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members, and Portnoy remained with the band until 2010, when he left to pursue other musical endeavors and he has since been replaced by Mangini.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)
Xanadu
Dream Theater Lyrics
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The lyrics of Dream Theater's song Xanadu speak of a journey towards immortality and the search for paradise. The singer is driven by a desire to seek out the mysteries that lie beyond death and the limitations of humanity. They travel to remote and unknown lands in search of clues and information that will help them in their quest.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the journey ahead: "To seek the sacred river Alph, to walk the caves of ice, to break my fast on honeydew, and drink the milk of Paradise." These lines suggest a search for some kind of divine, otherworldly experience that will elevate the singer beyond the mundane world of mortal existence.
The main focus of the song is the search for Xanadu, a fabled place that represents the ultimate goal of the singer's quest. They travel across frozen mountain tops and through unknown territories, driven by a desire to locate this utopian paradise. When they finally arrive, they find themselves held within a "Pleasure Dome" decreed by Kubla Khan, and they taste "anew the fruits of life" as the "last immortal man". However, despite achieving their goal, they find themselves trapped and weary of their existence.
Overall, the lyrics of Xanadu explore themes of mortality, transcendence, and the search for meaning beyond the confines of human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
To seek the sacred river Alph
I embark on a journey to find the sacred river Alph
To walk the caves of ice
I am willing to face the harshness of nature's landscape
To break my fast on honeydew
I expect my journey to bear sweet fruits
And drink the milk of Paradise...
I hope to experience ultimate bliss
I had heard the whispered tales of immortality
I am aware of the stories of everlasting life
The deepest mystery
The concept of immortality is shrouded in obscurity
From an ancient book I took a clue
I have found a hint in an ancient text
I scaled the frozen mountain tops of eastern lands unknown
I blazed a trail across uncharted terrain to pursue my goal
Time and Man alone
Only my willpower and perseverance can see me through
Searching for the lost Xanadu...
I set out to find the fabled Xanadu
To stand within the Pleasure Dome
I aspire to enter the luxurious Pleasure Dome
Decreed by Kubla Khan
The Pleasure Dome is established by the great Kubla Khan
To taste anew the fruits of life
I desire to reinvigorate my sense of living
The last immortal man
I want to be the only being that lives forever
A thousand years have come and gone but time has passed me by
I have been pursuing my quest for so long that time has become meaningless
Stars stopped in the sky
The universe has come to a standstill
Frozen in an everlasting view
Everything has come to a halt and nothing seems to change
Waiting for the world to end, weary of the night
I am exhausted and waiting for the apocalypse
Praying for the light
I am hoping for some salvation
Prison of the lost
I am stuck in a hopeless situation
Held within the Pleasure Dome
Even the Pleasure Dome has become a prison of its own
To taste my bitter triumph
My victory has no meaning, and I have tasted defeat
As a mad immortal man
I have become delusional, fueled by my desire for immortality
Nevermore shall I return
I will not come back to this torment
Escape these caves of ice
I need to escape the frozen wasteland that has become a symbol of my decay
For I have dined on honeydew
I achieved what I wanted, but it gave me no joy
And drunk the milk of Paradise
I have tasted what I thought was ultimate bliss, but it left me unsatisfied
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind