VII. ABOUT TO CRASH (REPRISE)]

[lyrics by John Petrucci]

I'm alive again
The darkness far behind me
I'm invincible
Despair will never find me

I feel strong
I've got a new sense of elation
Boundless energy
Euphoria fixation

Still it's hard to just get by
It seems so meaningless to try
When all I want to do is cry
Who would ever know I felt so sad

Even though I get so high
I know that I will never fly
And when I fall out of the sky
Who'll be standing by

Will you be standing by

[VIII. LOSING TIME/GRAND FINALE]

[lyrics by John Petrucci]

She dresses in black everyday
She keeps her hair simple and plain
She never wears makeup
But no one would care if she did anyway

She doesn't recall yesterday
Faces seem twisted and strange
But she always wakes up
Only to find she'd been miles away

Absence of awareness
Losing time
A lapse of perception
Losing time

Wanting to escape
She had created a way to survive
She learned to detach from herself
A behavior that kept her alive

Hope in the face of our human distress
Helps us to understand the turbulence deep inside
That takes hold of our lives
Shame and disgrace over mental unrest
Keeps us from saving those we love
The grace within our hearts
And the sorrow in our souls
Deception of fame
Vengeance of war
Lives torn apart
Losing oneself
Spiraling down
Feeling the walls closing in
A journey to find
The answers inside
Our illusive mind

1. Opening Scene



2. Regression
[Hypnotherapist:]

"Close your eyes and begin to relax. Take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Concentrate on your breathing. With each breath you become more relaxed. Imagine a brilliant white light above you, focusing on this light as it flows through your body. Allow yourself to drift off as you fall deeper and deeper into a more relaxed state of mind. Now as I count backward from ten to one, you will feel more peaceful, and calm:10...9...8...7...6...You will enter a safe place where nothing can harm you...5...4...3...2... If at any time you need to come back, all you must do is open your eyes. 1."
[Nicholas:] Safe in the light that surrounds me Free of the fear and the pain My subconscious mind Starts pinning through time To rejoin the past once again Nothing seems real I'm starting to feel Lost in the haze of a dream And as I draw near The scene becomes clear Like watching my life on a screen Hello Victoria so glad to see you my friend.


3. Overture 1928

[instrumental]


4. Strange Deja Vu

Subconscious Strange Sensation
Unconscious relaxation
What a pleasant nightmare
And I can't wait to get there again
Every time I close my eyes
There's another vivid surprise
Another whole life's waiting
Chapters unfinished, fading
Closer now- Slowly coming into view
I've arrived- Vlinding sunshine beaming through
There's a house I'm drawn to
Familiar settings nothing new
There's a pathway leading there
With a haunting chill in the air
There's a room at the top of the stairs
Every night I'm drawn up there
There's a girl in the mirror
Her face is getting clearer
Young child won't you tell me why I'm here?
In her eyes- I sense a story never told
Behind the disguise- There's something tearing At her soul
Tonight I've been searching for it
A feeling that's deep inside me
Tonight I've been searching for
The one that nobody knows
Trying to break free
I just can't help myself
I'm feeling like I'm going out of my head
Tears my heart into two
I'm not the one the sleeper thought he knew
Back on my feet again
Eyes open to the real world
Metropolis surrounds me
The mirror's shattered the girl
Why is this other life
Haunting me every day
I'd break through to the other side
If only I'd find the way
Something's awfully familiar
The feeling's so hard to shake
Could I have lived in that other world
It's a link that I'm destined to make
I'm still searching but I don't know what for
The missing key to unlock my mind's door
Today I am searching for it
A feeling that won't go away
Today I am searching for it
The only one I know
Trying to break free
I just can't help myself
I'm feeling like I'm going out of my head
Tears my heart into two
I'm not the one I thought I always knew
I just can't help myself
I'm feeling like I'm going out of my head
Uncanny, Strange Deja Vu
But I don't mind- I hope to find the truth


5. Through My Words

All your eyes have ever seen
All you've ever heard
Is etched upon my memory
I spoken through my words
All that I take with me
Is all you've left behind
We're sharing one eternity
Living in two minds linked by an endless thread
Impossible to break


6. Fatal Tragedy

[N:] Alone at night I feel so strange I need to find
All the answers to my dreams
When I sleep at night I hear the cries
What does this mean?
I shut the door and traveled to another home I met an older MAN,
HE seemed to be alone I felt that I could trust him
He talked to me that night;
"Lad did you know a girl was murdered here?"
"This fatal tragedy was talked about for years"
Victoria`s gone forever
Only memories remain
She passed away
She was so young
Without love
Without truth
There can be no TURNING back
Without faith
Without hope
There can be no peace of mind
As the night went on
I started to find my way
I learned about a tragedy
A mystery still today
I tried to get more answers
But he said,
"You`re on your own"
Then he turned away and left me
As I stand there all alone
He said,
"You`ll know the truth
As your future days unfold" (UNFOLD)
Without love
Without truth
There can be no TURNING back
Without faith Without hope
There can be no peace of mind
[H:] "Now it`s time to see how you died.
Remember that death is not the end but only a transition


