Henry Rollins

[Preen23]

I think the song is about one of the Famous Henry Rollins Spoken word Performances.

[PerplexedbyGOD?]

Originally posted by Preen23
I think the song is about one of the Famous Henry Rollins Spoken word Performances.

Preen,

Are you talking about it being about Henry Rollins in one of Spoken word performances or of one of his bits? Do you think there is some bad blood between the band and Henry? I know, at least to my knowledge, that they haven't mentioned Henry at all since his appearance on Undertow.

hmmm

[Alexander 46&2]

It's interesting to see how many people thought that this song was about Henry Rollins. While he is a very loud man, I never saw Eulogy this way. If you read the FAQ (on this page) specifically G27, you see that Rollins was unaware of any bad blood. You'll also see that Danny said that it was about L. Ron Hubbard os Scientology fame. (But if you remember Lachrymology, you may not believe that).

Personally I think that the song is very Niietzschean. IF you read Nietzsche's Human, All Too Human sec . 73 "The Martyr Against His Will" you will come across some interesting parallels.

Qouting "The Martyr Against His Will" with Tool lyrics interjected in bold :

"In one party, there was a man who was too anxious and cowardly ever to contradict his comrades. They used him for every service; they demanded everything of him, because he was more afraid of the bad opinions of his companions than of death itself. (You told us how you weren't afraid to die. Well then, so long.) His was a miserable, weak soul. They recognized this and on the basis of those qualities they made him first into a hero and finally into a martyr. Although the cowardly man always said 'no' inwardly, he always said 'yes' with his lips, even on the scaffold, when he died for the views of his party. (Get off your fuckin cross. We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.) Next to him stood one of his old comrades, who tyrannized him so by word and glance that he really did suffer death in the most seemly way, and has since been celebrated as a martyr and a man of great character."

I hope I'm not the only one that sees it this way. Besides you Dr. Letteri.

[Christopher]

Well, its an open pallet like most Tool songs. If the band was still trying to help us through Lachrymology they wouldnt make it specific to one person. It wouldnt help you in Lachrymology if you didnt know that person yourself. The author knows who its about but probably wants you to insert somebody you know into the song....Do you veiw the person the same way,...........maybe i shouldnt be so sad that this person is gone, am i fooling myself ...........what did he actually do anyway.

Fill it in for yourself

[akinoyugure]

Somehow this Nietzsche business got under the topic Henry Rollins...

I think Maynard and Nietzsche are making distinctly different points.

Eulogy is obviously about martyrs, there is no question about that. It criticizes martyrs and particularly the fickle nature of their followers. Many people have written about martyrs, and I think the Nietzsche reference is a little off. An obvious problem with it is that the analysis only cites two quotations from the song, proving only that both Maynard and Nietzsche have a lot to say about martyrs.

The crowd was eager to "swallow his facade" and to find someone "above the ground" to "identify" with. This suggests that he is already "above the ground" not someone forced into that position. Also, the man is characterized as "someone prepared to lead the way", so surely his facade is one that he created for himself, not merely an image forced upon him by his followers. The man above the crowd is not weak, the weak ones are the followers. That's a Tool motif.

The point of the song is that “he had a lot of nothing to say”, and now that the crowd has discovered he is not "divine", merely a "facade", they make room for someone else just like him - “the next fool martyr”. In other words, often the masses are sheep. They want a leader, someone above the crowd, to identify with. The weak will follow this leader until they throw him away and need a replacement. The crowd becomes disenchanted with the man above the crowd – “don’t you fucking lie…why are you so surprised to hear your own eulogy?” He was a fraud, but no matter, make way for the next one.

[manifestcontent]

i did hear somewhere that maynard said that eulogy was about a friend. but why don't we concentrate on what the song means to us.
my opinion on Eulogy is that it is about not just religious figures but anyone that stands above the crowd. celebrities authority etc. i think the song is saying: "you think you're so hot. you think you're better than jesus christ". one of the lyrics hits it dead on: "to ascend you must die, you must be crusified, for our sins and our lies. good bye!" jesus was crusified for our sins and our lives so therefore he ascended right? well all these damn celebrities authority figures and religious figures get worshiped when they were never crusified for our sins, so they aren't the holy saints people make them out to be. now i know maynard is an agnostic (or athiest) but that's what the song means to ME. i don't care if you guys are athiests too and don't agree with me. i'll believe what i want.

