Honor Thy Father

Honor Thy Father
Train of Thought
Length	10:14
Working title
Release date	November 11th, 2003
Lyrics	Mike Portnoy
Music	Dream Theater
First live performance
Total live plays
Recorded	Cove City Sound Studios, Pie Studios NY
Other appearances	Score (bonus disc), A Sort of Homecoming
Previous song	Endless Sacrifice
Next song	Vacant

Honor Thy Father is the 4th track on Dream Theater's seventh studio album, Train of Thought, and is one of their heaviest songs in their discography. The instrumental section features samples from a variety of different films, most prominently Magnolia. The song notably includes coarse language in the samples and in the last chorus, owing to the Parental Warning sticker on the cover of the album.

Personnel

• Mike Portnoy - Drums, backing vocals, co-producer, lyrics
• John Petrucci - Guitar, backing vocals, co-producer
• John Myung - Bass
• James LaBrie - Vocals
• Jordan Rudess - Keyboards

Lyrics

We're taught unconditional love
That blood is thicker than water
That a parent's world would revolve
Always around their son or their daughter

You pretended I was your own
And even believed that you loved me
But were always threatened by some
Invisible blood line that only you could see

You took advantage of an outreached hand
And twisted it to meet your every need
"Gimme time to re-charge my batteries,
I'll see her when she's older and I'll bounce her on my knee''

Well listen to me you ungrateful fool
Here comes a dose of reality
You'll go to your grave a sad and lonely man
The door is now closed on your pathetic little plan

On and on and on and on it goes
It's so easy to run away with 
Nothing in tow

How can you ever sleep a wink at night
Pretending that everything is alright,
And have the nerve to blame this mess on me?

Never in my life have I seen someone
So ignorant to the damage he has done
You're the rotted root in the family tree

I tried your 4 bill therapy
I tried to make amends
But nothing could lure you out of your selfish shell again

Expecting everyone 
To bow and kiss your feet
Don't you see respect is not a one way street
Blaming everyone 
For all that you've done wrong
I'll get my peace of mind when you hear this song

On and on and on and on it goes
And with every passing day true 
Colors show

How can you ever sleep a wink at night
Pretending that everything is alright,
And have the balls to blame this mess on me?

Never in my life have I seen someone
Oblivious to the damage he has done
You're the rotted root in the family tree

Watch where you walk
Don't you dare cross the crooked step
Watch the way you talk

Don't cross the crooked step

{Breakdown}

["This is a regret... that you make"]
["We're still connected."]
["This is a regret that you make-"]
["I want my family back."]
["-and there's something you take."]
["You can't have it. I'm sorry for you, but it's too late…"]
["Mistakes like this… You don't make"]
["Can't you see anything except in terms of how it affects you?"]
["You make some... And they'll get to you"]
["You don't love anybody."]
["I gave you money, I gave you a car, I took you in-"]
["It's not OK, son"]
["-but don't that mean something?"]
["A little…"]
["Do I admire people too much?"]
["No... You should do better"]
["That disappoints you…"]
["God damn regrets!"]
["You deserve to die alone for what you've done!!"]
["GOD DAMN REGRETS!"]
["Don't deny it"]
["You cocksucker, I know you can hear me."]
["Don't deny it"]
["I want you to know I hate your fucking guts."]
["The biggest regret in my life"]
["I wish you'd fucking die."]
["I've let my love go"]
["I'm your blood… I'm your family."]
["Is that you?"]
["You're not my family, not anymore."]
["The fucking regrets!"]
["When your own flesh and blood renounces you..."]
["What did I do?"] 
["...you have no choice but to renounce them."]
["WHAT DID I DO?!"]

On and on and on and on it goes
Chauvinistic, heartless, selfish 
Cold

How can you ever sleep a wink at night
Pretending that everything is alright,
And have the balls to blame this shit on me?

Never in my life have I seen someone
So fucking blind to the damage he has done
You're the rotted root in the family tree

Analysis

The lyrics are about Mike Portnoy's stepfather, as he clarified in an IRC chat. The transcript follows.

[Portnoy] Let me clear this up right now....

[Portnoy] It is NOT directed at my father, Howard Portnoy...we have a GREAT relationship and I love him dearly...

[Portnoy] It is aimed directly at somebody else in my immediate family....

[Portnoy] If you take the key word from the title as well as the key word from the bridge (Crooked _____), you can figure out who it was written for...

[Portnoy] I've never been good at writing love songs, so i decided to write a HATE song!!!!

Tone

This is one of Dream Theater's heaviest songs, in C standard tuning like much of the album. The instrumental section remains heavy while being very progressive, changing time signatures constantly. Notably, it contains a keyboard solo, but the guitar solo is much shorter than the keyboard solo.

Appearances

• Train of Thought - Original recorded version
• Score (bonus disc) - Live version
• A Sort of Homecoming - Live version