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Scene Nine: Finally Free
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory
Length 12:00
Working title (unknown)
Release date October 26, 1999 (same as album)
Lyrics Mike Portnoy
Music Dream Theater
First live performance Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, USA, on January 31, 2000
Total live plays 294
Recorded BearTracks Studio
Other appearances Metropolis 2000, Live Scenes from New York, Breaking the Fourth Wall
Previous song Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On
Next song Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (album)

Scene Nine: Finally Free is the twelfth song on Metropolis Pt. 2, Scenes From a Memory, the fifth song of Act II of the story, and the final track on the album. It answers many of the questions about the album's story, and has an ominous ending where the hypnotherapist appears in Nicholas's house, says, "Open your eyes, Nicholas", followed by a startled cry from Nicholas and the sound changing to static. It was later confirmed that the Hypnotherapist killed Nicholas in this scene.

John Petrucci recorded this song using a 6-string guitar in standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E).

Analysis[]

The song begins with Nicholas being awoken from a trance by the hypnotherapist. Nicholas leaves, gets into his car, and drives home.

Past (1928): Edward is thinking about his anger that Victoria left him to return to Julian. He makes remarks about "covering up" something.

Earlier that day, Victoria is happy that Julian finally chose her over his drinking and gambling addictions, and plans to break up with Edward and get back together with Julian.

That night, Victoria and Julian meet up, only to be interrupted by Edward, who shows up unexpectedly. The two brothers begin to brawl, with Julian pulling out a switchblade before Edward shoots and mortally wounds him. Victoria screams, and Edward tells her to "open your eyes", shooting and killing her, then fleeing from the scene.

Victoria and Julian's spirits rise from their bodies, and "old souls" are "exchanged for a new", describing Victoria's soul coming to reside in Nicholas many years later. Nicholas feels freed by this revelation.

After arriving home, Nicholas walks in, turns off the news, pours himself a drink, and starts up a record player. A moment later, the hypnotherapist walks into the house, says "open your eyes, Nicholas", causing the latter to cry out while the record scratches, cutting to static.

Mike Portnoy later revealed that the hypnotherapist was a reincarnation of Edward, and he killed Nicholas at the end of the track.

Lyrics[]

[Hypnotherapist:]
You are once again surrounded by a brilliant white light.
Allow the light to lead you away from your past and into this lifetime.
As the light dissipates, you will slowly fade back into consciousness,
remembering all you have learned.
When I tell you to open your eyes, you will return to the present, 
feeling peaceful and refreshed.
Open your eyes, Nicholas.

[Miracle:]
Friday evening
The blood still on my hands
To think that she would leave me now
For that ungrateful man
Sole survivor
No witness to the crime
I must act fast to cover up
I think that there's still time
He'd seem hopeless and lost with this note
They'll buy into the words that I wrote

"This feeling inside me
Finally found my love
I've finally broke free
No longer torn in two
I'd take my own life before losing you"

[Victoria:]
Feeling good this Friday afternoon
I ran into Julian
Said we'd get together soon
He's always had my heart
He needs to know
I'll break free of the Miracle
It's time for him to go

This feeling inside me
Finally found my love
I've finally broke free
No longer torn in two
He'd kill his brother if he only knew

Their love renewed
They'd rendezvous
In a pathway out of view
They thought no one knew
Then came a shot out of the night

[Miracle:]
"Open your eyes, Victoria!"

[Sleeper:]
One last time
We'll lay down today
One last time
Until we fade away
One last time
We'll lay down today
One last time
We fade away

[Narrator:]
As their bodies lie still
And the ending draws near
Spirits rise through the air
All their fears disappear
It all becomes clear
A blinding light comes into view
An old soul exchanged for a new
Familiar voice comes shining through...

[Nicholas:]
This feeling inside me
Finally found my life
I'm finally free
No longer torn in two
I learned about my life by living through you

This feeling inside me
Finally found my life
I'm finally free
No longer torn in two
Living my own life by learning from you

We'll meet again, my friend!
Someday soon...

[CNN report:]
"News in London, France, Russia and Italy have deleted their lead story,
all anticipating the outcome of the man considered to be a member of American nobility.
And as you can imagine, as the skies have grown darker
here over Washington,
The moon has grown darker as well and people here are
beginning to resign themselves to the possibility that they are
witnessing yet another tragedy in a long string of misfortunes.
Reaction from everywhere, from Washington and certainly
from around the world has guess-"

[Hypnotherapist:]
Open your eyes, Nicholas!

[Nicholas:]
"AAAH!"

*cuts to static*
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