The smile of dawn arrived early May
She carried a gift from her home
The night shed a tear to tell her of fear
and of sorrow and pain she'll never outgrow
Death is the first dance, eternal

There's no more freedom
The both of you will be confined to this mind

I was told there's a miracle
for each day that I try
I was told there's a new love that's born
for each one that has died
I was told there'd be no one to call on
when I feel alone and afraid
I was told if you dream of the next world,
you'll find yourself swimming in a lake of fire

As a child, I thought I could live without pain, without sorrow
As a man, I've found it's all caught up with me
I'm asleep, yet I'm so afraid

Somewhere, like a scene from a memory,
there's a picture worth a thousand words
Eluding stares from faces before me
It hides away and will never be heard of again
Deceit is the second without end

The city's cold blood teaches us to survive
Just keep my heart in your eyes and we'll stay alive
The third arrives...

Before the leaves have fallen
Before we lock the doors
There must be the third and last dance
This one will last forever
Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles
She's taken you to your home
It can only take place
when the struggle between our children has ended
Now the Miracle and the Sleeper know
that the third is love
Love is the Dance of Eternity


Lyrics submitted by rainstorm

Metropolis, Pt. 1: "The Miracle and the Sleeper" song meanings
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39 Comments

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  • +3
    My Interpretation

    My interpretation (keep in mind, this is MY OWN, not Petrucci's or DT's) (And yes, I know of the connection to Scenes From A Memory; I'm just saying, if this was a stand-alone, this is what it could be):

    Two people, a boy and a girl, are telepathically connected; they are in two distant regions, but they know in their hearts that hey can't live without one another.

    Enter the three dances: Death, Deceit, and Love.

    The first dance, Death, could signify the death of the girl's parents, or of a close loved one. The girl feels extremely distraught, and somehow becomes linked to a boy in a far-off region.

    The boy is also living life alone, with no one to watch over him, and becomes so attached to this connection, he can't live life without this mysterious person by his side.

    That is when he decides to forsake all that he has known and search for this mysterious girl.

    This is the second dance: Deceit.

    The girl knows of this, and decides to find him, as well. He then tells her, "Just keep my heart in your eyes and we'll stay alive..."

    And so, the journey begins.

    Throughout the instrumental break, the two are hectically searching for each other, and when the break is over, the two find each other. Realizing this, they find out that their struggles' end can mean that they can now live the life they have pursued - a life together.

    This is the third dance: Love, also known as the Dance Of Eternity.

    mitalca35on January 05, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Yea! I love this to...and the part where "I was told there's a miracle for each one that has died...I was told there's a new love that has born for each one that has died..." that is just GAAAH!!!!....I can't hold for that... (What I mean is that it's so fucking, unbeliveble awsome!"!!!!!!=

    mando91on July 15, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is before part 2 was even an idea... it was kinda a joke.

    This story is that of Romulus and Remus.

    guardiandevil305on March 16, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think this song is about being indoctrinated into religion as a child and finding out as an adult that he believes religion is not real. No afterlife. Since the first part of his life is living an illusion, he talks about how to deal with the inevitable. He finds piece in understanding that love is the source of eternal happiness.

    joecane6340on June 04, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Whoaah! brilliant! After reading these interpretations I finally know what this song is all about...

    this is about Adam and Eve...

    Whom in the beginning, shall never experience death! but however will learn that they shall go through the first eternal dance - death, we all die.

    why should we die? because of the second dance eternal...deceit from the devil himself...

    and in the end...God is oft forgiving...before Adam and Eve were even damned for their trespassing...before God even locked the door, they are forgiven...because there will be the third and last dance...The Dance of Eternity...which is LOVE...

    and now I know that these guys are brilliant! Petrucci is a Godsent! ha ha!

    Eddevedon November 01, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    A popular theory is that it is about the founding of Rome (Metropolis) by two brothers (Romulus and Remus); however, it is an unofficial explanation.

    EternalTearsOfSorrowon March 19, 2018   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think the song is about someones dark past about a death and the need for an understanding leading to their religious awakening and how they found love in some one and in god. The first area is death which could have been a loved one or some family who he or she had grew up with under a different religious understanding or even an anti religious one. after this death there is a need for an answer to know what will happen after death. so this character abandons his life is other family his friends and even his old believes, that being deceit. then he finally finds love and an understanding when he meets metropolis who is either his love or an angel, their is also the idea that this character is about to die him self and he finally finds a reason to accept this death. the area where its stayed 'somewhere like a scene of a memory, their is a picture of a thousand words'. This could be a place in time and space where the memories that we have are recorded and that each memory gather to paint a picture of the sum of you and your being on earth, and in all idea, its gods intentions and his envision meant of you with idea of your creation, just like a master painter and his finest painting.

    TheultimatesiNon June 22, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song right here...is how the whole story got started...Metropolis pt 2 - Scenes from a Memory is the rest...incase you didnt know..(its a whole ablum)

    Spartaon July 08, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I've been a big DT fan for years and years, but it was only until a few months ago that I didn't own IAW. "Metropolis" has emerged as my fave song on the CD, although they're all brilliant. I love the musical interludes between lyrics, so satisfying (as Mike P would say) when it is resolved and James L sings "before the leaves have fallen..." I like to see these lyrics as being the story of a glitch: a girl gets murdered, she accidentally gets trapped in the mind of a young man 80 years later. The lyrical meaning is OK, nothing great, but I LOVE how the lyrics sound and I love to sing along with James L (much to the pain of my coworkers!). "Under a Glass Prison" gave "Metropolis" a run for it's money, but "The Miracle and the Sleeper" come out victorious in my opinion.

    Vozzyon August 25, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Some of these lines leave me clueless, eg. the first two. But then, obviously, it says that it begins with death, and now their souls will forever be lined - "The both of you will be confined..." The fourth verse - "As a child..." seems to be from Nick's point of view.

    Tesserexon July 03, 2003   Link

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