H.S.T

[Alveolate]

Perhaps a tribute to Hunter S. Thompson?

[smk4813]

I think he's got something ladies and gentlemen.

For anyone who doesn't know anything about H.S.T. go rent:

"Where the Buffalo Roam"
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

The first one being the prequel to Fear & Loathing (Bill Murray is hilarious).

Then, go to your local Barnes & Noble or Borders or what have you and try to find a book of collection of his artwork,...really fucked up looking stuff, very weird style.

[Alveolate]

the lyrics just reminded me of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (the book). The way it's written (quick change of subject and use of words) SCREAMED Thompson... And he did die about a year ago. Just a thought.

[U4ia]

I think he's got something ladies and gentlemen.

For anyone who doesn't know anything about H.S.T. go rent:

"Where the Buffalo Roam"
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

The first one being the prequel to Fear & Loathing (Bill Murray is hilarious).

Then, go to your local Barnes & Noble or Borders or what have you and try to find a book of collection of his artwork,...really fucked up looking stuff, very weird style.

Read the books before you see the movies!! Trust me it's much better that way.

[LordMandinga]

Its one of the first things i thought of. I reccomend reading Fear and Loathing before seeing it. Also The Rum Diaries isn't bad.

[Deoxy_Anomaly]

That would make me much more than simply happy if that were the case o.o
My favorite band doing a tribute to my life's idol?
But, yes, seriously, the movies are FAR less important than his books. F&L was good, but it seems nowadays that the only way people know HST is the LSD-25 mindfuck with a typewriter as played by Johnny Depp. Depp did do a good job, though, and it was a good movie, but HST's works are so deeply important that simply viewing the films does not give justice to anything he stood for.
I'll wait for the official lyrics on this one.

[toology514]

the lyrics just reminded me of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (the book). The way it's written (quick change of subject and use of words) SCREAMED Thompson... And he did die about a year ago. Just a thought.

damn you're right! i didn't notice it 'till you mentioned it, but it seems plausible.

[Alcawhorlick]

Letsee
I'm pretty sure HST graduated from fucking high school.
I dont believe he fancied himself the chosen one, to spread the message to those willing to listen.
So, I doubt it at this point
I'll keep it in mind as I listen though

[ArizonaBay]

Perhaps a tribute to Hunter S. Thompson?

Yeah the fast lyrics at the start are very Thompson- esque - the something landed on my berkenstocks holy fuckin shit reminds me of the "Holy shit what are these goddamn animals" from fear and loathing.

[troublefunk]

Hmmm I've read all thompson's books and I don't see any stylistic connection, though the approach is similar. I think Fear and Loathing (the book) does a great job depicting a paranoid, very imaginitive mind on a lot of drugs... which translates into revelations at times, terror at others.

This song is quite similar, since it does seem to be showing the negative side of tripping. I always laugh when people say HST glorified drug use in that book... his narrator is in a constant state of fear, definitely not having a "good time."

Also, in Thompson's other work, he'll use drugs for their hyperbolic purposes, to make his writing more extreme by comparing a politician to high powered shark on speed or pundits to heroin junkies ("any junky is a bore to be around, and politics junkies are no exception. But as with smack, if you hang around them long enough, someday you'll hit the needle yourself".... something like that in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72). I think maynard does this a lot too... using drugs to amplify other meanings. Very few Tool lyrics are direct and one dimensional.

But anyways I see the connection Hunter s. Thompson, but I don't think its strong enough to have been intentional. Nice synthesis though.

[Bacculum]

Perhaps a tribute to Hunter S. Thompson?

This is almost EXACTLY what I thought. The style of stream of conscious paranoia is very reminiscent. I may be crazy but I think the "cowboy look" Maynard is spotting really reminds of Thompson in his aviator shades and funky hat :

http://images.usatoday.com/news/_photos/2005/03/06/thompson-inside.jpg

(obviously I am thinking of a younger Hunter S Thompson but you get my drift)

I would think Hunter and Maynard might be very kindred spirits

[M.Luther]

not a bad idea..but i dont see it.

