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ispiralout987
11-20-2002, 02:18 PM
This may be "wrong" (not what Tool intended),
but this section is NOT about "what it means" -- it is about "what it means to me."

Thus, the following is what “H.” means to me.
This light IS my own.
It is my original interpretation, and was inspired only by my own personal experiences, without any other influence.
I ask for neither your acceptance nor respect for that which follows.

By Member: ispiralout987

H. is about relationships. There are 3 characters in H.
As for what the letter "H." stands for, I am not sure.

I will use a analogy to explain.
Fictitious names are used to make things simpler.
This will sound strange at first, but it makes sense
Just keep reading.....

Background to analogy–
Rachel’s first love is Matt.
Their relationship was very negative. Their relationship has just ended.
Rachel meets a new guy, Andrew.

The speaker is one character - This is Rachel.

"What's coming through is alive" - 2nd character - This is Andrew. The new love interest.
Later references -
aka "blood" "as I look in your eyes"
Andrew = blood = new love interest

"What's holding up is a mirror" - 3rd character - This is Matt.
Later references -
"snake" "venomous voice" "bleeds me, leaves me......"
"i am way too connected to you"
"days away I still feel you" "as I look in HIS eyes"


"coming through is alive" - Andrew is coming into Rachel's life. Life = love
Andrew is full of love.

"what's holding up is a mirror"
This is her first love, Matt, who has remained present or had held up
mirror concept is just like in "pushit" what is this but my reflection
The idea that our love is a reflection of ourself, if not a foil sometimes

"singing songs is a snake looking to turn this piss into wine"
Rachel is pissed off at Matt
Matt is trying to tell her things like, "baby, I'm sorry" " I only act like that cause I love you"
Trying to turn, the anger she has against him into love,
wine is like blood (will talk about that later)

"they're both totally void of hate" - they both could offer a lack of hate
Rachel is so distrusting here that she does NOT say
“They're both totally full of love”

"the snake behind my hisses what my damage could have been"
Matt is telling Rachel, things aren't bad, they could have been worse
This is the same as piss to wine, (note how this would take a divine miracle, if he could)

"my blood before me begs me open up my heart again"
Andrew, the new love, is symbolized by blood, that by which the heart functions.
It is life, it is love.
Matt was trying to turn the negative into wine, aka blood, aka love
Andrew tells Rachel, I know you have been hurt, I know your heart was broke
but give me a chance, open up your heart again so you may love again

"venomous voice tempts me drains me BLEEDS me leaves me cracked and empty"
Matt , the snake, is still trying to call Rachel back to her, and note in doing so he
TAKES her love, he bleeds her, withering her heart empty, draining her love

I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away. Days away I still feel you
Touching me, changing me, considerately killing me.
Killing = breaking the heart
The essential conflict Rachel faces is withdrawal from her first love.
This is the crux of the song.
This is a HUGE problem for some people, note people who stay in abusive relationships.

THEN THE GREAT TRANSITION

"beneath the storm, under these tears, the walls came down"
after this she decides to leave Matt, and open up her heart again

2nd half of the song--

The snake is drowned, in her tears she finally decides to leave Matt

As I look in HIS eyes my fear begins to fade, recalling all of those times.
I could have cried then. I should have cried then.

Translation: “as I look in MATT’s eyes”
Rachel realizes she should have left him a long time ago.

And as the walls come down, and as I look in YOUR eyes.
My fear begins to fade, recalling all of the times, I have died,
[and most important] I WILL DIE. It's all right. I don't mind.

Translation: As I look in ANDREW’s eyes
She is addressing andrew
Here she decides to accept the new love and opens her heart,
but most important is the great realization:
It is ok if her heart has been broken, and it will be broken many more time in the future
She accepts this unfortunate truth, and moves on.
See, she almost stayed with Matt, just so her heart could not be broken again by another man.

I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away. Days away I still feel you
Touching me, changing me, considerately killing me.

Then at the end, although supposedly resolved never to return to Matt,
Tragically Rachel still contemplates it.

The End


I find similarities between this song and UNDERTOW
Which I believe is about dependence upon anything addictive.
“but I’m too comfortable” = can not leave abusive relationship
“I’ll die within your undertow” “It seems there’s no other way out of this undertow”
These words could easily be spoken by Rachel above.
If she does not leave Matt, she is, by definition, trapped in the undertow.

As always, "Think For Yourself."
BY: ispiralout987

ispiralout987
11-22-2002, 08:23 PM
Since posting this, the following
(which does NOT support my interpretation)
has been brought to my attention by member “Graffing.”

Borzillo ('interrogator'): Who or what is H.?
Keenan : My son's name is Devo H. That's all I'll say.

Given Maynard’s earnestness throughout the article,
it appears that H. must some how relate to Devo.
The primary source appears at:
http://toolshed.down.net/articles/text/strobe.dec.96.html
See the Thread titled “Devo "H" Keenan” by goofyprosk8er,
for an interpretation based on this.