Dream Theater Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Advertisement
Register
in: Songs, Images and Words era, 6-string E guitar songs, Songs over 10 minutes in length

Learning to Live

Edit
Learning to Live
Images and Words
Length 11:31
Working title Creep With Tonality
Release date June 2, 1992
Lyrics John Myung
Music Dream Theater
First live performance Sundance, Bayshore, NY, USA, on Jun. 9, 1990
Total live plays 468
Recorded BearTracks Studios
Other appearances Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York, Live Scenes from New York
Previous song Wait for Sleep
Next song Awake (album)

Learning to Live is a song by Dream Theater. It is the eighth and final song off the band's second album, Images and Words.

Personnel[]

Lyrics[]

There was no time for pain
No energy for anger
The sightlessness of hatred slips away
Walking through winter streets alone
He stops and takes a breath
With confidence and self-control

I look at the world and see no understanding
I'm waiting to find some sense of strength
I'm begging you from the bottom of my heart
To show me understanding

I need to live life
Like some people never will
So find me kindness
Find me beauty
Find me truth
When temptation brings me to my knees
And I lay here drained of strength
Show me kindness
Show me beauty
Show me truth

The way your heart sounds makes all the difference
It's what decides if you'll endure the pain that we all feel
The way your heart beats makes all the difference
In learning to live
Here before me is my soul
I'm learning to live
I won't give up till I've no more to give
No more to give

Listening to the city
Whispering its violence
I set out watching from above
The 90s bring new questions
New solutions to be found
I fell in love to be let down

Once again we dance in the crowd
At times a step away
From a common fear that's all spread out
It won't listen to what you say
Once you're touched you stand alone
To face the bitter fight
Once I reached for love
And now I reach for life

Another chance to lift my life
Free the sensation in my heart
To ride the wings of dreams into changing horizons
It brings inner peace within my mind,
As I'm lifted from where I've split my life
I hear an innocent voice
I hear kindness, beauty and truth

The way your heart sounds makes all the difference
It's what decides if you'll endure the pain that we all feel
The way your heart beats makes all the difference
In learning to live
Spread before you is your soul
So forever hold the dreams within our hearts
Through nature's inflexible grace
I'm learning to live

Analysis[]

Through Learning to Live is heavily metaphorical, some sense can be made of it. The song is said to be about the AIDS crisis, which in 1992 was quite prevalent. The opening line "He had no time for pain, no energy for anger" is said to be borrowed from the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, said to be an influence on Myung.

Tone[]

Learning to Live is the longest and most progressive song on Images and Words and is the band's first officially released song to go beyond ten minutes long. The song reprises the piano theme from Wait for Sleep, making the songs somewhat of a pair.

Notes[]

Learning to Live was originally known as Creep With Tonality.

Live Performances[]

Live performances of Learning to Live are quite common, and even when the band does not play the entire song, it is a common element in medleys. The song is usually played fairly close to the original, though Jordan Rudess has been known to add parts to it. The outro is usually sung by the audience.

Appearances[]

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
Advertisement

Fan Feed

More Dream Theater Wiki