6:00

[WindMaster]

All i know is that I'm planning to set an alarm with this song at 6:00 on a Christmas morning... This Christmas morning.

[SystematicThought]

You'll be jolted awake by the octoban fill, just like me every morning 

[coffees for closers]

I love this song, it opened a 2002 show I saw and sadly I have not heard in concert since. Kevin's lyrics are seem to me to very telling of how he was feeling about being in DT.

[Mebert78]

So I was one of the buyers of the DT fanzines being sold in another thread.  One of the fanzines I received was printed just after the release of Awake.  There's some good tidbits about "6:00."  Read below.  I was really surprised to read that Kevin pretty much wrote the whole song, according to JP.

Regarding "6:00":

Petrucci: It was one that Kev wrote. He pretty much wrote the whole thing. We fucked around with the choruses a bit and the ending of the song, but the majority of the arrangement and all the parts, Kev wrote. What else? That was probably Mike's hardest drum song.

Regarding the samples on "6:00":

Petrucci: That's something that's in Kev and Mike's heads. If you think that's interesting you should hear the types of demo's that Kev was doing, all based on samples. Really techno and industrial, that was his whole head, the way he was going and why he's not in the band anymore. You hear it all on "Space-Dye Vest," sample and stuff all over the place.

Regarding the "6:00 on a Christmas morning" sample:

LaBrie: I think I know what Kevin was pertaining to. Basically what that lyrical content is, what he's doing with it is; is somebody finding out what they are doing isn't necessarily where they want to be. If you don't take life by the reins and chase after something you love and need to do to carry on, then life will just pass you by. Basically what that's pertaining to, the way it starts out, it's 6 o'clock and this guy doesn't want to get up 'cos he has to go to work, in a more literal sense this is what is going on. He finds himself outside of work, sitting in his car, he can't get out of the car to go into work because he just does not want to do this anymore. It's like 6 o'clock on a Christmas morning; are you getting up for the right reasons? Is it for Christmas or is it for work?

Petrucci: Yeah, that's exactly what it was. It was from a story, I don't know which, how there was this conflict with the character, getting up for Christmas and sort of losing the meaning and interest of it.

[black_biff_stadler]

Great song and a good alarm clock!

[theGonz]

I know all about the honor of God Mary Jane!

Awesome track

[ColdFireYYZ]

6:00 was the first Dream Theater song I heard and it was what got me hooked.

[Mebert78]

I say we fill this thread with pics of ourselves posing in front of the TV at 6:00 on Xmas morning in front of a news show that has the date and time on the screen.

[ronrule]

6:00 was the first Dream Theater song I heard and it was what got me hooked.

Ditto. Got the album from BMG CD club solely on the basis of Wild Stringdom columns and Guitar World awards.

[ronrule]

I was really surprised to read that Kevin pretty much wrote the whole song, according to JP.

Ah, the good ole of days of multiple, full-songwriters demoing and then choosing only the best for the album! (And this goes for pretty much every band I love)

[axeman90210]

Love this song, near the top of the list of songs I wish they'd put back in their setlist rotation.

[manticore999]

Really love this song. Actually it's the only song on the album worth listening to, imo.

[(nothing)]

Great song, I love the keyboard parts.

[Scar]

Agreed. Love the song very much. It was really different compared to Images and Words and nevertheless, I enjoyed it very much.

The sampling was awesome as was the lyrics and keyboard solo. A really strong opener and I actually prefer it over some of their songs from Awake. Really good song once more and cleverly written.

I'm happy Dream theater made and makes extremely strong and catchy songs.

[Dream Team]

Love the "agreed" 4 years later. 

[Scar]

4 years later, it's so true!

[MinistroRaven]

Mike Terrana cover
https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1296214895085124

[TheCountOfNYC]

My yearly Christmas tradition continues. Every year before I go to bed on Christmas Eve I set my 6am alarm. My alarm sound for that time is the opening drum groove in this song, so I start every Christmas listening to this song, literally at six o'clock on a Christmas morning.

[MirrorMask]

While I completely understand (more than I would like to admit) listening to specific songs in the most correct time or place related to the song, no way I'm gonna ever wake up at 6:00 on a Xmas day, or any other day where I'm not working and I'm not due to take a plane for a holiday  congrats for the dedication!

[DragonAttack]

From the East coast of North America at 6:00 AM on Christmas morning, Happy Holidays

[voncorn]

I know all about the honor of God, Mary Jane! 

[nobloodyname]

This Christmas morning is the first one I can remember since discovering the band over 20 years ago that I haven't been awake at six o'clock and listening to 6 O'Clock. Those early starts have never been through choice, incidentally, no. I have a habit of waking early. But this morning, I only awoke at 6:13. Such slovenly behaviour

Oh, and... merry Christmas everyone!

[Max Kuehnau]

such is life 

[durga2112]

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I only realized a couple of days ago that this song should be on my Christmas playlist that I listen to every year. Any song that even mentions Christmas in passing gets to be in the playlist (Soundgarden's "Power Trip" and Pearl Jam's "Wishlist", for example - hell, I even have "Wreath" and "Advent" by Opeth in there  ), so I'm not sure how this one managed to slip past me all this time.

Merry Christmas, DTF! I'm really glad to have rediscovered this community this year. 

[Jamesman42]

I had to wake up at 6 but I was told to not set my alarm in case the kids slept in lol

[nobloodyname]

I'm really glad to have rediscovered this community this year. 

I'm biased, because this is my favourite iteration of the band, but I think this year's been especially special. The band has released new music, there's a renewed energy and spark to their live performances, James has improved overall (although the O Holy Night performance was a bit ) but my favourite bit, I think, is the sense of cameraderie in the band, as we've seen in various interviews and live performances. I think that bit where JP's guitar went out for the start of Barstool Warrior (the song, not our fellow forumer ) the other day provided a real indication of that. This might not be everyone's favourite line-up, and I respect that, but the band themselves appear to have fallen in love all over again.

[TheCountOfNYC]

While I completely understand (more than I would like to admit) listening to specific songs in the most correct time or place related to the song, no way I'm gonna ever wake up at 6:00 on a Xmas day, or any other day where I'm not working and I'm not due to take a plane for a holiday  congrats for the dedication!

Oh I go right back to sleep afterwards.

[Dedalus]

No," continued Aunt Kate, "she wouldn't be said or led by anyone, slaving there in that choir night and day, night and day. Six o'clock on Christmas morning! And all for what?"

"Well, isn't it for the honour of God, Aunt Kate?" asked Mary Jane, twisting round on the piano-stool and smiling. Aunt Kate turned fiercely on her niece and said:

"I know all about the honour of God, Mary Jane, but I think it's not at all honourable for the pope to turn out the women out of the choirs that have slaved there all their lives and put little whipper-snappers of boys over their heads. I suppose it is for the good of the Church if the pope does it. But it's not just, Mary Jane, and it's not right."

[Dream Team]

I love how almost everyone from the first page of this thread is long gone  .

[Cool Chris]

LOL @ my post from 2011.