Beyond This life/Finally Free note inconsistency?

[Darkstarshades]

So... As far as I can tell from the song Beyond this life, they basically tell you what Julian's note contained... right?
But in both lyrics, they "refer" to the same note... albeit in both songs... it says something different

Beyond this life lyrics...
"I feel there's only one thing left to do... I'd sooner take my life away than live with losing you..."

Finally Free Lyrics...
"This feeling, inside me, finally found my love, I'm finally free... No longer torn in two, I'd take my own life before losing you..."

Is this intentional?
You know... Since the two songs were written by different persons (BTT was written by Petrucci while FF was written by Portnoy) maybe they just didn't agree?
I know that many have noticed this... but what are your thoughts?

[fischermasamune]

I imagine writing better-fitting lyrics takes precedence over word-to-word coherence.

[chaossystem]

I've always had some confusion about the overall flow of the narrative,

but I do have a theory about what the answer to your question COULD be:

Beyond This Life is a FALSE version, or a lie about the wording of the note.

Maybe like a public version.

But Finally Free is the TRUE version of what it says.

Maybe like a private but real version that was not revealed until the very end, or after the fact.

[The Stray Seed]

Why? They're basically saying the same thing. "I'd rather kill myself than live without you".

For the needs of wording and musicality, they couldn't repeat the exact same message in the two different songs, but even if words vary slightly they actually express the same idea =)

[puppyonacid]

I don't see the issue. Same sentiment expressed in a slightly different way.

[chaossystem]

I was trying to answer the question.

A large part of what I was going by was the VOC on the "New York" DVD, where it was stated (mostly by Portnoy) that the songs leading up to Finally Free was the "public version" of the story, but Finally Free was the REAL story.

So take from that what you will.

[hefdaddy42]

I was trying to answer the question.

A large part of what I was going by was the VOC on the "New York" DVD, where it was stated (mostly by Portnoy) that the songs leading up to Finally Free was the "public version" of the story, but Finally Free was the REAL story.

So take from that what you will.

That refers to the motivation and the public story.  But there was only one suicide note.

There doesn't have to be a contradiction here.  No reason why both passages couldn't have been on the note.

[chaossystem]

What I was thinking was that maybe Beyond This Life was the FALSE version of the note that was printed/published in the newspapers...

...but Finally Free gave the account of what the note REALLY said.

Possibly.

[hefdaddy42]

What I was thinking was that maybe Beyond This Life was the FALSE version of the note that was printed/published in the newspapers...

...but Finally Free gave the account of what the note REALLY said.

Possibly.

Possibly.  But I don't think there are two different notes.  Not sure how that would make sense.

[chaossystem]

This sort of thing happens all the time.

Police departments leak false information about crimes-especially murders-to newspapers,
so certain details about what really happened don't get published,
in order to weed out all of the "copy-cats" who call in either claiming to be the killer,
or trying to claim the reward for information about the crime or crimes.

[?]

I don't see the issue. Same sentiment expressed in a slightly different way.

[Calvin6s]

Headline
Murder
young girl killed

The cops
made sure
the truth was sealed

Planted
real note
so OJ fries

Cochran
will prove
that Furman lied

....

They didn't even send a sleuth
What we were told is not the truth

[ZirconBlue]

I don't think the line in in Finally Free refers to the note, but just the character expressing their feelings.  Then a similar sentiment was expressed in the suicide note, but worded differently.

[Prog Snob]

I don't think the line in in Finally Free refers to the note, but just the character expressing their feelings.  Then a similar sentiment was expressed in the suicide note, but worded differently.

He'd seem hopeless and lost with this note
They'll buy into the words that I wrote

"This feeling inside me
Finally found my love, I've finally broke free
No longer torn in two
I'd take my own life before losing you"


It seems like it's a direct quote from the lyrics. 

[ZirconBlue]

I don't think the line in in Finally Free refers to the note, but just the character expressing their feelings.  Then a similar sentiment was expressed in the suicide note, but worded differently.

He'd seem hopeless and lost with this note
They'll buy into the words that I wrote

"This feeling inside me
Finally found my love, I've finally broke free
No longer torn in two
I'd take my own life before losing you"


It seems like it's a direct quote from the lyrics.

I stand corrected.  Although maybe he isn't actually reading it at the time and is misremembering what he wrote?   

[TheCountOfNYC]

I don't think the line in in Finally Free refers to the note, but just the character expressing their feelings.  Then a similar sentiment was expressed in the suicide note, but worded differently.

He'd seem hopeless and lost with this note
They'll buy into the words that I wrote

"This feeling inside me
Finally found my love, I've finally broke free
No longer torn in two
I'd take my own life before losing you"


It seems like it's a direct quote from the lyrics.

I always took it as Edward thinking as well. I never interpreted that part as the note.

[Chino]

I don't even know what SFAM is really about. I just know that there is a girl named Victoria and I'm pretty sure she gets shot.

[hefdaddy42]

Just like Pac and Biggie

[Prog Snob]

I always took it as Edward thinking as well. I never interpreted that part as the note.

I stand corrected.  Although maybe he isn't actually reading it at the time and is misremembering what he wrote?   

I would maybe agree with the two of you if the leadup sentence to the quoted text didn't say "words that I wrote."        

[Calvin6s]

I would maybe agree with the two of you if the leadup sentence to the quoted text didn't say "words that I wrote."        

But he's just going from what he wrote in his journal about what he wrote on the letter.  It is best practices to document everything you do for a murder.  And lots of google searches.

[reneranucci]

The lyric from Finally Free that really disconcerts me is "A conga line comes into view"

Maybe he was referring to this picture? It kinda fits with the time when  Julian and Victoria lived.

[Mindflux]

Clean your ears?

Yes I know it's a common misheard line.

conga line.. lul

[Thoughtspart3]

In Finally Free Edward has just committed the murder and is contemplating how to cover it up.  He comes up with the plan to make it look like a suicide by writing the note.  He then goes back and plants it on Julian's body.

In Beyond This Life the line is from the same note.  My guess is the wording is changed slightly to fit the music in each song.  However, both lines could have been in the same letter.  The letter could have been long and we are only getting small pieces. 

[Grizz]

I don't even know what SFAM is really about. I just know that there is a girl named Victoria and I'm pretty sure she gets shot.

Vic's in a long-term relationship with a gambling alcoholic druggie that she decides is not worth it so she fucks his brother, but then her lover repents so she stops fucking the brother who becomes jealous and kills them both, framing it to be a murder-suicide. Vic reincarnates as Nic, who goes on a quest to expose the truth behind this 70 year old murder that nobody really cares about because he has annoying recurring nightmares from Victoria's life. The brother reincarnates as the hypnotherapist that helps Nic realize the truth, only to go on to kill Nic because reasons.
Also a 6-minute chaotic cacophony = good sex, apparently.