Under the sun
There's nothing to hide
Under the moon
A stranger waits inside
People disappear
The music fades away
Splashing through the rain
I'll dream with them one day

It's raining, raining
On the streets of New York City
It's raining, raining
Raining deep in heaven

I may have wasted all those years
They're not worth their time in tears
I may have spent too long in darkness
In the warmth of my fears

Take a look at yourself
Not at anyone else
And tell me what you see

I know the air is cold
I know the streets are cruel
But I'll enjoy the ride today

It's raining, raining
On the streets of New York City
It's raining, raining
Raining deep in heaven
Raining deep in heaven

I may have wasted all those years
They're not worth their time in tears
I may have spent too long in darkness
In the warmth of my fears
And as I walk through all my myths
Rising and sinking like the waves
With my thoughts wrapped around me
Through a trial of tears

Hidden by disguise
Stumbling in a world
Feeling uninspired
He gets into his car
Not within his eyes to see
Open up, open up
Not much better than the man you hate

Still awake
I continue to move along
Cultivating my own nonsense
Welcome to the wasteland
Where you'll find ashes
Nothing but ashes
Still awake
Bringing change
Bringing movement, bringing life
A silent prayer
Thrown away
Disappearing in the air
Rising
Sinking
Raining deep inside me
Nowhere to turn
I look for a way back home

It's raining, raining
Raining deep in heaven
It's raining, raining
Raining deep in heaven
It's raining, raining
Raining deep in heaven
It's raining, raining
Raining deep in heaven



Lyrics submitted by Idan

Track duration: 13:05

"Trial of Tears" as written by Michael/myung Portnoy

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Trial of Tears song meanings
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25 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Wow, I was considering taking an AP english next year (which reads the great gatsby as opposed to the catcher in the rye). This is one of my favorite songs by dt and if it's about that book, i'm psyched!
    Flag corerulezon January 16, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Everyone has made good observations about the song's lyrics. Did anyone notice some of the band's influences creeping into the song? The intro sounds like Dream Theater's tribute (or rip-off depending on your point of view) to "Xanadu" by Rush. The instrumental section in the middle of the song is very reminiscent of the instrumental solo section of "Losing It" by Rush. And perhaps the most obvious influence is in "The Wasteland." The beginning of that section almost verbatim copies the melody and chords of verses of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles.
    Flag passionateartson November 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To my mind it's these lines in which the "meaning" of the song concentrates the most vividly.

    "As I walk through all my myths
    Rising and sinking like the waves
    With my thoughts wrapped around me
    Through a trial of tears"

    It's about having become jaded and uninspired, facing an inner trial which judges that one has "wasted all those years", it's about doubting who you really are.
    That also goes together with:

    "Under the sun, there is nothing to hide
    Under the moon, a stranger waits inside"

    When the sun is high you have nothing to hide, all is clear and your path is ahead of you, but then comes a time when you notice the sun is gone and the moon is up there, and doubt arises, you ask "who am I?" and thus "a stranger waits inside".
    The rain that's mentioned throughout is a deliberately created setting for thoughts like these. Rain is like tears in a way.
    Flag kristaps_kon February 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hey Dream Theater...thanks for your '90's Songs...and keep on rocking...you're still the first choice...the best music band ever !!! :-X
    Flag rimastratocasteron September 30, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It does bear a resemblance to The Great Gatsby. But I could see how Catcher and the Rye fits. This song just screams emotion from every angle. Touches your soul every time.
    Flag masonchamberson May 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:also, the narrator starts out in the west and moves to the east coast around new york, and at the end of the story he gets sick of the east and its empty valueas and goes back home.
    Flag Cammo09on April 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i was thinking Great Gatsby too. i started reading it yesterday and when it started talking about the valley of ashes i thought: wait a minute. what does that remind me of? glad i'm not the only one. haven't read the whole book, so i haven't made any other parellels between the two, but i will repost this weekend if i find any more
    Flag Cammo09on April 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yeah that would be cool if "Ill dream with them one day" was a reference to DT. idk if it is.
    Flag whiteunibrowon April 07, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:So wonderful, so depressing, so desperate...
    I know this song has to be very personal, but I always think about "The Catcher In the Rye" when I listen to it. The book fits the mood of the song perfectly. Searching for something new, something better, but ending up in nothing but the wish to turn back home where you've "wasted" all the years. It may be far away from being what you are looking for in life, but it's the lesser evil.
    In the end life is just a circle of dreaming. No matter if you're moving forward or stucking in the past, there's always the longing for something you can't even describe. Something without a particular picture. There are moments in which this kind of dreaming can be beautiful as well ("But I'll enjoy the ride today") but it's just not enough because there's no sense in life.
    Flag XCrusherXon March 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i believe the lyrics is quiet personal ...
    about john myung how he feels the life ... and he's from NYC ...
    Flag rimastratocasteron January 19, 2008   Link

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