A harsh and honest look @ himself...

[aperfectnineinchtool]

New to this, so be kind.

AEnima has to be my favorite Tool album and my favorite record of all time. When I am starving for greatness I listen to this. I have read many opinions on this album and I think something is missing. Let me just quickly say that there are three varietal of Tool Fans: The Knucklehead Drone - He who only hears the message "fuck you all or question authority" within the crippling metal and moshes endlessly. The Pseudo-Philosofer - He who only speaks of how deep and smart they are to come up with the meanings of Maynard's lyrics, everyone else is just stupid. Last but not least The Listener - He who doesn't act like they "get" everything that Maynard is trying to say but rather finds affinity with the music and lyrics and attempts to do something with those feelings, thoughts, opinons. My friend who got me into Tool is a combo of the first two but I love anyway. Another person I know said that "AEnima was a contractual fulfilment and nothing more" is of the second kind... what a douche. So my point here is that I consider myself of the last flavor. I love the music and I relate so much to AEnima and feel there isn't all that many secret meanings to find within the lyrics.

So why can't eulogy be about Maynard taking a harsh and honest look at the person that he HIMSELF had become and seeing where he was just completely wrong and telling that person goodbye. The majority of Opiate and Undertow while genius and amazing are basically a collection of rants. AEnima as a whole peice seems to me mostly about feeling and wanting and needing a change. His son is born and would rather die than repeat the cycle... H. Fourtysix and 2, probably my second favorite Tool song about wanting to see what he could become... and look what he did become on Lateralus. Better for himself and his son... not the martyr with the loud voice ranting and pointing his finger.

So I propose that Eulogy is about Maynard himself.

Flame on bitches!!!

[snakeeyedhawk]

I like this idea... very much.

[tbrent21]

New poster here too, although Tool fan from the beginning. I think you are letting the themes of "Stinkfist" and "Forty-Six & 2" bleed over into your reading of "Eulogy." The person addressed in "Eulogy" has lied and sinned (you must be "crucified for your sins and your lies") and spent alot of time "pointing his finger" (a favorite image of theirs that even shows up on the new album in "The Pot": the judgmental idiot who points his finger -- and we all know they believe you can "point that fuckin' finger up your ass!").

While the band vented alot of frustration in the early days ("shoot you in the fucking head" etc.), their targets were always outsiders (the "deaf and dumb and blind and born to follow" or the "belligerent fuckers" they hoped would get sucked up by the swamp, if you will). I don't think in seeking change and evolution, they are rejecting who they were before in the sense of what you describe as the "collection of rants" on the early songs. On the album Aenima, they are still venting and lashing out at times - the prime example being the title track but also against the Beastie-T coke-sniffers and the muscle-car Harry Manbacks who accuse the band of "selling out and sucking up to the man." They proudly exclaim to their ignorant foes -- "Fuck you, buddy." So that element is still there around the time of the creation of "Eulogy". The concept of change and growing doesn't necessarily mean abandonment of the middle finger to those who will never be capable of evolving with them or will stand in the way (Bill Hicks often preached: "evolution didn't end with getting our thumbs", and Tool adopts Hicks' message).

To accept your interpretation it would seem that the band was saying what they were before and who they were before was worthy of this kind of dissing. The person addressed in "Eulogy" has lied to Tool ("for your sins and your lies", "don't you fuckin' lie"); but one of Tool's themes from the Undertow album was to the liars and the cheats, "I cannot tolerate you". So I don't see the person addressed in Eulogy as being the 'pre-evolving' older versions of themselves for the reasons stated.

[aperfectnineinchtool]

Thanks snakeeyedhawk, but AGAIN I stress that I am not trying to pretend like I know exactly what Maynard intended for these lyrics to be concerning BUT there are people in this world who have recognized that they CAN BE wrong and when realizing said errors can be disgusted by their previous actions, its called humility, something this world is extremely lacking. I am not going to site every lyric (we all know the words) but look at the track progression:

Stinkfist – “something has to change”… Maynard himself desensitized by trauma, anger, sadness, etc… then we hear in the chorus’ the slow and small attempts at taking this “one’s hand”… more clues in proceeding songs. “how can it mean anything to me if I really don’t feel anything at all… but I’ll keep digging till I feel something”… acknowledging that these feelings that he has been avoiding may be painful, but nevertheless he moves forward.

