| The Shadow Man Incident | |
| Parasomnia | |
| Length | 19:32 |
| Working title | Obi-Wan Shalomi |
| Release date | 7 February 2025 |
| Lyrics | John Petrucci |
| Music | Dream Theater |
| First live performance | N/A |
| Total live plays | Never played live |
| Recorded | DTHQ |
| Other appearances | N/A |
| Previous song | Bend the Clock |
| Next song | N/A |
The Shadow Man Incident is the eighth and final track off of Dream Theater's 16th studio album, Parasomnia. Clocking in at nearly 20 minutes long, it is by far the longest track on the album, beating Dead Asleep by eight minutes of runtime.
John Petrucci recorded this song using a 7-string guitar in standard tuning (B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
Lyrics[]
A frightened child Pulls his blanket overhead His mind runs wild Amidst the silence He can feel his stare (I see you) Intruder in the room But no one is there He could hardly move Frozen like a stone This is more than just a terrifying dream The shadow's always watching "Embrace the shadow!" She's half asleep Bedroom window open wide Can hardly breathe As a figure creeps inside She sees no face An expressionless black hole She's too afraid To run or speak or hide Can he peer into her soul? This is more than just a terrifying dream The shadow's always watching "That is not dead which can eternal lie And with strange aeons even death may die." Standing at seven feet tall he's a sight to behold Tales of the man in the hat surfaced centuries ago Wearing a flowing black cloak and a watch on a chain He stands in the corner in darkness as you go insane Fighting for breath as the incubus sits on your chest The night demon waits as you dream, standing over your bed Night It will be forever changed Will the shadow be revealed? Can we ever know his name? Endless night Not a soul will hear you scream And you never will escape From the devil in your dreams Endless night Endless night The vision that lives off your fear Making you panic and sweat He hides in the mist But does he exist? A stranger you'll never forget He waits at the end of the hall A presence you cannot explain One minute he's there Turn your back then he's gone You'd better pray He never calls out your name "In the darkness, every faint noise of the night seemed magnified." Night It will be forever changed Will the shadow be revealed? Can we ever know his name? Endless night Not a soul will hear you scream And you never will escape From the devil in your dreams Endless night Endless night Endless night Terrifying nightmares Shared around the world Stories of a faceless man Who goes by many names And traps us in his fearful gaze A stranger in the mist In the darkness of the night Who leaves us paralyzed As you fall asleep Better keep a watchful eye And maybe leave a light on tonight Wake up Wake up Wake up Wake up Wake up!
Trivia[]
- The alarm clock at the end goes off at exactly 19:28. This is suspected by many fans that it is a reference to Scenes from a Memory's Overture 1928