7. Beyond This Life

[Headline:] "Murder, young girl killed
Desperate shooting at Echo's Hill
Dreadful ending, killer died
Evidently suicide."
A witness heard a horrifying sound
He ran to find a woman dead and
Lying on the ground
Standing by her was a man
Nervous, shaking, gun in hand
Witness says he tried to help
But he'd turned the weapon on himself
His body fell across that poor young girl
After shouting out in vain
The witness ran to call for assistance
A sad close to a broken love affair
Our deeds have traveled far
What we have been is what we are
Our deeds have traveled far
What we have been is what we are
She wanted love forever
But he had another plan
He fell into an evil way
She had to let him down
She said, "I can't love a wayward man."
She may have found a reason to forgive
If he had only tried to change
Was their fatal meeting prearranged?
Had a violent struggle taken place?
There was every sign that lead there
Witness found a switchblade on the ground
Was the victim unaware?
They continued to investigate
They found a note in the killer's pocket
It could have been a suicide letter
Maybe he had lost her love
I feel there's only one thing left to do
I'd sooner take my life away
Than live with losing you
Our deeds have traveled far
What we have been is what we are
Our deeds have traveled far
What we have been is what we are
All that we learn this time
(What we have been is what we are)
Is carried beyond this life
All that we learn this time
(What we have been is what we are)
Is carried beyond this life
Our deeds have traveled far
What we have been is what we are
Our deeds have traveled far
What we have been is what we are
All that we learn this time
(What we have been is what we are)
Is carried beyond this life
All that we learn this time
(What we have been is what we are)
Is carried beyond this life


8. John & Teresa Solo Spot

[instrumental intro]


9. Through Her Eyes

She never really had a chance
On that fateful moonlit night
Sacrificed without a fight
A victim of her circumstance
Now that I've become aware
And I've exposed this tragedy
A sadness grows inside of me
It all seems so unfair
I'm learning all about my life
By looking through her eyes
Just beyond the churchyard gates
Where the grass is overgrown
I saw the writing on her stone
I felt like I would suffocate
In loving memory of our child
So innocent, eyes open wide
I felt so empty as I cried
Like part of me had died
I'm learning all about my life
By looking through her eyes
And as her image
Wandered through my head
I wept just like a baby
As I lay awake in bed
And I know what it's like
To lose someone you love
And this felt just the same
She wasn't given any choice
Desperation stole her voice
I've been given so much more in life
I've got a son, I've got a wife
I had to suffer one last time
To grieve for her and say goodbye
Relieve the anguish of my past
To find out who I was at last
The door has opened wide
I'm turning with the tide
Looking through her eyes


10. Home

Shine- lake of fire
Lines take me higher
My mind drips desire
Confined and overtired
Living this charade
Is getting me nowhere
I can't shake this charade
The city's cold blood calls me home
Home It's what I long for
Back home where I belong
The city- it calls to me
Decadent scenes from my memory
Sorrow- eternity
My demons are coming to drown me
Help- I'm falling, I'm crawling
I can't keep away from its clutch
Can't have it, this habit
It's calling me back to my home
I remember the first time she came to me
Poured her soul out all night and cried
I remember I was told there's a new love that's born
For each one that has died
I never thought that I
Could carry on with this life
But I can't resist myself
No matter how hard I try
Living their other life
Is getting them nowhere
I'll make her my wife
Her sweet temptation calls me home
Home It's what I long for
My home where she belongs
Her ecstasy- means so much to me
Even deceiving my own blood
Victoria watches and thoughtfully smiles
She's taking me to my home
Help- he's my brother, but I love her
I can't keep away from her touch
Deception, dishonor
It's calling me back to my home
Her story- it holds the key
Unlocking dreams from my memory
Solving this mystery
Is everything that is a part of me
Help- regression, obsession
I can't keep away from her touch
Leave no doubt, to find out
It's calling me back to my home


11. The Dance Of Eternity

[instrumental]


12. One Last Time

It doesn't make any sense
This tragic ending
In spite of the evidence
There's something still missing
Heard some of the rumors told
A taste of one's wealth
Did Victoria wound his soul?
Did she bid him farewell?
One last time
We'll lay down today
One last time
Until we fade away
One last time
We'll lay down today
One last time
We slowly fade away
Here I am inside his home
It holds the many clues
To my suspicions
And as I'm standing here right now
I'm finally shown what I have always known
Coincidence I can't believe
As my childhood dreams slowly come true
Are these her memories
Awakened through my eyes
This house has brought back to life
An open door
I walk on through
Into his bedroom
Feeling as cold as outside
The walls disappear
To some woman who's screaming
A man pleads forgiveness
His words I cannot hear


