spiral69out
10-27-2003, 12:53 PM
I accidentally stayed up all night & played around with the different ideas in this fabulous track in order to come up with a lovely bunch of far-out interpretations and associations.... The 5am psychoanalysis parts turned out rather..ridiculous. As far off as I could get? Yes. An entertaining exercise though. Who says Freudian gender theory isn't one of the, hmmph, infinite possibilities :} Ignore the references to Sex Revolts - it's a rather boring book on gender dynamics in rock music.
Also, beware - I've been up for a couple of days now so parts of the piece may not make any sense whatsoever to anyone else besides me, myself, and the magickal DMT fairies inside my head.
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/intro revolves around the analysis of the reynolds & press gender theory book/
...
“Lateralus” by Tool connotes the rejection of spiritual conformity in favor of the ultimate psychic journey. Similarly, Timothy Leary employed LSD as a means of shattering the ordinary reality, and venturing into the realm of egoless psychedelic flux. However, Tool’s version of the psychedelic experience is more similar the Beats’ attempt to merge with a grander kind of home. Nearly every element of the song reflects a nostalgic longing to return to the all-embracing cosmic oneness that one departs at birth.
Reynolds & Press argue that the longing for mystical transcendence implies a desire to achieve the lost, primal unity with one’s mother. In “Lateralus”, the focus lies on the integration of the song’s nonverbal components rather than the accentuation of lyrical meaning. Hence, the track echoes the pre-linguistic nature of the primordial Womb that the protagonist strives to re-enter.
The visionary philosopher Terence McKenna employed the psychedelic experience as a means of tapping into the archaic Gaia-consciousness (Reynolds & Press, 174). Furthermore, he viewed psilocybin as an evolutionary catalyst that triggered the emergence of higher forms of psychic organization in primitive protohuman animals (Brown & McClen). Likewise, Tool’s lyrics are closely related to the band’s appreciation of psychedelic substances as means for achieving alternative states of consciousness. Coincidentally, McKenna was one of the first researchers to provide information on the N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) experience that later became one of the central themes in Tool’s work.
DMT, a powerful hallucinogen, promotes intense open eye visuals and kaleidoscopic patterning, radical shifts in perspective, and profound, life-changing spiritual experiences (McKenna, 257-260). In “Lateralus”, the extraordinary brevity of the DMT experience is reflected in bass driven guitar eruptions, powerful riffs, complex rhythmic patterns, and the principal theme of self-discovery.
Different from LSD, DMT occurs in normal brain metabolism and is therefore considered the least harmful of all psychedelic drugs. One may argue that the organic characteristics of the drug are paralleled by the intimate nature of Maynard James Keenan’s vocals during the slow, tuneful segment of the song.
A psychoanalyst may interpret the lyrics of “Lateralus” as a tale of the psychedelic odyssey of a young man. The first verse begins with the notion of infancy, which serves as a starting point for the protagonist’s psychic journey. The lyrics present a series of abstract images that imply the pushing of boundaries and the crossing of lines, in an attempt to arrive at a cosmic paradise of randomness and spontaneity.
In the final verse, the lyrics describe a state of mind in which the protagonist opens up (‘open wide to suck it in’) to new perceptual experiences (‘the sounds’) and thereby reaches the realm of infinite possibilities. The image of the spiral (“we’ll ride the spiral”) represents the endless, continuous path of discovery. The song culminates with Keenan’s roaring invitation to “spiral out” and to “keep going, going”, prompting the listener to begin one’s own psychedelic pilgrimage.
Tool's lyric content has many layers of application, allowing for a diverse range of interpretations. Keenan is wary of preaching a definitive methodology for interpreting the band's lyrics. Hence, he emphasizes the significance of personal connection on the quest for understanding one’s position within a particular world.
