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A Broken Man Lyrics
[Instrumental Intro]
[Spoken Intro]
[?]
"Take cover!"
[Verse 1: James LaBrie]
Feel the heat intensify
Steel piercing the skin
Sky on fire, electrified
War inside begins
Wrought with guilt, abandoning comrades lying still
Soulless eyes stare back at me
Broken, sick, I feel
[Chorus: James LaBrie, John Petrucci & Mike Portnoy]
What of the dreams? A haunted curse? (A haunted curse)
Toxic and bleak, I'm getting worse
Dead inside, though I've tried
I know I am a broken man
[Spoken Interlude]
"Suffering, suffering inside and shaking. I'm sweating at night, just trying to find an answer to feel comfortable with, what, um, like, what did I witness?"
[Verse 2: James LaBrie]
Swaying, praying, trying to escape
Laughing, crying, more than one can take
Haunting, taunting, will not let me be
Hypnotizing and not letting go of me
[Verse 3: James LaBrie, John Petrucci & Mike Portnoy]
Stranglehold, dreams unfold, helpless, can't break free
Memories, blood red sky, rain down on me
Battle cry, war inside, senseless tragedy
Shock and awe, numb and raw, suffocating me
Nightmare, will this never end?
Flashback, I'm unravelling
Misery can't break free
Wasted lives cast aside
[Chorus: James LaBrie, John Petrucci & Mike Portnoy]
What of the dreams? A haunted curse (A haunted curse)
Toxic and bleak, I'm getting worse
Dead inside, though I've tried
I know I am a broken man
[Instrumental Break]
[Keyboard Solo]
[Guitar Solo]
[Bridge: James LaBrie, John Petrucci & Mike Portnoy]
What of the dreams? What can I learn? (What can I learn?)
Nor can erase, forever burn (Forever burn)
What of the dreams? Inflamed and torn (Inflamed and torn)
And now I wish I had never been born (Never been, never been, never been, never been)
All is lost, I've done all I can, I swear
This cross is mine to bear
[Outro: James LaBrie]
Broken man, only one remedy
He waits patiently, peaceful and free for eternity
[Instrumental Outro]
[?]
"Take cover!"
Feel the heat intensify
Steel piercing the skin
Sky on fire, electrified
War inside begins
Wrought with guilt, abandoning comrades lying still
Soulless eyes stare back at me
Broken, sick, I feel
What of the dreams? A haunted curse? (A haunted curse)
Toxic and bleak, I'm getting worse
Dead inside, though I've tried
I know I am a broken man
"Suffering, suffering inside and shaking. I'm sweating at night, just trying to find an answer to feel comfortable with, what, um, like, what did I witness?"
Swaying, praying, trying to escape
Laughing, crying, more than one can take
Haunting, taunting, will not let me be
Hypnotizing and not letting go of me
Stranglehold, dreams unfold, helpless, can't break free
Memories, blood red sky, rain down on me
Battle cry, war inside, senseless tragedy
Shock and awe, numb and raw, suffocating me
Nightmare, will this never end?
Flashback, I'm unravelling
Misery can't break free
Wasted lives cast aside
What of the dreams? A haunted curse (A haunted curse)
Toxic and bleak, I'm getting worse
Dead inside, though I've tried
I know I am a broken man
What of the dreams? What can I learn? (What can I learn?)
Nor can erase, forever burn (Forever burn)
What of the dreams? Inflamed and torn (Inflamed and torn)
And now I wish I had never been born (Never been, never been, never been, never been)
All is lost, I've done all I can, I swear
This cross is mine to bear
Broken man, only one remedy
He waits patiently, peaceful and free for eternity
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Sony/atv Music Publishing Llc
Writer
John Myung, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, James Labrie
Duration
8:30
Producer
John Petrucci, James Labrie, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, Mike Mangini
Release date
Feb 22, 2019
Sentiment
Positive
Submitted by
kingofstilport On Feb 14, 2025
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This song tells an all too frequent story of PTSD, telling a tale of a war vet who is experiencing sleep disturbances such as nightmares and insomnia, due to combat experience. It also contains real audio from actual vets speaking about their personal horrors and replaying the traumatic events of wartime deployments. The use of real vets helps to illustrate the profound psychological effects of war and the longing for healing and redemption, inviting listeners to hopefully reflect on the struggles faced by those who have experienced the horrors of combat.