13. The Spirit Carries On

Where did we come from?
Why are we here?
Where do we go when we die?
What lies beyond
And what lay before?
Is anything certain in life?
They say, "Life is too short,"
"The here and the now"
And "You're only given one shot"
But could there be more,
Have I lived before,
Or could this be all that we've got?
If I die tomorrow
I'd be alright
Because I believe
That after we're gone
The spirit carries on
I used to be frightened of dying
I used to think death was the end
But that was before
I'm not scared anymore
I know that my soul will transcend
I may never find all the answers
I may never understand why
I may never prove
What I know to be true
But I know that I still have to try
If I die tomorrow
I'd be alright
Because I believe
That after we're gone
The spirit carries on
"Move on, be brave
Don't weep at my grave
Because I am no longer here
But please never let
Your memory of me disappear"
Safe in the light that surrounds me
Free of the fear and the pain
My questioning mind
Has helped me to find
The meaning in my life again
Victoria's real
I finally feel
At peace with the girl in my dreams
And now that I'm here
It's perfectly clear
I found out what all of this means
If I die tomorrow
I'd be alright
Because I believe
That after we're gone
The spirit carries on


14. Finally Free

"You are once again surrounded by a brilliant white light. Allow the light to lead you away from your past and into this lifetime. As the light dissipates you will slowly fade back into consciousness remembering all you have learned. When I tell you to open your eyes you will return to the present, feeling peaceful and refreshed. Open your eyes, Nicholas."
Friday evening the blood still on my hands
To think that she would leave me now
For that ungrateful man
Sole survivor no witness to the crime
I must act fast to cover up
I think that there's still time
He'd seem hopeless and lost with this note
They'll buy into the words that I wrote
"This feeling inside me
Finally found my love, I've finally broke free
No longer torn in two
I'd take my own life before losing you"
Feeling good this Friday afternoon
I ran into Julian
Said we'd get together soon
He's always had my heart
He needs to know
I'll break free of the Miracle
It's time for him to go
This feeling inside me
Finally found my love, I've finally broke free
No longer torn in two
He'd kill his brother if he only knew
Their love renewed
They'd rendezvous
In a pathway out of view
They thought no one knew
Then came a shot out of the night
One last time we'll lay down today
One last time until we fade away
One last time we'll lay down today
One last time we fade away
As their bodies lie still
And the ending draws near
Spirits rise through the air
All their fears disappear, it all becomes clear
A blinding light comes into view
An old soul exchanged for a new
A familiar voice comes shining through
This feeling inside me
Finally found my life, I'm finally free
No longer torn in two
I learned about my life by living through you
This feeling inside me
Finally found my life, I'm finally free
No longer torn in two
Living my own life by learning from you
We'll meet again my friend someday soon


15. Closing Scene



16. Metropolis Pt. 1

The smile of dawn arrived 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
confined to this mind
I was told there's a miracle for each day that I try
I was told there's a new love
that's born for each one that has died
I was told there'd be no one to
call on when I feel alone and afraid
I was told if you dream of the next world
You'll find yourself swimming in a lake of fire
As a child, I thought I could
live without pain without sorrow
As a man I've found it's all caught up with me
I'm asleep yet I'm so afraid
Somewhere like a scene from a memory
There's a picture worth a thousands words
Eluding stares from faces before me
It hides away and will never be heard again
Deceit is the second without end
The city's cold blood teaches us to survive
Just keep me heart in your eyes and we'll stay alive
The third arrives...
Before the leaves have fallen
Before we lock the doors
There must be the third and last dance
This one will last forever
Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles
She's taken you to your home
It can only take a place
When the struggle between
our children has ended
Now the Miracle and the
Sleeper know that the third is love
Love is the Dance of Eternity


17. The Mirror

Temptation-
Why won't you leave me alone?
Lurking Every Corner, everywhere I go
Self Control-
Don't turn your back on me now
When I need you most
My will or my wont
My Self control escape from me still...
Hypocrite-
How could you be so cruel
and expect my faith in return?
Resistance-
When you close the door
I spent so long trusting in you
I trust you forgot
Just when I thought
I believed I you...
Becoming all too real
living in fear-
Why did you lie and pretend?
This has come to an end
I'll never trust you again
It's time you made your amends
Look in the mirror my friend
Let's stare the problem right in the eye
It's plagued me from coast to coast
Racing the clock to please everyone
All but the one who matters the most
Reflections of reality
are slowly coming into view
How in the hell could you possibly forgive me?
After the hell I put you through
It's time for me to deal
Becoming all to real
living in fear-
Why I'd betray my friend?
Lying until the end
Living life so pretend
It's time to make my amends
I'll never hurt you again


18. Just Let Me Breathe

Open your eyes
And turn off your mind
Step right up folks and you will find
A growing 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 by 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 by 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 bankroll'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
Just let me breathe ........