Perhaps one of the most striking elements of “Lateralus” is its utter divergence from traditional time signatures. The introductory guitar riff switches from 9/8 to 8/8 to 7/8, the verses are in 5/8, and during the quiet intermission each instrument acquires its own time signature. Common time 4/4 appears only in the introductory guitar solo, and does not return until the final verse. The use of traditional and the non-traditional time signatures may be viewed as a juxtaposition of Apollonian and Dionysian tendencies in Tool’s work. A large portion of “Lateralus” is dominated by Dionysian motion and flux, whereas the beginning and the end of the song strive for Apollonian clarity and contour. Sex Revolts associates Apollo with domestic stability, and maternal comfort. In contrast, Dionysus stands for the rebellious male who has left his in order to reach a blissful union with the Eternal Feminine, or Mother Nature. Hence, the time signatures within “Lateralus” may be viewed as a rhythmic tale of the protagonist’s venture to the wilderness of the unknown, and his arrival at the grander Female.
The effort of letting go of dominant precepts and doctrines in favor of spiritual wholeness serves as one the central themes in nearly all lyrics by Keenan. However, the musical composition of “Lateralus” transcends the themes of flight and exertion by providing an aura of effortless transcendence. The song’s integration of carefully chosen rhythmic structures generates a sense of subliminal oneness that the lyrics in themselves fail to accomplish. Hence, the song provides a seemingly inexplicable sense of supremacy that extends beyond psychedelic nostalgia.
The key to this unconscious effect lies in the very architecture of the track. The organization of the verses follows the mathematical Fibonacci sequence, in which each number is the sum of the two numbers preceding it. For example, the syllables of the opening lyrics follow the ascending and descending of the Fibonacci pattern: 1 (“Black”), 1 (“then”), 2 (“white are”), 3 (“all I see”), 5 (“in my infancy”), 8 (“Red and yellow then came to be”), 5 (“reaching out to me”), 3 (“lets me see”). The instrumental components of the song are charged with similar melodic and rhythmic patterns.
The Fibonacci sequence constitutes the basis for the spirals frequently observed in nature. Spirals appear in sunflowers and seashells; spiral-like fractals serve as visual representations of chaos theory. The image of the spiral is repeated several times throughout the song. In one of the verses, Keenan confesses: “I embrace my desire /---/ to swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human”, referring to his willingness to honor the naturally occurring patterns of life and death.
One may also speculate that the rhythmic elements within “Lateralus” affect the listener on a deeply subconscious level, inducing the very experience that a spiritual wanderer strives to achieve. It has been suggested that certain rhythmic elements coax human brainwaves to a certain frequency, and in doing so, induce the mental state associated with that frequency. For example, the alpha range may be seen as the gateway to meditation because of its correlation to visualization, sensory imagery and light reverie. Similarly, the mathematical loops and hypnotic symmetries within “Lateralus” may promote the relaxed and detached awareness that Keenan’s lyrics refer to.
The lyrics of “Lateralus” provide ample cues for the visualization of certain colors, shapes, and symbols. The crisp, explosive opening riffs of the track contrast the quiet, damp rhythmic drive preceding it much like bursts of fiery red would shimmer in comparison to misty, dark blue. The very beginning of the first verse literally lays out four primal colors: black, white, red and yellow. Similarly, the rhythmic structures within “Lateralus” echo the image of the spiral that is central to the song.
The synthesis of sensory perceptions allows for new ways of interpretation that are not limited to one particular sense. The careful listener is yet again left with the notion of alternative ways of perceiving the world, and alternative states of mind. Furthermore, the synthesis of sensory modalities is facilitated by excitation in the frontolateral cortex – the region of the brain that is involved in producing the effects of numerous psychedelic substances, including DMT. Thus, the carefully structured track in itself serves as a tool for arriving at a different perspective, an alternative state of mind. One may argue that this effect is precisely what the members of Tool strive for, hence the name of the group.
Hence, nearly every musical element within “Lateralus” functions as a subconscious trigger for an alternative state of mind. The lyrics may be interpreted as the tale of one’s psychedelic odyssey, and serve as an encouragement for the spiritual seeker. These statements form one of the many interpretations of the song.
