The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Freedom calls my name
Serenity keeps me sane
Happiness, it dulls the pain
Honest to see my place
Open to other ways
Willingness to understand
Justice but do not judge
Courtesy for others' flaws
Kindness, it's not that hard
Self-restraint of tongue and pen
Inventory, my daily friend
Analysis let down your guard
Look in the mirror
What do you see?
The shattered fortress
That once bound me
Faithful ascent, through darkest fires
I've found the path to take me higher
You're smart enough for me to trust go live your life now
Just keep these steps in your life and you'll know how
If you're not sure, ask yourself,
"Have I done to them as I would have them do to me?"
Look in the mirror
What's that you see?
The shattered fortress
Fly now be free
Faithful ascent, through darkest fires
I've found the path to take me higher
I once thought it better to be right
But now I have finally seen the light
Sometimes you've got to be wrong
And learn from mistakes
I live with serenity now
Not self-righteous hate
(Help me be a channel of Thy peace
That where there is hatred, I may bring love;
That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;
That where there is discord, I may bring harmony;
That where there is error, I may bring truth;
That where there is doubt, I may bring faith)
Now that you can see all you have done
(That where there is despair, I may bring hope;
That where there are shadows, I may bring light)
It's time to take that step into the kingdom
(That where there is sadness, I may bring joy)
All your sins will help to make you strong
(That I may seek rather to comfort, than to be comforted.
That I may seek to understand than to be understood)
And help you break right through the prison wall
(That I may seek to love, rather than to be loved,
For it is by self-forgetting that one finds,
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven)
Keep all of me,
The desires that once burned me deep inside
Help me live today
And help to give me grace
To carry out your way
I am ready, help me be all I can be
I am ready, help guide me and keep me free
I am responsible when anyone, anywhere
Reaches out for help, I want my hand to be there
I am responsible when anyone, anywhere
Reaches out for help, I want my hand to be there
Serenity keeps me sane
Happiness, it dulls the pain
Honest to see my place
Open to other ways
Willingness to understand
Justice but do not judge
Courtesy for others' flaws
Kindness, it's not that hard
Self-restraint of tongue and pen
Inventory, my daily friend
Analysis let down your guard
Look in the mirror
What do you see?
The shattered fortress
That once bound me
Faithful ascent, through darkest fires
I've found the path to take me higher
You're smart enough for me to trust go live your life now
Just keep these steps in your life and you'll know how
If you're not sure, ask yourself,
"Have I done to them as I would have them do to me?"
Look in the mirror
What's that you see?
The shattered fortress
Fly now be free
Faithful ascent, through darkest fires
I've found the path to take me higher
I once thought it better to be right
But now I have finally seen the light
Sometimes you've got to be wrong
And learn from mistakes
I live with serenity now
Not self-righteous hate
(Help me be a channel of Thy peace
That where there is hatred, I may bring love;
That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;
That where there is discord, I may bring harmony;
That where there is error, I may bring truth;
That where there is doubt, I may bring faith)
Now that you can see all you have done
(That where there is despair, I may bring hope;
That where there are shadows, I may bring light)
It's time to take that step into the kingdom
(That where there is sadness, I may bring joy)
All your sins will help to make you strong
(That I may seek rather to comfort, than to be comforted.
That I may seek to understand than to be understood)
And help you break right through the prison wall
(That I may seek to love, rather than to be loved,
For it is by self-forgetting that one finds,
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven)
Keep all of me,
The desires that once burned me deep inside
Help me live today
And help to give me grace
To carry out your way
I am ready, help me be all I can be
I am ready, help guide me and keep me free
I am responsible when anyone, anywhere
Reaches out for help, I want my hand to be there
I am responsible when anyone, anywhere
Reaches out for help, I want my hand to be there
Lyrics submitted by hallowedbe666, edited by Octavarium64
The Shattered Fortress Lyrics as written by John Petrucci John Myung
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Correction in the opening stanza: Freedom - Calls my name Serenity - Keeps me sane Happiness - It dulls the pain Honor - ???? Open - To Other ways Willingness - To understand Justice - I do not judge Courtesy - From honest hearts ?? Kindness - It's not that hard Self Restraint - The Self-impaired Inventory - My daily bread Analysis - And then you're gone
Anybody else think Portnoy got a little lazy on the musical side of this song. I know how this is the last of a 5 song suite where it covers each of the 12 steps of AA.
