Flood

[ClockworkPmpkin]

Flood has a slightly obvious meaning , but someone has got to post it. Flood is about believing in something and placing all of your trust onto that friendship/religion/fact , only to have it all pulled out from under you and taken away.

"Here comes the water" - An impending ordeal or event that will surely destroy something you hold dear.

"All I knew , and all I beleived, are cumbling images , that no longer comfort me." - A faith or comfort is either inadequate now or is being torn down and proved wrong.

"So I take what is mine, and hold what is mine...Soon the water will come and claim what is mine." - Refering to the last shreds of the belief as it is being held close and "suffocated" in an attempt to keep it safe.

"This ground is not the rock I thought it would be." - The faith , which is expected to keep him safe, has proven to be flood land.

There are obviously other things mentioned and hinted at throughout the song , but I think this is the general jist of it all.

[zaum]

Nicely put, I agree with this view of the song.

I love the power in the last two lines

"The ground breaks down right under me
Cleanse and purge me in the water"

It is that final moment, finally clean of all that has been so false. The flood at first seems the force to crush all that you know, but ends up leaving you in a better state.

[ClockworkPmpkin]

Very much so. I think that falls into the underlying theme of Tool, that regardless of how violent or unexpected a change may be , it ends up leaving you stronger and wiser than a life of peace and complacentcey may have made you.

[jung46and2]

i also would have to agree with the previous post. i've always had this interpretation myself. and as said after, even though everything you had has been taken away... its on a more positive note. i've always thought the "flood" was THE TRUTH. and "all i knew and all i believed" (faith you held so close) is now being washed away by in a sense, reality.

[RandyPan]

"Mom's gonna fix it all soon/ Mom's coming 'round to put it back the way it ought to be...Learn to swim"

Ahhh, the theme of water asserts itself again in Tool lyrics. From one of the best songs on Undertow to one of the best songs on Ænima. Another flood occurring and for similar purposes. In Flood, it is a personal cleansing, and in Ænema, it is a cultural cleansing. But regardless of who is getting the bath, it is the water that is seen as a purifying agent.

That is a common theme in literature as well. William Faulkner uses it nicely in The Sound and the Fury. In Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver it is also used, (DeNiro has this whole inner monologue about the rain washing all the filth off the streets) so it translates well into film too. I guess it is a universally human experience beginning with our first existence in the womb surrounded by amniotic fluid.

[Im stable]

What was said was kind of...obvious. If that's really what the song is about, and only about that, then there would be no point in listening father than the first lines. "All that I know and all I beleive, crumbling images that no longer comfort me" It sums it all up right there, no more reason to listen. No no no...I think there is something deeper here. Far be it from me to tell you what it is, I just want to make sure that you are not smugly sitting in your chair and nodding with a sense of self satisfaction that only an idiot could get from such an obvious and bland post...
-Dane

[ClockworkPmpkin]

Gee thanks , you self proclaimed elite asshole. Chill out alittle bit. If you read the begining of the post , it says that the meaning is obvious , but that someone has got to get it all started , consider it an ice breaker. And I just read your post about Flood , on your own holy thread. You said the exact same thing that you are cutting us down for. What's the deal here

[Typx]

As for the water theme, I think it is important to mention Lachrymology which is basically cleansing through pain. Though I'm sure most of you already knew what it was, and that Tool made it up.
Anyways, I just wanted everyone to make sure they realize that songs like Flood and AEnima that have water has a pretty central part of the song, that it relates to Lachrymology.

[Evan]

Yes, definitely the water theme has something to do with lachrymology--which is learning through tears (i.e. tears are made of water). I noticed some of the people posting in other threads say they don't really enjoy the intro, but I think of it as sort of a preparation, and it fits so smoothly (just like eon blue and the patient), and its very fun to play on guitar/bass. Another theme to think about is that of the moon. The moon causes our tides to rise and fall (ie the water is rising up on me..), and is mentioned again in the song reflection (the moon tells me a secret). The moon is often used as a symbol of change and rebirth in literature and music too. anyways, this is a fucking great song, definitely one of my favorites. reminds me of some of the existentialist literature i have read (nietzsche, sartre, etc). laters

[dissociation]

Originally posted by ClockworkPmpkin
Flood is about believing in something and placing all of your trust onto that friendship/religion/fact , only to have it all pulled out from under you and taken away.

it seems so easy to relate to when something serious has changed. such as, in my case, a serious relationship ending. this song was exactly how i felt.

