Titles

[robwebster]

Silly thread, but hey. I just like titles. Ignoring the music itself, which titles are particularly good/bad?

Ach ja: The Ministry of Lost Souls. Listening to it right now (because I need to cook something for fifteen minutes, first 15-er I thought of!), forgot how cool it was musically, but I always remember how good the title is. Seriously cool stuff.
Honourable mentions: 6:00, Stream of Consciousness, Constant Motion, Razor's Edge, Finally Free, Metropolis. The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun is also far too cool a name for such an unmemorable song.


Nicht nicht: Raw Dog. Goofy and not particularly meaningful. Backwards it says "God War," which isn't quite close enough to God of War to be cool.
Dishonourable mentions: The Dark Eternal Night, which is a bit of a tautology. Rockin' song though. I'm not a huge fan of Prophets of War. Actually, that's a lie - I love it as a title, so it should be in the cool list ignoring the music (which I said I would!), but the song lyrics have nothing to do with prophets. So I always kinda think "This should really be called Profits of War. That pun has nothing to do with anything."

[Plasmastrike]

I remember in '05 when Octavarium came out. I thought, "I don't know what the fuck that means, but it sounds aaawesome."

Needless to say, I was satisfied with the music on that album.

[Jamesman42]

I like Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper, Trial of Tears, The Dance of Eternity, Octavarium, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, The Glass Prison, The Shattered Fortress, and of course The Count of Tuscany.

[ZKX-2099]

Everything off Black Clouds & Silver Linings has a good punch in their names. Erotomania is rather clever given the content of the rest of A Mind Beside Itself. Peruvian Skies and Stream Of Consciousness both give off an intriguing vibe. 

[contest_sanity]

I'm not a huge fan of Prophets of War. Actually, that's a lie - I love it as a title, so it should be in the cool list ignoring the music (which I said I would!), but the song lyrics have nothing to do with prophets. So I always kinda think "This should really be called Profits of War. That pun has nothing to do with anything."[/i]

I have always thought that James himself is the prophet.  As in the Old Testament, he is siding with those who are being oppressed, is announcing that Justice need be done, and generally calling out this country's war-makers who are destroying places like an Iraq or an Afghanistan.  The song itself, then, is a prophetic call to action.  And, since a group of DT fans actually appears on the track, perhaps we are all, metaphorically, prophets of war if we agree with James' message.

[Sintheros]

Something only somewhat related to this topic, I believe BCSL is the only album in which they explicitly say the name of the song in every single song on the album. Too much title dropping on one album, IMO. It bugs me when the title of the song is either in the chorus or the first/last line too often, which BCSL suffers from.

[hefdaddy42]

I'm not a huge fan of Prophets of War. Actually, that's a lie - I love it as a title, so it should be in the cool list ignoring the music (which I said I would!), but the song lyrics have nothing to do with prophets. So I always kinda think "This should really be called Profits of War. That pun has nothing to do with anything."[/i]

I have always thought that James himself is the prophet.  As in the Old Testament, he is siding with those who are being oppressed, is announcing that Justice need be done, and generally calling out this country's war-makers who are destroying places like an Iraq or an Afghanistan.  The song itself, then, is a prophetic call to action.  And, since a group of DT fans actually appears on the track, perhaps we are all, metaphorically, prophets of war if we agree with James' message.

That is all very true.  And I agree with that message (more or less).

But the song is still awful.

BTW, I think "The Ministry of Lost Souls" is one of the worst song titles in their catalogue (although I like the actual song) - although I think it would have worked as the title of, say, Raw Dog.

[Dcrupi]

Something only somewhat related to this topic, I believe BCSL is the only album in which they explicitly say the name of the song in every single song on the album. Too much title dropping on one album, IMO. It bugs me when the title of the song is either in the chorus or the first/last line too often, which BCSL suffers from.

This also bothers me.  I'm a big fan of when songs don't mention their titles in the lyrics.