[undrtow17]

After reading the above posts i have been granted some new insight into the possible meaning.
"and i swallowed his facade cause i am so eager to identify with some one above the crowd someone who seemed to feel the same someone prepared to lead the and someone who would die for me"
And i agreed with the persona he presented me with because i wanted, needed someone who i thought shared this same vision and was willing to give his life in the pursuit of it i let him into my life my mission.
with Maynards voice i believe this could be a reference to an artistic companion, someone who seemed to feel the same about the approach (music with a spiritual axis)to the crowds. his judgement however, became distorted by his eagerness in the pursuit of this vision. He bonded with this person to quickly and is now struck with the realization that he and this person have both been fooling themselves about this persons authenticity and because the vision which they are embarked upon is bigger than either of them, (Tool as a band?) the persons false intentions or his lack of authentic dedication to the project and the bigger potnetials that the band is going to begin phathoming, are leading him to be crucified by the illusions he presented about himself in the beginning.
"get off your fucking cross
we need space to nail the next"

We can not always filter out the people around us or the parts of ourselves which possess false illusions and when we begin to evolve as people or in a band or which ever circumstance this might be, the process of growth and fulfillment naturally starts a cleansing, filtering cycle which will leave crucified what ever part of that organism that is not mature enough or useful to the evolution
Wheter it be Paul D'Amour or the ego, one way or another this darkess has to give.
Also, this mis function in the evolution, the part that must be cleansed has always had some deep knowledge of its falseness but naturally does not want to give up its home or place in the evolving organism. Hence the mockery
You have known this all along you have known that you are false so this isnt a surprise, goodbye


And as the Beatles have reminded us, "i dont know why you say good bye i say hello"
Hello Justin
ever departure or refiguration is actually a new beginning.
You will also not areference to Paul in the track useful idiot.
(you were useful to get us this far)
the track is 38 seconds long, the same number appoears in the undertow liner above Pauls head. the following song suggests a step towards evoltion

thankyou for listening to my






i meant to say me

-Jordan

[monkeypaw]

Originally posted by akinoyugure
the masses are sheep. They want a leader, someone above the crowd, to identify with. The weak will follow this leader until they throw him away and need a replacement. The crowd becomes disenchanted with the man above the crowd – “don’t you fucking lie…why are you so surprised to hear your own eulogy?” He was a fraud, but no matter, make way for the next one.

how true of todays society, how many sheep do we all know that are like this. fooled one day, looking to be fooled the next. same for the leaders, most leaders are there for the spotlight and full of s*** and lies, making it up as they go.

I think this song is tool trying to teach us... this happens daily - watch the news, goto work, goto a town meeting, goto a university, goto a church or cult meeting, goto a pollitical demonstration, or just open your eyes in everyday life. we are being fooled by people left right and centre. theres always someone around who doesnt know what they're preaching, but is just happy to be leading and our cultre is full of followers so what do we all do... listen to the fool.

listen to tool. think about it. think for yourself question authority dont take s***, stand up for your mind feed it reality

if your going to lead do a good job, be honest and find out about what and who your leading and where your leading them. cuz theres always another fool out there lookin to be nailed up there on that cross next to you. and if your going to follow find out who n what it is before you get brainwashed or fooled

[wuphat]

Well, what I'm about to write may certainly cause a stir, but that's what we're here for.

I've been thinking lately that maybe, this could be about Maynard. Think about it. Here we all are, reading other people's thoughts and ideas and contributing out own about the words of a man. I was at the Radio City show, and in one lull, I heard someone yell..."Maynard is God!" Well, no he is not. He's a great musician and lyricist, but certainly not God. Yet, people put him on that same plateau.

Some people see nothing hidden in the words, others see the answer to all their questions. Neither is a healthy stand to take. Perhaps Maynard saw that people would start to seem him and the band as God-like and was trying to say, no, please not me...I don't want the job. He's constantly saying that we should all think for ourselves. This site helps do this, but when people put Tool so high up as if they were Gods, they turn them into martyrs. And that makes me wonder if people were listening at all.

[Misoanthropos]

Originally posted by PerplexedbyGOD?


Preen,

Are you talking about it being about Henry Rollins in one of Spoken word performances or of one of his bits? Do you think there is some bad blood between the band and Henry? I know, at least to my knowledge, that they haven't mentioned Henry at all since his appearance on Undertow.

hmmm

well besides mentioning that....THERE IS NO BAD BLOOD BETWEEN THEM...

[sk8ingknot4659]

why would there be bad blood between them...

[LazyE462]

I think Eulogy could probably be about anyone, i know people who think its about Jesus. "he had a lot to say.....nothing to say", or " lookiing to identify with someone above the crowd(god)". i try not to hurt my head with who its about, but someting tells me its not about henry rollins or jesus, lol.

[drum_dood]

the only reason i don't think it's about rollins is because it says, "Not all martyrs see divinity. But at least you tried." i don't know what rollins would be a martyr for, so i don't think he fits the description...plus this part, "Get off your fuckin cross. We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr. To ascend you must die. You must be crucified. For your sins and your lies. Goodbye..." it's about martyrs in general. I think it may be about someone who is a dipshit thinking they will ascend from death and practicing their holy sacred religion. they think they will be crucified and die and go to some higher place...uh...not gonna happen

[4nick8]

Well, its not quite eloquent, but I took this song to mean jesus. It is no secret that maynard isn't exactly christian. This song mimics the later "perfect circle" title "judith". How christ is a false icon, and a representation of his life.

Interesting that it wasn't even brought up here.