| The Root of All Evil | |
| Octavarium | |
| Length | 8:07 |
| Working title | |
| Release date | June 7, 2005 |
| Lyrics | Mike Portnoy |
| Music | Dream Theater |
| First live performance | Sweden Rock Festival 2005, on Jun. 10, 2005 |
| Total live plays | 151 |
| Recorded | The Hit Factory |
| Other appearances | Score, Greatest Hit (...and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs), Romavarium (fan CD), Live at Luna Park |
| Previous song | Train of Thought (album) |
| Next song | The Answer Lies Within |
The Root of All Evil is the opening track on Octavarium, and the third installment of The Twelve-Step Suite, covering two movements of the programme. Its intro references Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine, and repeats a motif from This Dying Soul. In addition, the chorus of This Dying Soul is reprised before the solo.
The song starts with the same piano note that the previous album, Train of Thought ended with as part of the Meta album cycle. The song closes with the Octavarium theme, the main theme of the title track of the album.
The chorus and main riff are reprised in The Shattered Fortress. The chord progression underneath the verses in "Ready" is also reprised under the first verses of The Shattered Fortress, including lyrical references. "You're smart enough for me to trust, go live your life now." The suite closes with a reprise of the ambient intro.
Dream Theater - The Root of All Evil Lyrics
John Petrucci recorded this song using a 6-string guitar tuned 1 half step down (E♭-A♭-D♭-G♭-B♭-E♭).
Lyrics[]
VI. READY Proud enough for you to call me arrogant Greedy enough to be labeled a thief Angry enough for me to go and hurt a man Cruel enough for me to feel no grief Never could have just a part of it I always need more to get by Getting right down to the heart of it The root of all evil has been running my whole life Dirty enough for me to lust Leaving nothing left to trust Jealous enough to still feel envious Lazy enough to sleep all day And let my life just waste away Selfish enough to make you wait for me Driven blindly by our sins Misled so easily Entirely ready to leave it behind I'm begging to break free Take all of me The desires that keep burning deep inside Cast them all away And help to give me strength to face another day I am ready Help me be what I can be VII. REMOVE Self-centered fear has got a hold of me Clutching my throat Self righteous anger running all through me Ready to explode Procrastination paralyzing me Wanting me dead These obsessions that keep haunting me Won't leave my head Help to do for me what I can't do myself Take this fear and pain I can't break out of this prison all alone Help me break these chains Humility now my only hope Won't you take all of me, heal this dying soul? I can feel my body breaking I can feel my body breaking I'm ready to let it all go I can feel my body shaking Right down to the foundation The root of it all Take all of me The desires that keep burning deep inside Cast them all away And help to give me strength to face another day I am ready Help me be what I can be I am ready Come to me, and take me away