You can pick this one up on iTunes, Amazon Music, and Google Play. It's a looong song so you'll be getting your money's worth.
No official video, but here's a cool live version:
And, for a 20-minute long song, you're going to want the lyrics:
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"A Change of Seasons"
[Music by Dream Theater]
[Lyrics by Mike Portnoy]
[I. The Crimson Sunrise]
[Instrumental]
[II. Innocence]
I remember a time
My frail, virgin mind
Watched the crimson sunrise
Imagined what it might find
Life was filled with wonder
I felt the warm wind blow
I must explore the boundaries
Transcend the depth of winter's snow
Innocence caressing me
I never felt so young before
There was so much life in me
Still I longed to search for more
But those days are gone now
Changed like a leaf on a tree
Blown away forever
Into the cool autumn breeze
The snow has now fallen
And my sun's not so bright
I struggle to hold on
With the last of my might
In my den of inequity
Viciousness and subtlety
Struggle to ease the pain
Struggle to find the same
Ignorance surrounding me
I've never been so filled with fear
All my life's been drained from me
The end is drawing near...
[III. Carpe Diem]
"Carpe diem
Seize the day"
I'll always remember
The chill of November
The news of the fall
The sounds in the hall
The clock on the wall
Ticking away
"Seize the Day"
I heard him say
Life will not always be this way
Look around
Hear the sounds
Cherish your life
While you're still around
("Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
(Old Time is still a-flying;)
(And this same flower that smiles today)
(Tomorrow will be dying")
We can learn
From the past
But those days
Are gone
We can hope
For the future
But there might not be one
The words stuck in my mind
Alive from what I've learned
I have to seize the day
To home I returned
Preparing for her flight
I held with all my might
Fearing my deepest fright
She walked into the night
She turned for one last look
She looked me in the eye
I said, "I Love You...
Good-bye"
("It's the most awful thing you'll ever hear")
("If you're lying to me...")
("Oh, you dearly love her")
("...just have to leave...)
(All our lives")
("Seize the day!")
("Something happened")
("Gather ye rosebuds while ye may")
("She was killed")
[IV. The Darkest Of Winters]
[Instrumental]
[V. Another World]
So far or so it seems
All is lost
With nothing fulfilled
Off the pages and the
T.V. screen
Another world
Where nothing's true
Tripping through
The life fantastic
Lose a step
And never get up
Left alone
With a cold blank stare
I feel like giving up
I was blinded by a paradise
Utopia high in the sky
A dream that only drowned me
Deep in sorrow, wondering why
Oh come let us adore him
Abuse and then ignore him
No matter what
Don't let him be
Let's feed upon his misery
Then string him up for all the world to see
I'm sick of all
Your hypocrites
Holding me at bay
And I don't need
Your sympathy
To get me through the day
Seasons change and so can I
Hold on Boy
No time to cry
Untie these strings
I'm climbing down
I won't let them push me away
Oh come let us adore him
Abuse and then ignore him
No matter what
Don't let him be
Let's feed upon
His misery
Now it's time for them
To deal with me
[VI. The Inevitable Summer]
[Instrumental]
[VII. The Crimson Sunset]
I'm much wiser now
A lifetime of memories
Run through my head
They taught me how
For better or worse
Alive or dead
I realize
There's no turning back
Life goes on
The offbeaten track
I sit down with my son
Set to see the Crimson Sunset
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
Many years have come and gone
I've lived my life, but now must move on
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
He's my only one
Now that my time has come
Now that my life is done
We look into the sun
"Seize the day
And don't you cry
Now it's time
To say good-bye
Even though
I'll be gone
I will live on
Live on"
[Lyrics by Mike Portnoy]
[I. The Crimson Sunrise]
[Instrumental]
[II. Innocence]
I remember a time
My frail, virgin mind
Watched the crimson sunrise
Imagined what it might find
Life was filled with wonder
I felt the warm wind blow
I must explore the boundaries
Transcend the depth of winter's snow
Innocence caressing me
I never felt so young before
There was so much life in me
Still I longed to search for more
But those days are gone now
Changed like a leaf on a tree
Blown away forever
Into the cool autumn breeze
The snow has now fallen
And my sun's not so bright
I struggle to hold on
With the last of my might
In my den of inequity
Viciousness and subtlety
Struggle to ease the pain
Struggle to find the same
Ignorance surrounding me
I've never been so filled with fear
All my life's been drained from me
The end is drawing near...