[contest_sanity]

Something only somewhat related to this topic, I believe BCSL is the only album in which they explicitly say the name of the song in every single song on the album. Too much title dropping on one album, IMO. It bugs me when the title of the song is either in the chorus or the first/last line too often, which BCSL suffers from.

This also bothers me.  I'm a big fan of when songs don't mention their titles in the lyrics.

This reminds me of an Upright Citizen's Brigade comedy sketch where a character kept bothering a video store clerk with claims that he was in famous films like Star Wars and that he even said the title lines.  Then he would splice in random footage of himself into the movie saying something something like: "Man - I'm just so tired of all these Star Wars."

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

It's "Famous TITLES", Mr. Connery.

[Jamesman42]

 

[emindead]

Harry Potter and The Ministry of Lost Souls.

[In The Name Of Rudess]

Titles I like: The Glass Prison (clever metaphor)
                 The Ministry of Lost Souls
                 About to Crash
                 Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
                 Octavarium ('cause it's the best title I can think of that has Octa in it)
                 Disappear
                 
Titles I don't like: The Killing Hand
                        The Spirit Carries On (I love the song but.. can you say cliché?)
                        Raw Dog (because of reasons previously stated)
                        The Count of Tuscany (wut?)

..The Dark Eternal Night, which is a bit of a tautology..

Pleonasm

[robwebster]

Oh crikey, you're right as well. Ace. There we go, I've learnt something.

I did consider TSCO and TKH, too. Again, 'cause Spirit sounds a bit cliche. I don't know if there are any other songs with the same name, but it sounds like there should be.

Always liked the name The Count of Tuscany, though. Not loved it, but it's a nice ol' name about a count.

[Mebert78]

Is this about album titles or song titles, or both?

I said this in another thread, but I liked how all the DT albums titles from WDADU through Train of Thought were related to the mind, dreams, thoughts, etc.  Just look at the titles: Awake, Falling into Infinity, Scenes from a Memory.  They are all mind or consciousness related.  They abandoned that with Octavarium and the two albums since then.  I wonder why.

[robwebster]

I believe BCSL is the only album in which they explicitly say the name of the song in every single song on the album.

1. Welcome in a new milleeeeenniuuuuuum
2. It's all about you, not me, it's all about the things that you're expecting me to be
3. Under peruvian skies, Vanessa regretfully waaaaaits
4. The noise that you'll hear is the crashing down of hollow yeeeeears!
5. The pressure keeps on BUUUUURNIIIIING MAH SOU-OUL (burning mah sooooul)
6. (instrumental)
7. Drawing lines in the SAAAA-A-A-AAAAND!
8. Take away my paaaain!
9. I'm bored, just let me breathe!
10. Where do you belong, Aaaanna Leee?
11. With my thoughts wrapped around me, through a trial of teeeears!

[toro]

Is this about album titles or song titles, or both?

I said this in another thread, but I liked how all the DT albums titles from WDADU through Train of Thought were related to the mind, dreams, thoughts, etc.  Just look at the titles: Awake, Falling into Infinity, Scenes from a Memory.  They are all mind or consciousness related.  They abandoned that with Octavarium and the two albums since then.  I wonder why.

Yep i wonder why too

I believe BCSL is the only album in which they explicitly say the name of the song in every single song on the album.

1. Welcome in a new milleeeeenniuuuuuum
2. It's all about you, not me, it's all about the things that you're expecting me to be
3. Under peruvian skies, Vanessa regretfully waaaaaits
4. The noise that you'll hear is the crashing down of hollow yeeeeears!
5. The pressure keeps on BUUUUURNIIIIING MAH SOU-OUL (burning mah sooooul)
6. (instrumental)
7. Drawing lines in the SAAAA-A-A-AAAAND!
8. Take away my paaaain!
9. I'm bored, just let me breathe!
10. Where do you belong, Aaaanna Leee?
11. With my thoughts wrapped around me, through a trial of teeeears!

[petrucci07]

Nicht nicht: Raw Dog. Goofy and not particularly meaningful. Backwards it says "God War," which isn't quite close enough to God of War to be cool.

It's obviously intended to be "War God".

[hefdaddy42]

I believe BCSL is the only album in which they explicitly say the name of the song in every single song on the album.

1. Welcome in a new milleeeeenniuuuuuum
2. It's all about you, not me, it's all about the things that you're expecting me to be
3. Under peruvian skies, Vanessa regretfully waaaaaits
4. The noise that you'll hear is the crashing down of hollow yeeeeears!
5. The pressure keeps on BUUUUURNIIIIING MAH SOU-OUL (burning mah sooooul)
6. (instrumental)
7. Drawing lines in the SAAAA-A-A-AAAAND!
8. Take away my paaaain!
9. I'm bored, just let me breathe!
10. Where do you belong, Aaaanna Leee?
11. With my thoughts wrapped around me, through a trial of teeeears!

The bolded is presumably the difference-maker.

[Marvellous G]

Pull Me Under (it just sounds so cool...), Metropolis, Scarred, Hollow Years, Finally Free, SDOiT, Glass Prison, The Great Debate, As I Am, These Walls, In The Presence of Enemies (it's so cheesy, but I can't help but LOVE IT as a title) are all cool.

[wasp2020]

Harry Potter and The Ministry of Lost Souls.

oh god, I thought I was the only one

[robwebster]

I believe BCSL is the only album in which they explicitly say the name of the song in every single song on the album.

1. Welcome in a new milleeeeenniuuuuuum
2. It's all about you, not me, it's all about the things that you're expecting me to be
3. Under peruvian skies, Vanessa regretfully waaaaaits
4. The noise that you'll hear is the crashing down of hollow yeeeeears!
5. The pressure keeps on BUUUUURNIIIIING MAH SOU-OUL (burning mah sooooul)
6. (instrumental)
7. Drawing lines in the SAAAA-A-A-AAAAND!
8. Take away my paaaain!
9. I'm bored, just let me breathe!
10. Where do you belong, Aaaanna Leee?
11. With my thoughts wrapped around me, through a trial of teeeears!

The bolded is presumably the difference-maker.

Still, all the titles of the songs are taken from the lyrics.

I kinda figured songs with no lyrics were exempt, for the obvious reason that it would be 100% impossible to grab a title from the words without calling it " ".

(I could also argue that HK was seen as being "the instrumental section from Burning my Soul" by the band, so if it were up to them they wouldn't have had to think up a separate title. But let's not bring that into it.)

All I'm pointing out is that titles based largely on the lyrics are not a new thing.

[LCArenas]

Titles I Like:

• Octavarium (It sounds so mystic!)
• Learning to Live
• Raise the Knife
• Beyond this Life
• A Fortune in Lies (A great title for a meh song)
• The Mirror

Titles I Hate:

• Where Are You Now?
• The Dark Eternal Night (Too Cheesy)

• The Spirit Carries On (I love the song but.. can you say cliché?)

  Yes. The Answer Lies Within is far more Cliché.

[ZBomber]

I believe BCSL is the only album in which they explicitly say the name of the song in every single song on the album.

1. Welcome in a new milleeeeenniuuuuuum
2. It's all about you, not me, it's all about the things that you're expecting me to be
3. Under peruvian skies, Vanessa regretfully waaaaaits
4. The noise that you'll hear is the crashing down of hollow yeeeeears!
5. The pressure keeps on BUUUUURNIIIIING MAH SOU-OUL (burning mah sooooul)
6. (instrumental)
7. Drawing lines in the SAAAA-A-A-AAAAND!
8. Take away my paaaain!
9. I'm bored, just let me breathe!
10. Where do you belong, Aaaanna Leee?
11. With my thoughts wrapped around me, through a trial of teeeears!

So does Images and Words (and maybe WDADU? Too lazy to go through)

[robwebster]

I don't think Metropolis and Under a Glass Moon have title drops. Although UAGM does have "under glass moonlight," which is close. Still.

