On the Backs of Angels lyrics (now with poll to guess lyricist)

[The Silent Cody]

JLB for me.

[Jaffa]

Actually, when it comes to the lyrics, I'm pretty sure it's, "Zealous are the righteous," not "Selfless". I thought it was Selfless at first too, but after listening to it over and over, I'm just not hearing that 'f' in there.

For what it's worth, I definitely hear the 'f'.  Could be wrong, though.

[Aniland]

I hear 'selfless' too.

[TheGreatPretender]

I guess we'll find out when the album comes out. But my money's on Zealous.

Even though, yeah, it sounds like an "s" sound at the beginning, I keep listening to it and not hearing the F, it's like it just flows too well. If you say the letter "f" then you're not using your vocal cords, it's voiceless. But it doesn't sound like his voice breaks at all. Unless he's singing it like, "Selvless" which is a small possibility.

But like I said, my money's on Zealous.

[tgstk2]

Devin Townsend is not an option in the polll...
this is mandatory!...I can not vote now .....

[juzzwuzzz]

I think it wil be JLB... the political lyric is mostly from him.

And i think the lyrics are about economy too.

Here is why
Content to feeding the machine: Feeding the machine (paying TAX)
Leading us to death
The new American dream : Think because of the bad economy and changes everybody has to pay the price... and pay more TAX leading a lot of people into financial problems.... the new amarican dream, because of the "sky is the limet" isnt there anymore.

You're blinded by your hunger
Beware, your days are numbered: can't realy place that one... only that it is from another perspective.... like the goverment is blinded by the hunger of getting more money... and the days are numbered, like they wont win the vote for president next time

Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter: When i translate that to my native language it tells me its about paying tax too... Lead me like a lamb... sound for me that we people are a herd (like animals) all doing what is told to us and leading us into financial problems.

We're onto your agenda: The political agenda

Just my 2 cents on the lyrics... but i could be very wrong on this one... because english is not my native language

[Heaven Outcry Angel]

Devin Townsend is not an option in the polll...
this is mandatory!...I can not vote now .....

devin doesnt write good lyric.s..

[Guitalguy]

LaBrie does all the political lyrics. There is a slight chance for this to be JP, but I'm pretty sure it's JLB.

Also noticing "Survival fading faster", which reminds me of "Conscience fading fast..." from that part he wrote in Octavarium. And there's the water everyone talks about.

The song is also very critical to some part of the society, perhaps the American government, whitc reminds me a lot of the theme from Prophets of War, whitch he wrote.

[TheGreatPretender]

I dunno, it just doesn't sound like JP overall. It doesn't seem like his style of writing.

[Metropolis pt.-1]

JR just said on Vokle that it is a JP lyric.

[iamtheeviltwin]

According to an interview JR is doing on VOKLE, OTBOA was written by Petrucci....quite surprised I was sure it was a JLB track

[juzzwuzzz]

and the answer is JP

[TheGreatPretender]

Who would've thought. I guess JP is expanding his lyric writing style.

[bloop]

Quite surprising.

[dongringo]

Quite.

[Aniland]

WOW.  well, I guess that "HISTORIAN" phase is over. Nice... now that I think about it, both "The Count of Tuscany" and "A Nightmare to Remember" started with the title in the first line; must be something he likes to do now.

[Jaffa]

I think someone bribed him to say that just so we'd all be wrong.

[Mladen]

I like the lyrics of OTBOA better than anything he's written of Black clouds. Good job, John. 

[TheGreatPretender]

Well, I was thinking... I mean, the lyrics are good and all... But considering that everyone thought JLB wrote them, and they said, "Oh, it's all political. It's about the economy" etc. etc.

But in light of the fact that JP wrote them, is it at all possible that we've misunderstood the meaning behind them? I mean, just because there's one little part where it uses the term "American Dream" doesn't mean it has to be political. Heck, it says "The New American Dream" what's the NEW American Dream, and how's it different from the old?

I'm no expert at interpreting meanings behind lyrics, but it could very well be about something else entirely.

[ClairvoyantCat]

To me, the lyrics don't seem to hold any weight politically, so I'm not really surprised.  I think they were mostly just written to sound "cool" and there doesn't seem to be any kind of political undertone or overtone as far as I can tell.  Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I think calling them "political" is sort of reading into things that aren't there.

[ReaPsTA]

To me, the lyrics don't seem to hold any weight politically, so I'm not really surprised.  I think they were mostly just written to sound "cool" and there doesn't seem to be any kind of political undertone or overtone as far as I can tell.  Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I think calling them "political" is sort of reading into things that aren't there.

How are the lines about the American dream and "we're on to your agenda" not political?

[TheGreatPretender]

How are the lines about the American dream and "we're on to your agenda" not political?

Any number of ways. For example, "I want to be a Rock Star, it's the American Dream!" There's nothing political about that.

JP was always poetic. The things that he says aren't necessarily the "obvious choice" of what they mean.

