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Metropolis, Pt. 1: "The Miracle and the Sleeper" Lyrics
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
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.
@mitalca35 Nice idea but " to tell her of fear and of sorrow and pain she'll never outgrow" i think, i feel that the girl is the one, who will die (very young) so this not fit me to your explanations.
@mitalca35 Nice idea but " to tell her of fear and of sorrow and pain she'll never outgrow" i think, i feel that the girl is the one, who will die (very young) so this not fit me to your explanations.
But very nice idea, thinking about your idea, sentences "Before the leaves have fallen Before we lock the doors There must be the third and last dance This one will last forever" sounds more bueatifull to me :)
But very nice idea, thinking about your idea, sentences "Before the leaves have fallen Before we lock the doors There must be the third and last dance This one will last forever" sounds more bueatifull to me :)
So I disagreee with you, but i love your idea, thank you
So I disagreee with you, but i love your idea, thank you
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!"!!!!!!=
This is before part 2 was even an idea... it was kinda a joke.
This story is that of Romulus and Remus.
yeah that's what DT intended
yeah that's what DT intended
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.
not to seem rude but , i dont think its about discarding a religion i think its about his being told about many different ones and that eventually goes on o use one and that instead is discarding his old thoughts on life with out religion as sung here: 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. he finally realized that he was living the life of a fool who thought that it would best to take o the game of...
not to seem rude but , i dont think its about discarding a religion i think its about his being told about many different ones and that eventually goes on o use one and that instead is discarding his old thoughts on life with out religion as sung here: 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. he finally realized that he was living the life of a fool who thought that it would best to take o the game of life on his own with out believing in anything or with respecting other ideas.
not to seem rude but , i dont think its about discarding a religion i think its about his being told about many different ones and that eventually goes on o use one and that instead is discarding his old thoughts on life with out religion as sung here: 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. he finally realized that he was living the life of a fool who thought that it would best to take o the game of...
not to seem rude but , i dont think its about discarding a religion i think its about his being told about many different ones and that eventually goes on o use one and that instead is discarding his old thoughts on life with out religion as sung here: 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. he finally realized that he was living the life of a fool who thought that it would best to take o the game of life on his own with out believing in anything or with respecting other ideas. i get this understanding from the way the song is sung and in the way that he sings about living with out pain and being almost independent compared to the rest of those who he lived with.
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!
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.