doug galecawitz
02-19-2003, 04:53 PM
My usual disclaimer:
The following over analysis of some silly rock band's lyric's are not my actual beliefs on the songs meaning. TOOL's songs are ambiguous and can likely only be nailed down (no pun intended) by TOOL themselves. It is often profitable to have open ended songs because any two-bit armchair philosopher with a computer and no life to speak of, can come along and ooze his drooling partially thought out opinions on blah blah blah. The wider the interpretation the wider the fan base, MONEY MONEY MONEY. MONEY. This is merely a one sided discussion on the numerous possibilities I've thus far thought of. In the end I draw no conclusion. So you could say I have an awful lot of nothing to say.
The obvious first choice for song interpretation is that it's about somebody. This is where the song is pretty much a fill in the blank seminar. I've read of interpretations for Bill Hicks, Kurdt Cobain, Henry Rollins, Adolf Hitler, Jesus Christ, Fredrick Nietcheze, Jim Henson, Socrates, Judas Iscarot, Maynard James Keenan, Tim Leary, JFK, LBJ, Grivilio Princip, Paul D'Amour, L Ron Hubbard, Giuseppe Zangara, Charlton Heston and half dozen other possibilities. Anyone of these explanations can be twisted and manipulated into the role of this person. My favorites are Bill Hicks for the "alot of nothing to say" line in that Bill acknowledged the limits of opinions with clarity. Or Kurdt Cobain if you choose the song interpretation of someone who sets up a facade for themselves as a personality with the foregone knowledge that they won't be able to handle it, and will eventually be martyred in the name of the facade. I also find it slightly amusing with the line get off your fucking cross, when Kurdt Cobain's biography was penned by Charles Cross.
When one steps back from such literal parallels the song could be open to literally any human being in the whole of history. The song could be about the listeners of TOOL's music, or followers of any band or belief. The song's lyrics never seem to draw such distinctions between subject and object so it's really really wide open. Another set of people that could easily fit are any of the eight billion "poor misunderstood" struggling artists and musicians who feel their music or words are so great that people should listen to them. (Yes I see that could extend to shitheaded philosophers, such as me, who feel my words in hear are oh so worthy of your time and thought) Alot of the times these struggling artist/poets have sobby lyrics about how noone understand's them, or they are alone in the world. blah blah blah. Extending this idea also can encompass polititains who are so eager to do "something" for the people. Some sort of self sacrifice , hollywood complainers to that category to boot. Next you have holy warriors, saints, religous figures, again any of these is a matter of fill in the blanks.
One idea I have (though I'm sure others have had it long before me) is the idea that the song could be about a relationship Maynard or some miscellaneous band member had. A broken relationship. The eulogy being the break up letter. Often in messy break ups one party is always quick to lay the entirty of the blame upon the other, ignoring the fact that relationships are two way streets. This is the view I myself would like to take because it would kind of bother me if TOOL's songs always were as extistential with no actual personal basis. For that would reak utterly of pretention (I'm one to talk) And for all the phobics out there "he" in the song could easily be "she". The line that gets me is the "will you die for me?" as symbolic of the greatest act of love. To ascend you must die, would then be that long ended grudge where one finally forgives the other party and openly laments for something lost.
Another avanue of driveling hypotheses is the idea that the song is about me or you, as tool fans. TOOL fans, human as they tend to be, show alot of strong opinions on any variety of topics from Guns N' Roses, to Fibonacci numbers, to Darwin, to fashion. We have alot to say. The "no way to recall what you had said to me Like I care at all" could easily be the musings of having run into some TOOL fan backstage.
Question. Would YOU die for Tool?
Next there's the notion that the song is about Maynard's view of himself, or even a past version of himself. A kind of internal dialogue psycho drama being played out on himself in his own wretched head. (I wonder how many big words I can sneak in here to sound smart?) The dialogue could consist of either not being able to forgive himself for something, or possibly challenging himself and his opinions. It might even be a sardonic slap down of himself for percieving of himself as pretentious. (Stop me if this sounds familiar)
But analyzing the lyrics as having someone specific in mind at all could be just the tip of the iceberg. If you de-emphasize all the he, we, yous in the song you cantake it as a sermon of sorts. The lesson of that sermon is every bit as ambiguous as the other way.
