Dream Theater » Tracks » Learning to Live

Dream Theater – Learning to Live (11:30)

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About This Track

“Learning to Live” is the eighth and final track from Dream Theater’s 1992 album Images and Words.

The opening lines from the song are a direct lift from the book Atlas Shrugged by noted author Ayn Rand. The first phrase, “There was no time for pain, no energy for anger. Sightlessness of hatred slips away.” is paraphrase from the exact quote “He had no time for pain, no energy for anger. Within a few weeks, it was over; the blinding stabs of hatred ceased and did not return.” (p. 211 of the Centennial Edition) The next phrase in the song, “Walking through winter streets alone, he stops and takes a breath, with confidence and self-control,” is similar to the next few sentences in the book. Dream Theater is known for using movie sound clips in their songs to make a point. However, this inclusion was actually in the lyrics with no reference given to Rand or the book itself. The song itself does not seem to hold any other parallels to Atlas Shrugged and it is unknown what significance this inclusion has.

The rest of John Myung’s lyrics of the song touch on a theme regarding the AIDS virus and epidemic. Live performances of the song have been dedicated to Arthur Ashe, an early casualty of AIDS.

Like many epic progressive rock songs, Learning to Live has a somewhat unusual structure. Starting at 4:45, James LaBrie stops singing, allowing the instrumentation to continue.
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Albums featuring this track

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  • Nightsworn666

    AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Need I say more?

    last month

  • WaYNEIX

    vv petrucci's solo is even better.

    last month

  • lukasz_pulawski

    I think that's their first epic song

    March 2012

  • MiguelA7X

    LaBrie's F# is orgasmic

    March 2012

  • carlsousa

    The file is damaged

    March 2012

  • Neue_regel_

    WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! [4] Still Learning

    February 2012

  • jodionline

    Another great one.

    February 2012

  • aleks1987

    Hmmm, one of the most beautiful songs in the world)))

    January 2012

  • Melgashi

    WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! [3]

    December 2011

  • Metalli12

    WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! [2]

    December 2011

  • lauryyn

    WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

    November 2011

  • mrbean667

    Defo in my DT top 5.

    November 2011

  • DerpyKong

    Great song. One of DT's best.

    October 2011

  • Yhavimoth

    All around incredible playing from the entire band. A perfect closing song for one of the greatest albums of all motherfucking time.

    October 2011

  • Pixel1928

    I'll vote for greatest song

    October 2011

  • xmii

    great song or greatest song?

    October 2011

  • Neue_regel_

    The part from 0.00 until 11.30 is pure genius and skill

    September 2011

  • jcmatias

    this song is God transmuted into music

    September 2011

  • ngiovinazzi

    11:30 of pure musical genius.

    July 2011

  • progman86

    This is beyond awesomeness!!!

    July 2011
See all 305 shouts

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