DT's latest lyrics - Have they declined in quality? Also, DT's best lyrics?

[Vajra]

So this is a two part thread.

Before I start, sorry if I come off as a snob, it's just that I really enjoy the subject of lyrics, and I love discussing, praising, analysing, and criticising them. I'm looking foward to hearing your opinions.

First, do you think the bands modern lyrics are as good as their older lyrics? For me, I feel like after Awake, they have been really incosistant with lyrics. FII had only about two good songs in terms of lyrics, Scenes for the most part was good considering it was a concept album, but there were no stand out songs, SDOIT was very good, after that though, every album that has followed has been unimpressive imo. Images and Words and Awake were definitely when they were at their peak in terms of lyrics.

Secondly, what do you consider as being their best lyrics? For me, in terms of their best lyrics, I'd say...


WDADU:
-A Fortune In Lies
-Afterlife
-Only a Matter of Time

I&W:
-Pretty much the whole album (including To Live Forever)

Awake:
-Innocence Faded
-Voices
-The Silent Man
-Lifting Shadows From a Dream
-Scarred
-Space Dye Vest

A Change of Seasons - Amazing

FII:
-Lines In The Sand

-Trial of Tears

Scenes:
-None of their best

6DOIT:
-The Glass Prison
-Blind Faith
-Misunderstood
-Disappear

TOT:
-None of their best

Octavarium:
-Octavarium

SC:
-None of their best

BC&SL:
-None of their best

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Yeah, the new ones are pretty bad. But the old ones still have laughable moments:
"So I hurt your feelings
Well I'm really sorry
But I don't give a shit
NOOO!"

[Vajra]

Yeah, the new ones are pretty bad. But the old ones still have laughable moments:
"So I hurt your feelings
Well I'm really sorry
But I don't give a shit
NOOO!"

lol wut? What song is that from?

[Zook]

Yeah, the new ones are pretty bad. But the old ones still have laughable moments:
"So I hurt your feelings
Well I'm really sorry
But I don't give a shit
NOOO!"

lol wut? What song is that from?

Burnin' muh Sawawawawawawawawoul

[TheMadgician]

For ToT I'd have to put Endless Sacrifice in there. Then again, I'm in a long distance relationship so that one kind of holds some special meaning for my girl and I.

[nikatapi]

The lyrics on the last 2 albums were pretty bad, with the exception of Wither.

[ariich]

Wither has some of my favourite DT lyrics. But to be honest, lyrics have never been the focus of DT for me. They've always had a few gems and a few stinkers, even back in the old days.

Also, didn't we have basically this thread a few weeks ago?

[orcus116]

It's actually been on repeat like that for the past, like, mad years.

[JayOctavarium]

hey tot has Stream of Consciousness which is good enough to not have lyrics at all and still have epic lyrics...

[ariich]

It's actually been on repeat like that for the past, like, mad years.

Good point, but I think I remember there being one that was very similar in how it was asked.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

hey tot has Stream of Consciousness which is good enough to not have lyrics at all and still have epic lyrics...

SoC is terrible. Just terrible...

[Zook]

hey tot has Stream of Consciousness which is good enough to not have lyrics at all and still have epic lyrics...

SoC is terrible. Just terrible...

I hate you.

[Tunnel Vision]

I've always liked the lyrics from In the Name of God and This Dying Soul as well. Peruvian Skies is pretty good to me too. Also, I think Panic Attack's lyrics are spot on.

For some reason though, I never liked the lyrics from wither.

[zxlkho]

DT's lyrics have never been that good, but a few standouts for me are Learning to Live, Space Dye Vest, and Trial of Tears.

[Ħ]

Picking one song per album.

WDADU: Only a Matter of Time
IAW: Learning to Live
Awake: Voices
FII: Lines in the Sand
SFAM: Beyond This Life (yes...I love how "what we have been is what we are" and "is carried beyond this life" are merged at the "is")
SDOIT: Misunderstood
TOT: Honor Thy Father
Octavarium: Octavarium (specifically Someone Like Him)
SC: In the Presence of Enemies
BCASL: A Nightmare to Remember

I think they really starting going down right with SFAM.  But it could just be an illusion, because I think that BCASL has the worst lyrics of any of the albums.

