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members, and Portnoy remained with the band until 2010, when he left to pursue other musical endeavors and he has since been replaced by Mangini.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 Queensrÿche 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)
Innocence Faded
Dream Theater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breathes a cloudless mind
Fascination
Leaves the doubting blind
Until the circle breaks and wisdom lies ahead
The faithful live Awake
The rest remain misled
One as if time disappears
Innocence faded
The mirror falls behind you
Trinity jaded
I break down walls to find you
Callow and vain
Fixed like a fossil, shrouding pain
Passionless stage
Distant like brothers
Wearing apathetic displays
Sharing flesh like envy in cages
Condescending
Not intending to end
Some will transcend spinning years
One as if time disappears
Innocence faded
The mirror falls behind you
Trinity jaded
I break down walls to find you
Beginnings get complicated
The farther we progress
Opinions are calculated
Immune to openness
Beyond the circle's edge
We're driven by her blessings
Forever hesitating
Caught beneath the wheel
Innocence faded
The mirror falls behind you
Cynically jaded
The child will crawl to find you
The opening verse of Dream Theater's song Innocence Faded is a powerful statement on the importance of seizing opportunities for growth and wisdom. The image of animation breathing a cloudless mind suggests a state of clarity and receptivity. Meanwhile, fascination is seen as a force that can remove doubt and reveal new insights. These lines suggest that there are moments in life when we are primed for growth and change, when we can shed our old beliefs and become more enlightened.
The second verse offers a contrast to this theme, introducing the idea of stagnation and fossilization. The imagery of fixed fossils shrouding pain suggests that some people become trapped in their own past traumas and experiences. This is further emphasized by the idea of distant brothers wearing apathetic displays, suggesting that people can become closed off and disengaged from one another. This state of being is described as passionless and callow, which could be interpreted as a kind of emotional death.
However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is not content to let this state of affairs continue. He breaks down walls to find the trinity that has been jaded, suggesting that he is actively seeking connection and enlightenment. The final verse reinforces this message by suggesting that progress is a difficult but necessary process. The image of being caught beneath the wheel implies that growth can be painful, but it is a process that cannot be stopped. In the end, even the most cynical and jaded among us can still be motivated to seek enlightenment and growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Animation
Vibrancy in life
Breathes a cloudless mind
The freedom from any anxieties, feeling light and positive emotions
Fascination
Attraction towards something new or interesting
Leaves the doubting blind
Helping people who have doubts and skeptical thoughts become more confident in life
Until the circle breaks and wisdom lies ahead
People must transcend from their current beliefs in order to gain more knowledge
The faithful live Awake
The ones who are passionate and have unwavering adherence to their beliefs and values are fully conscious
The rest remain misled
Those who don't understand or follow their passions become misguided
Some will transcend spinning years
Some will be able to overcome the passing time and change their views or beliefs
One as if time disappears
Someone is able to move beyond the constraints of time and live in the present moment
Innocence faded
The loss of purity or being unaware of certain aspects of life
The mirror falls behind you
Looking ahead and not dwelling on the past
Trinity jaded
The three important aspects have become disillusioned
I break down walls to find you
Working hard to overcome obstacles and reach a goal
Callow and vain
Inexperienced and self-centered
Fixed like a fossil, shrouding pain
Being stuck in one's ways and hiding deep emotional pain
Passionless stage
A life without interests and happiness
Distant like brothers
Emotionally detached, even among close relationships
Wearing apathetic displays
Showing complete lack of interest and enthusiasm
Sharing flesh like envy in cages
Being envious of others yet trapped by one's own body
Condescending
Talking down to others and showing off superiority
Not intending to end
Not wanting to change despite knowing it is necessary for growth
Beginnings get complicated
Starting something new can be difficult and challenging
The farther we progress
The more one advances the more difficult the journey becomes
Opinions are calculated
People's thoughts are well thought out and formed with reason
Immune to openness
Being unwilling to listen to or consider different perspectives
Beyond the circle's edge
Striving for the unknown and unfamiliar
We're driven by her blessings
We are motivated by the positive aspects of life
Forever hesitating
Being indecisive and unsure of what to do
Caught beneath the wheel
Trapped in life's difficulties with no way out
Cynically jaded
Bitter and resentful towards life
The child will crawl to find you
The innocent part of oneself will go to great lengths to rediscover true passion and joy in life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN MYUNG, JOHN PETRUCCI, JOHN RO MYUNG, KEVIN F. MOORE, KEVIN JAMES LABRIE, KEVIN JAMES LA BRIE, MICHAEL PORTNOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind