The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Proud enough for you to call me arrogant
Greedy enough to be labeled a thief
Angry enough for me to go and hurt a man
Cruel enough for me to feel no grief
Never could have just a part of it
I always need more to get by
Getting right down to the heart of it
The root of all evil has been running my whole life
Dirty enough for me to lust
Leaving nothing left to trust
Jealous enough to still feel envious
Lazy enough to sleep all day
And let my life just waste away
Selfish enough to make you wait for me
Driven blindly by our sins
Misled so easily
Entirely ready to leave it behind
I'm begging to break free
Take all of me
The desires that keep burning deep inside
Cast them all away
And help to give me strength to face another day
I am ready
Help me be what I can be
Self-centered fear has got a hold me
Clutching my throat
Self righteous anger running all through me
Ready to explode
Procrastination paralyzing me
Wanting me dead
These obsessions that keep haunting me
Won't leave my head
Help to do for me what I can't do myself
Take this fear and pain
I can't break out of this prison all alone
Help me break these chains
Humility now my only hope
Won't you take all of me
Heal this dying soul
I can feel my body breaking
I can feel my body breaking
I'm ready to let it all go
I can feel my body shaking
Right down to the foundation
The root of it all
Take all of me
And the drive that keep burning deep inside
Cast it all away
And help to give me strength to face another day
I am ready
Help me be what I can be
I am ready
Come to me
Take me away
Greedy enough to be labeled a thief
Angry enough for me to go and hurt a man
Cruel enough for me to feel no grief
Never could have just a part of it
I always need more to get by
Getting right down to the heart of it
The root of all evil has been running my whole life
Dirty enough for me to lust
Leaving nothing left to trust
Jealous enough to still feel envious
Lazy enough to sleep all day
And let my life just waste away
Selfish enough to make you wait for me
Driven blindly by our sins
Misled so easily
Entirely ready to leave it behind
I'm begging to break free
Take all of me
The desires that keep burning deep inside
Cast them all away
And help to give me strength to face another day
I am ready
Help me be what I can be
Self-centered fear has got a hold me
Clutching my throat
Self righteous anger running all through me
Ready to explode
Procrastination paralyzing me
Wanting me dead
These obsessions that keep haunting me
Won't leave my head
Help to do for me what I can't do myself
Take this fear and pain
I can't break out of this prison all alone
Help me break these chains
Humility now my only hope
Won't you take all of me
Heal this dying soul
I can feel my body breaking
I can feel my body breaking
I'm ready to let it all go
I can feel my body shaking
Right down to the foundation
The root of it all
Take all of me
And the drive that keep burning deep inside
Cast it all away
And help to give me strength to face another day
I am ready
Help me be what I can be
I am ready
Come to me
Take me away
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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this song is epic...and what's cool is that the lyrics are deep but they aren't hard to understand either...they're definitely about someone who's being eaten alive by the nature of his life, which has turned him into a terrible man on all levels, and he wants to break free from it, but he needs help
This song is followed by Repentance (in the AA Suite) off 'Systematic Chaos'. Anyone who says Dream Theater has a bad song is a blasphemer.
The 3rd installment in Portnoy's AA saga. These are parts 6 and 7.
The Glass Prison -> This Dying Soul -> The Root of all Evil
Hmm... Interesting. The first time I listened to the Octavarium album, after Octavarium ended and I put on this song again I realized Octavarium ends just like this one begins, and since Octavarium has 5 parts and this one has parts 6 and 7 I thought it was Octavarium's parts 6 and 7. But YtseJam's theory makes sense too, and I haven't heard The Glass Prison or This Dying Sould yet, so I wouldn't know for sure. Still, this is a great song. =)
I really like this song. My 2nd or 3rd favorite off of Octavarium. It has a very catchy chorus that dares me to sing along everytime I listen
Yeah, I agree with Hank when he says it has a catchy chorus.
I really like the vocal melodies Labrie uses in this song.
kickass song... quit complainin' and go listen to track 6!
Yep your right very catchy one of my favorite DT songs the first part is really cool and the line about breaking these chains in the second part of this song is pretty cool to me also awesome song
Thoe are steps 6 and 7 as outlined by the AA program.
This song also begins with the same note as In The Name of God ended with on Train of Thought.