Genre: Progressive RockArtist: Dream Theater
Album: Metropolis pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory
This song is meaningful to me in a way that does not quite fit its meaning in the story. The singer (James LaBrie) begins by asking some questions in a very soft and meaningful tone: "Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go when we die?" He goes on to say, "Life is too short, the here and the now, and you're only given one shot. Or could there be more? Have I lived before? Or could this be all that we've got? If I died tomorrow, I'd be alright because I believe that, after we're gone, the spirit carries on."
Imagine this life being all there is. There would be no point in our existence. But the good news is that there is more after this life. It doesn't all end here. However, what our life will be like beyond the grave is up to us now.
Sometimes I feel like I am working so much that I feel like a machine. My life feels hollow. This song reminds me that I need to make sure that there is more to my life than just working and studying. In sacrament meeting today, one person said that our lives are so short. We need to make a difference now. That really stood out to me. The words of this song came back to me, reminding me that life is indeed short and that I only have one chance to make the most of it.
When my spirit carries on to the other side of grave, what will I have to say for myself? "I stayed out debt because I worked all day." I think God has more important questions to ask, such as, "How did you use the talents I gave you? How did you bless the people I put in your path? What did you do to strengthen your family? How did you let your light shine forth?" Life is too short for me to spend all my time stressed and over-worked. I need to do what I was born to do. Then, I truly will be alright when I die, because I will be ready, "safe in the light that surrounds me, free of the fear and the pain."
