Everyone has made good observations about the song's lyrics. Did anyone notice some of the band's influences creeping into the song? The intro sounds like Dream Theater's tribute (or rip-off depending on your point of view) to "Xanadu" by Rush. The instrumental section in the middle of the song is very reminiscent of the instrumental solo section of "Losing It" by Rush. And perhaps the most obvious influence is in "The Wasteland." The beginning of that section almost verbatim copies the melody and chords of verses of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles.
Everyone has made good observations about the song's lyrics. Did anyone notice some of the band's influences creeping into the song? The intro sounds like Dream Theater's tribute (or rip-off depending on your point of view) to "Xanadu" by Rush. The instrumental section in the middle of the song is very reminiscent of the instrumental solo section of "Losing It" by Rush. And perhaps the most obvious influence is in "The Wasteland." The beginning of that section almost verbatim copies the melody and chords of verses of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles.
The chords of the initial verses of "The Wasteland" are from Aqualung, by Jethro Tull.
The chords of the initial verses of "The Wasteland" are from Aqualung, by Jethro Tull.