19. Acid Rain

[instrumental part by: Liquid tension Experiment]


20. Caught In A New Millennium

A single star behind me
A red sky burns ahead
A lonely light below me
Awake among the dead
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
Living out a constant deja-vu
Keep your head up - Please be patient we will get to you
Keep your head up - Just have some faith and you can see it through
Keep your head up - What they want from me ain't gotta clue
Keep your head up - Swallow pride before it swallows you
Keep your head up - Don't dare bite the hand that's starving you
Keep your head up -
How can you keep your head and no got insane
When the only light at the end of the tunnel is another train
Caught in a Web refused by the world
Hanging on by a thread
Spinning a cage denied and misread
I've got this feeling - The tide is turning now baby
Funny feeling - Everything's gonna be alright now.


21. Another Day

Live another day
Climb a little higher
Find another reason to stay
Ashes in your hands
Mercy in your eyes
If you're searching for a silent sky...
You won't find it here
Look another way
You won't find it here
So die another day
The coldness of this words
The message in his silence,
"Face the candle to to the wind..."
This distance in my voice
Isn't leaving you a choice
So if you're looking for a time to run away...
You won't find it here
Look another way
You won't find it here
So try another day
They took picture of our dreams
Ran to hide behind the stairs
And said maybe when it's right
for you, they'll fall
But if they don't come down
Resist to need to pull them in
And throw them away
Better to save the mystery
Than surrender to the secret
You won't find it here
Look another way
You won't find it here
So try another day


22. Jordan Rudess Keyboard Solo

[instrumental]


23. A Mind Beside Itself

[Erotomania]

[instrumental]

[Voices]

"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 silence
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 mind."
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 demon 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 to speak but never listened
Can you rid of my secrets?
Deliver us from Darkness?
Voice repeating me, "feeling threatened?
we reflect your hopes and fears."
Voices discussing me
Don't expect your own Messiah
This neverworld which you desire in only in your mind.


24. The Silent Man

A question well served "Is silence like a fever?"
"A voice never heard?" "Or a message with no receiver?"
Pray they won't ask behind the stained glass
There's always one more mask
Has man been a victim of his woman, of his father?
if elects not to bother, will he suffocate their faith?
Desperate to fall behind the Great Wall
That separates us all when there is reason
Tonight I'm Awake when there's no answer
Arrive the Silent Man
If there is balance tonight he's awake
if they have to suffer there lies the Silent Man
Sin without deceivers - a God with no believers
I could sail by on the Winds of Silence
and maybe they won't notice
But this time I think
it'd be better if I swim
When there is reason
When there's no answer
Arrive the Silent Man
if there is balance tonight he's Awake
If they have to suffer
There lies the Silent Man


25. Learning To Live

There was no time for pain
No energy for anger
The sightlessness of hatred slips away
Walking through winter streets alone
He stops and takes 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
The way your heart sounds makes all the difference
It's what decides if you'll endure the pain 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 live 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 innocence 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 for ever hold the dreams within our hearts
Through nature's inflexible grace I'm learning to live


26. A Change Of Season

I remember time my friend...

1. Scene One: Regression

[H:]
"Close your eyes and begin to relax. Take a deep breath, and let it out
slowly. Concentrate on your breathing. With each breath you become more
relaxed. Imagine a brilliant white light above you, focusing on this light as
it flows through your body. Allow yourself to drift off as you fall deeper and
deeper into a more relaxed state of mind. Now as I count backward from ten to
one, you will fill more peaceful, and calm. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. You
will enter a safe place where nothing can harm you. Five. Four. Three. Two. If
at any time you need to came back, all you must do is open your eyes. One."

[N:]
Safe in the light that surrounds me
Free of the fear and the pain
My subconscious mind
Starts spinning through time
To rejoin the past once again

Nothing seems real
I`m starting to feel
Lost in the haze of a dream

And as I draw near
The scene becomes clear
Like watching my life on a screen

Hello Victoria so glad to see you
My friend


2. Scene Two: I. Overture

[Instrumental]


3. II. Strange Deja Vu

[N:]
Subconscious strange sensation
Unconscious relaxation
What a pleasant nightmare
And I can`t wait to get there again

Every time I close my eyes
There`s another vivid surprise
Another whole life waiting
Chapters unfinished, fading

Closer now - Slowly coming into view
I`ve arrived - Blinding sunshine beaming through

There`s a house I`m drawn into
Familiar settings, nothing new
There`s a pathway leading there
With a haunting chill in the air

There`s room at the top of the stairs
Every night I`m drawn up there
There`s a girl in the mirror
Her face is getting clearer
Young child won`t you tell me why I`m here?

