This Dying Soul
Dream Theater Lyrics

Hello, mirror,so glad to see you my friend, it's been a while
Addressing his reflection in the mirror, the author expresses happiness to see himself again after a long time.

Searching, fearless,where do I begin to heal this wound of self-denial
Feeling brave and unafraid, the author starts looking inside himself to find and fix the wound caused by his denial of personal issues.

Face yourself man!
The author tells himself that he must confront his true self and acknowledge his mistakes.

Brace yourself and trace your hell back
The author encourages himself to prepare for the difficult journey of self-discovery and analyze his past traumas and struggles.

You’ve been blinded, living lie a one way cold existence all the while
The author realizes that he has been living a lie and has been blind to his true feelings and needs, leading to a lonely and depressing life.

Now it’s time to stare the problem right between the eyes you long lost child
The author realizes that he has been avoiding facing his issues for a long time, and now he must confront them with a child's curiosity and honesty.

I wanna feel your body breaking Wanna feel your body breaking and shaking and left in the cold I want to heal your conscience making a change to fix this dying soul
The author wants to experience the pain of breaking free from his old self, in order to heal his conscience and revive his soul from agony and decay.

Born into this world a broken home Surrounded by love yet all alone Forced into a life that's split in two A mother and a father both pulling you
The author describes his childhood, being raised in a broken home with parents who could not stay together, resulting in a conflicted and lonely upbringing.

Then you had to deal with loss and death Everybody thinking they know best Coping with this shit at such an age Can only fill a kid with pain and rage
The author encountered a lot of loss and death in his life at an early age, and the people around him thought they knew how to handle it, which only led to more pain, anger, and resentment.

Family disease pumped through your blood Never had the chance you thought you could Running all the while with no escape Turning all that pain in to blame and hate
The author inherited a family disease that affected him physically and mentally, preventing him from achieving what he wanted in life, and leading him to run away from his problems and turn his pain into bitterness and fault-finding.

Living on your own by twenty one Not a single care and having fun Consuming all the life in front of you Burning out the fuse and smoking the residue
As a young adult, the author enjoyed living a carefree life, indulging in everything he could, but he was also consuming himself and burning out from the recklessness.

Possessive obsessions selfish childish games Vengeful resentments Passing all the blame Living out a life of decadence Acing without thought of consequence Spreading all your lies from coast to coast While spitting on the ones that matter most
The author describes his past behaviors of being selfish, obsessed, childish, and vengeful, blaming others for his problems while living a life of indulgence and not considering consequences. He also created problems and hurt the people who were closest to him, by lying and disrespecting them.

Running power mad with no control Fighting for the credit they once stole No one can ever tell you what to do Ruling other's lives while the can't stand the thought of you
The author became addicted to power and control, fighting back for what he perceived as stolen credit, and refusing to listen to anyone's advice. He also ruled and manipulated other people's lives, while they started to dislike and reject him.

A living reflection seen from miles away A hopeless affliction having run astray
The author realizes that he had become an easily recognizable, but a hopeless reflection of his old self, having lost his way and feeling trapped.

Now that you can see all you have done It's time to take that step into the kingdom All your sins will only make you strong And help you break right through the prison wall
The author acknowledges his actions and their consequences, realizing that he must move forward and start making the changes necessary to break free from his prison of guilt and regret. He believes that learning from his mistakes will give him the strength to do so.

Come to me my friend (Listen to me) I'll help this torture end (Help to set me free) Let your ego go (I can't carry this load) You can't go through this alone (I feel so hopeless and exposed) You'll find your peace of mind (Give me some direction) You can no longer hide (Break out of this isolation) Let humility (Openness, honesty) And become what you can be (A healing tranquility)
The author asks for help from his friend, acknowledging that he needs help to overcome his struggles. He then lets go of his ego, knowing that he cannot carry his burden alone. He trusts that his friend will help him find direction and end his isolation, by being humble and honest, and thus, become a peaceful and healed individual.

These tormenting ghosts of yesterday Will vanish when exposed You can't hold onto your secrets They'll only send you back alone
The author believes that his past traumas and secrets will only harm him if he keeps them inside, but he can move on and let go of his ghosts by facing them.

Your fearless admissions Will help expel your destructive obsessions With my help I know you can Be at one with God and man
The author encourages himself to express his fears and problems openly, believing that doing so will help him overcome his destructive habits. He trusts in his friend's support and believes that being honest will bring him closer to God and humanity.

Hear me Believe me Take me I'm ready to break right through this prison wall
The author asks his friend to pay attention to what he's saying, to trust him, and to join him in his journey to break free from his self-destructive past and find peace.