More lyricists + song meanings revealed

[Aniland]

https://www.mikeportnoy.com/forum/tm.aspx?high=&m=2666577&mpage=65#2695537

From the post:

Just read an interview in the dutch magazine 'Aardschok'. Some things:

-"On the Backs of Angels" is about the battle between the left and right politics in America
- "Lost not Forgotten" describes the Perzion (perzische in dutch) warriors that fought a lot in history, but were you don't hear about anymore lately
-"Outcry" is about the revolution that's going on in North-Africa.

It are subjects Petrucci reads about.

-"Build me Up, Break me Down" is about people who glorify there idols when they do something well when it goes about artistic reasons, but criticize them when something goes less well because of personal reasons. He names Britney Spears as example
-"This is the Life" is about people who often look at what others have which make them think others have it better. It only makes people unhappy. You're given a life and you have to make the best of it. He knows it is a little of a cliche but that doesn't make the message less important. This song was already written by Petrucci at his home.
-"Far from Heaven" is a pianoballad and the text is written by James LaBrie. his inspiration came from the movie "Far from heaven"
-it's already known Myung wrote the text for "Breaking all Illusions". Petrucci states he wrote it really poetical and took a long tike to make a songtext of it

Petrucci read the comments about the drums on "On the Backs of Angles" being to low. He says people are crazy haha

The merchandise is made by an outside company, were Portnoy was on it before.

At the next tour (beginning Jan. Or Feb. 2012) there will be played more material of the new album. They're getting a cool show produced by an outside team. They've come with ideas Petrucci never would have come up with and that are really great and cool.

I think that was the most info out of it.

Cheers

[Jamesman42]

They're allowed to talk about new DT on mp.com?

I'm serious.

[Aniland]

I too was shocked.

[VioletS16]

It's really funny how everyone thought "Lost, Not Forgotten" would be about MP, hahaha. 

[Vajra]

I'm glad they're writing serious lyrics again. And I'm very excited for Breaking All Illusions now. Myung spent a long time writing this, so it should be good.

[Jirpo]

I actually quite like those lyrical ideas. Some more introspective ones and some about world events, as was said earlier. I don't really like political lyrics (so I don't think I will like OTBOA lyrics that much) but the rest seem very good.

Anyone know what the movie "Far from Heaven" is about?

[skydivingninja]

I'm very optimistic about the lyrics now!

[Flacracker]

I actually quite like those lyrical ideas. Some more introspective ones and some about world events, as was said earlier. I don't really like political lyrics (so I don't think I will like OTBOA lyrics that much) but the rest seem very good.

Anyone know what the movie "Far from Heaven" is about?

Have you not heard OTBOA?

And who thinks "This is the Life" will be like "Learning to Live"?

[Jirpo]

I actually quite like those lyrical ideas. Some more introspective ones and some about world events, as was said earlier. I don't really like political lyrics (so I don't think I will like OTBOA lyrics that much) but the rest seem very good.

Anyone know what the movie "Far from Heaven" is about?

Have you not heard OTBOA?

And who thinks "This is the Life" will be like "Learning to Live"?

No, I'm not going to listen to any singles/samples before the album is released

[Mosh]

They're allowed to talk about new DT on mp.com?

I'm serious.

This.

[Zook]

*Zook's obligatory ANOTHER ANILAND THREAD Post*




.....

[Aniland]

oh that Zook he's so funny

[Ħ]

*prays Britney Spears is not actually in the lyrics*

[GasparXR]

*prays Britney Spears is not actually in the lyrics*

Haha. You serious?

[Zydar]

"Shannon Hoon and Kurt Cobain, make yourself a household name"

[tri.ad]

*prays Britney Spears is not actually in the lyrics*

I don't think that's going to happen. The lyrics are probably going to be in a similar style to Marillion's Real Tears For Sale imo (and they're not bad).

Old news is old, btw.

[(nothing)]

*prays Britney Spears is not actually in the lyrics*

Let me introduce
MAH BRIT-NEYYY

[Addy]

At the next tour (beginning Jan. Or Feb. 2012)

This makes me feel !