In her eyes - I sense a story never told
Behind the disguise - There`s something tearing
At her soul

[V:]
Tonight I`ve been searching for it
A feeling that`s deep inside m
Tonight I`ve been searching for
The one that nobody knows
Trying to break free

I just can`t help myself
I`m feeling like I`m going out of my head
Tears my heart into two
I`m not the one the sleeper thought he knew

[N:]
Back on my feet again
Eyes open to real world
Metropolis surrounds me
The mirror`s shattered the girl

Why is this other life
Haunting me everyday
I`d break through the other side
If only I`d find the way

Something`s awfully familiar
The feeling`s so hard to shake
Could I have lived in that other world
It`s a link that I`m destined to make

I`m still searching but I don`t know what for
The missing key to unlock my mind`s door

Today I am searching for it
A feeling that won`t go away
Today I am searching for it
The one that I only know
Trying to break free

I just can`t help myself
I`m feeling like I`m going out of my head
Tears my soul into two
I`m not the one I thought I always knew

I just can`t help myself
I`m feeling like I`m going out of my head
Uncanny, strange Deja Vu
But I don`t mind - I hope to find the truth


4. Scene Three: I. Through My Words

[N:]
All your eyes have ever seen
All you`ve ever heard
Is etched upon my memory
I spoken through my words

All that I take with me
Is all you`ve left behind
We`re sharing one eternity
Living in two minds
Linked by an endless thread
Impossible to break


5. II. Fatal Tragedy

[N:]
Alone at night
I feel so strange
I need to find
All the answers to my dreams

When I sleep at night
I hear the cries
What does this mean?

I shut the door and traveled to another home
I met an older man, he seemed to be alone
I felt that I could trust him
He talked to me that night;

"Lad did you know a girl was murdered here?"
"This fatal tragedy was talked about for years"
Victoria`s gone forever
Only memories remain
She passed away
She was so young

Without love
Without truth
There can be no turning back

Without faith
Without hope
There can be no peace of mind

As the night went on
I started to find my way
I learned about a tragedy
A mystery still today

I tried to get more answers
But he said, "You`re on your own"
Then he turned away and left me
As I stand there all alone
He said, "You`ll know the truth
As your future days unfold"

Without love
Without truth
There can be no turning back

Without faith
Without hope
There can be no peace of mind

[H:]
"Now it`s time to see how you died. Remember that death
is not the end but only a transition."


6. Scene Four: Beyond This Life

[Headline:] "Murder, young girl killed
Desperate shooting at Echoe`s hill
Dreadful ending, killer died
Evidently suicide"

A witness heard a horrifying sound
He ran to find a woman dead and
Lying on the ground

Standing by her was a man
Nervous, shaking, gun in hand
Witness says he tried to help
But he`d turned the weapon on himself

His body fell across that poor young girl
After shouting out in vain
The witness ran to call for assistance
A sad close to a broken love affair

Our deeds have traveled far
What we have been is what we are

She wanted love forever
But he had another plan
He fell into an evil way
She had to let him down
She said "I can`t love a wayward man"

She may have found a reason to forgive
If he had only tried to change
Was their fatal meeting prearranged?

Had a violent struggle taken place?
There was every sign that lead there
Witness found a switchblade on the ground
Was the victim unaware?
They continued to investigate
They found a note in the killer`s pocket
It could have been a suicide letter
Maybe he had lost her love

I feel there`s only one thing left to do
I'd sooner take my life away than live with losing you

Our deeds have traveled far
What we have been is what we are

All that we learn this time
(What we have been is what we are)
Is carried beyond this life


7. Scene Five: Through Her Eyes

[N:]
She never really had a chance
On that fateful moonlight night
Sacrificed without a fight
A victim of her circumstances

Now that I`ve become aware
And I`ve exposed this tragedy
A sadness grows inside of me
It all seems so unfair

I`m learning all about my life
By looking through her eyes

Just beyond the churchyard gates
Where the grass is overgrown
I saw the writing on her stone
I felt like I would suffocate

In loving memory of our child
So innocent, eyes open wide
I felt so empty as I cried
Like part of me had died

And as her image
Wandered through my head
I wept just like a baby

As I lay awake in bed

And I know what it`s like
To lose someone you love
And this felt just the same

She wasn`t given any choice
Desperation stole her voice
I`ve been given so much more in life
I`ve got a son, I`ve got a wife