Eulogy – “what/who has to change?”… refer to my original post. Maynard in his own way saying HE is the one who needs to change, see that he was the main source of his own misery. Seeing his own hypocrisy, saying one thing and actually feeling another. Then telling himself “quit bitching about YOUR CROSS TO BEAR, get on with it, you’re not sacrificing anything for anyone being “this one”. Finally saying internally… you (Maynard) were this way and now “this one” will have to depart forever.

H – “why change?”… (beautiful song by the way) for the sake of myself and my child. Not wanting to be “this one” for his baby boy. Refusing to repeat the cycle of abuse. Simple but powerful lyrics. Listen.

Forty-six & 2 – “Do you have it in you to change?”… determined to see the transformation from “this old one” to the new. Seeing some actual progress. A favorite song of mine.

Jimmy – “Where did it all began?”… Maynard talking to that little boy who’s whole world fell right in two upon that tragic moment. He has avoided these memories and needs to feel what “Jimmy” felt so he can move on, so he can “come home”.

Pushit – “There may be times I will digress, there will be temptation to revert back”… Its hard for him to feel these feelings from his childhood, and he may be tempted to give up, to give in because this “old one” and something else is “pushing” him back to that place again… a place of confusion, anger, pain, etc… I don’t know, just an idea.

AEnima – “I need a change of scenery”. Fuck this town, I’m out!

Third Eye – “The fruit of my labor, a good place to be”… Maynard had finally found a good place and looking to the future and happy to see something greater than himself. More of this on Lateralus.

I really don’t know, but FOR ME (and making the songs our own is what Maynard wants) these are what I find within the music and the lyrics. The music reflects the feelings Maynard is talking about. Maynard might read this and say “what a fucking wacko this guy is”… but AEnima to me is about all the various aspects of “CHANGE”. I apologize for my grammar and spelling, and to any of those reading this who may have expressed the same ideas on an earlier post. Retardedly, D

[tbrent21]

Where does "Hooker with a Penis" fit in (you skipped it)?

My point is, I don't think every song has to fit some kind of overall theme. Didn't they say in interviews that some select number (i.e. not every one) of the songs on this album are reflective of the Bill Hicks philosophy?

I mean, they were having some fun too. Like where "Die . . Satan" sounds like this Satanic deathmarch and turns out to be a Mexican cookie recipe or something silly like that. I don't think Tool was all about heavy themes at this point in their careers. In fact this album Aenima has the most light moments and humorous digs of any Tool album, if you can call them that. The inside joke in "Die . . Satan" being one, and of course the message on how the L.A. masses should be occupying themselves -- "Learn to swim!!"

Personally, I think all of these songs have their own personality. For example the title track Aenima and its praying for tidal waves to drown all the dipshits around them, has as much in common with "Jerk Off" from Opiate as it does any other song on this album. Remember there the band was "tired of waiting" for their adversary to die so they plan to just "shoot you myself." Personally I don't think we can get tied down by track order and try to say, "how does all of this fit together." I think a more challenging exercise will be to solve the riddles 30 years from now when their catalog is complete, and then try to make all the pieces fit. It should be fun.

[aperfectnineinchtool]

I totally agree with the funny moments on AEnima, I see them as distractions for those who aren't paying attention... funny as hell though. You forgot message to Harry Manback... "die fucking american, do you know you're going to die of cancer?, I want your balls smashed"... classic. I also agree with trying to figure all this out 30 years from now, but for now I guess we should just listen to our hearts and the music... *tear*... sniffle.

[CelestialRender]

"I really don’t know, but FOR ME (and making the songs our own is what Maynard wants) these are what I find within the music and the lyrics."

It's a very admirable interpretation of the music. In the end, it's wrong. But every interpretation is. That doesn't make them useless or undesirable.

[snakeeyedhawk]

APNITOOL, your name is referring to a penis?