[JuanWarez]

http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/litmap/thompson_hunter_s_ky.htm

However, there is not any controversy over his place of birth, Louisville, KY. After his insurance salesman father, Jack Thompson's death in 1954, his mother, Virginia Thompson was left to raise him and his brothers. In high school it appeared that Thompson would become an athlete (Whitmer 29). Instead, a series of arrests would follow. After an arrest in 1956 for robbery, Thompson was sentenced to sixty days in a correctional facility; after thirty days he was released. By then it was too late for him to graduate with the rest of his class, and he joined the United States Air Force. A year later he received his diploma after he was given credit for courses he took while serving.

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This songs really does remind me of H.S.Thompson. Especially the "Shit the bed" part, goes along with his style of aways taking things so far to the point where everything falls apart. But it does looks like he got his high school diploma.

[hobophobe]

Hell's Angels.

One humorous incident connected with the Hell's Angels insignia several years ago is still a source of amusement to the hard-riding cycle gang.

An Angel known as "the Mute" was stopped for speeding by a policeman near the beach in Santa Cruz one Sunday afternoon. The Mute was proudly displaying his colors on a ragged Levi jacket. "Take that off," the patrolman jotted down on a notepad politely offered by the Mute, who was deaf and dumb.

The Mute stripped off his Levi jacket, exposing another Angel decal on his leather jacket. "Take that off, too," the irate patrolman ordered, again using the Mute's notepad and pencil. And under the leather jacket was a wool shirt--also emblazoned with the club colors. "Off with it," the officer scribbled angrily. Under the shirt was an undershirt. It too had been stenciled with the club insignia. "Okay, wise guy, take that off too," the nonplussed patrolman wrote.

With a smirk, the Mute removed his undershirt, and puffing out his chest, brought into full view the Hell's Angels' grinning death's-head, which had been tattooed on his body. The policeman threw up his hands in disgust, handed the Mute a ticket and sped off in his patrol car. But the Mute had the last laugh. He was prepared to go all the way. His trousers and shorts were also stenciled.

"He was a way-out mother," the Mute's friends agreed.

[Bacculum]

[
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This songs really does remind me of H.S.Thompson. Especially the "Shit the bed" part, goes along with his style of aways taking things so far to the point where everything falls apart. But it does looks like he got his high school diploma.[/QUOTE]

I guess I am not saying the song is about Hunter S thompson himself- merely that stylistically it is very reminiscent of Thompson's writings.

[JuanWarez]

I'm not disagreeing with you, to me all points still point to HST. So far to me this album has a death theme; if you will. Vicarious, Wings for Marie, Right in Two... understanding that this has to be a tribute to someone special who has died recently. Dispite my precious post, I still think it's about HST. I 've actually thought that all along. But, the never graduated high school part did interest me... maybe it happened before he got his diploma. I'm sure he was spiteful of not graduating when he should have, and made it a point to everyone. Maybe this could this have happened in between these two points in his life?

[Deoxy_Anomaly]

Hmmm I've read all thompson's books and I don't see any stylistic connection, though the approach is similar. I think Fear and Loathing (the book) does a great job depicting a paranoid, very imaginitive mind on a lot of drugs... which translates into revelations at times, terror at others.

This song is quite similar, since it does seem to be showing the negative side of tripping. I always laugh when people say HST glorified drug use in that book... his narrator is in a constant state of fear, definitely not having a "good time."

Also, in Thompson's other work, he'll use drugs for their hyperbolic purposes, to make his writing more extreme by comparing a politician to high powered shark on speed or pundits to heroin junkies ("any junky is a bore to be around, and politics junkies are no exception. But as with smack, if you hang around them long enough, someday you'll hit the needle yourself".... something like that in Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72). I think maynard does this a lot too... using drugs to amplify other meanings. Very few Tool lyrics are direct and one dimensional.

But anyways I see the connection Hunter s. Thompson, but I don't think its strong enough to have been intentional. Nice synthesis though.
After some time and reflection, I completely agree.