| The Shattered Fortress | |
| Black Clouds & Silver Linings | |
| Length | 12:49 |
| Working title | Unknown |
| Release date | {{{Release}}} |
| Lyrics | Mike Portnoy |
| Music | Dream Theater |
| First live performance | |
| Total live plays | |
| Recorded | Avatar Studios |
| Other appearances | |
| Previous song | Wither |
| Next song | The Best of Times |
Concludes and features the final three movements of the 12-step suite . A lot of riffs are reprised from previous movements. The eleventh movement, "Receive", contains a narrated version of the St. Francis Prayer, commonly used in Alcoholics Anonymous groups.
Lyrics
X. Restraint Freedom calls my name Serenity keeps me sane Happiness it dulls the pain Honest to see my place Open to other ways Willingness to understand Justice but do not judge Courtesy for others' flaws Kindness it's not that hard Self-restraint of tongue and pen Inventory my daily friend Analysis let down your guard Look in the mirror What do you see? The shattered fortress That once bound me Fateful ascent Through darkest fires I've found the path To take me higher You're smart enough for me to trust go live your life now Just keep these steps in your life and you'll know how If you're not sure, ask yourself "Have I done to them As I would have them do to me?" Look in the mirror What's that you see? The shattered fortress Fly now be free Fateful ascent Through darkest fears I've found the path To take me higher I once thought it better to be right But now I have finally seen the light Sometimes you've got to be wrong And learn from mistakes I live with serenity now Not self-righteous hate XI. Receive Help me be a channel of Thy peace That where there is hatred, I may bring love That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness That where there is discord, I may bring harmony That where there is error, I may bring truth That where there is doubt, I may bring faith Now that you can see all you have done - That where there is despair, I may bring hope - That where there is shadow, I may bring light It's time to take that step into the kingdom - That where there is sadness, I may bring joy All your sins will help to make your strong - That I may seek rather to comfort, than to be comforted - That I may seek to understand, rather than to be understood And help you break right through the prison wall - That I may seek to love, rather than to be loved - For it is by self-forgetting that one finds - It is by forgiving that one is forgiven Keep all of me The desires that once burned me deep inside Help me live today And help to give me grace To carry out your way I am ready Help me be all I can be I am ready Help guide me and keep me free XII. Responsible I am responsible When anyone, anywhere Reaches out for help I want my hand to be there I am responsible When anyone, anywhere Reaches out for help I want my hand to be there