[italianoman]

I used to love the 6DOIT lyrics until I found out they were ripped, word for word right out of a medical book, now they don't carry the same impact though I can't help but thoroughly enjoy the music still . As far as a general downward trend, I kind of agree only because some of the lyrical lines in BC&SL were laughably awful...line after line and rhyme after rhyme that could have been made fantastic with just a few minutes more thought it felt BUT I can't say that I care that much because Dream Theater's ship floats on its instruments .  

[RG93]

Yeah, the new ones are pretty bad. But the old ones still have laughable moments:
"So I hurt your feelings
Well I'm really sorry
But I don't give a shit
NOOO!"

To be fair, the producers did tamper a lot with the songs on FII.
Lie, on the other hand, has the worst lyrics in the "old DT" era.

"Mother Mary quite contrary
Kiss the boys and make them wary
Things are getting just a little bit scary" 

[Ben_Jamin]

Their lyrics haven't suffered, their just more literal. Which automatically makes them bad according to most people.

Prophets of Wars lyrics I love because they talk about things we as a people are facing, and it just says its time we change our ways.

[Adami]

As I posted before;

Literal isn't bad.

Obscure isn't good.

Bad is bad.

[Mr. Beale]

In a word, yes, DT lyrics have declined somewhat in recent albums (SC and BC&SL). And I don't say that because they're more literal, heck I prefer literal lyrics. That said I don't think the drop off has been that significant, but then again I never listened to DT from a real lyrics-intensive perspective anyway.

[Ben_Jamin]

BC&SL has some great lyrics. SC has great lyrics, even though the album sounds as if written for the younger audience. So, they haven't really declined.

[Storm Rider]

"Mother Mary quite contrary
Kiss the boys and make them wary
Things are getting just a little bit scary" 

And what's wrong with that?

[tri.ad]

This. I like that part (same with all Lie's lyrics).

[Aniland]

It's a bit of a silly line in some regards, but I kinda like it. It's a lot less cringeworthy than
TELL YOUR STEPFATHER I SAID SO

[tjanuranus]

Excuse Me....

THESE WALLS.

[FretMuppet]

I'd rather not criticize DT for their amazing work. They worked hard and done a fantastic job on each album and the end results were great

[ariich]

"Mother Mary quite contrary
Kiss the boys and make them wary
Things are getting just a little bit scary" 

And what's wrong with that?

Yeah, I actually love that line. The delivery is friggin' epic as well.

[aurorablind]

I feel Octavarium has got some really good lyrics (yeye, Never Enough..bah).. But, songs like These Walls, The Root of all Evil, Octavarium and Panic attack are really good, i think 

[ReaperKK]

DT is great at many things but lyrical content has never been one those things IMO.

I count the number of great lyrics on one hand. The rest of the material is forgettable at best but I do believe that the quality has gotten worse over the years, at least it's become more noticeable.

[ZirconBlue]

The lyrics on later albums seem more. . . rushed, I guess.  Like they're a good first draft, but some of the songs really needed some more work to smooth some of the more awkward phrasing.  It sometimes seems like the lyrics are something of an afterthought.  "Well, we've just spent 2 months writing and recording the music.  Let's see if we can get all the lyrics knocked out in a week."

[Hal Incandenza]

A lot of it has to do with what lyricists you prefer.  I happen to think that DT's best lyrics were done by Myung and Moore.  Moore's long gone and Myung hasn't written lyrics in a decade, so from my perspective, yeah, the lyrics have gone downhill overall.

[Mebert78]

For me, I feel like after Awake, they have been really incosistant with lyrics.

The reason for the change in lyrical quality in the mid-to-late 1990s is obvious: Myung and Moore lyrics stopped; Portnoy lyrics started.  You're taking two incredible lyricists out of the mix and substituting them with Portnoy, who had some good moments lyrically, but his lyrics frequently contain cliche phrases and he just wasn't able to paint the beautiful word pictures that JM and KM could.

So yea, I basically agree with Hal in the post above.

[orcus116]

Petrucci hasn't been completely innocent of that as of late either.

[reneranucci]

My favorite lyrics on DT songs are by Portnoy and Petrucci: A Change of Seasons and Voices. Myung's are gorgeous (Learning to Live, LSOAD and Trial of Tears), and I've never been able to connect with Moore's lyrics.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

"Mother Mary quite contrary
Kiss the boys and make them wary
Things are getting just a little bit scary" 

And what's wrong with that?

Yeah, I actually love that line. The delivery is friggin' epic as well.

This.