I could take the lyrics from Back of Angels, and reinterpret them as a shot at Mike Portnoy. I could, but I won't.

[bertoltus]

Well, I was thinking... I mean, the lyrics are good and all... But considering that everyone thought JLB wrote them, and they said, "Oh, it's all political. It's about the economy" etc. etc.

But in light of the fact that JP wrote them, is it at all possible that we've misunderstood the meaning behind them? I mean, just because there's one little part where it uses the term "American Dream" doesn't mean it has to be political. Heck, it says "The New American Dream" what's the NEW American Dream, and how's it different from the old?

I'm no expert at interpreting meanings behind lyrics, but it could very well be about something else entirely.

Quite simple. The old American Dream was becoming rich. The new American Dream is becoming rich by getting tons of stimulus from the government, thus bleeding the taxpayers to death.

[Vajra]

I knew it was JP, it was far too dark to be a JLB song.

Also, I'm glad JP is writting good lyrics again. They aren't his best, but they are far better than anything he's written in a long time.

[ariich]

I knew it was JP, it was far too dark to be a JLB song.

Also, I'm glad JP is writting good lyrics again. They aren't his best, but they are far better than anything he's written in a long time.

Nah, they're not as good as Wither. But they are pretty good though, and MUCH better than AROP.

[Jamesman42]

I knew it was JP, it was far too dark to be a JLB song.

Also, I'm glad JP is writting good lyrics again. They aren't his best, but they are far better than anything he's written in a long time.

Nah, they're not as good as Wither. But they are pretty good though, and MUCH better than AROP.

Agreed, though I will extend it to say that from the last 3 albums, the only lyrics that compare or exceed OTBOA is These Walls, Someone Like Him, and Wither.

[Vajra]

I knew it was JP, it was far too dark to be a JLB song.

Also, I'm glad JP is writting good lyrics again. They aren't his best, but they are far better than anything he's written in a long time.

Nah, they're not as good as Wither. But they are pretty good though, and MUCH better than AROP.

Wither (imo) has very weak lyrics once you know that it's just about, well, writting lyrics. There's not much depth going on in that song.

[N4Player]

Wither (imo) has very weak lyrics once you know that it's just about, well, writting lyrics. There's not much depth going on in that song.
[/quote]

I think the "Wither" lyrics are amazing. I never took them in a literal sense, but more in a metaphorical one that can be applied to many things in life. I think that was John's intention and what makes them clever.

[Metropolis Pt. II]

I knew it was JP, it was far too dark to be a JLB song.

Also, I'm glad JP is writting good lyrics again. They aren't his best, but they are far better than anything he's written in a long time.

I knew it was JP just because of the lyric "lamb to the slaughter". It's definitely religious imagery, and JP's written semi-religiously themed lyrics before (Voices).

[ariich]

I knew it was JP, it was far too dark to be a JLB song.

Also, I'm glad JP is writting good lyrics again. They aren't his best, but they are far better than anything he's written in a long time.

Nah, they're not as good as Wither. But they are pretty good though, and MUCH better than AROP.

Wither (imo) has very weak lyrics once you know that it's just about, well, writting lyrics. There's not much depth going on in that song.

The simple concept is precisely why they are so good.

[Jamesman42]

I knew it was JP, it was far too dark to be a JLB song.

Also, I'm glad JP is writting good lyrics again. They aren't his best, but they are far better than anything he's written in a long time.

Nah, they're not as good as Wither. But they are pretty good though, and MUCH better than AROP.

Wither (imo) has very weak lyrics once you know that it's just about, well, writting lyrics. There's not much depth going on in that song.

The simple concept is precisely why they are so good.

This.

[zipporaid]

The more I listen to this, the more I think it's about MP, as others have stated.

I think there are some lines that could very pointedly be about the split....

The easy interpretation is economic/political/religious - but maybe just a little too easy -
after the 15th or so listen, I'm just feeling an anger towards one person (in the lyrics).

[Dynia]

I knew it was JP, it was far too dark to be a JLB song.

Also, I'm glad JP is writting good lyrics again. They aren't his best, but they are far better than anything he's written in a long time.

Nah, they're not as good as Wither. But they are pretty good though, and MUCH better than AROP.

Wither (imo) has very weak lyrics once you know that it's just about, well, writting lyrics. There's not much depth going on in that song.

The simple concept is precisely why they are so good.

This.

Yeah, not as good as Wither... but still very good. I was glad to hear there were no dark masters, no historians sucking on their pipes and no dark eternal nights - no cheesy lines at all.

[The Silent Cody]

Well yeah, indeed is it a good one. Lyrics aren't cheesy, and I'm proud of JP because with this lyrics we could hope more like this from on ODTOE, which means - good.

[Aniland]

The more I listen to this, the more I think it's about MP, as others have stated.

I think there are some lines that could very pointedly be about the split....

The easy interpretation is economic/political/religious - but maybe just a little too easy -
after the 15th or so listen, I'm just feeling an anger towards one person (in the lyrics).