Anyway, seems like they took their time to focus on a lyrical content. That's good. I don't want to hear great music ruined by lyrics anymore

[Sketchy]

*prays Britney Spears is not actually in the lyrics*

Let me introduce
MAH BRIT-NEYYY

A BEARDED GENTLEMAN... Wait, what?

Anyway, yes. I did double take when I saw where the interview was posted.

[IdoSC]

Argh, JLB wrote lyrics for a ballad. I hope that he wrote lyrics for another song too. His lyrics for ballads are usually great but I want more than that ;-;

[hefdaddy42]

*Zook's obligatory ANOTHER ANILAND THREAD Post*




.....

Getting old, Zook.

[fibreoptix]

*prays Britney Spears is not actually in the lyrics*

"The stadium cheers for Britney Spears
Let's forget about the wounded tender years." - So Many Roads.

...I'm not entirely sure what my point was, there. 

Anyway, subject matter certainly sounds interesting. From the way it was written, I think it was sort of... um... half-implied that the remaining lyrics were written by Petrucci. Feel free to shoot me if I'm wrong, though.

[hacko]

Anyone know what the movie "Far from Heaven" is about?

Cathy is the perfect 50s housewife, living the perfect 50s life: healthy kids, successful husband, social prominence. Then one night she surprises her husband Frank kissing another man, and her tidy world starts spinning out of control. In her confusion and grief, she finds consolation in the friendship of their African-American gardener, Raymond - a socially taboo relationship that leads to the further disintegration of life as she knew it. Despite Cathy and Frank's struggle to keep their marriage afloat, the reality of his homosexuality and her feelings for Raymond open a painful, if more honest, chapter in their lives.

[Aniland]

...oh. Oh my.

[Jamesman42]

Hmm, so some more JLB-inspired-by-a-movie lyrics. Good.

[wammabe]

So... the song Far From Heaven is a piano/vocal duet about a woman that finds out that her husband is gay and then falls in love with her gardener?

[Liberation]

This sounds interesting... I like it that they move forward and can always find something _new_ to write lyrics about.

[tri.ad]

Do you honestly believe that this is what the song is about?

[ZirconBlue]

So... the song Far From Heaven is a piano/vocal duet about a woman that finds out that her husband is gay and then falls in love with her gardener?

I haven't seen the movie, but I don't think the "gay husband" angle is really the focus.  Rather, it is the fact that a white woman in 1950s America has an affair with a black man, which, depending on the community, could have been not only scandalous, but also downright dangerous.

[reneranucci]

So what's up with the clown, the plane and the content of the songs?

[RuRoRul]

-"Build me Up, Break me Down" is about people who glorify there idols when they do something well when it goes about artistic reasons, but criticize them when something goes less well because of personal reasons

I know it lists Britney Spears as an extreme example, and I'm not trying to start random speculating or arguing, but... am I really the only person that thought of Mike Portnoy reading this? How many times have we read "I used to love Mike Portnoy, he's a great drummer, but he's lost all of my respect because of his "tweets" or Facebook likes"? It seems like a bit of a bad translation so the lyrics might not fit that interpretation at alll, but based on that description I can't help but think the song may have been at least partially inspired by what JP has seen happen to Mike Portnoy.

[Madman Shepherd]

-"Build me Up, Break me Down" is about people who glorify there idols when they do something well when it goes about artistic reasons, but criticize them when something goes less well because of personal reasons

I know it lists Britney Spears as an extreme example, and I'm not trying to start random speculating or arguing, but... am I really the only person that thought of Mike Portnoy reading this? How many times have we read "I used to love Mike Portnoy, he's a great drummer, but he's lost all of my respect because of his "tweets" or Facebook likes"? It seems like a bit of a bad translation so the lyrics might not fit that interpretation at alll, but based on that description I can't help but think the song may have been at least partially inspired by what JP has seen happen to Mike Portnoy.

I think its a pretty big leap to associate the two.  When I heard about JP writing this song, I automatically assumed it was the media's obsession with propping people up and then focusing on their drug addictions and their fall from grace.  The mainstream is very fickle whereas Dream Theater fans are much more well reasoned.  When people have lost respect for Mike Portnoy, it was a combination of things that people felt were very inconsiderate to the band we all love and his fans.