What is the "theater" in the name Dream Theater?

[JayOctavarium]

Every time I stop and actually think about the phrase Dream Theater, I realize how exceedingly lame it is as a band name.
Remember the inlay of IAW? That picture has a "Dream Theater" feel to me, sort of that "Hey, our music is so cerebral! Think about it, your mind is a theater that the dreams take place in! So deep!"

Agreed.
When I first heard the name, I thought they were making some Disney music, like a soundtrack to Bambi etc. cheesy as hell.

-cough- 6DOIT Overture

[darkshade]

2) In a more introspective sense, dreams also occur in a person's mind.  So in this case, the "theater" could be our minds.  There's a separate "dream theater" inside all of us.  Also, it's important to note that DT's first seven album titles all had to do with the mind or the subsconscious: When Dream and Day Unite, Images and Words, Awake, Falling Into Infinity, Scenes From a Memory, SDOIT and Train of Thought.  Also, this is evident in the line: "Find all you need in your mind, if you take the time."

I would say Octavarium also deals with the mind, though maybe not in its name; it refers to the mind.

[Perpetual Change]

It's okay, though, because most of those people are probably too slow to understand DT's music.

Thanks, you just broke my Prog Snob-o-meter. The needle pushed itself past the maximum pin, and now it's stuck behind it.

rumborak

Eh, it's true. I've never heard of anyone not wanting to give DT a chance because of their name. I've heard of plenty of people not wanting to give DT a chance because the find out that the average DT song is at least three  or four times longer than what they're used to.

And no offense, there's something to be said for reverse snobbery. Rejecting a band's name because you don't like that it draws attention to the "cerebral" is just that

[Mbarak]

This reminds me of when I lurked a few years back and this guy said he had a DT shirt on and some older lady walked up to him and asked "Do you 'dream theater'?" lol

Big lurker here and I DO remember this. One of the most awkward comments about DT ever! But IIRC it must have been on the original forum when it used to be on the official dt.net, or maybe mp.com

[rumborak]

It's okay, though, because most of those people are probably too slow to understand DT's music.

Thanks, you just broke my Prog Snob-o-meter. The needle pushed itself past the maximum pin, and now it's stuck behind it.

rumborak

Eh, it's true. I've never heard of anyone not wanting to give DT a chance because of their name. I've heard of plenty of people not wanting to give DT a chance because the find out that the average DT song is at least three  or four times longer than what they're used to.

And no offense, there's something to be said for reverse snobbery. Rejecting a band's name because you don't like that it draws attention to the "cerebral" is just that

I think you're criticizing me for the wrong thing here. a) I'm not suggesting to not listen to a band because of their name and b) I was commenting on the line "those people are too slow to understand DT's music".

rumborak

[Mebert78]

2) In a more introspective sense, dreams also occur in a person's mind.  So in this case, the "theater" could be our minds.  There's a separate "dream theater" inside all of us.  Also, it's important to note that DT's first seven album titles all had to do with the mind or the subsconscious: When Dream and Day Unite, Images and Words, Awake, Falling Into Infinity, Scenes From a Memory, SDOIT and Train of Thought.  Also, this is evident in the line: "Find all you need in your mind, if you take the time."

I would say Octavarium also deals with the mind, though maybe not in its name; it refers to the mind.

You think?  How so?  I was actually curious about what fans think Octavarium is about.  What does Octavarium mean?  That probably deserves it's own thread though.  Although I'm sure it's been addressed before.

[FretMuppet]

2) In a more introspective sense, dreams also occur in a person's mind.  So in this case, the "theater" could be our minds.  There's a separate "dream theater" inside all of us.  Also, it's important to note that DT's first seven album titles all had to do with the mind or the subsconscious: When Dream and Day Unite, Images and Words, Awake, Falling Into Infinity, Scenes From a Memory, SDOIT and Train of Thought.  Also, this is evident in the line: "Find all you need in your mind, if you take the time."

I would say Octavarium also deals with the mind, though maybe not in its name; it refers to the mind.

You think?  How so?  I was actually curious about what fans think Octavarium is about.  What does Octavarium mean?  That probably deserves it's own thread though.  Although I'm sure it's been addressed before.

I read this a while ago...

Basically, Octavarium can be split up into 2 different phrases, with different meanings
Octav - aruim which means 8 sided (octav) and room (arium means room in latin(?) I think) which can refer to the lyric "trapped inside this Ocavarium"

or...

Octa - varuim, meaning something that varies 8 times, which can refer to each of the 8 songs in the album, ie they vary 8 times, which is concluded in the title track

I worded that poorly, I'm no good with words, but I basically summed up what I read on some Octavaruim analysis website

[FretMuppet]

Trapped inside this Octavaruim could relate back to the Octav-arium, but it could also mean Octa-varuim since the album begins and ends on the same note - it comes full circle, and theres no possible way to get out!!!
Unless of course you hit stop

[Aramatheis]

https://dt.spatang.com/octavarium.php


There's a complete analysis of the 8V album and themes, as well as individual songs.

[Mebert78]

I've never really analyzed Octavarium's lyrics, but I always felt like it could mean this:  

Life is being compared to a musical octave.  There are a certain amount of notes in an octave, so basically we are hearing the same old notes we hear in every song.  Just like life.  It's the same people, places, everything year after year, generation after generation.  Life is being compared to an octave.  We are "trapped," as the lyricist says.  However, depending on how you play the notes in an octave, you can create something new and fresh and exciting.  Just like in life.  It's all about how you approach life and what you do with it.

So at the end of the song, the lyricist is coming to terms with this "circular" and repeative way of life inside the octaviarium.  He accepts it as a thing of wonder and uses words such as "gleaming" and "perfect sphere."  It all depends on how you look at life.

I could be way off.  But that's how I looked at it.  Just look at the song's opening lyrics. One is a pessimists' view, one is an optimists' view: "content to live each day just like my last" or "content to live each day like it's my last."

[FretMuppet]

I've never really analyzed Octavarium's lyrics, but I always felt like it could mean this:  

Life is being compared to a musical octave.  There are a certain amount of notes in an octave, so basically we are hearing the same old notes we hear in every song.  Just like life.  It's the same people, places, everything year after year, generation after generation.  Life is being compared to an octave.  We are "trapped," as the lyricist says.  However, depending on how you play the notes in an octave, you can create something new and fresh and exciting.  Just like in life.  It's all about how you approach life and what you do with it.

So at the end of the song, the lyricist is coming to terms with this "circular" and repeative way of life inside the octaviarium.  He accepts it as a thing of wonder and uses words such as "gleaming" and "perfect sphere."  It all depends on how you look at life.

I could be way off.  But that's how I looked at it.  Just look at the song's opening lyrics. One is a pessimists' view, one is an optimists' view: "content to live each day just like my last" or "content to live each day like it's my last."

That





is a good interpretation

[slycordinator]

This reminds me of when I lurked a few years back and this guy said he had a DT shirt on and some older lady walked up to him and asked "Do you 'dream theater'?" lol

Big lurker here and I DO remember this. One of the most awkward comments about DT ever! But IIRC it must have been on the original forum when it used to be on the official dt.net, or maybe mp.com

It was definitely not mp.com although it could've been dt.net which would've been when I was regularly posting. I just don't remember exactly.