Dont get me wrong I thought it was pretty badass of a song, they all were, but it just seems kinda cheep to simply copy and paste parts from different songs onto this song.
Fateful ascent Through darkest fires I've found the path To take me higher -from The Glass Prison
Keep all of me The desires that once burned me deep inside Help me live today And help to give me grace To carry out your ways I am ready Help me be all I can be I am ready Help guide me and keep me free -from Root of All Evil
Very end of song was part from the song Octavarium, then it stopped and it had the drum beats from the intro of The Root of All Evil
Not to mention its littered with other little tidbits from other songs... but hey, it did sound pretty cool.
Oh absolutely. Portnoy totally assed this piece.
Well, they reprise the whole theme in this song! Come on, who doesn't like a "Rock Opera" or "Musical" that end the way it starts! I love listening to Overture, and the song end with composing all part and cramp it into one song!
It sounds more like "Fateful ascent" rather than "Faithful ascent"...
Also, in the opening stanza: Freedom - Calls my name Serenity - Keeps me sane Happiness - It dulls the pain Honest - To see my fate Open - Don't want to wait Willingness - To understand Justice - Why do you judge? Courtesy - ??? Kindness - It's not that hard Self Restraint - ??? Inventory - My daily bread Analysis - Until you're gone
...that's from what I could gather. A lot of these words (sung/spoken by MP) are from previous songs, most notably TGP and TDS, are likely in the AA book(s) a lot.
-Marc.
Also, in the same voice MP uses in "Repentance" to site the Twelve Promises, he sites the Eleventh Step Prayer (a.k.a. the St. Francis Prayer). Here is a transcription of his version spoken during Step XI:
"Help me make a channel of thy peace, that where there is hatred, I may bring love; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that where there is error, I may bring truth; that where there is doubt, I may bring faith; that where there is despair, I may bring hope; that where there are shadows, I may bring light; that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. that I may seek to comfort rather than to be comforted; that I may seek to understand rather than to be understood; that I may seek to love rather than to be loved; for it is by self-forgetting that one finds; it is by forgiving that one is forgiven."
-Marc.
New version up.
What a wicked song. I love: "Look in the mirror. WHATS THAT YOU SEE??!! The shattered fortress. That once BURNED ME!" About 2 weeks till full album release, wish i could spare the cash for the box set.
"Look in the mirror What's that you see? The Shattered Fortress Fly now, be free!"
I love the way James LaBrie sings the word, "free." I orgasm every time.
Correction to the opening stanzas: Freedom calls my name Serenity keeps me sane Happiness it dulls the pain
Honest to see my place Open to other ways Willingness to understand
Justice but do not judge Courtesy for others' flaws Kindness it's not that hard
Self-restraint of tongue and pain Inventory my daily friend Analysis let down your guard
After the first chorus in X. Restraint, the second verse should be: You're smart enough for me to trust go live your life now Just keep these steps in your life and you'll know how If you're not sure, ask yourself "Have I done to them As I would have them do to me?"
Then the end of X. Restraint should be: I once thought it better to be right But now I have finally seen the light Sometimes you've got to be wrong And learn from mistakes I live with serenity now Not self-righteous hate
The end of XI. Receive is printed as: I am ready Help me be all I can be I am ready Help guide me and keep me free
Then the last step, XII. Responsible, is print just once as: I am responsible When anyone, anywhere Reaches out for help I want my hand to be there
-Marc.
This Suite, or mostly this song, is, hands down, the most epic thing on this planet, next to the earth itself and Mike Portnoy is a god among men :D
This Suite, or mostly this song, is, hands down, the most epic thing on this planet, next to the earth itself and Mike Portnoy is a god among men :D