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in: Songs, Train of Thought era, Singles, 6-string C guitar songs

As I Am

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As I Am
Train of Thought
Length 7:47
Working title
Release date October 29, 2003
Lyrics John Petrucci
Music Dream Theater
First live performance Carling Apollo Manchester, Manchester, England, on Jan. 16, 2004
Total live plays 417
Recorded Cove City Sound Studios, Pie Studios NY
Other appearances Live at Budokan, Greatest Hit (...and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs), Happy Holidays 2013, Live at Budokan 2017
Previous song Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (album)
Next song This Dying Soul

As I Am is the first song and the sole single on Dream Theater's seventh album Train of Thought. It begins with the same orchestral chord that the previous album, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence ended with as part of the Meta album cycle.

Some of the lyrics are about a tour with Queensrÿche, which Mike Portnoy described as an "irksome series of shows", where at one point their guitarist Mike Stone tried to give Petrucci some tips in guitar playing and musical direction, inspiring the line, "Don't tell me what's in, tell me how to write".

John Petrucci recorded this song using a 6-string guitar tuned 2 whole steps down (C-F-B♭-E♭-G-C).

Personnel[]

Lyrics[]

Don't
Tell me what's in
Tell me how to write
Don't tell me how to win
This fight
Isn't your life
It isn't your right
To take the only thing that's 
mine

Proven over time
It is over your head
Don't try to read between the
Lines
Are clearly defined
"Never lose sight of
Something you believe in"

Taking in the view from the outside
Feeling like the underdog
Watching through the window I'm on the outside
Living like the underdog

I've been trying to justify you
In the end I will just defy you

To those who understand, I extend my hand
To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am
Not under your command, I know where I stand
I won't change to fit your plan, Take me as I am

As I am

Still
Running uphill
Swimming against the current
I wish I weren't so
Fucked
Feels like I'm stuck
Lost in a sea of mediocrity 

Slow down,
You're thinking too much
Where is your soul?
You cannot touch
The way I
Play
Or tell me what to say
You're in the way
Of all that I believe in

Taking in the view from the outside
Feeling like the underdog
Watching through the window I'm on the outside
Living like the underdog
I've been wasting my breath on you
Open minds will descend upon you

To those who understand, I extend my hand
To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am
Not under your command, I know where I stand
I won't change to fit your plan, take me as I am

To those who understand, I extend my hand
To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am
Not under your command, I know where I stand
I won't change to fit your plan, take me as I am

As I am

Appearances[]

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