Footsteps at the beginning of "The Root of All Evil"

[Mebert78]

I've been listening to this album a lot lately.  I like how the album starts and ends with the same piano note and subsequent sounds, bringing the "circle" theme to life within the album itself.  But this weekend I noticed the sound of footsteps at the beginning of the album in "The Root of All Evil."  I'd never really noticed it before.  What do you guys think is the meaning of the footsteps?  Who is walking and where is he/she walking to?  And, if the beginning and ending of the album is identical, then why aren't the footsteps heard at the end of the album as well?  What does the absence of footsteps at the end signify?

I know I over think these things, but there has to be some kind of meaning to it -- otherwise the guys wouldn't have put in the footsteps at all.

[The Letter M]

Foot Steps - Foot = Steps

Steps, correlating to the fact that "The Root Of All Evil" is part of the Twelve-Step Suite.



-Marc.

[wasteland]

One cannot make a step if he/she has no feet, right?

So, Foot is the Root Of All Steps. 

[GasparXR]

One cannot make a step if he/she has no feet, right?

So, Foot is the Root Of All Steps. 

But the Root of all Steps is the beginning of The Glass Prison, with the static and bells. This is reprised at the end of The Shattered Fortress, along with the beginning of The Root of All Evil, where the steps are heard. Therefore = what?

[Ħ]

Probably just because it sounds cool.

[Madman Shepherd]

Foot Steps - Foot = Steps

Steps, correlating to the fact that "The Root Of All Evil" is part of the Twelve-Step Suite.



-Marc.

What about the crooked step?

[Cedar redaC]

Foot Steps - Foot = Steps

Steps, correlating to the fact that "The Root Of All Evil" is part of the Twelve-Step Suite.



-Marc.

Also, there are Twelve inches in a foot.

[The Letter M]

Chugga chugga chug, ca-chug, ca-chug
Chugga chugga chug, ca-chug, ca-chug
Wreeeeeeeet

-Marc.

[Dekost]

Probably it just sounded cool and cryptic to them.

[Progmetty]

I've been wondering the same exact thing about Thriller.

[SystematicThought]

I always thought it was just a reference to SFAM or something.

[The Letter M]

I always thought it was just a reference to SFAM or something.

Well Nicholas WAS in AA... I mean, the man comes home from a hypnotherapist session and decides to have a drink right away!!! Geez!

-Marc.

[SystematicThought]

Wouldn't that be horrible if at the end of SFAM, The Hypnotherapist said "Look into the mirror, Nicholas" instead of "Open your eyes, Nicholas."


That'd be a nugget right there

[Ħ]

Wasn't there a reference like that in TDS? "Hello mirror, so glad to see you my friend," from Regression.

[SystematicThought]

"Hello Victoria, so glad to see you, my friend."

Yep, indeed

[The Letter M]

Wasn't there a reference like that in TDS? "Hello mirror, so glad to see you my friend," from Regression.

Yeah, though the line in "Regression" was "Hello Victoria, so glad to see you my friend", while in "This Dying Soul" (and "Repentance"), it was "Hello mirror, so glad to see you my friend". A double-reference to both the song "The Mirror" and of course, "Regression".

So it's possible... the Twelve-Step Suite is about Nicholas's steps to recovery!

-Marc.

[SystematicThought]

.....Man, we need a new album to dissect....

We've already discussed the BiTS, BAI, BTS connections which were called dumb.. because it kind of was a dumb concept

[Ħ]

References from SFAM in the 12SS:

TGP - static from end of Finally Free
TDS - Hello mirror
TROAE - footsteps
Repentance - Hello mirror
TSF -

[Ħ]

We've already discussed the BiTS, BAI, BTS connections which were called dumb.. because it kind of was a dumb concept

What was that?

[Elite]

dumb.

[SystematicThought]

BiTS- A man who is lost in life and seeks out a shaman.
        Lyric: Sun, come shine my way
                     May healing waters bury all my pain

BAI- Said man finds enjoyment in his life again.
        Lyric: With the sun in place, there's a test of faith
                     Streams of thought awaken

BTS- Man reflects on the pain and sheds that pain
          Lyric: No lyrical reference, but the water dripping is another water reference.

Like Elite said, it was pretty damn far-fetched and dumb

[The Letter M]

BiTS- A man who is lost in life and seeks out a shaman.
        Lyric: Sun, come shine my way
                     May healing waters bury all my pain

BAI- Said man finds enjoyment in his life again.
        Lyric: With the sun in place, there's a test of faith
                     Streams of thought awaken

BTS- Man reflects on the pain and sheds that pain
          Lyric: No lyrical reference, but the water dripping is another water reference.

