Arriving Somewhere But Not Here

I've got a story to tell about how I discovered this song. At the time, I was looking for my first job. To get to an interview, I had to go pretty far from home, so I booked a room in a little hotel in a small city. The interview was the day after, and I just couldn't sleep. So, I went downstairs for a smoke. As I get outside, I immediately ran into a man that was already smoking. He was a middle aged man, with an calming aura. As he saw me, he just calmly said to me "You look like a nice guy.". And we started chatting. This complete stranger was a genuinely interesting and adorable person. As I look back, some kind of father figure I could say. As he neither couldn't sleep at all, we went for a ride in the night to look at the stars. It seems so strange to tell this, even kinda suspicious or dangerous. But I don't know why I did it - I could tell he was a good person. So we went in a park and just sat down in the grass. We talked about everything. And, he insisted on listening to this song as we were in the car. "It's funny, you look just like the singer of this band" he says. I cannot say if I fantasize, but for some reason I remember that he actually knew the guy. "Don't say a word, just enjoy the music." Imagine, listening to this song in the night, rolling towards nowhere, at the night sky is full of stars - speaking with your heart open to a stranger, talking about everything. He put the music on repeat as I remember, even as we were stargazing. He just popped up some cigars out of his car boot. And we smoked cigars, with this song in background as the night passed by. He eventually left me at the hotel, and we greeted each other goodnight. "If you ever have the occasion to come by, I'd be thrilled to see you again and have a little gig !". This city was, as I mentionned, quite far from home. But I promised I would if I could one day. And I actually saw the man only once again, saw his friends and family. I don't exactly know where he came from or what was his work - but he knew personally some quite famous musicians. So this day he introduced me to some famous guitar player (that I never heard of haha) and we, indeed, had a little gig in his luxuriant home studio. A bit later, I was gone far from home for a work that I managed to get, in another city. He wished me luck, and that's it. I somehow added her sister (much older than me too) on Facebook. A few years later, I passed by a Facebook post written by her sister : he died. I may only have seen the man twice, it shook me. And that's the story. Everytime I listen to this song, it brings back those memories, the night sky full of stars, the shared loneliness with a stranger, a complete trance state - as this song is a masterpiece and just manages to put me in a state that no other song can. So strange how sometimes life offers this kind of experience.

Spotify told me I listened to over 19,300 songs this year. 168 genres. I know a lot of music. No other song does to me what this song does. It tells a story using the vocabulary of instrumentation in a level of detail that I can’t express in words

This is the sound of the pandemic for me. And living with my granma at the time. Never in a thousand years would I've thought that Porcupine Tree and my granma were going to be so interconected in my brain, but it is what it is. Miss you granma. Great song.

Love this song! Hit me hard when I first heard it after being laid off from my 28-year job. Now it's hitting me hard again after losing my best friend of 50 years. Rest in peace brother!

This song saved my life...

My dad introduced me to this band and song rip dad miss you thanks for showing music that lets ur mind go just a masterpiece of a song

One of my All-time favourite songs and even more special from this year. With a group of fans in The Netherlands we managed to get 'Arriving' into the Top 2000, a large media event broadcasted on radio and tv. We managed to get enough votes to get the music of Porcupine Tree out there!

One of those bands when you first hear them you are hooked.

Pink Floyd: It’s sad we had to break apart…. We hope someone can carry forward this style of music with their creativity in it as well. Porcupine Tree:

If Youtube has suggested you this masterpiece then mate trust me you got some great taste.

I like how most of the song is adventurous and one section is hardcore metal.

I can stare at that album art for hours, it's just so inexplicably evocative

Never stop the car on a drive in the dark Never look for the truth in your mother's eyes Never trust the sound of rain upon a river rushing through your ears (Ah-ah-ah-ah) Arriving somewhere but not here Did you imagine the final sound as a gun? Or the smashing windscreen of the car? Did you ever imagine the last thing you'd hear As you're fading out was a song? (Ah-ah-ah-ah) Arriving somewhere but not here All my designs simplified And all of my plans compromised All of my dreams sacrificed Ever had the feeling you've been here before? Drinking down the poison the way you were taught Every thought from here on in your Life begins and all you knew was wrong? (Ah-ah-ah-ah) Arriving somewhere but not here All my designs simplified And all of my plans compromised And all of my dreams Did you see the red mist block your path? Did the scissors cut a way to your heart? Did you feel the envy for the sons of mothers tearing you apart? (Ah-ah-ah-ah) Arriving somewhere but not here

Teacher: Did you guys break it down? Porcupine Tree: 6:55

Porcupine Tree has always been my fav...This song gives me a felling of loneliness....And I enjoy it....Love from India

Easily the best song I have ever heard. Tells a story.

You have reached our top2000 all time in the Netherlands on place 1478 on the dutch #top2000 🎉🎉

my favorite song from PT. Easily played it more than a 1000 times and never gets old. Just close your eyes and let your mind spiral into its own realm.

Somehow a combo of recently played Floyd, 90s emo, and mid 00s German EBM got me here. Thanks algorithm.

This song has a weirdly calming affect on me, despite the lyrics. Whenever this comes on in the car, especially at night in the rain when it's just me, the car, and the music.. it's just, right. Like everything has clicked into place for about 12 minutes.