Edited sentence: (Although this is one valid reading of the album's 'concept' another is that during the second track, "Fly On A Windshield" when Rael encounters the "wall of death" he, in fact, does die and the rest of the story is his journey through pergatory until he meets God in the final song, "It".After a few moments of uncertainty, the immature and selfish Rael, seeing his brother John drowning, finally feels something for someone other than himself and throws himself into the rapids to save him, thus giving up the opportunity to save himself.God, in fact, turns out to be Rael himself and the album is an allegory about the concept of God and Man being one and the same.He's torn between saving his brother and taking the cowardly route and just getting out.If you assume that this is the 'concept' you can see through the lyrics that the album takes Rael on a journey to see his evil, selfish ways and make amends to realize his spiritual cleansing.In "The Light Dies Down on Broadway" Rael sees his brother John drowning in a river but looking up, he sees a way out of this dreamworld and back to the steets of New York City, his home.In fact, the first song (the title track) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway probably refers to God/Jesus the "Lamb of God" lying down on broadway and the "wall of death" actually being the Lamb of God who sweeps up only Rael as no one else seems to be affected by the cloud).It is Real, it is Rael.It's at this moment that Rael's soul is cleansed and he exits pergatory and gets his final reward.That being, in the final song "It" that, "It is here, It is now.This first and final act of selflessness results in Rael, when looking into his rescued brothers face, not seeing John but seeing himself instead.This is most evident in the three songs prior to the finale