[III. Carpe Diem]
"Carpe diem
Seize the day"
I'll always remember
The chill of November
The news of the fall
The sounds in the hall
The clock on the wall
Ticking away
"Seize the Day"
I heard him say
Life will not always be this way
Look around
Hear the sounds
Cherish your life
While you're still around
("Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
(Old Time is still a-flying;)
(And this same flower that smiles today)
(Tomorrow will be dying")
We can learn
From the past
But those days
Are gone
We can hope
For the future
But there might not be one
The words stuck in my mind
Alive from what I've learned
I have to seize the day
To home I returned
Preparing for her flight
I held with all my might
Fearing my deepest fright
She walked into the night
She turned for one last look
She looked me in the eye
I said, "I Love You...
Good-bye"
("It's the most awful thing you'll ever hear")
("If you're lying to me...")
("Oh, you dearly love her")
("...just have to leave...)
(All our lives")
("Seize the day!")
("Something happened")
("Gather ye rosebuds while ye may")
("She was killed")
[IV. The Darkest Of Winters]
[Instrumental]
[V. Another World]
So far or so it seems
All is lost
With nothing fulfilled
Off the pages and the
T.V. screen
Another world
Where nothing's true
Tripping through
The life fantastic
Lose a step
And never get up
Left alone
With a cold blank stare
I feel like giving up
I was blinded by a paradise
Utopia high in the sky
A dream that only drowned me
Deep in sorrow, wondering why
Oh come let us adore him
Abuse and then ignore him
No matter what
Don't let him be
Let's feed upon his misery
Then string him up for all the world to see
I'm sick of all
Your hypocrites
Holding me at bay
And I don't need
Your sympathy
To get me through the day
Seasons change and so can I
Hold on Boy
No time to cry
Untie these strings
I'm climbing down
I won't let them push me away
Oh come let us adore him
Abuse and then ignore him
No matter what
Don't let him be
Let's feed upon
His misery
Now it's time for them
To deal with me
[VI. The Inevitable Summer]
[Instrumental]
[VII. The Crimson Sunset]
I'm much wiser now
A lifetime of memories
Run through my head
They taught me how
For better or worse
Alive or dead
I realize
There's no turning back
Life goes on
The offbeaten track
I sit down with my son
Set to see the Crimson Sunset
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
Many years have come and gone
I've lived my life, but now must move on
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
He's my only one
Now that my time has come
Now that my life is done
We look into the sun
"Seize the day
And don't you cry
Now it's time
To say good-bye
Even though
I'll be gone
I will live on
Live on"
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So listen, watch, read, and come back on Wednesday for the full discussion.
Good choice for the preview video. This is, as far as I can tell, is the only time they played the song in it's entirety, as part of a regular set.
ReplyDeleteNeat bit of trivia: the CD for this show, Live Scenes from New York, had to have the artwork changed after initial release. Why? Because the album released on September 11, 2001, and superimposed one of the band's repeated imagery (a flaming heart with barbed wire, best seen in the cover here but also in Images and Words, over New York imagery. Namely replacing the heart with an apple, and superimposing the skyline with the Twin Towers in the flames.
And it released on that day, of all days.
Here it is for those interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Scenes_from_New_York#/media/File:Dtlsfny.jpg
One other interesting bit about this recording, the keyboardist is different than used in the studio album. That's the third keyboardist involved in this song. Kevin Moore had been one of the founding members, and had been involved in writing the song, but he left in 93/94 after recording Awake. Derek Sherinian came on board and A Change of Seasons LP was the first recording with him. He stayed on for one regular studio album, Falling Into Infinity, before leaving to pursue a solo career. Jordan Rudress came in in '98 for Scenes From a Memory, and has been there since. So in this video it is him playing, not the same musician as the studio cut.
I could go another hour talking about the individual musicians that have played in Dream Theater over the years, especially since most have been quite proficient with side projects and solo work. In fact the only one to not have a solo album is the bassist John Myung. Even the drummers have solo albums! Suffice to say they have had quite a wide shadow on the genre of progressive metal.
Craig Miller, who it seems will have to post as unknown because he didn't bother to check commenting ID options before typing this up.
And apparently my g-mail hooked up as G+, so that ending paragraph is now pointless. But I can't edit, so, yeah.
DeleteWow, Craig! You're like an encyclopedia of Dream Theater! Thanks so much for bringing that knowledge to the show.
Delete