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members, and Portnoy remained with the band until 2010, when he left to pursue other musical endeavors and he has since been replaced by Mangini.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)
Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
Dream Theater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thoughts remain without an answer
Afraid and uninvited
He slowly drifts away
Moved by desire and fear
Breaking delicate wings
Off a Dream once broken
She can turn a drop of water
Into an ocean
As the rain is pouring down
Tears of sorrow wash his mind
Drifting with the current
This stream of life flows on
He seems alone and silent
Waiting on his hands and knees
The chill of winter's darkness sits quietly
Moved by desire and fear
He takes a few steps away
Lifting shadows
Off a Dream once broken
She can turn a drop of water
Into an ocean
And she listens openly
He pours his soul into the water
Reflecting the mystery
She carries him away
And the winds die slowly
And she listens openly
And she listens openly
Lifting shadows
Off a Dream once broken
She can turn a drop of water
Into an ocean
Lifting Shadows off a Dream
Lifting Shadows off a Dream
The lyrics to Dream Theater's song Lifting Shadows is deeply introspective and emotional. The song begins by painting the picture of a man who is lost and struggling to find answers to his thoughts. He feels afraid and uninvited, and as a result, is slowly drifting away. The lyrics describe him as being moved by desire and fear, which breaks his delicate wings.
As the song progresses, we find out that there is a woman who can turn a drop of water into an ocean, offering hope to the man. However, the imagery of rain pouring down and tears of sorrow washing his mind suggests that he is still struggling to come to terms with his emotions. He seems to be waiting and hoping for a guiding force, which may be represented by the woman who can provide answers and healing.
The song is ultimately about finding hope and being lifted out of a dark place. It portrays the fluctuations of emotions and the battles within the human mind. Through the journey of the song, the lyrics convey the power of hope, love, and support in times of need.
Line by Line Meaning
He seems alone and silent
The singer is isolated and quiet
Thoughts remain without an answer
He is plagued by unanswered thoughts
Afraid and uninvited
He feels unwelcome and scared
He slowly drifts away
He begins to distance himself from his surroundings
Moved by desire and fear
His actions are influenced by his wants and fears
Breaking delicate wings
He is causing harm to something fragile
Lifting shadows
Removing darkness and despair
Off a Dream once broken
From a dream that was previously shattered
She can turn a drop of water
She has the ability to create something remarkable
Into an ocean
Out of something small can come something immense
As the rain is pouring down
The weather reflects the singer's sorrow
Tears of sorrow wash his mind
He is emotionally overwhelmed
Drifting with the current
His life is moving without direction
This stream of life flows on
Life continues regardless
Waiting on his hands and knees
He is helpless and waiting
The chill of winter's darkness sits quietly
The darkness and despair surround him
He takes a few steps away
He begins to distance himself even more
He pours his soul into the water
He is releasing his emotions
Reflecting the mystery
The water represents the unknown
She carries him away
The woman helps him escape his troubles
And the winds die slowly
The chaos and turbulence are resolving
And she listens openly
She is accepting of his emotions
Lifting Shadows off a Dream
Removing the darkness from his dreams
Lifting Shadows off a Dream
Overcoming the difficulties to reach his dreams
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