With WDADU you've got "You can make a fortune in lies," "Heartsick at the sight of the status seeker," "I am the killing haaaaand," It's come so clear to me, light fuse and get away," "In the afterlife," "We were the ones who help to set the sun," and "if spirit's a sign, then it's only a matter of time."

There we go, trend they've been maintaining since the very start!

[ZBomber]

I don't think Metropolis and Under a Glass Moon have title drops. Although UAGM does have "under glass moonlight," which is close. Still.

With WDADU you've got "You can make a fortune in lies," "Heartsick at the sight of the status seeker," "I am the killing haaaaand," It's come so clear to me, light fuse and get away," "In the afterlife," "We were the ones who help to set the sun," and "if spirit's a sign, then it's only a matter of time."

There we go, trend they've been maintaining since the very start!

Metropolis has "Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles" (though no Pt 1. The Miracle and the Sleeper )

[Plasmastrike]

I don't think Metropolis and Under a Glass Moon have title drops. Although UAGM does have "under glass moonlight," which is close. Still.

With WDADU you've got "You can make a fortune in lies," "Heartsick at the sight of the status seeker," "I am the killing haaaaand," It's come so clear to me, light fuse and get away," "In the afterlife," "We were the ones who help to set the sun," and "if spirit's a sign, then it's only a matter of time."

There we go, trend they've been maintaining since the very start!

Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles!



You're better than that, Rob!

EDIT: I got zbomb'ed

[setrataeso]

Lines in the Sand and Trial of Tears are two of my favourites.

[Jamesman42]

I don't care what anyone says, I like the title "Honor Thy Father", which isn't mentioned in the song. Clever work there.

[contest_sanity]

I don't care what anyone says, I like the title "Honor Thy Father", which isn't mentioned in the song. Clever work there.

I agree.  The irony of twisting the Biblical commandment is an interesting choice and reflects a difficult moral dilemma.  For someone trying to follow such a commandment or live a religious life, how do you honor a parent who treats you and your family like shit?

[robwebster]

I don't think Metropolis and Under a Glass Moon have title drops. Although UAGM does have "under glass moonlight," which is close. Still.

With WDADU you've got "You can make a fortune in lies," "Heartsick at the sight of the status seeker," "I am the killing haaaaand," It's come so clear to me, light fuse and get away," "In the afterlife," "We were the ones who help to set the sun," and "if spirit's a sign, then it's only a matter of time."

There we go, trend they've been maintaining since the very start!

Metropolis has "Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles" (though no Pt 1. The Miracle and the Sleeper )

Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles!



You're better than that, Rob!

EDIT: I got zbomb'ed

Whoops! Thought that was in Home, for some reason. I'm a div.

[KevShmev]

What's funny about all of the titles on Train of Thought is most of them, with seeing just the titles, could be construed as religious or spiritual titles:

"This Dying Soul"
"Endless Sacrifice"
"Honor Thy Father"
"In the Name of God"

See what I mean?  I remember when the song titles were made public, some wondered whether Neal Morse had infected, for lack of a better term, Mike Portnoy with his religious beliefs (ToT being the first DT release since Neal left Spock's Beard).

[hefdaddy42]

What's funny about all of the titles on Train of Thought is most of them, with seeing just the titles, could be construed as religious or spiritual titles:

"This Dying Soul"
"Endless Sacrifice"
"Honor Thy Father"
"In the Name of God"

See what I mean?  I remember when the song titles were made public, some wondered whether Neal Morse had infected, for lack of a better term, Mike Portnoy with his religious beliefs (ToT being the first DT release since Neal left Spock's Beard).

I remember that very thing being discussed at DT.net.  Not Neal Morse specifically, but a possible religious theme to the songs.

[moffatt]

You Not Me

[Mladen]

Favorite titles:
Under a glass moon
Caught in a web
The Great debate (even the title is epic)
Octavarium (duh!)
Constant motion
The Ministry of lost souls

Least favorite titles:
The Ones who help to set the sun
Lie
You not me
Prophets of war
A Rite of passage