I had to suffer one last time
To grieve for her and say goodbye
Relieve the anguish of my past
To find out who I was at last

The door has opened wide
I`m turning with the tide
Looking through her eyes


8. Scene Six: Home

[Sleeper:]
Shine-lake of fire
Lines take me higher
My mind drips desire
Confined and overtired

Living this charade
Is getting me nowhere
I can`t shake this charade
The city`s cold blood calls me home
Home it`s what I long for
Back home where I belong

The city - it calls to me
Decadent scenes from my memory
Sorrow - eternity
My demons are coming to drown me

Help - I`m falling, I`m crawling
I can`t keep away from its clutch
Can`t have it, this habit
It`s calling me back to my home

[Miracle:]
I remember the first time she came to me
Poured her soul out all night and cried

I remember I was told there`s a new love that`s born
For each one that has died

I never thought that I
Could carry on with this life
But I can`t resist myself
No matter how hard I try

Living their other life
Is getting them nowhere
I`ll make her my wife
Her sweet temptations calls me home
Home it`s what I long for
My home where she belongs

Her ecstasy - means so much to me
Even deceiving my own blood
Victoria watches and thoughtfully smiles
She`s taking me to my home

Help - he`s my brother, but I love her
I can`t keep away from her touch
Deception, dishonor
It`s calling me back to my home

[N:]
Her story - it holds the key
Unlocking dreams from my memory
Solving this mystery
Is everything that is a part of me

Help - regression, obsession
I can`t keep away from her touch
Leave no doubt, to find out
It`s calling me back to my home


9. Scene Seven: I. The Dance Of Eternity

[Instrumental]


10. II. One Last Time

[N:]
It doesn`t make any sense
This tragic ending
In spite of the evidence
There`s something still missing

Heard some of the rumours told
A taste of one`s wealth
Did Victoria wound his soul?
Did she bid him farewell?

[V:]
One last time
We`ll lay down today
One last time
Until we fade away
One last time
We`ll lay down today
One last time
We slowly fade away

[N:]
Here I am inside his home
It holds the many clues
To my suspicions
And as I`m standing here right now
I`m finally shown what I have always known

Coincidence I can`t believe
As my childhood dreams slowly come true

Are these her memories
Awakened through my eyes
This house has brought back to life

An open door
I walk on through
Into his bedroom

Feeling as cold as outside
The walls disappear
To some woman who`s screaming
A man pleads forgiveness
His words I cannot hear


11. Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On

[N:]
Where did we come from?
Why are we here?
Where do we go when we die?
What lies beyond
And what lay before?
Is anything certain in life?

They say " Life is too short"
"The here and the now"
And " You`re only given one shot"
But could there be more
Have I lived before
Or could this be all that we`ve got?

If I die tomorrow
I`d be alright
Because I believe
That after we`re gone
The spirit carries on

I used to be frightened of dying
I used to think death was the end
But that was before
I`m not scared anymore
I know that my soul will transcend

I may never find all the answers
I may never understand why
I may never prove
What I know to be true
But I know that I still have to try

If I die tomorrow
I`d be alright
Because I believe
That after we`re gone
The spirit carries on

[V:]
"Move on, be brave
Don`t weep at my grave
Because I`m no longer here
But please never let
Your memories of me disappear"

[N:]
Safe in the light that surrounds me
Free of the fear and the pain
My questioning mind
Has help me to find
The meaning in my life again
Victoria`s real
I finally feel
At peace with the girl in my dreams
And now that I`m here
It`s perfectly clear
I found out what all of this means

If I die tomorrow
I`d be alright
Because I believe
That after we`re gone
The spirit carries on


12. Scene Nine: Finally Free

[Hypnotist:]
You are once again surrounded by a brilliant white light.
Allow the light to lead you away from your past and into this lifetime.
As the light dissipates you will slowly fade back into
consciousness, remembering all you have learned.
When I tell you to open your eyes you will return to the present,
Feeling peaceful and refresh.
Open your eyes Nicholas.

[Miracle:]
Friday evening
The blood still on my hands
To think that she would leave me now
For that ungrateful man
Sole survivor
No witness to the crime
I must act fast to cover up
I think that there`s still time
He`d seem hopeless and lost with this note
They`ll buy into the words that I wrote
This feeling
Inside me
Finally found my love
I`ve finally broke free
No longer
Torn in two
I`d take my own life before losing you

[Victoria:]
Feeling good this Friday afternoon
I ran into Julian
Said we'd get together soon
He`s always had my heart
He needs to know
I`ll break free of the Miracle
It`s time for him to go
This feeling
Inside me
Finally found my love
I`ve finally broke free
No longer
Torn in two
He`d kill his brother if he only knew
Their love renewed
They`d rendezvous
In a pathway out of view
They thought no one knew
Then came a shot out of the night
"Open your eyes, Victoria"

[Sleeper:]
One last time
We'll lay down today
One last time
Until we fade away
One last time
We'll lay down today
One last time
We fade away
As their bodies lie still
And the ending draws near
Spirits rise through the air
All their fears disappear
It all becomes clear
A blinding light comes into view
An old soul exchanged for a new
Familiar voice comes shining through

[Nicholas:]
This feeling
Inside me
Finally found my life
I`m finally free
No longer
Torn in two
I learned about my life by living through you
This feeling
Inside me
Finally found my life
I`ve finally broke free
No longer
Torn in two
Living my own life by learning from you
We`ll meet again my friend
Someday soon

[CNN report:]
"... their lead story,
all anticipating the outcome of the man considered to be a member of American nobility.
And as you can imagine, as the skies have grown darker
here over Washington,
The moon has grown darker as well and people here are
beginning to resign themselves to the possibility that they are
witnessing yet another tragedy in a long string of misfortunes.
Reaction from everywhere, from Washington and certainly
from around the world has guess..."

[Hypnotist:]
"Open your eyes, Nicholas'"

[Nicholas:]
"AAAH!"

1. A Change Of Seasons I: The Crimson Sunrise

[music by Dream Theater]

[Instrumental]


2. A Change Of Seasons II: Innocence

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by Mike Portnoy]

I remember a time
My frail, virgin mind
Watched the crimson sunrise
Imagined what it might find
Life was filled with wonder
I felt the warm wind blow
I must explore the boundaries
Transcend the depth of winter's snow

Innocence caressing me
I never felt so young before
There was so much life in me
Still I longed to search for more

But those days are gone now
Changed like a leaf on a tree
Blown away forever
Into the cool autumn breeze
The snow has now fallen
And my sun's not so bright
I struggle to hold on
With the last of my might

In my den of inequity
Viciousness and subtlety
Struggle to ease the pain
Struggle to find the same

Ignorance surrounding me
I've never been so filled with fear
All my life's been drained from me
The end is drawing near...


3. Puppies On Acid

[music by Dream Theater]

[Instrumental]


4. Just Let Me Breathe

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by 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
Just let me breathe...


5. Voices

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by John Petrucci]

'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
Is only in your mind.


6. Take The Time

[music and lyrics by Dream Theater]

"Hold it now...
Wait a minute...
Come on... whew..."

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

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

Find all you need in your mind
If you take the time...


7. Derek Sherinian Piano Solo

[music by Derek Sherinian]

[Instrumental]


8. Lines In The Sand

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by 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 thieves
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
At my side drawing lines in the sand


9. Scarred

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by John Petrucci]
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


10. A Change Of Seasons IV: The Darkest Of Winters

[music by Dream Theater]

[Instrumental]


11. Ytse Jam

[music by Dream Theater]

[Instrumental]


12. Mike Portnoy Drum Solo

[music by Mike Portnoy]

[Instrumental]


13. Trial Of Tears

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by 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
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

[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, raining deep inside me
Nowhere to turn,
I look for a way back home
It's raining, raining, raining deep in heaven
It's raining, raining, raining deep in heaven...


14. Hollow Years

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by 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 your 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 your 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 your head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years

Once the stone
You're crawling under...
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years


15. Take Away My Pain

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by 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 falls

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
Til you come knocking at my door...


16. Caught In A Web

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by James LaBrie and John Petrucci]

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
Refused by 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
Denied and misread


17. Lie

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by Kevin Moore]

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
Don't tell me you wanted me
Don't tell me you thought of me
I won't, I swear I won't
I'll try, I swear I'll try

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
And you can tell your stepfather I said so
Don't tell me you wanted me
Don't tell me you thought of me
I won't, I swear I won't
I'll try, I swear I'll try!!!


18. Peruvian Skies

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by 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

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
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
Poor Vanessa


19. John Petrucci Guitar Solo

[music by John Petrucci]

[Instrumental]


20. Pull Me Under

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by Kevin 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 and 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
Only until your will is done

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
Pull me under Pull me under
Pull me under I'm not afraid
Living my life too much in the sun
Only until your will is done


21. Medley: Metropolis

[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
Confined to this mind


22. Learning To Live

[music by Dream Theater, lyrics by John 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
No more to give

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
I'm learning to live


23. A Change Of Seasons VII: The Crimson Sunset

[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
Live on"

1. New Millennium

[Lyrics: Mike Portnoy]

A single star behind me
A red sky burns ahead
A lonely light below me
Awake among the dead
An overwhelming feeling
Leaves me numband strange
A sense of new beginning
I sense a wind of change

