Constant Motion

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“Constant Motion”
Single by Dream Theater
from the album Systematic Chaos
Released 2007
Format CD
Recorded 2007
Genre Progressive metal
Length 6:55
Label Roadrunner Records
Writer(s) Mike Portnoy
Producer John Petrucci
Mike Portnoy
Dream Theater singles chronology
"Through Her Eyes"
(1999)
"Constant Motion"
(2007)
"Forsaken"
(2008)
Systematic Chaos track listing
"Forsaken"
(2)
"Constant Motion"
(3)
"The Dark Eternal Night"
(4)
A screenshot from the Constant Motion music video
A screenshot from the Constant Motion music video

Constant Motion is the third song and first single from Systematic Chaos, the ninth studio album by Dream Theater. It is also accompanied by a music video.

The band hasn't released a single since "Through Her Eyes" from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory in 1999, and similarly hasn't produced a music video since "Hollow Years" from Falling into Infinity in 1997, citing disinterest and lack of rotation on music channels for the latter. The video has received considerable airplay on MTV2's Headbangers Ball, and is arguably Dream Theater's most popular video since "Pull Me Under" in 1992.

According to Chaos in Progress: The Making of Systematic Chaos, the working title of this song was "Song #2" or "Korma Chameleon".

As with its previous track, "Forsaken", "Constant Motion" explores various complex time changes. For example, the guitar riffs in the introduction of the song vary between 10/8, 12/8, 15/8 and 20/8 in select parts. Most of the song remains in the standard 4/4 time.

[edit] Online release

On April 27, 2007, Dream Theater and Roadrunner Records made "Constant Motion" available as a free download. It could be found at Roadrunner Records' Dream Theater subsite.

On July 13, 2007, the video clip of Constant Motion was made available as a premiere on the band's website.

[edit] Lyrical theme

On the Special Edition DVD of Systematic Chaos, Mike Portnoy stated that the idea behind Constant Motion "is a metaphor for my OCD, because I'm completely obsessive-compulsive".

[edit] Credits