Coney Hatch
LaBrie did join Coney Hatch in the year 1986 when they endeavored to assemble a fresh assemblage. The troupe did record sundry tapes for display within their chamber of practice and did partake in live performances at clubs in Ontario for several months. When their recording establishment, Anthem, did voice their dissatisfaction with the assemblage, the band did opt to replace LaBrie with Phil Naro, making one final desperate effort to forge ahead in the absence of Carl Dixon. Alas, that assemblage did prove to be short-lived as well.
Winter Rose
Shortly after parting ways with Coney Hatch, LaBrie took up the mantle of vocalist for the glam metal troupe Winter Rose. The assemblage comprised Richard Chycki on guitar and bass, Randy Cooke on drums, and Sebastian Bach on vocal duties. Chycki had aforetime collaborated with Bach under the appellations Sebastian and Hope. The band embarked upon the recording of a sequence of demos throughout the years of 1988 and 1989, enlisting the aid of guest musicians Bruce Dies and Rob Laidlaw. Alas, the majority of these compositions did not witness a commercial release until the year 1997, when they were unveiled as a self-titled opus under the auspices of Inside Out Music, a full seven years after their dissolution in 1990. One among their repertoire, the melodic opus "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," did receive the honor of a promotional video release in the year 1989 and was later included on their eponymous creation. The entire compilation featured compositions co-authored by Richard Chycki and James LaBrie, with the exception of two pieces solely penned by Richard Chycki.
Dream Theater
In the year 1990, LaBrie received word that the American progressive metal band Dream Theater sought a new minstrel, and thus he proffered a tape and swiftly journeyed to New York for a comprehensive audition. The trial proved fruitful, and he surpassed 200 other aspiring candidates to assume the role of full-time vocalist in said troupe.
Henceforth, LaBrie hath exerted a substantial influence upon the vocal melodies woven within each Dream Theater opus. However, until recently, he hath had limited involvement in the instrumentation of their music. The album "A Dramatic Turn of Events" from the year 2011 doth bear LaBrie's name in the music credits for three songs. To this day, he hath penned or co-penned lyrics for no less than one composition upon ten of the fifteen albums released by Dream Theater during his tenure. Albums such as "Images and Words," "Black Clouds & Silver Linings," "Dream Theater," and "The Astonishing" doth lack his lyrical contributions.
When queried by Prog-Sphere.com regarding his favored song to perform live, James declared, "The song that most delights me is 'Scarred'; I thoroughly enjoy its execution before an audience. And... well, 'Octavarium,' that comprehensive piece, doth captivate me entirely."
Apart from his collaborative endeavors, LaBrie hath released five solo albums under various appellations, including "Mullmuzzler," "James LaBrie's Mullmuzzler," and simply "James LaBrie."
In an interview with Beyond The Dark Horizon on June 12, 2010, James LaBrie revealed that his forthcoming solo endeavor, titled "Static Impulse," lieth in the stage of mixing and shall comprise twelve compositions. James professed, "It is of a weighty nature, and I am exceedingly excited."
On the twenty-seventh day of July in the year 2010, Dream Theater's website did proclaim that "Static Impulse" would be unveiled on September 27, 2010, courtesy of Inside Out Music. The assemblage boasts the talents of longtime collaborator Matt Guillory upon the keyboards, Marco Sfogli (who hath also graced LaBrie's previous work, "Elements of Persuasion") upon the guitars, Peter Wildoer of the Swedish melodic death metal band Darkane, who doth provide percussion and bellowing vocals, and Ray Riendeau upon the bass.
James LaBrie did express, "The unveiling of 'Static Impulse' is an event that engenders fervor within the entire band. This is modern metal, as robust and pertinent as any other ensemble embarking upon a similar musical path. There are riffs that shall rend the mind asunder, and melodies—both instrumental and vocal—that are mesmerizing. Take the reins and let the ears bleed. Enjoy, and we shall encounter you on the road to accompany and bolster this release."
In an interview with Prog-Sphere.com in 2011, LaBrie mentioned that the planned tour in the United States had been canceled, remarking, "Forsooth, for it was disarrayed ere this occasion. Where we find ourselves now, by the time thou dost procure the necessary visas, we shall have scarce a rehearsal ere we embark. I declare, 'I shall not partake in such a venture.'"
Come the month of July in the year 2013, LaBrie's album "Impermanent Resonance" was unveiled by Inside Out Music. "Beautiful Shade of Grey" followed suit in the year 2022.