Out with the old useless
People so cold ruthless welcome
In a new millennium
How many times must I
Live out this nightmare I
Can't wait until a new millennium

I've got this feeling
The tide is turning now baby
Funny feeling everything's gonna be alright now

Living out a constant deja vu
Keep your head up
Please be patient we will get to you
Keep your head up
Just have some faith and you can see it
Through
Keep your head up
But faith don't pay the rent that's overdue
Keep your head up
All that's glittering is turning blue
Keep your head up
What they want from me ain't gotta clue
Keep your head up
Swallow pride before it swallows you
Keep your head up
Don't dare bite the hand that's starving you
Keep your head up

How can you keep your head
And not go insane when the only light at the end
Of the tunnel is another train

The lies ten feet tall
Have broken my fall
Welcome you all new millennium

It's well overdue and I can't wait to
Welcome in a new millennium
I've got this feeling
The tide is turning now baby
Funny feeling
Everything's gonna be alright now


2. You Not Me

[Lyrics: John Petrucci & Desmond Child]

Being round you is driving me crazy
Watching you run is making me lazy
You're trying to buy a place in my head
Telling me lines I've already read
Speaking my name to try to confuse me
Say it again you're starting to lose me

That's alright I'm okay
It happens every single day
It's all the same
But I'm not blind

It's all about you not me
It's all about the things
That you're expecting me to be
There's not enough time to live
And all that you're expecting me to give

It's all about you not me
It's all about you not me

You're building my prison brick by brick
Eating your words is making me sick
You get what you want
Cause nothing is sacred
You're reading my mind
And leaving me naked
You say I gotta give before I receive it
One of these days I'll believe it.

It's all about you not me
It's all about the things
That you're expecting me to be
There's not enough time to live
And all that you're expecting me to give

It's all about you not me
It's all about you not me


3. Peruvian Skies

[Lyrics: 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
Poor Vanessa


4. Hollow Years

[Lyrics: 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
Is the crashing down of hollow years


5. Burning My Soul

[Lyrics: Mike Portnoy]

A thorn in my side, a chip on my shoulder
A lump in my throat, the size of a boulder
The chill up my spine, can't get any colder
And you wonder why I can't smile

A knot in my gut, an ape on my back
In the heat of the moment, I'm knocked off the track
You drop the ball, I pick up the slack
And you ask me why my hairs gray

Twisting, turning
Losing all sense of yearning
Living and learning
The pressure keeps on burning my soul

I say it's green and then you tell me it's red
Keep your thoughts and ideas
Locked inside of your head
We've got someone
Who can think for you instead
And he sounds just like the last one

Twisting, turning
Losing all sense of yearning
Living and learning
The pressure keeps on burning my soul

Responsible thinkers
Throw caution to the wind
But I find myself
Speaking from within
I can't live my life
Walking on eggshells
To stay on your good side

Using your words
Controlling my life
Can't you see it's my words
That gives you your life
So I hurt your feelings
Well I'm really sorry
But I don't give a shit...

Twisting, turning
Losing all sense of yearning
Living and learning
The pressure keeps on burning my soul


6. Hell's Kitchen



7. Lines In The Sand

[Lyrics: 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 thieves
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
At my side drawing lines in the sand


8. Take Away My Pain

[Lyrics: 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 falls

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
Til you come knocking at my door.......


9. Just Let Me Breathe

[Lyrics: 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
Just let me breathe.......


10. Anna Lee

[Lyrics: James LaBrie]

Helpless child
They invite your hands to fill their needs
Will you be the same
Shameless smile
To steal from you the innocence that bleeds
Will they feel your pain

Trying to believe
The scars unseen
The tears wash clean
You don't wanna breathe the air you breathe
You don't know how you'll live a life alone

She keeps holding on
Holding on to you
Let her breathe the air
Don't wanna be alone where do you belong
Anna lee

Behind those eyes
The vivid scene
A lucid dream within
Questioned secrets are revealed
And everytime
You can't deny
The lines that trace your skin
Wounds that never heal

Trying to believe
The scars unseen
The tears wash clean
You don't wanna breathe the air you breathe
You don't know how you'll live a life alone

She keeps holding on
Holding on to you
Let her breathe the air
Don't wanna be alone where do you belong
Anna Lee

And now she's calling out a name
Can't keep on hiding all her pain
You feel the rain move in
As you begin
To turn and answer the call

Trying to believe
The scars unseen
The tears wash clean
You don't wanna breathe the air you breathe
You don't know how you'll live a life alone

She keeps holding on
Holding on to you
Let her breathe the air
Don't wanna be alone where do you belong
Anna Lee


11. Trial Of Tears
[Lyrics: 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, raining deep inside me
Nowhere to turn,
I look for a way back home
It's raining, raining, raining deep in heaven