Like Elite said, it was pretty damn far-fetched and dumb

Also, all the songs start with a "B"... but how can you fit "Build Me Up, Break Me Down" into it?!?

References from SFAM in the 12SS:

TGP - static from end of Finally Free
TDS - Hello mirror
TROAE - footsteps
Repentance - Hello mirror
TSF -

TSF references the other 4 songs prior to it, so it doesn't really need to reference SFAM.

-Marc.

[Cedar redaC]

References from SFAM in the 12SS:

TGP - static from end of Finally Free
TDS - Hello mirror
TROAE - footsteps
Repentance - Hello mirror
TSF -

TSF references the other 4 songs prior to it, so it doesn't really need to reference SFAM.

-Marc.

Metropolis pt. 2 refers to melodies from pt. 1, just like The Shattered Fortress refers to other parts of the AA suite.

That is it's reference to Scenes.







These are getting increasingly more far-fetched to be honest.

[Rob]

SFAM = 4 letters
TSF = 3 letters

4 - 3 = 1

1 + 1 = 2

2 + 1 = 3

3 + 1 = 4

->

[theGonz]

I've heard from some that the whole album was sort of an homage to all the bands that influenced them. So I suspect that the intro to 8vm song (shine on) and TROAL (on the run) are tips of the hat to pink Floyd.

[Ħ]

Pretty sure the intro to TROAE is a reference to Welcome to the Machine.

[jonnybaxy]

The static in TGP is only heard because It's part of the meta-album, it just follows on as does TOT from SDoIT

Well also in octavarium (the track) the quote "isn't this where we came in?" is heard at around 13:58 referencing to the wall

[OsMosis2259]

Probably it just sounded cool and cryptic to them.

[rumborak]

What happened was that MP wanted more nuggets on the album, but JP pushed back. As a compromise they went to McDonalds instead to get some nuggets there, but because JLB was kinda chubby in those days they nixed that too and went to Subway instead. There they got a $5 foot-long. MP didn't like the anchovies as the topping, and realizing he wouldn't eat any of it at all, he didn't want any other others to have it either, and subsequently stepped on it.

So, foot + step.


True story, I read it on the internet, here in fact, which is a pretty reputable site.

[Cedar redaC]

True story, I read it on the internet, here in fact, which is a pretty reputable site.

-rumborak

[BlobVanDam]

I've been wondering the same exact thing about Thriller.

In Thriller, the footsteps would be walking around in the dark alone, building suspense before being eaten by synchronized dancing zombies.

In TROAE, I have no idea. Maybe it's still dancing zombies. One can dream.

[MoraWintersoul]

One cannot make a step if he/she has no feet, right?

So, Foot is the Root Of All Steps. 

What about the crooked step?

I always thought it was just a reference to SFAM or something.

Well Nicholas WAS in AA... I mean, the man comes home from a hypnotherapist session and decides to have a drink right away!!! Geez!

-Marc.

Wouldn't that be horrible if at the end of SFAM, The Hypnotherapist said "Look into the mirror, Nicholas" instead of "Open your eyes, Nicholas."


That'd be a nugget right there

I've been wondering the same exact thing about Thriller.

In Thriller, the footsteps would be walking around in the dark alone, building suspense before being eaten by synchronized dancing zombies.

In TROAE, I have no idea. Maybe it's still dancing zombies. One can dream.

I couldn't decide what to quote for appreciation. I love all of you. Rumby gets the golden crown for his unquoted gem tho'.

[philmcson]

Don't overanalyze the songs, just enjoy them, dammit! 

At a particular point in a Rush song I hear a *beep* - first time I thought I got a message on my mobile phone  second time I thought, well maybe during recording vocal tracks Geddy received a message and the mich caught it...... but does it matter?

They put steps, in ANTR they put lightning and rain, in The great debate extracts from TV, hopefully no one will open a thread now asking who were the reporters and journalists that could be heard.... 

[Cedar redaC]

I've been wondering the same exact thing about Thriller.

In Thriller, the footsteps would be walking around in the dark alone, building suspense before being eaten by synchronized dancing zombies.

In TROAE, I have no idea. Maybe it's still dancing zombies. One can dream.

Lazy enough to sleep all day, and let my life just waste away.

Yep, zombies.

[Another_Won]

They put steps, in ANTR they put lightning and rain, in The great debate extracts from TV, hopefully no one will open a thread now asking who were the reporters and journalists that could be heard.... 

I think it was Ashleigh Banfield who said the part about the survey, "When asked about stem cell research . . . and xx% didn't know what to think"