One possible lesson the sermon may be attempting to get across is the value of self sacrifice. Self sacrifice can be valued as good if you try to take it as a lesson not to expect people to listen or car but that it must be done because people do need leaders. I know this is probably an unpopular view in here what with all the "think for yourself" and "all indians, no chiefs" talk but to reason that humanity absolutly doesn't need leaders flies in the face of millions of years of mammalian evolution. And on top of that ignores the fact that leaders can help provide people with insight, understanding, and comfort and that all people do choose leaders in one way or another, big and small. Then there's the view that the sermon on maryrdom is negative and that people who are so willing to die for something as trivial as a belief should not be suprised when they do die for their belief. The song here mocks that we can't shed the idea of leadership which stands in the the way of individual progress on a global scale.
Another theme possibly explored in the a possible sermon is that of self value. Or even extenal value. Do you place high value on yourself, or do you place an egocentric amount of value on yourself. Do you emphasize a relationship to someone? When have you gone too far in that you overly worship someone. When they say love is blind they never say where the fine line between those feelings is breached. How much worship can you give to someone. Will you die for them? Will you die because you believe you are so great?
Another theme that the sermon could be portraying is the idea of forgiving. Good old fashion redemption.This kind of actually goes with the last thing alot. Where is that divide between things that can be forgiven (like theft) and things that can not be forgiven (like telemarketing)? and one last theme which I have the energy to mention is that on the value of opinions. Are opinions what shape truth. Or does truth shape opinions. In this case, neither seems to be the case.
Finally, Finally, Finally the last notion I want to mention is the grand philosophical principal dualities in TOOL's lyrics. They manage to pop their ugly little heads into every song. The idea of subject/object and whether or not there is even a seperation of the two. And causality/effect and whether there is a seperation of the two. TOOL are just regular guys. They still buy Charmin and act like pussies before dental visits. So I don't think the song tries to hard to make a point tin these questions which have plagued man since the 70's. But these overall themes can be extracted from the lyrics as things to think about when listening or eading.
I wanted to go more in to these but i'm sure you're out of patience as i'm about out of time. if you are still actually reading this shit let me congragulate you for having almost as pathetic a life as myself and apologize for any errors in logic, grammer, and spelling. Please don't take to much stock in my shit or tool's or anyone else's. follow you're heart and head and if that doesn't work follow the yellow brick road.
The following over analysis of some silly rock band's lyric's are not my actual beliefs on the songs meaning. TOOL's songs are ambiguous and can likely only be nailed down (no pun intended) by TOOL themselves. It is often profitable to have open ended songs because any two-bit armchair philosopher with a computer and no life to speak of, can come along and ooze his drooling partially thought out opinions on blah blah blah. The wider the interpretation the wider the fan base, MONEY MONEY MONEY. MONEY. This is merely a one sided discussion on the numerous possibilities I've thus far thought of. In the end I draw no conclusion. So you could say I have an awful lot of nothing to say.
The obvious first choice for song interpretation is that it's about somebody. This is where the song is pretty much a fill in the blank seminar. I've read of interpretations for Bill Hicks, Kurdt Cobain, Henry Rollins, Adolf Hitler, Jesus Christ, Fredrick Nietcheze, Jim Henson, Socrates, Judas Iscarot, Maynard James Keenan, Tim Leary, JFK, LBJ, Grivilio Princip, Paul D'Amour, L Ron Hubbard, Giuseppe Zangara, Charlton Heston and half dozen other possibilities. Anyone of these explanations can be twisted and manipulated into the role of this person. My favorites are Bill Hicks for the "alot of nothing to say" line in that Bill acknowledged the limits of opinions with clarity. Or Kurdt Cobain if you choose the song interpretation of someone who sets up a facade for themselves as a personality with the foregone knowledge that they won't be able to handle it, and will eventually be martyred in the name of the facade. I also find it slightly amusing with the line get off your fucking cross, when Kurdt Cobain's biography was penned by Charles Cross.
When one steps back from such literal parallels the song could be open to literally any human being in the whole of history. The song could be about the listeners of TOOL's music, or followers of any band or belief. The song's lyrics never seem to draw such distinctions between subject and object so it's really really wide open. Another set of people that could easily fit are any of the eight billion "poor misunderstood" struggling artists and musicians who feel their music or words are so great that people should listen to them. (Yes I see that could extend to shitheaded philosophers, such as me, who feel my words in hear are oh so worthy of your time and thought) Alot of the times these struggling artist/poets have sobby lyrics about how noone understand's them, or they are alone in the world. blah blah blah. Extending this idea also can encompass polititains who are so eager to do "something" for the people. Some sort of self sacrifice , hollywood complainers to that category to boot. Next you have holy warriors, saints, religous figures, again any of these is a matter of fill in the blanks.
