Over the course of various lineup changes, Petrucci and Myung have been the only two constant members, and Portnoy remained with the band until 2010, when he left to pursue other musical endeavors and he has since been replaced by Mangini. After a brief stint with Chris Collins, followed by Charlie Dominici (who was dismissed from Dream Theater not long after the release of their first album), LaBrie was hired as the band's singer in 1991. Dream Theater's first keyboardist, Kevin Moore, left the band after three albums and was replaced by Derek Sherinian in 1995 after a period of touring. After just one album with Sherinian, they replaced him with current keyboardist Jordan Rudess in 1999.
To date, Dream Theater has released fifteen studio albums. The band's highest-selling release is their second album Images and Words (1992), which reached No. 61 on the Billboard 200 chart. Both the albums Awake (1994) and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002) also entered the charts at No. 32 and No. 46, respectively, and received critical acclaim. Their fifth album, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999), was ranked number 95 on the October 2006 issue of Guitar World magazine's list of the greatest 100 guitar albums of all time. It was also ranked as the 15th Greatest Concept Album in March 2003 by Classic Rock Magazine.
As of 2018, Dream Theater has sold over 12 million records worldwide and has received three Grammy Award nominations (including one win in 2022). Along with QueensrΓΏche and Fates Warning, the band has been referred to as one of the "big three" of the progressive metal genre, responsible for its development and popularization.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Theater
Studio albums
When Dream and Day Unite (1989)
Images and Words (1992)
Awake (1994)
Falling into Infinity (1997)
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999)
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)
Train of Thought (2003)
Octavarium (2005)
Systematic Chaos (2007)
Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)
A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011)
Dream Theater (2013)
The Astonishing (2016)
Distance over Time (2019)
A View from the Top of the World (2021)
Afterlife
Dream Theater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who made me run
Away from my own soul
In this world with its
Many illusions
We are moving like mice through a
Maze
What's left behind
Has served to make me whole
Full of doubt, deception, and delusion
Seeking purpose to all earthly days
I search within
Beneath a skin
That bears both pleasure and pain
In a world full of constant confusion
I will not be a par to the craze
In the Afterlife
Will dark be bright?
Will cold be warm?
Will the day have no night?
In the Afterlife?
Will the blind have sight?
In the Afterlife
Behind closed eyes
Some comfort lies
In knowing the truth never spoken
Through this world with us
Hidden conclusion
We'll keep moving like mice through
A maze
In the Afterlife
Will dark be bright?
Will cold be warm?
Will the day have no night?
In the Afterlife?
Will the blind have sight?
In the Afterlife
In the Afterlife
Will dark be bright?
Will cold be warm?
Will the day have no night?
In the Afterlife?
Will the blind have sight?
In the Afterlife
The song "Afterlife" by Dream Theater is a contemplative piece that grapples with the search for purpose and meaning in the midst of earthly confusion and illusion. The singer acknowledges his or her own struggles with doubt, deception, and delusion while seeking understanding within themselves, specifically "beneath a skin that bears both pleasure and pain." The lyrics suggest that life operates like a maze, and that in this world we are "moving like mice" trying to find our way through it.
The singer poses a series of questions about what the afterlife might be like, wondering if everything will be different than what we experience in our current reality. They ask if darkness will turn to light, if cold will become warmth, and if the day will always be bright without a night. The repeated refrain of "In the Afterlife?" emphasizes the singer's curiosity and the fundamental unknowns that surround this concept.
The final lines of the song suggest that there is some comfort to be found in recognizing "the truth never spoken," even if it remains hidden. The overall impression is one of searching, questioning, and ultimately accepting the mysteries of life and death.
Line by Line Meaning
I touched with one
I encountered someone
Who made me run
Who caused me to flee
Away from my own soul
Away from my true self
In this world with its
Many illusions
In this world filled with deceptions
We are moving like mice through a
Maze
We are navigating aimlessly through life
And now I find
What's left behind
Has served to make me whole
What remains has helped me become complete
Full of doubt, deception, and delusion
Seeking purpose to all earthly days
Filled with uncertainty and illusions, searching for a meaning to life
I search within
Beneath a skin
That bears both pleasure and pain
I search within myself to find the good and the bad
In a world full of constant confusion
I will not be a par to the craze
In a world that is constantly chaotic, I will not conform to the norm
Will dark be bright?
Will cold be warm?
Will the day have no night?
Will everything be different in the afterlife?
Will the blind have sight?
Will those who cannot see gain vision?
Behind closed eyes
Some comfort lies
In knowing the truth never spoken
When we close our eyes, we find solace in the unknown truth
Through this world with us
Hidden conclusion
We'll keep moving like mice through
A maze
We will continue to wander through life, searching for answers
In the Afterlife
Will dark be bright?
Will cold be warm?
Will the day have no night?
Will everything be different in the afterlife?
Will the blind have sight?
Will those who cannot see gain vision?
In the Afterlife
Will dark be bright?
Will cold be warm?
Will the day have no night?
Will everything be different in the afterlife?
Will the blind have sight?
Will those who cannot see gain vision?
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLIE DOMINICI, JOHN MYUNG, JOHN P. PETRUCCI, KEVIN F. MOORE, MICHAEL S. PORTNOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tim rodgers
In my opinion this is the best song of the album
Scott Summers
Only a Matter of Time is right there though...
Paolo Baldini
Agreed
Insteument-al Lover
yes
Hashyno
This is the most natural and unpretensious song they've ever made. Hence, their best song.
Jacob Kirstein
@Adrian Rios I'm with you :D
TheHornet79
Dominici has such a dreamy voice. Fits perfectly with this song.
Mr. Vinster Guyster
Geddy Lee
chuckecw
They should never have got rid of him...I remember we were in college in NYC when we saw Dream Theater's ad for a new singer running in the Village Voice...not a happy day...
ghaliboy
Insanely underrated song.