(Hello, mirror, so glad to see you, my friend, it's been a while)

Staring at the empty page before me
All the years of wreckage run through my head
Patterns of my live have thawed and torn me
Revealing hurtful shame and deep lament
Overwhelming sorrow now absorbs me
As the pen begins to trace my darkest past
Signs throughout my life that should have warned me
Of all the wrongs I've done for which I must repent

I once thought it better to regret
Things that I have done, then haven't

Sometimes you've got to be wrong
Learn the hard way
Sometimes you've got to be strong
When you think it's too late

Staring at the finished page before me
All the damage now so clear and evident
Thinking 'bout the dreaded task in store for me
A bitter fear at the thought of my amends
Hoping that the step will help restore me
To face my past and ask for forgiveness
Cleaning up my dirty side of this un-swept street
Could this be the beginning of the end?

I once thought it better to regret
Things that I have done, then haven't

Sometimes you've got to be wrong
Learn the hard way
Just when you're through hanging on
You're saved

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development
We will be amazed before we are halfway through.
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity, and we will know peace
No matter how far down the scale we have gone.
We will see how our experience can benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not.
They have been fulfilled amongst others
Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
We will always be true to our principles.

You're only as sick as your secrets
But the truth shall set you free.
The truth is the truth.
That's all you can do is live with it.


Lyrics submitted by 2006200720082009, edited by Idan, Octavarium64

Repentance Lyrics as written by Michael Portnoy John Petrucci

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Repentance song meanings
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38 Comments

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  • +2
    General Commentokay, everyone says this song isn't up-to-par with DT...
    but what they are doing is just portraying the emotions and mood that come with the 8th and 9th steps.... by making it lighter and slower....i mean, who goes through regret angry or full of super-fast energy?

    I love this song...so...yeah...
    i think someone already said pretty much the same thing...
    EDIT:YtseJam said it....heh

    -Zane-
    Jazelt621on June 04, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentMy least favorite song on Systematic Chaos, but it's still pretty good.
    2006200720082009on May 19, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentGuest vocalists go as follows:

    * Corey Taylor
    * Joe Satriani
    * Steve Vai
    * Steven Wilson
    * Mikael Åkerfeldt
    * Jon Anderson
    * David Ellefson
    * Daniel Gildenlöw
    * Steve Hogarth
    * Chris Jericho
    * Neal Morse
    2006200720082009on May 19, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentMy second favourite song from the AA Saga.
    The Slurpee Manon May 20, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentWell, if you take steps 8 and 9 which this song is about really, then in that context the mood that the song sets is exactly what it should be even though we all would like something else. :)

    Once the the album is released, either Aniland or myself will update the lyrics here with the quotes.
    Idanon May 20, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentNot my personal favorite Dt song :[ almost a let down. i was expecting another masterpiece in the saga....a ten minute song....ahhh. But like Mike portnoy said in his mirror interview, you can't please everyone. but i do love the guitar riff in the middle
    ChaosInMotion09on May 21, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentIt's true. The lyrics are set with the theme of the stages. If you guys did you're research then you'd know that.
    themightykoreanon May 21, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Commenti havent heard it yet, but i would have liked them to keep the heavy pattern with the AA saga. maybe ill like it.
    AndJustice4All68on May 21, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThe voice-over at the end of "Repentance", presumably done by Portnoy himself, is the following text:

    "If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.
    We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
    We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
    We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
    No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
    That feeling of uselessness and self pity will disappear.
    We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
    Self-seeking will slip away.
    Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
    Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
    We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
    We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
    Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them."

    Source- silkworth.net/
    Scroll half-way down the page. It's that text, word-for-word.

    Also, for "Repentance", I can clearly hear Neal Morse's voice, coming in at 6:52 saying "I'm sorry for what I did...". Can anyone else confirm that?
    The ending also has the following:
    "You're only as sick as your secrets, but the truth shall set you free."
    "The truth is the truth, it's all you can do is live with it."

    -M.
    The Letter Mon May 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAlso:

    "Patterns of my life I thought I don't ...?..."

    Should be...

    "Patterns of my life I thought adowned me"
    The Slurpee Manon May 21, 2007   Link

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