Vocalist Mike Baker, only 45 years old, passed away on October 29, 2008 of a heart attack.
Several members of Shadow Gallery have made their contribution to other projects like MullMuzzler, Ayreon, Explorers Club and Star One.
All members of Shadow Gallery have fairly successful, busy lives outside the band (several are audio engineers).
Society of the Mind
Shadow Gallery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere so far away
A global village awakes
And starts to crack the open airways
'Cause the tiger's escaped
He tore right out of his cage
And like a spark to a flame
Like turning on a light
The brain's online tonight
All around the world, yeah
That freedom in the air
Big brother is aware
Or within my dreams
And do you think it dreams of life
Are we the air it needs
Are we the air this beast needs to breathe
The engines's tuned and clean
Time for man and machine to join
Society of the mind
School today
A sea of seething rage
And on the menu in the lunchroom
We got Ritallin and Prozac
So I can concentrate
On my next level in Quake
Where I can shoot them I can kill them
And dehumanize the cancer in my veins
Online you gotta sell
You're virtual as hell
All around the world, yeah
That freedom in the air
Big brother is aware
Or within my dreams
And do you think it needs your soul
Once you're inside it's mind
Once you're inside the mind of this world
The Code is running lean
Time for mand and machine to join
Society of the mind
Are you waiting for the strike
New religion overload
Like turning on a light
The brain's online tonight
All around the world, yeah
That freedom in the air
Big brother is aware
Or within my dreams
And do you think it dreams of life
are we the air it needs
Are we the air this beast needs to breathe
There's lightning on the screen
Now watch man and machine will join
Society... of the mind
The song "Society of the Mind" by Shadow Gallery delves deep into the concept of the world being controlled by machines and how they are becoming an integral part of human lives. The first verse talks about a new world order where the barriers of distance are breaking down and a global village is emerging. The song mentions a tiger that has escaped, symbolizing the forces that cannot be tamed or controlled anymore. The chorus suggests that the world's collective mind has become a society in itself and everyone is connected in this dimension. The lyrics mention "big brother," a reference to the fictional character in George Orwell's "1984," implying that although we are free to express ourselves, our movements may still be monitored by a force beyond us.
The second verse talks about how technology has seeped into every aspect of human life. It mentions the use of drugs like Ritalin and Prozac, which are increasingly prescribed to control behavior, and the obsession with violent video games which might numb or dehumanize individuals. The lyrics suggest that we have willingly entered the matrix, sold our souls to the machines, and are now inside the mind of the world. The Code is running lean, paving the way for the inevitable fusion of man and machines into a single entity, a "Society of the Mind." The lyrics question if this is what we came for, and whether this is a new kind of religion that has taken us all over.
Line by Line Meaning
Brand new day
A new day has arrived
Somewhere so far away
In a distant place
A global village awakes
The world is coming to life
And starts to crack the open airways
And communication is starting to flow more freely
'Cause the tiger's escaped
Because the tiger has gotten free
He tore right out of his cage
He forcefully broke out of confinement
And like a spark to a flame
And with an explosive effect
Assimilating it's collective on the way
Bringing together a group of things or people
Like turning on a light
As if someone switched on a light
The brain's online tonight
The human mind is active tonight
All around the world, yeah
Everywhere in the world
That freedom in the air
A spirit of freedom is present
Big brother is aware
Someone is watching
Or within my dreams
Or it could just be a dream
And do you think it dreams of life
Does it have a concept of life
Are we the air it needs
Are we necessary for its survival
Are we the air this beast needs to breathe
Are we the necessary condition for this entity's existence
The engines's tuned and clean
The machine is in good condition
Time for man and machine to join
The time has come to bring humanity and technology together
Society of the mind
A community of intellect or consciousness
School today
I am going to school today
A sea of seething rage
An angry group of people
And on the menu in the lunchroom
And what's being served for lunch
We got Ritallin and Prozac
We have medication
So I can concentrate
So I can focus better
On my next level in Quake
On the next level of a video game called Quake
Where I can shoot them I can kill them
Where I can use virtual weaponry to eliminate virtual enemies
And dehumanize the cancer in my veins
And forget about the negativity in my life
Online you gotta sell
In an online environment, you have to market yourself
You're virtual as hell
You're completely virtual
And do you think it needs your soul
Do you think it requires something deeper than just your physical presence
Once you're inside it's mind
Once you are a part of its consciousness
Once you're inside the mind of this world
Once you become a part of this world's collective consciousness
The Code is running lean
The programming code is running efficiently
Time for mand and machine to join
The time has come for humans and machines to unite
Society of the mind
A world of intellectual exchange and cooperation
Are you waiting for the strike
Are you waiting for change to happen
New religion overload
An excess of new ideas or beliefs
There's lightning on the screen
An electric energy can be seen on the screen
Now watch man and machine will join
Now witness as humanity and technology merge
Society... of the mind
A community of connected consciousness
Contributed by Ella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Devris Vagrantus
Excellent track!! I love this band
SGRev1
Quake being mentioned in a prog metal song. That's genius.