Keenan solves the dilemma of meaning by rejecting all analysis. “Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines,” he declares. In the end, the meaning of Tool’s lyrics lies outside the confinement of the lines in this particular white virtual box.
Also, beware - I've been up for a couple of days now so parts of the piece may not make any sense whatsoever to anyone else besides me, myself, and the magickal DMT fairies inside my head.
----------------------------------------------
...
/intro revolves around the analysis of the reynolds & press gender theory book/
...
“Lateralus” by Tool connotes the rejection of spiritual conformity in favor of the ultimate psychic journey. Similarly, Timothy Leary employed LSD as a means of shattering the ordinary reality, and venturing into the realm of egoless psychedelic flux. However, Tool’s version of the psychedelic experience is more similar the Beats’ attempt to merge with a grander kind of home. Nearly every element of the song reflects a nostalgic longing to return to the all-embracing cosmic oneness that one departs at birth.
Reynolds & Press argue that the longing for mystical transcendence implies a desire to achieve the lost, primal unity with one’s mother. In “Lateralus”, the focus lies on the integration of the song’s nonverbal components rather than the accentuation of lyrical meaning. Hence, the track echoes the pre-linguistic nature of the primordial Womb that the protagonist strives to re-enter.
The visionary philosopher Terence McKenna employed the psychedelic experience as a means of tapping into the archaic Gaia-consciousness (Reynolds & Press, 174). Furthermore, he viewed psilocybin as an evolutionary catalyst that triggered the emergence of higher forms of psychic organization in primitive protohuman animals (Brown & McClen). Likewise, Tool’s lyrics are closely related to the band’s appreciation of psychedelic substances as means for achieving alternative states of consciousness. Coincidentally, McKenna was one of the first researchers to provide information on the N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) experience that later became one of the central themes in Tool’s work.
DMT, a powerful hallucinogen, promotes intense open eye visuals and kaleidoscopic patterning, radical shifts in perspective, and profound, life-changing spiritual experiences (McKenna, 257-260). In “Lateralus”, the extraordinary brevity of the DMT experience is reflected in bass driven guitar eruptions, powerful riffs, complex rhythmic patterns, and the principal theme of self-discovery.
Different from LSD, DMT occurs in normal brain metabolism and is therefore considered the least harmful of all psychedelic drugs. One may argue that the organic characteristics of the drug are paralleled by the intimate nature of Maynard James Keenan’s vocals during the slow, tuneful segment of the song.
A psychoanalyst may interpret the lyrics of “Lateralus” as a tale of the psychedelic odyssey of a young man. The first verse begins with the notion of infancy, which serves as a starting point for the protagonist’s psychic journey. The lyrics present a series of abstract images that imply the pushing of boundaries and the crossing of lines, in an attempt to arrive at a cosmic paradise of randomness and spontaneity.
In the final verse, the lyrics describe a state of mind in which the protagonist opens up (‘open wide to suck it in’) to new perceptual experiences (‘the sounds’) and thereby reaches the realm of infinite possibilities. The image of the spiral (“we’ll ride the spiral”) represents the endless, continuous path of discovery. The song culminates with Keenan’s roaring invitation to “spiral out” and to “keep going, going”, prompting the listener to begin one’s own psychedelic pilgrimage.
Tool's lyric content has many layers of application, allowing for a diverse range of interpretations. Keenan is wary of preaching a definitive methodology for interpreting the band's lyrics. Hence, he emphasizes the significance of personal connection on the quest for understanding one’s position within a particular world.
