The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
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 sane
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 may 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 (Preparing for her flight)
I held with all my might (I held with all my might)
Fearing my deepest fright (Fearing my deepest fright)
She walked into the night (She walked into the night)
She turned for one last look (She turned for one last look)
She looked me in the eye (She looked me in the eye)
I said, 'I Love You'... (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 light 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 you 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."
(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 sane
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 may 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 (Preparing for her flight)
I held with all my might (I held with all my might)
Fearing my deepest fright (Fearing my deepest fright)
She walked into the night (She walked into the night)
She turned for one last look (She turned for one last look)
She looked me in the eye (She looked me in the eye)
I said, 'I Love You'... (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 light 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 you 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 submitted by carlos_avdas
A Change Of Seasons Lyrics as written by John Petrucci John Myung
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
It's about Portnoy dealing with the death of his mother, see the FAQ on mikeportnoy.com Also, it's about living your life to the fullest, there's no turning back, so there's no reason not to ever give your all.....SEIZE THE DAY
This song has kind of an eerie meaning for me...
You see, I have a mental disease called Seasonal Affective Disorder, and each year the winter brings me into a deep depression which i almost never believe i will live through, it is a feeling very unimaginable or indescribable, which are always experienced after a carefree summer where i can finally live my life with no worries, often in a natural high, but I always let it slip through my fingers without finishing anything important.
The whole lyrics, they really just mean that to me.
This song is so brilliant it's sick.
I think there are two possible responses to dream theatre. I LOVE IT... ITS AMAZING.... or.... why does it go for so long... its really weird, dont you think?
either you can appreciate the absolute mastery of instrument technique or you just find it mundane... no one can be convinced to like dream theater i think. and if they can be "convinced" its probably that they think its some kind of "cool alternative scene"... its not... its just ugly people who are amazing mucians. thats whats great about DT fans, because the kind of person who likes DT is generally musically profficient or at least appreciative, they dont care much for the appearance..
As for the meaning of the song.... Read above mentioned points ^^^ :D
oh and a little side note, if someone asks you what progressive/progmetal music is, the idea is that it leaves out no possibility in its range of sounds... 6 string basses, 7 string guitars, 100+ piece drum kits and vocals ranging from a heavy rock screaming to soft vocals, to spoken word to gospel singers, its nothing but amazing IMHO
Hmn, what I just realised; About the parts called Crimson Sunset and Crimson Sunrise: When the sun rises and the sky is red, it will probably rain that day. In the song it means that in the start of the song MP watched the crimson sunrise which means that he noticed there was a bad time coming. In the end he watches the crimson sunset. When there is a crimson sunset, the day after it will be nice and sunny. So in the start of the song the trouble was coming but in the end of the song MP looks forward and sees there is a good time ahead.
This song obviously talks about Carpe Diem, and that you need to just push on forwards. The relation to Octavarium, is that the song Octavarium talks about the troubles in life that prevent people from seizing the day, how they eventually pass on with out ever truly living. Getting traped inside an Octavarium.
To me, Octavarium is the other side to this story. The dark side for the majority of people who never learn carpe diem. Both songs are absolutely fantastic musical masterpieces and really nail down pure emotions in music. The lyrics are powerful enough to change lives. The instrumentals are beautiful enough to sing the song without words. Dream Theater is outstanding.
My favorite song however is an even longer epic, Six Degrees of inner Turbulence. When no amount of Cannibal corpse, slipknot, slayer, devil driver, metallica, or any other brutally angry music can capture my feelings, this is the song i play. Forty two minutes later i am refreshed and ready to battle my way through another day. Check it out.
This song is incredible...I haven't realized until now the message it conveys. This song is about embracing life, not hating it. It helps me alot.
If I'm looking at this right, there's at least one or two quotes said straight from Dead Poet Society in here, ideally the "Carpe diem... seize the day..." and that whole "Gather ye' rosebuds while ye' may" stuff.
thats true.."gather ye rose buds while ye may" prolly one of the best 23 minutes spent listening to this song..
true prog rock masterpiece