Got this from a forum and I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head.
The song is about Dream Theater and their influence on progressive rock. The first 13 and a half minutes of that song sound very similar to pink floyd, yes, genesis, the beatles, and many other progressive rock pioneers. This is done on purpose, considering that they started the genre, so Dream Theater started the song by playing their music very much like their influences - "i never wanted to become someone like him" basically means Dream Theater, when they were young, never wanted to be like their influences because they wanted to be independent. However no matter how hard they try they will end up being just like them in some way, although still original - "Then all I swore that I would never be was now, so suddenly, the only thing, I wanted, to become, to be someone just like him."
The next part of the song is sort of a metaphoric explanation of how Dream Theater became like them, other than that there is not much i can explain.
At about 14 minutes into the song, a strong, very progressive metalish riff comes into play, and that is where the line "Isn't this where we came in?" (sample from Pink Floyd The Wall) is heard. The basic reason for this quote is to explain that at this point in time (around 1989), Dream Theater opened the door to a new genre (Progmetal, for those of you who dont know). Now Dream Theater realizes that they will always be like their fathers, and yet original, so they pay homage to their influences in this section.
Sailing on the seven seize the day tripper, diem's ready
...sailing on the seven seas: OMD song
...seize the day: famous DT line from A Change of Seasons
...day tripper: Beatles song
...diem's ready: Carpe Diem from A Change of Seasons
-Jack the ripper, Owen's Wilson Phillips and my supper's ready
...jack the ripper: Judas Priest song
...owen wilson: if you dont know this youre retarded
...phillips and my: not sure lol
...supper's ready: Genesis song
-Lucy in the sky with diamond, Dave's not here ive come to save the day
...lucy in the sky with diamonds: Beatles song
...daves not here: Yes song
-For nightmare cinema show me the way to get back home again
...nightmare cinema: antonym to Dream Theater, and also a joke band they made with Derek Sherinian (former DT keyboardist)
...home: Dream Theater song
-Eugene Gene the dance machine messiah, light my fire, gabba gabba hey hey
...gene gene the dance machine: TV character from the 70-80s
...machine messiah: Yes song
...light my fire: Doors song
...gabba gabba hey: Ramones song
-Hey hey my my generation's home again
...hey hey my my: Neill Young song
...my generation: The Who song
...home again: Dream Theater song again
The next part, Intervals, is about the songs on the album Octavarium itself.
I need not explain, just read this:
The Root of All Evil
Root
Our deadly sins feel his mortal wrath
Remove all obstacles from our path
The Answer Lies Within
Second
Asking questions
Search for clues
The answer's been right in front of you
These Walls
Third
We try to break free
Long to connect
Fall on deaf ears with failed muted breath
I Walk Beside You
Fourth
Loyalty, trust, faith and desire
Carries love through each darkest fire
Panic Attack
Fifth
Tortured insanity
A smothering hell
Try to escape but to no avail
Never Enough
Sixth
The calls of admirers
Who claim they adore
Drain all your lifeblood while begging for more
Sacrificed Sons
Seventh
Innocent victims for merciless crimes
Fall prey to some madman's impulsive designs
Octavarium
Octave
Step after step
We try controlling our fate
When we finally start living it's become too late
Root second third fourth fifth sixth seventh and octave are musical intervals, thus the name of the section. And all the songs on Octavarium are on different scales spaced interavally: Root of all evil is in F, Answer lies within is in G, These walls is in A, I walk beside you is in B, Panic attack is in C, Never enough is in D, Sacrificed sons is in E, and Octavarium is in F, therefore making that album a full circle.
TRAPPED INSIDE THIS OCTAVARIUM basically means that the band cannot be different or independent anymore because they have already defined themselves.
A perfect sphere
Colliding with our fate
The story ends where it began
Notice the first note in The Root Of All Evil is an F, well the last note in Octavarium is the same F, making it a full circle and saying that the story ends where it began musically as well.
Got this from a forum and I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head.
The song is about Dream Theater and their influence on progressive rock. The first 13 and a half minutes of that song sound very similar to pink floyd, yes, genesis, the beatles, and many other progressive rock pioneers. This is done on purpose, considering that they started the genre, so Dream Theater started the song by playing their music very much like their influences - "i never wanted to become someone like him" basically means Dream Theater, when they were young, never wanted to be like their influences because they wanted to be independent. However no matter how hard they try they will end up being just like them in some way, although still original - "Then all I swore that I would never be was now, so suddenly, the only thing, I wanted, to become, to be someone just like him."
The next part of the song is sort of a metaphoric explanation of how Dream Theater became like them, other than that there is not much i can explain.
At about 14 minutes into the song, a strong, very progressive metalish riff comes into play, and that is where the line "Isn't this where we came in?" (sample from Pink Floyd The Wall) is heard. The basic reason for this quote is to explain that at this point in time (around 1989), Dream Theater opened the door to a new genre (Progmetal, for those of you who dont know). Now Dream Theater realizes that they will always be like their fathers, and yet original, so they pay homage to their influences in this section.
-Jack the ripper, Owen's Wilson Phillips and my supper's ready ...jack the ripper: Judas Priest song ...owen wilson: if you dont know this youre retarded ...phillips and my: not sure lol ...supper's ready: Genesis song
-Lucy in the sky with diamond, Dave's not here ive come to save the day ...lucy in the sky with diamonds: Beatles song ...daves not here: Yes song
-For nightmare cinema show me the way to get back home again ...nightmare cinema: antonym to Dream Theater, and also a joke band they made with Derek Sherinian (former DT keyboardist) ...home: Dream Theater song
-Eugene Gene the dance machine messiah, light my fire, gabba gabba hey hey ...gene gene the dance machine: TV character from the 70-80s ...machine messiah: Yes song ...light my fire: Doors song ...gabba gabba hey: Ramones song
-Hey hey my my generation's home again ...hey hey my my: Neill Young song ...my generation: The Who song ...home again: Dream Theater song again
The next part, Intervals, is about the songs on the album Octavarium itself. I need not explain, just read this:
The Root of All Evil Root Our deadly sins feel his mortal wrath Remove all obstacles from our path
The Answer Lies Within Second Asking questions Search for clues The answer's been right in front of you
These Walls Third We try to break free Long to connect Fall on deaf ears with failed muted breath
I Walk Beside You Fourth Loyalty, trust, faith and desire Carries love through each darkest fire
Panic Attack Fifth Tortured insanity A smothering hell Try to escape but to no avail
Never Enough Sixth The calls of admirers Who claim they adore Drain all your lifeblood while begging for more
Sacrificed Sons Seventh Innocent victims for merciless crimes Fall prey to some madman's impulsive designs
Octavarium Octave Step after step We try controlling our fate When we finally start living it's become too late
Root second third fourth fifth sixth seventh and octave are musical intervals, thus the name of the section. And all the songs on Octavarium are on different scales spaced interavally: Root of all evil is in F, Answer lies within is in G, These walls is in A, I walk beside you is in B, Panic attack is in C, Never enough is in D, Sacrificed sons is in E, and Octavarium is in F, therefore making that album a full circle.
TRAPPED INSIDE THIS OCTAVARIUM basically means that the band cannot be different or independent anymore because they have already defined themselves.
A perfect sphere Colliding with our fate The story ends where it began
Notice the first note in The Root Of All Evil is an F, well the last note in Octavarium is the same F, making it a full circle and saying that the story ends where it began musically as well.
This song = pure genius