Changes: The Killing Hand

Revision as of 02:13, 18 June 2009

The Killing Hand is a song by Dream Theater. It is the fourth track on their first album, When Dream and Day Unite. The song is very popular when played live.

Personnel

Mike Portnoy - Drums
John Petrucci - Guitar, lyrics
John Myung - Bass
Kevin Moore - Keyboards
Charlie Dominici - Vocal, guitar

Lyrics

[I. The Observance]
An Angel's kiss now fallen
Descending scarlet cuts the sky
Faded names left on the wall
Honor the fighting leave life to
die

Remembered is the sacrifice but
No praisal of blood still flowing
Who were the leaders?
what controlled the Killing Hand
that caused this mouthing?

Crossing over...

[II. Ancient Renewal]
Lowered deep into the sea
Being a waits to cleanse his soul
senses weakening time is still
Motionless by stiffening cold

The wheels race back and
Scorch his mind
Travelling all to find the land
Revelation warms a touch
And now he will begin to
Understand

[III. The Stray Seed]
Extended a view to yesterday
Manifestation for none the same
Walking amidst a frightening still
No sound, no smoke, no scorching
Flames

He is risen...

Sipping his poison the raven sings
Yet another to add more bodies
fallen
King from below
this one controls
the Killing Hand that caused this
mourning

Is it all over?

[IV. Thorns]
Evil genius this secret plan
Mercy dealt with the losing hand
Will he ever fall?
Can he end it all?
Our savior must make his stand

Only a Propher of years to come
Wanting mortality I'm all alone
He heard my voice
It was my choice
I've stopped the Killing Hand

[V. Exodus]
When I go back again
Will it be the same?
I've stopped the cries
But now they know my name

The sea is calling me
my spirit must return
As I get closer,
was it really worth
what I have learned?

I'm in the valley
And the saddened chimes I hear
Race towards the wall to find
one more name appears

No one is left now
my one and only land
I laugh at what I've done
I am the Killing Hand

Analysis

The Killing Hand is one of the band's earliest forays into science fiction. The story is rather abstract, and Petrucci admits it doesn't make much sense but it "sounded cool at the time." The song is about a man facing a memorial for several hundred people who have died in the past. He enters a form of time machine that takes him back in time, though he is intangible and unable to affect the past. Eventually, he discovers the deaths were atrributable to a despot, whom he dubs "The Killing Hand" The character somehow becomes tangible and assassinates this person, then after being drawn back to the present discovers that he himself was The Killing Hand.

Tone

As an longer track, The Killing Hand is an almost textbook example of progressive songwriting. The song has an extended length and is broken in to several sections, with instrumental passaages and solos as well as a multi-part storyline.

Live Performances

As with many of the songs on When Dream and Day Unite, The Killing Hand is not performed very often, though it enjoys a higher level of popularity than many of the songs from that album. Unusually, hearing the song in it's original state live is quite rare. Early versions of the song had Dominici playing the intro guitar, though later the acoustic section had been removed and replaced by a new intro the band refers to as "Another Hand". Live performances of the song without the "Another Hand" intro are rare, though they did perform the song in its original form for When Dream and Day Reunite. Live performances are also notable for the extended instrumental sections, occasionally including other songs such as "Carol of the Bells" during Petrucci's solo.

Appearances

When Dream and Day Unite - Original recorded version
Hollow Years - Live version as "Another Hand/The Killing Hand"
Live at the Marquee - Live version with "Another Hand"
When Dream and Day Unite Demos - Instrumental demo version and pre-production demo version
When Dream and Day Reunite - Live version
Old Bridge, New Jersey 12/14/96 - Live version as "Another Hand/The Killing Hand"
New York City 3/4/93 - Live version

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''The Killing Hand''' is a song by [[Dream Theater]].  It is the fourth track on their first album, [[When Dream and Day Unite]].  The song is notable for being the first commercially released Dream Theater song to go longer than 10 minutes.  The song is very popular when played live.
+'''The Killing Hand''' is a song by [[Dream Theater]].  It is the fourth track on their first album, [[When Dream and Day Unite]]. The song is very popular when played live.
 == Personnel ==
@@ Line 95: / Line 95: @@
 == Analysis ==
-The Killing Hand is one of band's earliest forays into science fiction.  The story is rather abstract and Petrucci admits it doesn't make much sense but it "sounded cool at the time."  The song is about a man facing a memorial for several hundred people who have died in the past.  He enters a form of time machine that takes him back in time, though he is intangible and unable to affect the past.  Eventually he descovers the deaths were atrributable to a despot, whom he dubs "The Killing Hand"  The character somehow becomes tangible and assassinates this person, then after being drawn back to the present discovers that he himself was The Killing Hand.
+The Killing Hand is one of the band's earliest forays into science fiction.  The story is rather abstract, and Petrucci admits it doesn't make much sense but it "sounded cool at the time."  The song is about a man facing a memorial for several hundred people who have died in the past.  He enters a form of time machine that takes him back in time, though he is intangible and unable to affect the past.  Eventually, he discovers the deaths were atrributable to a despot, whom he dubs "The Killing Hand"  The character somehow becomes tangible and assassinates this person, then after being drawn back to the present discovers that he himself was The Killing Hand.
 == Tone ==
@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 == Live Performances ==
-As with many of the songs on [[When Dream and Day Unite]], The Killing Hand is not performed very often, though it enjoys a higher level of popularity than many of the songs from that album.  Unusually, hearing the song in it's original state live is quite rare.  Early versions of the song had Dominici playing the intro guitar, though later the accoustic section had been removed and replaced by a new intro the band refers to as "Another Hand".  Live performances of the song without the "Another Hand" intro are rare, though they did perform the song in it's original form for [[When Dream and Day Reunite]].  Live performances are also notable for the extended instrumental sections, occasionally including other songs such as "Carol of the Bells" during Petrucci's solo.
+As with many of the songs on [[When Dream and Day Unite]], The Killing Hand is not performed very often, though it enjoys a higher level of popularity than many of the songs from that album.  Unusually, hearing the song in it's original state live is quite rare.  Early versions of the song had Dominici playing the intro guitar, though later the acoustic section had been removed and replaced by a new intro the band refers to as "Another Hand".  Live performances of the song without the "Another Hand" intro are rare, though they did perform the song in its original form for [[When Dream and Day Reunite]].  Live performances are also notable for the extended instrumental sections, occasionally including other songs such as "Carol of the Bells" during Petrucci's solo.
 == Appearances ==