[frankzeppelin]

It seems the man is becoming painfully aware of the fact his world is "not what he thought it would be." The man's crumbling images are symbols he had so dearly held onto for stability in the world, things like the cross, the flag, the glowing smile of a gladhand, anything he could hold onto in this fundamentally confused and chaotic world. He soon finds that "this ground is not the rock I thought it could be." The reference seems to be to Christianity, St. Peter the rock ("upon this rock I shall build my church"). He though he was free, had a "divine destiny," but his foundation is collapsing underneath him and everything changes.

Futhermore, "thought the sun [son of God] would come deliver me, but the truth has come to punish me instead. He desperately tries to flee from the relentless flood, seeking high ground, perhaps a higher purpose. He sacrifices everthing he had to save himself, but the flood takes him anyway.

But the truth in this song doesn't seem welcoming. A man being swallowed by the truth against his will in not a happy picture. The truth happens TO him. His gives everything he believed to escape it and in drowns him any (I know it says "cleanse and purge me in the water" but "cleanse" and "purge" aren't words I'd use to describe a good time. If this truth is in fact good, it's not one easy to take.)

Here's my question: what makes TOOL fans any different from the man in this song. I hear alot of people reciting "Think for yourself, question authority," usually in refenence to nothing. Alot of my friends got into TOOL when I did, and were at first fascinated and really taken by the music, talking about how great it is, and how they love the band. But I've found that now it's just another dogma. You're expected to say, "TOOL fuckin' TOOL" or you're somehow a traitor. What was once a vital, deep philosophy has become a dead, lifeless religion. The whorship of the band, its music, its sayings, whatever. "Tool says..." justifies a statement. It's total bullshit.

Well, I see an abundance of the same shit on the whole opinion section, and I think there's really no diffenence bewtween this man being eaten by the truth and these guys. People really get into their music, art work, lyrics, interviews, whatever, and begin to whorship them, never really trying to get anything out of it. Just want to be part of the TOOL cult.

What happens when they find out that this isn't all what they thought it would be? They've gotten so locked in on the band that they've missed the message. Lyrics with limitless potential have become dead creed. The flood of relentless, unforgiving truth awaits those who cling to tightly to dead symbols.

[Nny]

"Lachrymology which is basically cleansing through pain. Though I'm sure most of you already knew what it was, and that Tool made it up. "

Didn't Tool read about Lachrymology in a book from the 40's or 50's?

[corgansthirdeye]

Originally posted by zaum
Nicely put, I agree with this view of the song.

I love the power in the last two lines

"The ground breaks down right under me
Cleanse and purge me in the water"

It is that final moment, finally clean of all that has been so false. The flood at first seems the force to crush all that you know, but ends up leaving you in a better state.


I now see this in a new light. Perhaps he is referring to Nibiru coming. When the time comes, people will freak out, yet i believe after all the chaos, nothing but sheer, natural beauty will exist

[TheHollowMan]

FrankZepplin: That was a wonderful post (awe)
Unfortunately it's just human nature to start believing in something and the hypocritical dogma in all of our little quotes and signatures is just disgusting if you think about it long enough. Thanx for the insight and lets all try to avoid starting another self serving religion just because we're afraid of feeling alone and being intellectually independentb

[NoVestal]

I always (till a year or so ago) thought that the line "Divine destiny" was "Defined is me" which in my opinion changes none of the meaning behind the song since finding your destiny seems to me to be the same and finding out who you are.

I know that was random but there didn't seem to be any reason not to :)