My thoughts

[Medialus]

To me the lyrics show a world personified as a someone who desires more from their sexual relationship or encounter (s). The world is constantly asking more form everyone, begging to let it go deeper and deeper into our psyche and into our lives. The bad part is, we let it. All the garbage we are sold is the same as someone telling us to let them sick it deeper, and deeper, and deeper, as it whispers quietly in our ear.
OR
Heroin, the borderline could be the skin or the vein and the needle could be shown as an arm, going deeper and deeper.
The fister could be introducing the fistee to the drug, which, might I add, might not actually be Heroin, but some kind of injected drug. Pain and comfort, or pain from the needle and the comfort of knowing that the drug will soon kick in and bring a sense of euphoria. Becoming desensitized could show how the world doesn't look the same after the "encounter". I don't want this to get too wordy and loose some attention, but think about all the possibilities in all Tool songs. Most of all, think.


http://www.giltband.com

[myownidentity]

We were doing poetry in school and the teacher suggested to bring songs to school so we follow the lyrics and try and see what the singers are trying to say. I brought stinkfist and played it and everyone thought it was about some sex thing and it was morbid, disgusting, but the teacher believed that it was an addiction to drugs, or even an addiction to sex and the borderline is a metaphor, the futher you push the addiction it gets harder and harder to leave.

[EBApocalypse]

Originally posted by myownidentity
stinkfist ... everyone thought it was about some sex thing and it was morbid, disgusting, but the teacher believed that it was an addiction to drugs, or even an addiction to sex and the borderline is a metaphor, the futher you push the addiction it gets harder and harder to leave.

Hm. Valid opinions, as all opinions are.. However, I was seeing this song as something even deeper than them both, and on much broader scales than both interpretations--Perhaps the song is referring to the way that we are desensitized to everything that the world throws at us after a while? Violence, sex, etc., they all start as a simple finger into the borderline, but in the end, they're shoulder deep within us, and we don't know the difference anymore because we're used to it.. That's what I've always gotten from it, but hell, nobody knows what Maynard meant except for Maynard, so..

[Seifer Almasy]

Originally posted by EBApocalypse

Hm. Valid opinions, as all opinions are.. However, I was seeing this song as something even deeper than them both, and on much broader scales than both interpretations--Perhaps the song is referring to the way that we are desensitized to everything that the world throws at us after a while? Violence, sex, etc., they all start as a simple finger into the borderline, but in the end, they're shoulder deep within us, and we don't know the difference anymore because we're used to it.. That's what I've always gotten from it, but hell, nobody knows what Maynard meant except for Maynard, so..
Your opinion seems to be backed-up by this line from the song:
"Something kinda sad about
the way that things have come to be.
Desensitized to everything.
What became of subtlety?"