Meaning....???

[Undertolerance]

I was wondering if any you alls happened to know what Lateralus means? I am looking into it and if any of you happen to know would you please fill me in on it. I too will get back to yas when I find out what this means.
I am beside myself to figure this out.
(*_*)

[5-MeO-AmT]

God damn you.

Did you know that 5-meo-amt is responsible for an of my thoughts, brilliant or otherwise. According to the bottom of the page.

[Prison Sex]

Read this sites FAQ on the Album Lateralus. Your question is the first one answered.

[Undertolerance]

LOL. I actually know exactly what the word means, and have since before it was a title of a Tool album. I was just curious to see how many people would rip into me or give some crazy ass answers. Low and behold nothing of the sort, righteous! That makes me happy. BTW it is latin for: on the side of, or to the side. Go high school Latin, Woot!

[royc]

someone in another forum offered that the -us is a male suffix in latin. lateralus, beside man. maybe it is woman, a companion?

[Lady Khaibit]

I feel it's about communication, or lack there of....

Lady K

[5th Eye]

someone in another forum offered that the -us is a male suffix in latin. lateralus, beside man. maybe it is woman, a companion?

That kind of sums up (very badly) the story that Lateralus tells — one of a breaking relationship. Lateralus seems to be about looking beyond the norm and stretching beyond your capabilities to reach greater achievements...or something like that.

[5th Eye]

I sort of see Lateralus (the album and the song itself) as relating to the APC song, "the outsider". If someone has a relationship where two different people form one complete entity, they should balance each other out instead of conflicting. However, even within that dichotomy, there's yet another layer to explore. By conflicting, it balances out the accord to complete the harmonious circle. What matters most is the bond (either covalent or ionic) that holds it all together.

Nicely put. But what do atomic bonds have to do with it?

[5th Eye]

I see atomic bonds as a metaphor for any relationship. In ionic bonds, one molecule gives an electron to the other to form a compound. In covalent bonds, the two molecules share the electron exclusively. I guess I see the same bonds between friends the same way. It sort of relates to the "as below, so above" theme. Also, there is a certain amount of energy that allows this to happen. If you study quantum physics, it will explain it a bit better...

I get it — that's pretty nifty. I don't know too much about that sort of thing except for what I've learned so far in high school etc. But that's an interesting analogy.

[FRANK THE TANK]

OK Lateralus in latin means to the side of. BUT in the album I think it means lateral thinking. Kinda like thinking outside the box. Seeing grey instead of black and white....etc.

[triad636]

OK Lateralus in latin means to the side of. BUT in the album I think it means lateral thinking. Kinda like thinking outside the box. Seeing grey instead of black and white....etc.

Frank you are perfectly right!! but there is some to add... i was listening to a radio interview from canada entitled "Maynard Interview 05.03.01" he was asked what the premice of the album was and he said that Lateralus like Frank said was about drawing outside the lines...thinking above and beyond the calling... then before this he said that there is a muscle in your knee, a stabolizing muscle the Vastus-Lateralus.. without that muscle you would collapse... although he gave no explanation on why the muscle has something to do with the song he said it was a partial meaning for the album....

Also for those of you who are into getting ur mind going which i know u are... check out the fibonacci sequence... it goes 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13.. and soo on... this is really cool cuz..... the first verse is in syllables and pertains to the sequence...

black
then
white are
all i see
in my in-fan-cy
red and yell-ow then came to be
reach-ing out to me
lets me see

this in the sequence is 1,1,2,3,5,8,5,3
just think its really cool how it matches up....Happy Days

[FRANK THE TANK]

Frank you are perfectly right!! but there is some to add... i was listening to a radio interview from canada entitled "Maynard Interview 05.03.01" he was asked what the premice of the album was and he said that Lateralus like Frank said was about drawing outside the lines...thinking above and beyond the calling... then before this he said that there is a muscle in your knee, a stabolizing muscle the Vastus-Lateralus.. without that muscle you would collapse... although he gave no explanation on why the muscle has something to do with the song he said it was a partial meaning for the album....

Also for those of you who are into getting ur mind going which i know u are... check out the fibonacci sequence... it goes 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13.. and soo on... this is really cool cuz..... the first verse is in syllables and pertains to the sequence...

black
then
white are
all i see
in my in-fan-cy
red and yell-ow then came to be
reach-ing out to me
lets me see

this in the sequence is 1,1,2,3,5,8,5,3
just think its really cool how it matches up....Happy Days


I think what maynard is trying to say about the vastus lateralus is that if we as human beongs do not think outside the box we have failed as human beings and that we as a society will collapse

[5th Eye]

... the first verse is in syllables and pertains to the sequence...

black
then
white are
all i see
in my in-fan-cy
red and yell-ow then came to be
reach-ing out to me
lets me see

this in the sequence is 1,1,2,3,5,8,5,3All the verses match up to the Fibonacci sequence syllable-wise. I don't know exactly why...but they do...probably a reference toward the beauty of nature or something.