Six Degrees (the song) vs Octavarium (the song)

[theseoafs]

I look at it as the character from Someone Like Him and Medicate Me are the same person. 

There is literally no reason to think that that's the case. 

[ZirconBlue]

Um, yes?   "Medicate Me" is basically a summary of the plot of the movie Awakenings.

On one hand, reading the plot summary of Awakenings on Wikipedia makes it hard to disagree.  But to me, it's the least interesting interpretation.

I look at it as the character from Someone Like Him and Medicate Me are the same person.  He looks at a person (probably his dad) and says that's who I don't want to be.  But over the course of his life, as shown in SLH, his mentality slowly changes until all the sudden he's exactly the kind of half-alive he didn't want to be, except he loves it.

Medicate Me is the character finally realizing what happened in his life, and trying to deal with it with psychiatric medication.  The catatonic sleep is a metaphor for what his life was like, and now he's trying to change it.  But the drugs don't work, and he descends into insanity because his brain is breaking psychologically (portrayed in Full Circle).

If nothing else, the song is meant to be digested as a whole.  So looking at the lyrics as disconnected vignettes seems inadvisable.

Well, if you want to make up your own story to enjoy the song more, go for it.  But, it seems obvious to me that while the different sections may have a thematic connection, they're not all telling a single story. 

[TheGreatPretender]

Well, if you want to make up your own story to enjoy the song more, go for it.

What's wrong with doing that? Do you think I imagine the middle east at all when listening to Outcry, or ancient Persians when listening to Lost Not Forgotten?

[hefdaddy42]

Um, yes?   "Medicate Me" is basically a summary of the plot of the movie Awakenings.

On one hand, reading the plot summary of Awakenings on Wikipedia makes it hard to disagree.  But to me, it's the least interesting interpretation.

I look at it as the character from Someone Like Him and Medicate Me are the same person.  He looks at a person (probably his dad) and says that's who I don't want to be.  But over the course of his life, as shown in SLH, his mentality slowly changes until all the sudden he's exactly the kind of half-alive he didn't want to be, except he loves it.

Medicate Me is the character finally realizing what happened in his life, and trying to deal with it with psychiatric medication.  The catatonic sleep is a metaphor for what his life was like, and now he's trying to change it.  But the drugs don't work, and he descends into insanity because his brain is breaking psychologically (portrayed in Full Circle).

If nothing else, the song is meant to be digested as a whole.  So looking at the lyrics as disconnected vignettes seems inadvisable.

Well, if you want to make up your own story to enjoy the song more, go for it.  But, it seems obvious to me that while the different sections may have a thematic connection, they're not all telling a single story.

This.  Whatever makes you happy, Reap.

[lithium112]

Well, if you want to make up your own story to enjoy the song more, go for it.  But, it seems obvious to me that while the different sections may have a thematic connection, they're not all telling a single story. 

Has the band ever actually commented on the meaning behind Octavarium's lyrics? My interpretation of the song has actually always been inline with what Reapsta described.

[Podaar]

Oooo, ooo, I know and the awakening characters are really triplets.

[BlobVanDam]

I look at it as the character from Someone Like Him and Medicate Me are the same person. 

There is literally no reason to think that that's the case. 

I agree. I don't see any literal connection between the stories and characters, but the thematic concepts run through the entire song. Any further link is unnecessary.

[ZirconBlue]

Well, if you want to make up your own story to enjoy the song more, go for it.

What's wrong with doing that? Do you think I imagine the middle east at all when listening to Outcry, or ancient Persians when listening to Lost Not Forgotten?

Hey, I said "go for it".  To each their own and all that.  But, personally, I don't operate that way.  Certainly, when the artist is explicit about a song's meanings, like in examples you cite, I don't try to come up with alternate meanings that they didn't intend.

[TheGreatPretender]

Hey, I said "go for it".  To each their own and all that.  But, personally, I don't operate that way.  Certainly, when the artist is explicit about a song's meanings, like in examples you cite, I don't try to come up with alternate meanings that they didn't intend.

I don't try to come up with an alternate meaning, but if the subject matter doesn't interest me, I could either be bored with it, or I could come up with something else, especially when the imagery is ambiguous enough. I mean, it's not, "I met the count of tuscany. Get into my car, let's go for a drive!" or "Watching Harold and Maude".

[King Postwhore]

Zircon, remember the days of sitting in your bedroom over-analyzing lyrics instead of trying to get into girls pants?!




I remember those lonely days. 

[TheGreatPretender]

Zircon, remember the days of sitting in your bedroom over-analyzing lyrics instead of trying to get into girls pants?!

How they flew so fast?

[King Postwhore]

Sure thing TGP!! And to tie that to a song lyric, how about, Rush - "Time Stands Still".

Trust me, it was yesterday, I got Grace Under Pressure, ran up to my room, played the album a thousand times while reading the lyrics every time.

[Podaar]

Zircon, remember the days of sitting in your bedroom over-analyzing lyrics instead of trying to get into girls pants?!

Hey I remember those days...but, then I turned 14 and had to put down the lyric sheet to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and go get some!

[King Postwhore]

So the inner album sleeves were a little sticky then.

[Podaar]

That was nothing. You should have seen the stains on the cover of my Mom's copy of Herb Alperts Whipped Cream! 

[King Postwhore]

Now, you too tired to change the station to Cinemax.

[Podaar]

Mrs. P changes the channel for me when she gets up to get me a sammich.

[GasparXR]

...Wtf just happened to this thread.

[hefdaddy42]

[King Postwhore]

For a trip back in time Hef?!

[hefdaddy42]

[TheGreatPretender]

I was watching this documentary on Psychedelic Rock and they mentioned Genesis' Supper's Ready, which immediately made the full circle section get stuck in my head. Damn, I love that section!