In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
It all came to me in the wake of a dream
Bending space and reversing the stream
The knowledge is mine to influence time
And avert our decline
We could use this to salvage mankind
Send projections into the past
As humanity fades in their minds
Let them know man won't last
It all came to me in the wake of a dream
This may be our last chance if we want man to survive
A mirror reflection
Show them our world as it dies
Cut through the barrier and do what no one has dared
Let's break the equation
E=MC2
Our first try was a minor success
No control, I can but guess
We have to move now, don't know just how
No mistakes are allowed
We can make no mistakes
I have sent it but nothing changes
Just a line in some nation lore
I don't know just how far it reaches
Everything's like before
It all came to me in the wake of a dream
Bending space and reversing the stream
The knowledge is mine to influence time
And avert our decline
We could use this to salvage mankind
Send projections into the past
As humanity fades in their minds
Let them know man won't last
It all came to me in the wake of a dream
This may be our last chance if we want man to survive
A mirror reflection
Show them our world as it dies
Cut through the barrier and do what no one has dared
Let's break the equation
E=MC2
Our first try was a minor success
No control, I can but guess
We have to move now, don't know just how
No mistakes are allowed
We can make no mistakes
I have sent it but nothing changes
Just a line in some nation lore
I don't know just how far it reaches
Everything's like before
It all came to me in the wake of a dream
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by sokorny
E=MC2 Lyrics as written by Lonnie Rashid Lynn James Dewitt Yancey
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Wiki's thing is really cool, I'll just add a few things:
I think it's quite obvious that the 2nd attempt also failed, because as he says in the song after talking about the first attempt:
"I have sent it but nothing changes Just a line in some nation lore I don't know just how far it reaches Everything's like before ";
not to mention that in the last song it becomes obvious that humanity dies :P
Now the more interesting part for those of you who didn't follow the story: As for this moment we know of 2 times in the "past" when someone received such a message: 1) There is some guy from King Arthur's time, who warns Arthur's court about that, but Merlin is jealous of Ayreon's (yes, the guy from this story is called Ayreon :) ) ability to see in the future so he convinces everyone that Ayreon is lying. In his rage, the magician even curses Ayreon, making him unable to talk. Later though Merlin realizes his mistake, but it's too late. He predicts that in the 20th century someone else will also receive the message telling about human's downfall.
2) From the same album, the song is called "The Truth is Here", where Mr. L also receives the message, but obviously he's mentally ill, or at least held in such a facility, so when he tells the nurse about his dreams, she responds with asking him if he's "all right", or that they "have to increase his dose".
So in conclusion: the final experiment WAS a success, as far as the scientific point goes. The problem was that such is human's nature that rarely will one believe something that he didn't see with his own eyes.
~Vic
"This is the fourth and last song that differs from the Forevers storyline. A 21st century scientist (Wudstik) receives the visions from the Forevers ("It all came to me in the wake of a dream") and decides to send projections to the past, thanks to the knowledge that the visions brought. His companion, another 21st century scientist (Marjan Welman) points that this is the last chance for man to survive. The answer is to break the E=MC2 equation (the mass-energy equivalence, derived from Albert Einstein). Their first attempt is a failure, but the second cannot allow any mistake. At the end of the song, a digitalized voice can be heard saying: "The outcome of The Final Experiment has now been placed in your hands" (the same phrase that Merlin says at the end of The Final Experiment album)." -wiki