| Hollow Years | |
| Falling Into Infinity | |
| Length | 5:53 |
| Working title | |
| Release date | September 23, 1997 |
| Lyrics | John Petrucci |
| Music | Dream Theater |
| First live performance | Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI, USA, on Oct. 17, 1997 |
| Total live plays | 284 |
| Recorded | June-July 1997 |
| Other appearances | Live at Budokan, Quarantième: Live à Paris |
| Previous song | Peruvian Skies |
| Next song | Burning My Soul |
Hollow Years is the fourth track from Dream Theater's fourth studio album, Falling Into Infinity.
John Petrucci recorded this song using a 6-string guitar in standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E).
Lyrics[]
He's just the kind of man You hear about Who leaves his family For an easy out They never saw the signs He never said a word He couldn't take another day Carry me to the shoreline Bury me in the sand Walk me across the water And maybe you'll understand Once the stone You're crawling under Is lifted off your shoulders Once the cloud that's raining Over your head Disappears The noise that you'll hear Is the crashing down of hollow years She's not the kind of girl You hear about She'll never want another She'll never be without She'll give you all the signs She'll tell you everything Then turn around and walk away Carry me to the shoreline Bury me in the sand Walk me across the water And maybe you'll understand Once the stone You're crawling under Is lifted off your shoulders Once the cloud that's raining Over your head Disappears The noise that you'll hear Is the crashing down of hollow years Carry me to the shoreline Bury me in the sand Walk me across the water And maybe you'll understand Once the stone You're crawling under Is lifted off your shoulders Once the cloud that's raining Over you head Disappears The noise that you'll hear Is the crashing down of hollow years
Live Performances[]
Hollow Years has seen many changes over the years with the current live version of the song being drastically different than the studio version. When the song was first performed a small extended intro was added with Petrucci shredding. In 2004 the guitar solo was overhauled and extended, a short outro jam was also added over a piano solo from Rudess, this version appears on Live at Budokan. This version of the song returned for the 2009-2010 touring cycle, additionally the pre-chorus was extended with the lyrics from the demo version (as seen in the Falling Into Infinity Demos) being added. These additional changes remained when the song returned for the 40th Anniversary Tour, on top of the prior changes the extended intro was also overhauled with it now being a much longer jam between Petrucci and Rudess, this version of the song can last for up to 15 minutes and is seen on Quarantième: Live à Paris.
Appearances[]
| Year | Recording Type | Release | Release Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Studio | Falling into Infinity | Studio Album |
| 1997 | Studio | Falling into Infinity | Promotional Album (EastWast Records) |
| 1997 | Studio | Falling into Infinity | Promotional Album (Elektra) |
| 1997 | Tracks | International Fanclub Christmas CD 1997 | Fanclub |
| 1997 | Studio | Hollow Years | Retail Single |
| 1998 | Music Video | 5 Years in a Livetime | Video Album |
| 1998 | Live | Once in a LIVEtime | Live Album |
| 2004 | Live | Live at Budokan | Live Album |
| 2007 | Demo | Falling into Infinity Demos 1996-1997 | Official Bootleg |
| 2008 | Studio | Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) | Compilation Album |
| 2009 | Tracks | The Making of Falling into Infinity | Official Bootleg |
| 2022 | Demo | Falling into Infinity Demos, 1996-1997 | Official Bootleg |
| 2023 | Tracks | The Making of Falling into Infinity (1997) | Official Bootlegs |
| 2025 | Live | Quarantième: Live à Paris | Live Album |