The Best Song Ever

The summer before I went to college there was a song on the radio that I loved, but I didn't know what it was. The closest thing it sounded like was a modern-day Pink Floyd. It was really frustrating back in those days, hearing these great songs on the radio but not having a clue who did them. I really made a science out of determining what "mystery" songs were playing on the radio.

A few months later at college, all was quiet on our floor when suddenly the guy next door started blaring the unknown gem that I hadn't heard since months earlier at my summer job. I immediately rushed next door to find out what he was playing.

"Silent Lucidity by Queensryche," he answered, somewhat surprised I'd inquired so insistently.

Finally, case closed.

Since that day in 1998 I've maintained that "Silent Lucidity" is my favorite song of all time, which to me is a bit surprising because I love so many songs, and while I like Queensryche, they're not near my favorite band (although they share prog-rock similarities with Pink Floyd, who is my favorite).

Like a lot of my favorite songs, "Silent Lucidity" has a good blend of musical elements. It opens with quiet acoustic guitar notes and the hushed, brooding baritone of Geoff Tate that evoke a serious bedtime story scene. As the first verse finishes, there's a pause, and Tate poses a question: "Your dream is over. Or has it just begun?" And then the drums, warm bass, and gently sweeping strings all enter the scene and the dream.

The chorus washes over you with a beautiful wave of ethereal "ahhhhhhh"s, and the melodic metal solo segues into a Floyd-like sound-byte segment that, along with the stirring strings, takes the dream into nightmarish heights. But then the song comes back down and closes in circular fashion.

And while I don't pay much attention to lyrics, "Silent Lucidity"'s got cool lines like this:

"There's a place I like to hide; a doorway that I run through in the night."

Anybody listening?