| A Nightmare to Remember | |
| Black Clouds & Silver Linings | |
| Length | 16:12 |
| Working title | Hallowe'en |
| Release date | {{{Release}}} |
| Lyrics | John Petrucci |
| Music | Dream Theater |
| First live performance | |
| Total live plays | |
| Recorded | Avatar Studios |
| Other appearances | |
| Previous song | {{{Previous song}}} |
| Next song | A Rite of Passage |
A Nightmare to Remember appears on Black Clouds & Silver Linings. It has three distinct sections. The first and last are among the heaviest music Dream Theater have released, whereas the midsection is softer and anthemic. It opens and closes with storm atmos. The opening notes on the piano are possibly a quote from classical piece Dies Irae.
Variations
- On October 10th 2009, Mikael Akerfeldt came onstage to sing the "Day after day, and night after night" section at Wembley arena. Youtube footage.
- Chris Anderson of DTF.org and MP.com created an original remix called "Beautiful Agony," using the special edition stems. It can be found here.
Lyrics
A nightmare to remember I'd never be the same What began as laughter So soon would turn to pain The sky was clear and frigid The air was thick and still Now I'm not one to soon forget And I bet I never will Picture for a moment The perfect irony A flawless new beginning Eclipsed by tragedy The uninvited stranger Strated dancing on his own So we said goodbye To the glowing bride And we made our way back home Life was so simple then We were so innocent Father and mother Holding each other Without warning Out of nowhere Like a bullet From the night Crashing glass Rubber and steel Scorching fire Glowing lights Screams of terror Pain and fear Sounds of sirens Smoke in my eyes Sudden stillness Wrapped in silence No more screaming No more cries Stunned and bewildered Cold and afraid Torn up and broken Frightened and dazed Stunned and bewildered Cold and afraid Torn up and broken Frightened and dazed Lying on the table In this unfamilliar place I'm greeted by a stranger A man without a face He said, "Son do you remember?" "Do you even know your name?" Then he shined a light into my eyes And said, "Take this for the pain." Hopelessly drifting Bathing in beautiful agony I am endlessly falling Lost in this wonderful misery In peaceful sedation I lay half awake And all of the panic inside starts to fade Hopelessly drifting Bathing in beautiful agony "Tell me does this hurt you?" Said the faceless man "Can you move all of your fingers?" "Can you try your best to stand?" I asked about the others Is everyone ok? He told me not to worry As he turned and looked away Hopelessly drifting Bathing in beautiful agony I am endlessly falling Lost in this wonderful misery In peaceful sedation I lay half awake And all of the panic inside starts to fade Hopelessly drifting Bathing in beautiful agony Day after day And night after night We burden the oppressed Did they ever see the red light? Over and over Scene by scene Like a recurring nightmare Haunting my dreams How can you prepare For what happens next? The search you'll never have to see His father's such a mess It's a miracle he lived It's a blessing no one died By the grace of God above Everyone survived Life was so simple then We were so innocent It will stay with us forever A nightmare to remember