Morning comes too early
And night time falls too late
And sometimes all I want to do is wait
The shadow I've been hiding in
Has fled from me today

I know it's easier
To walk away
Than look it in the eye
But I will raise a shelter to the sky
And here beneath this star tonight I'll lie
She'll slowly yield the light
As I awaken from the longest night

Dreams are shaking set sirens waking up tired eyes
With the light the memories all rush into his head
By a candle stands a mirror of his heart and soul she dances
She was dancing through the night above his bed
And walking to the window
He throws the shutters out against the wall
And from an ivory tower hears her call
"Let light surround you"

It's been a long, long time
He's had a while to think it over
In the end he only sees the change
Light to dark
Dark to light
Light to dark
Dark to light

Heaven must be more than this
When angels waken with a kiss
Sacred hearts won't take the pain
But mine will never be the same
He stands before the window
His shadow slowly fading from the wall
And from an ivory tower hears her call
"Let the light surround you"

Once lost but I was found
When I heard that stained glass
Shatter all around me
I sent the spirits tumbling down the hill
My whole heart is what I had left me still
She whispers words to clear my mind
I once could see but now at last
I'm blind

I know it's easier
To walk away
Than look it in the eye
But I have given all that I could take
And now I've only habits left to break
Tonight I'll still be lying here surrounded
In all the light


Lyrics submitted by Idan, edited by uncle11519

Surrounded Lyrics as written by John Petrucci Michael Portnoy

Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Surrounded song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    I love Dream Theater! I think they are absolutely great! And from the moment I heard this song I fell in love with it. But only after a long time I read the lyrics to completely understand it. From the moment I read the lyrics I knew that this is a love song. I read the comments and with some of them I agree and some not. So I analyzed the song myself. Of course everything can be understood in more than one way but I analyzed it the way it made sense to me and so it would fit to the meaning of the song ENJOY :)

    Morning comes too early and nighttime falls too late And sometimes all I want to do is wait The shadow I've been hiding in has fled from me today

    the time passes slowly and he doesnt get much peace of mind - doesnt get much sleep he hopes that if he will wait and ignore long enough he wont notice it anymore he's beein hiding in a shadow(= darkness) of isolation and lonliness cause he didnt want anything to do with romance

    I know it's easier to walk away than look it in the eye But I will raise a shelter to the sky And here beneath this star tonight I'll lie She will slowly yeild the light as I awaken from the longest night

    its always easier to run away from problems ot fears than to face them but he decides to be brave he will lie underneath the weak light of a star (its still weak cause he didnt open up completely but only starts to) and she will produce more light cause he will let her cause he is awaking from his sleep of lonliness and is coming out of the drak

    Dreams are shaking Set sirens waking up tired eyes WIth the light the memories all rush into his head

    he dreams of her a lot and when he wakes up he remembers it all (he thinks of her more and more)

    By a candle stands a mirror Of his heart and soul she dances She was dancing through the night above his bed

    not sure axactly but maybe -- mirror = reflection the reflection of his heart and soul is the girl that he loves and she dances - this action reflects his feelings of happiness and since he dreams of her all night long, he feels the happiness she reflects for him

    And walking to the window he throws the shutters out against the wall And from an ivory tower hears her call "Let light surround you"

    he throws the remains of his past away - moving fowarnd her = falling for her and hears her call him to let het her light(= warmth and love) surround him

    It's been a long, long time He's had a while to think it over In the end he only sees the change Light to dark Dark to light Light to dark Dark to light

    here i think we get at gilmpse at the past he was hurt and alone for a long time so he took the time to get over it and closed himself up but in the end he couldnt make himself get out of this situation and this lack of feelings at all made him so numb that he only saw the days go by him without the possibility to do anything about it

    Heaven must be more than this When angels waken with a kiss Sacred hearts won't take the painBut mine will never be the same

    he cant believe that this could be real cause it feels like heaven waking up by her side and kissing her every morning so he says that heaven must be more than what he already has in real life no other angels even real onces couldnt have taken the pain he had away (only she could) and his pain wont be the same - or because its not there anymore / his heart wont be the same cause he loves her now

    He stands before the window His shadow slowly fading from the wall And from an ivory tower he hears her call "Let the light surround you"

    his shadow slowly fading - the darkness is leaving him more and more cause she continues to be there for him and "light" him

    Once lost but I was found When I heard the stained glass shatter all around me I sent the spirits tumbling down the hill But I will hold this one on high above me still She whispers words to clear my mind I once could see but now at last I'm blind

    ***he was lost - when you're alone its feels a lot of times like you're lost cause you're walking along the way alone and no one by your side to confirm that you're walking in the right way

    • but now he has her as if she found him when he was lost and he realized that when he heard his glass box of isolation shattered - she broke it and got passed it in and reached him spirits - could be evil spirits - so he got rid of them / or just took all of them down cause he doesnt want anyone else to light him besides her and he will keep her above him so she will be the only one to light him she talks to him to help him be calm and reasonable when you're not in love you are able to think with reason and clearly and the metaphore is to see clearly - when you're in love you are blind cause you cant think with reason so even when she tries to make him to think with reason = to see, he cant cause he is so in love = so blind***

    I know it's easier to walk away than look it in the eye But I had given all I could take And now I've only habits left to break Tonight I'll still be lying here Surrounded in all the light

    again - its easier to run away than to face your fears or to be honest and open but she gave him everything - everything he could ever want or need and now he only have to stop being afraid and fight his impulse to run away (cause its easier) cause he made his choise to stay with her and to continue be happy under her warm loving light

    HellNon July 20, 2010   Link

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