Perhaps one of the most striking elements of “Lateralus” is its utter divergence from traditional time signatures. The introductory guitar riff switches from 9/8 to 8/8 to 7/8, the verses are in 5/8, and during the quiet intermission each instrument acquires its own time signature. Common time 4/4 appears only in the introductory guitar solo, and does not return until the final verse. The use of traditional and the non-traditional time signatures may be viewed as a juxtaposition of Apollonian and Dionysian tendencies in Tool’s work. A large portion of “Lateralus” is dominated by Dionysian motion and flux, whereas the beginning and the end of the song strive for Apollonian clarity and contour. Sex Revolts associates Apollo with domestic stability, and maternal comfort. In contrast, Dionysus stands for the rebellious male who has left his in order to reach a blissful union with the Eternal Feminine, or Mother Nature. Hence, the time signatures within “Lateralus” may be viewed as a rhythmic tale of the protagonist’s venture to the wilderness of the unknown, and his arrival at the grander Female.
The effort of letting go of dominant precepts and doctrines in favor of spiritual wholeness serves as one the central themes in nearly all lyrics by Keenan. However, the musical composition of “Lateralus” transcends the themes of flight and exertion by providing an aura of effortless transcendence. The song’s integration of carefully chosen rhythmic structures generates a sense of subliminal oneness that the lyrics in themselves fail to accomplish. Hence, the song provides a seemingly inexplicable sense of supremacy that extends beyond psychedelic nostalgia.
The key to this unconscious effect lies in the very architecture of the track. The organization of the verses follows the mathematical Fibonacci sequence, in which each number is the sum of the two numbers preceding it. For example, the syllables of the opening lyrics follow the ascending and descending of the Fibonacci pattern: 1 (“Black”), 1 (“then”), 2 (“white are”), 3 (“all I see”), 5 (“in my infancy”), 8 (“Red and yellow then came to be”), 5 (“reaching out to me”), 3 (“lets me see”). The instrumental components of the song are charged with similar melodic and rhythmic patterns.
The Fibonacci sequence constitutes the basis for the spirals frequently observed in nature. Spirals appear in sunflowers and seashells; spiral-like fractals serve as visual representations of chaos theory. The image of the spiral is repeated several times throughout the song. In one of the verses, Keenan confesses: “I embrace my desire /---/ to swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human”, referring to his willingness to honor the naturally occurring patterns of life and death.
One may also speculate that the rhythmic elements within “Lateralus” affect the listener on a deeply subconscious level, inducing the very experience that a spiritual wanderer strives to achieve. It has been suggested that certain rhythmic elements coax human brainwaves to a certain frequency, and in doing so, induce the mental state associated with that frequency. For example, the alpha range may be seen as the gateway to meditation because of its correlation to visualization, sensory imagery and light reverie. Similarly, the mathematical loops and hypnotic symmetries within “Lateralus” may promote the relaxed and detached awareness that Keenan’s lyrics refer to.
The lyrics of “Lateralus” provide ample cues for the visualization of certain colors, shapes, and symbols. The crisp, explosive opening riffs of the track contrast the quiet, damp rhythmic drive preceding it much like bursts of fiery red would shimmer in comparison to misty, dark blue. The very beginning of the first verse literally lays out four primal colors: black, white, red and yellow. Similarly, the rhythmic structures within “Lateralus” echo the image of the spiral that is central to the song.
The synthesis of sensory perceptions allows for new ways of interpretation that are not limited to one particular sense. The careful listener is yet again left with the notion of alternative ways of perceiving the world, and alternative states of mind. Furthermore, the synthesis of sensory modalities is facilitated by excitation in the frontolateral cortex – the region of the brain that is involved in producing the effects of numerous psychedelic substances, including DMT. Thus, the carefully structured track in itself serves as a tool for arriving at a different perspective, an alternative state of mind. One may argue that this effect is precisely what the members of Tool strive for, hence the name of the group.
Hence, nearly every musical element within “Lateralus” functions as a subconscious trigger for an alternative state of mind. The lyrics may be interpreted as the tale of one’s psychedelic odyssey, and serve as an encouragement for the spiritual seeker. These statements form one of the many interpretations of the song.
Keenan solves the dilemma of meaning by rejecting all analysis. “Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines,” he declares. In the end, the meaning of Tool’s lyrics lies outside the confinement of the lines in this particular white virtual box.