Links in DT's music

[RoeDent]

Before I begin, I must say that I'm relatively new to DT and this forum and all that, so if this has been discussed before, I apologise.

-----------

Are there any lyrical connections between SFAM and the Twelve Step Saga? For example, the last line of Regression;

Hello Victoria, so glad to see you my friend

...and the first line in both This Dying Soul and Repentance, substitute 'mirror' for 'Victoria'

Also, in Strange Deja Vu:

Metropolis surrounds me/the mirror's shattered the girl

------------

Unrelated to that link, another example comes in Lines in the Sand:

In the stream of consciousness
There is a river crying
Living comes much easier

Is this song related to the instrumental on Train of Thought?

Or are all these links pure coincidence?

[ZKX-2099]

Are there any lyrical connections between SFAM and the Twelve Step Saga? For example, the last line of Regression;

Hello Victoria, so glad to see you my friend

...and the first line in both This Dying Soul and Repentance, substitute 'mirror' for 'Victoria'

Also, in Strange Deja Vu:

Metropolis surrounds me/the mirror's shattered the girl

Thats a new one on me. NUGGETS

The Stream Of Consciousness one I believe is intentional. And it has been stated as such by... A... band member...

[Perpetual Change]

Well, there's no direct relationship, but I wouldn't be surprised if Portnoy did that intentionally.  That line about SFAM is about facing your past self, as is This Dying Soul (in a different way), so I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Nuggetz was thinking that when he wrote it.  Also, it's really more of a reference to The Mirror, which is also a song about Mike's addiction.

The only other connection I can see between the 12SS and SFAM is Home.  If you listen to that song, you can definitely tell Mike's channeling some of his own addiction through the lyrics.

[hefdaddy42]

Are there any lyrical connections between SFAM and the Twelve Step Saga? For example, the last line of Regression;

Hello Victoria, so glad to see you my friend

...and the first line in both This Dying Soul and Repentance, substitute 'mirror' for 'Victoria'

Also, in Strange Deja Vu:

Metropolis surrounds me/the mirror's shattered the girl

There's no real relation between SFAM and the 12 Steps suite.  This is just coincidence.

Unrelated to that link, another example comes in Lines in the Sand:

In the stream of consciousness
There is a river crying
Living comes much easier

Is this song related to the instrumental on Train of Thought?

Or are all these links pure coincidence?

If memory serves, Stream of Consciousness was originally going to be the title of Falling Into Infinity.  For whatever reason, that was changed.  When they wrote the instrumental, they had that title lying around, so they used it.

[robwebster]

Are there any lyrical connections between SFAM and the Twelve Step Saga? For example, the last line of Regression;

Hello Victoria, so glad to see you my friend

...and the first line in both This Dying Soul and Repentance, substitute 'mirror' for 'Victoria'

There's no real relation between SFAM and the 12 Steps suite.  This is just coincidence.

Oh there's no relation, but I'd disagree that it's coincidence. I think it was probably a deliberate choice. No real deep meaning, but I'd guess they just thought it was a nifty little reference, and it would be a fairly good line to mirror.

At a guess.

"The mirror's shattered the girl" is just happenstance, though. A mirror is involved in the plot, they mentioned it in the lyrics. Nothing to it.

[hefdaddy42]

Oh there's no relation, but I'd disagree that it's coincidence. I think it was probably a deliberate choice. No real deep meaning, but I'd guess they just thought it was a nifty little reference, and it would be a fairly good line to mirror.

At a guess.

It could have been a deliberate choice, sure.  I'd feel better about that if MP had written the lyrics for Regression.  But since JP wrote them, I think it's more likely to be a coincidence.

Still possible, of course.

[Jamesman42]

^True. I do wonder, though, how one songwriter gets influenced by the others. I would think they influence each other's styles and word choices a lot.

[hefdaddy42]

^True. I do wonder, though, how one songwriter gets influenced by the others. I would think they influence each other's styles and word choices a lot.

Really?  Why?  They all seem pretty distinctive and separate to me.

[ScioPath]

The Mirror in SFAM is when Nicholas looks into the Mirror in his dream, he sees Victoria.
In the 12SS its a metaphor for self reflection.

Also, in Lines in the Sand they mention 'Vacant'.

[Zydar]

Also, in Lines in the Sand they mention 'Vacant'.

They also mention Stream of Consciousness in that one.

[hefdaddy42]

Also, in Lines in the Sand they mention 'Vacant'.

[LudwigVan]

I think it's intentional.  Not necessarily to create "links" per se, but to create a certain imagery within the universe of DT music.   "Mirror" is one of those DT imagery key-words, imo.  

Bands like Yes do this all the time, using and re-using distinctive words like "ocean" and "river" that work to evoke the band's unique brand of imagery.  The Grateful Dead and their "roses".  Porcupine Tree and their "trains".  More like motifs rather than actual "links" between albums.  

[Jamesman42]

^True. I do wonder, though, how one songwriter gets influenced by the others. I would think they influence each other's styles and word choices a lot.

Really?  Why?  They all seem pretty distinctive and separate to me.

They're all distinctive, but they still collaborate with each other on their songs, and they may influence each other, even if they don't realize it. I'm not trying to give some kind of odd case to support some sort of subliminal nugget-fest, though.

[hefdaddy42]

subliminal nugget-fest

This should be the name of your band.

[ScioPath]

:O i might just need to steal that

[ZKX-2099]

Nugget-core.

[Plasmastrike]

Also, in Lines in the Sand they mention 'Vacant'.

[ScioPath]

Also, in Lines in the Sand they mention 'Vacant'.

apparently what i thought was vacant eyes was really stainless eyes.

I only have the Chaos in Motion 07-08. (Hard to decipher in parts vocally)

[hefdaddy42]

No worries. 

[Perpetual Change]

I think it's intentional.  Not necessarily to create "links" per se, but to create a certain imagery within the universe of DT music.   "Mirror" is one of those DT imagery key-words, imo.  

Bands like Yes do this all the time, using and re-using distinctive words like "ocean" and "river" that work to evoke the band's unique brand of imagery.  The Grateful Dead and their "roses".  Porcupine Tree and their "trains".  More like motifs rather than actual "links" between albums.  

Yup. Dream Theater seem to have Time, Dreams, Minds, and Mirrors.

[Darkes7]

I can agree that it may have been somehow intentional, but this indeed seems like a very good explanation:

I think it's intentional.  Not necessarily to create "links" per se, but to create a certain imagery within the universe of DT music.   "Mirror" is one of those DT imagery key-words, imo.  

Bands like Yes do this all the time, using and re-using distinctive words like "ocean" and "river" that work to evoke the band's unique brand of imagery.  The Grateful Dead and their "roses".  Porcupine Tree and their "trains".  More like motifs rather than actual "links" between albums.  

[Aniland]

Never noticed that similarity of SFAM and 12 Steps.