One idea I have (though I'm sure others have had it long before me) is the idea that the song could be about a relationship Maynard or some miscellaneous band member had. A broken relationship. The eulogy being the break up letter. Often in messy break ups one party is always quick to lay the entirty of the blame upon the other, ignoring the fact that relationships are two way streets. This is the view I myself would like to take because it would kind of bother me if TOOL's songs always were as extistential with no actual personal basis. For that would reak utterly of pretention (I'm one to talk) And for all the phobics out there "he" in the song could easily be "she". The line that gets me is the "will you die for me?" as symbolic of the greatest act of love. To ascend you must die, would then be that long ended grudge where one finally forgives the other party and openly laments for something lost.
Another avanue of driveling hypotheses is the idea that the song is about me or you, as tool fans. TOOL fans, human as they tend to be, show alot of strong opinions on any variety of topics from Guns N' Roses, to Fibonacci numbers, to Darwin, to fashion. We have alot to say. The "no way to recall what you had said to me Like I care at all" could easily be the musings of having run into some TOOL fan backstage.
Question. Would YOU die for Tool?
Next there's the notion that the song is about Maynard's view of himself, or even a past version of himself. A kind of internal dialogue psycho drama being played out on himself in his own wretched head. (I wonder how many big words I can sneak in here to sound smart?) The dialogue could consist of either not being able to forgive himself for something, or possibly challenging himself and his opinions. It might even be a sardonic slap down of himself for percieving of himself as pretentious. (Stop me if this sounds familiar)
But analyzing the lyrics as having someone specific in mind at all could be just the tip of the iceberg. If you de-emphasize all the he, we, yous in the song you cantake it as a sermon of sorts. The lesson of that sermon is every bit as ambiguous as the other way.
One possible lesson the sermon may be attempting to get across is the value of self sacrifice. Self sacrifice can be valued as good if you try to take it as a lesson not to expect people to listen or car but that it must be done because people do need leaders. I know this is probably an unpopular view in here what with all the "think for yourself" and "all indians, no chiefs" talk but to reason that humanity absolutly doesn't need leaders flies in the face of millions of years of mammalian evolution. And on top of that ignores the fact that leaders can help provide people with insight, understanding, and comfort and that all people do choose leaders in one way or another, big and small. Then there's the view that the sermon on maryrdom is negative and that people who are so willing to die for something as trivial as a belief should not be suprised when they do die for their belief. The song here mocks that we can't shed the idea of leadership which stands in the the way of individual progress on a global scale.
Another theme possibly explored in the a possible sermon is that of self value. Or even extenal value. Do you place high value on yourself, or do you place an egocentric amount of value on yourself. Do you emphasize a relationship to someone? When have you gone too far in that you overly worship someone. When they say love is blind they never say where the fine line between those feelings is breached. How much worship can you give to someone. Will you die for them? Will you die because you believe you are so great?
Another theme that the sermon could be portraying is the idea of forgiving. Good old fashion redemption.This kind of actually goes with the last thing alot. Where is that divide between things that can be forgiven (like theft) and things that can not be forgiven (like telemarketing)? and one last theme which I have the energy to mention is that on the value of opinions. Are opinions what shape truth. Or does truth shape opinions. In this case, neither seems to be the case.
Finally, Finally, Finally the last notion I want to mention is the grand philosophical principal dualities in TOOL's lyrics. They manage to pop their ugly little heads into every song. The idea of subject/object and whether or not there is even a seperation of the two. And causality/effect and whether there is a seperation of the two. TOOL are just regular guys. They still buy Charmin and act like pussies before dental visits. So I don't think the song tries to hard to make a point tin these questions which have plagued man since the 70's. But these overall themes can be extracted from the lyrics as things to think about when listening or eading.
I wanted to go more in to these but i'm sure you're out of patience as i'm about out of time. if you are still actually reading this shit let me congragulate you for having almost as pathetic a life as myself and apologize for any errors in logic, grammer, and spelling. Please don't take to much stock in my shit or tool's or anyone else's. follow you're heart and head and if that doesn't work follow the yellow brick road.