Scenes from a Memory

(note: if you're too lazy to read, just skim it and scroll down to the lyrics.. i particularly like the meaningfulness of the last one :))

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal/rock band formed by three students at the Berklee College of Music in the mid-1980s. In the twenty years since their inception, they have become the most commercially successful progressive band since the height of progressive rock in the mid-1970s, despite being relatively unknown in mainstream pop and rock circles.

they have this crazy crazy guitarist, John Petrucci and a drummer from another universe, Mike Portnoy (check the link above for further details..)

Anyway, so i learned about Dream Theater, progressive metal & prog rock, off-beats and all that, all at one time, and i kept practicing this knowledge on what i heard for DT.. my 1st experience was the album Scenes from a Memory..
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory, released in 1999, is Dream Theater's fifth studio album. It is a concept album that deals with the story of Nicholas and the discovery of his past life, which involves love, murder and infidelity as Victoria Page.

As its name might imply, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory is a sequel; it follows "Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper", a song from the band's second album, Images and Words. However, when naming Metropolis Pt. 1 the band's intention was not to write a two part epic - it was intended as a joke. Only after continuous pleas from fans did the band begin working on "Part 2".

In general, what i loved about it was that its mainly a guy at his psychiatrist going through hypnosis and remembering his story, so u hear the "tic-toc" of the hypnotising thing quite often, and in "Regression" you it's almost all the hypnosis procedure.... It's mainly a hypnostist and our protagonist, Nicholas.. telling the story of his love to Victoria, her infidelity with his brother, and his revenge.

For anyone who's interested, here is the track listing...

Scene One: Regression (2:06) (music and lyrics by Petrucci)
Scene Two: I. Overture 1928 (3:37) (Dream Theater, instrumental)
Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu (5:12) (Dream Theater, Portnoy)
Scene Three: I. Through My Words (1:02) (Petrucci)
Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy (6:49) (Dream Theater, Myung)
Scene Four: Beyond This Life (11:22) (Dream Theater, Petrucci)
Scene Five: Through Her Eyes (5:29) (Dream Theater, Petrucci)
Scene Six: Home (12:53) (Dream Theater, Portnoy)
Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity (6:13) (Dream Theater, instrumental)
Scene Seven: II. One Last Time (3:46) (Dream Theater, LaBrie)
Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On (6:38) (Dream Theater, Petrucci)
Scene Nine: Finally Free (11:59) (Dream Theater, Portnoy)


i loved Scenes 1, 5, 7 (part II), 8, 9. i cant recall the rest, but its possible i liked some of them too..

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



Scene Seven: 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 allright
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 allright
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 allright
Because I believe
That after we`re gone
The spirit carries on