Albums
MullMuzzler
Keep It to Yourself (1999)
MullMuzzler 2 (2001)
Solo
Elements of Persuasion (2005)
Static Impulse (2010)
Impermanent Resonance (2013)
I Will Not Break (2014) (Compilation EP)
Beautiful Shade of Grey (2022)
Oblivious
James LaBrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her arrogance a sure foot in
Could blow her cover
If I warned them
Letting them know
She's not who she pretends
My stomach in knots
Consumed with these thoughts
That kept on playing over
I sway back and forth
My face it contorts
Interpret obscene
Oblivious I seem
It never will end
Look at what I am
I have no more pride
It ditched my ride
I'm useless
It happened so quick
It makes me feel sick
A sheer heart attack
I guess I got my wish
Now
Where are you now
Now
Where are you now
So you think that you can handle her
She's not your type
But man she's pulling you in
I've seen the look
Think you've got her all figured out
But you don't know
It's her who's pulling your strings
Your stomach in knots
A relentless force
Consumed with these thoughts
That keep on playing over
You sway back and forth
Your face it contorts
Interpret obscene
Oblivious I seem you
It never will end
Look at who I am
I have no more pride
It ditched my ride
I'm useless
It happened so quick
It makes me feel sick
A sheer heart attack
I guess I got my wish
Now
Where are you now
Now
Where are you now
Hey Dad
Did you get my picture
Your girl turned out
Being just like you
You bought my love
And I'm rotten to the core
Don't know what's love
It's my tribute to you
My stomach in knots
A relentless force
Consumed with these thoughts
That kept on playing over
I sway back and forth
My face it contorts
Interpret obscene
Oblivious you've been
It never will end
Look at what I am
I have no more pride
You ditched my ride
I'm useless
Entangled in this
You know you're the prick
And can't take it back
Hey Dad but you knew best
Now
Where are you now
Now
Where are you now
Now
Where are you now
Now
Where are you now
The lyrics of "Oblivious" by James LaBrie carry a theme of looking through a person's facade to see their true intentions. It begins with the singer observing a woman who is pretending to be someone she's not and feeling the urgency to warn others. The singer is consumed with thoughts and haunted by the situation, and he questions his own ability to interpret the situation clearly. He feels a sense of helplessness and uselessness, and it's highlighted by the repetition of phrases like "my stomach in knots" and "I'm useless."
The second verse shifts the focus to someone else who is falling for the same facade. The singer warns the person that they are being manipulated but knows that they won't listen. The third verse reveals a deeper meaning behind the song, as the singer addresses their father, blaming him for their own inability to understand love and forming dysfunctional relationships. The repetition of "now where are you now" suggests that the singer is looking for answers and closure.
Overall, "Oblivious" portrays the struggle between appearances and reality, and the difficulty of seeing past one's own blind spots. It's a song that confronts vulnerability, self-doubt, and the challenges of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a stranger in the waiting
Feeling like a stranger waiting for something to happen
Her arrogance a sure foot in
Her arrogance is getting her what she wants
Could blow her cover
If I warned others, I could reveal her true nature
If I warned them
If I warned others about her true nature
Letting them know
Informing others
She's not who she pretends
She is not what she appears to be
My stomach in knots
Feeling anxious and nervous
A relentless force
An unstoppable feeling
Consumed with these thoughts
Overwhelmed by these thoughts
That kept on playing over
That keep recurring
I sway back and forth
Feeling restless and unstable
My face it contorts
My facial expression changes in response to my emotions
Interpret obscene
Misinterpret something in a vulgar way
Oblivious I seem
Appearing completely unaware
It never will end
This situation will never come to a conclusion
Look at what I am
Examining one's own self
I have no more pride
Feeling ashamed and humiliated
It ditched my ride
Feeling like something has betrayed me or left me behind
I'm useless
Feeling worthless and unimportant
It happened so quick
The situation escalated quickly
It makes me feel sick
Feeling disgusted, physically or emotionally
A sheer heart attack
A sudden and intense panic or fear
I guess I got my wish
Perhaps I asked for this situation to happen
So you think that you can handle her
You believe you can handle her influence and charm
She's not your type
She is not the kind of person you usually associate with
But man she's pulling you in
But she is still drawing you into her world
I've seen the look
I have observed this before
Think you've got her all figured out
Believing that you understand her completely
But you don't know
But you have a lot to learn
It's her who's pulling your strings
She is the one manipulating you
Your stomach in knots
Feeling anxious and nervous
Oblivious I seem you
You seem completely unaware
It never will end
This situation will never come to a conclusion
You ditched my ride
You have abandoned me
Entangled in this
Caught up in this situation
You know you're the prick
You know you have caused this predicament
And can't take it back
You cannot undo what has been done
Hey Dad but you knew best
A sarcastic remark about blaming the father for their flawed character
Hey Dad
A direct address to the father
Did you get my picture
Asking if the father received a photo
Your girl turned out
Your child became
Being just like you
Being similar in character to you
You bought my love
You tried to buy my affection
And I'm rotten to the core
And I have become corrupt inside
Don't know what's love
Feeling uncertain about what love really is
It's my tribute to you
Blaming the father for their own corrupted nature
Now
In present
Where are you now
Where are you present, what are you doing
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN JAMES WHERRY, KEVIN JAMES LABRIE, MATTHEW JAMES GUILLORY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind