| Metropolis—Part I: "The Miracle and the Sleeper" | |
| Images and Words | |
| Length | 9:30 |
| Working title | Crumbling Metropolis |
| Release date | July 7, 1992 |
| Lyrics | John Petrucci |
| Music | Dream Theater |
| First live performance | Sundance, Bay Shore, NY, on Oct. 14, 1989 |
| Total live plays | 668 |
| Recorded | Bear Tracks Studios |
| Other appearances | Live at the Marquee, Live Scenes from New York, When Dream and Day Reunite, Score, Live at Luna Park |
| Previous song | Surrounded |
| Next song | Under a Glass Moon |
Metropolis, Pt 1: "The Miracle and the Sleeper" (often shortened to Metropolis, Pt 1 or simply Metropolis) is a song by Dream Theater. It is the fifth song from their second album, Images and Words. Metropolis is one of the band's most beloved and popular songs, despite never being a single. The concepts from Metropolis eventually led to the release of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory.
Personnel[]
- Mike Portnoy - Drums
- John Petrucci - Guitar, lyrics
- John Myung - Bass
- Kevin Moore - Keyboards
- James LaBrie - Vocals
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 (Scene from a memory) There's a picture worth a thousand words (A thousand words) Eluding stares, the faces before me (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... [instrumental break] 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
Analysis[]
The lyrics to Metropolis have been the source of much debate and analysis with Dream Theater fans, with the band themselves being evasive regarding its exact meaning. 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. The release of Scenes from a Memory, surprisingly enough, complicated matters, with the album continuing some themes (both lyrical and musical) from the song, but having a much more literal story that did not seem to definitively explain the original.
Tone[]
Metropolis is a very progressive and varied song and is one of the heavier songs on Images and Words. The song is most known for its extended instrumental section, which was some of the most difficult and complex music the band had written and performed at that time. As with many progressive songs, the song has multiple sections and changes.
Notes[]
The "Pt. 1" in the title was originally added by Petrucci as a joke, as no sequel was ever intended. However as fans demands began to increase, and the popularity of the song eventually led to a second song being written. That second song was originally conceived as a 20 minute epic originally intended to be on Falling Into Infinity; however, it was cut from the album at an early state, before the song was completed. Lyrics for Metropolis Pt. 2 were never written and the only recording of the whole song is a rough rehearsal. However, various sections of the song were worked into Scenes from a Memory, most notably Overture 1928, Strange Déjà Vu, The Dance of Eternity, and One Last Time.
Metropolis was also known as "Crumbling Metropolis" early on.
The song was originally written when Charlie Dominici was in the band, and was played live at every show in 1989, although this version had a different intro and a slightly shorter outro.
Live Performances[]
Much like Pull Me Under, Metropolis is one of the most popular live songs, and is played often and with many variations. The band often chooses to extend the solo section by several minutes, so the song can go from being nine minutes long to nearly fifteen. The song's keyboard parts have also been significantly altered by Jordan Rudess since his inclusion in the band. The last part of the song may see the band vamping as LaBrie addresses the audience, as the song is usually played at the end of a show.
As of 2017, for the Images, Words and Beyond World Tour, the band have made major changes to the way this song is played live. Firstly, and most apparent, they have started playing the song a half step down, so they are in E-flat Standard tuning, rather than E Standard, which is what the song was recorded in. Secondly, before John Myung's tapping solo, Mike Mangini plays a drum solo. Thirdly, after the drum solo, after John Myung's tapping solo, at the part where the keyboard and guitar play in unison, it has more of a stop-start kind of feel, and Myung joins the unison, instead of before where he would just be playing one note over and over on his bass.
As of the band's 40th Anniversary Tour, they have returned to playing this song in it's original key with no modifications to the songs arrangement.
Appearances[]
| Year | Recording Type | Release | Release Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Demo | The ATCO Demos | Promotional Demo |
| 1992 | Studio | Images and Words | Studio Album |
| 1992 | Studio | Pull Me Under | Retail Single |
| 1992 | Studio | Pull Me Under | Promotional Single (Rock Ahead) |
| 1993 | Live | Live at the Marquee | Live Album |
| 1998 | Live | 5 Years in a Livetime | Video Album |
| 1998 | Live | Once in a LIVEtime | Live Album |
| 2001 | Live | Live Scenes from New York | Live Album |
| 2003 | Live | Los Angeles, California 5/18/98 | Official Bootleg |
| 2005 | Demo | Images and Words Demos 1989-1991 | Official Bootleg |
| 2005 | Live | When Dream and Day Reunite | Official Bootlegs |
| 2006 | Live | Old Bridge, New Jersey 12/14/96 | Official Bootleg |
| 2006 | Live | Score | Live Album |
| 2007 | Live | New York City 3/4/93 | Official Bootleg |
| 2008 | Live | Progressive Nation 2008 | Fanclub |
| 2013 | Live | Live at Luna Park | Live Album |
| 2021 | Live | When Dream and Day Reunite (Live) | Official Bootleg |
| 2021 | Live | Image and Words - Live in Japan, 2017 | Official Bootleg |
| 2022 | Live | Live in NYC - 1993 | Official Bootleg |
| 2022 | Live | Live at Wacken (2015) | Official Bootleg |
| 2022 | Live | Old Bridge, New Jersey (1996) | Official Bootleg |