The point of this song.

[DTrain]

You know, I've been border-line ranting about how peoples perceptions are different, and as such we will always hear different things -- so we shouldn't be so angry when people disagree with what we think is correct.

What if that's the purpose of this song?

Tool always says that they wish people to feel a song before they read the lyrics, and form their own INDEPENDENT thought about it.

What if this song is an ultimate test to that? What if Maynard will continue to grow/change this song every time he sings it simply to force people to come up with their own independent thought as to what the song means to them.

It certainly makes sense to me, between the unclear purpos of the lyrics you can clearly hear, and the obvious digital effets / editing used to cut/cross make other verses even more unintelligble. I've noticed that that the words in the album version seem to be sped up by "shortening" them in some cases. Almost like they were blended together to promote both the pace of the verse, and to make it more difficult to understand what he's saying. Even slowed down the words blend together too much in some cases to understand them.

The general feeling of an inability to express to other people an important point really makes me feel like this song is about miscommunication, lack of communication, and an inability to communicate an experience that is unique only to you, because only YOU perceived it.

Your perception of somthing will always be at least slightly different from everyone elses because you have a slightly different perspective (physical location is always at least slightly different).

Perhaps this song is designed to emphasize that difference in perception.

What this son is "about" is what it means to you, not what it means to the next guy.

It even makes sense in the lyrics (as I hear them), but I wont' get into that because I walk a fine line as to what I hear in the lyrics, and some of my thoughts rest on some of the most debated lyrics :)

I have more thoughts on this, but I want to hear all of your opinions before I say them :)

DT

[kirm]

The purpose of this song is to rock my socks! :)

I love the way it makes me feel its like a proper emotional rollercoaster of a song, fuking love it.

[3rdi(O)]

I really like your interpretation DTrain. I definately agree with you on your point being that Tool wants everyone to have their own interpretation, which will be different because everyone has different perspectives.

In support of your argument here I have one thing to add. When I originally heard the song I had the initial feeling that it was about a guy who had a bad drug trip and believed he was abducted by aliens. Knowing Tool though I figured the song wouldn't be that cut and dry. So, my friend mentioned to me that he heard the Dr. name in Lost Keys as being a Dr. Lawson. I listened to it myself and hear that as well. I looked up Dr. Lawson and found that he was a researcher who studied people who had alien abduction stories. Lawson had a very interesting theory known as the birth memory hypothesis. It states:

"Over the past decade, a research project was conducted at an Anaheim, California hospital by Dr. Alvin Lawson and physician W. C. McCall. Their research has led to a scientifically testable hypothesis in regard at least to some alien abduction experiences – the so called ‘Birth Memories Hypothesis.’ The birth memory hypothesis asserts that some alien abduction experiences are a spontaneous involuntary fantasized sequence of images and events unconsciously based on the witness’ own prenatal or birth memories."
Link is here: http://all.net/journal/deception/MKULTRA/www.vegan.swinternet.co.uk/articles/conspiracies/milabs.html

I started a thread on this here: http://toolnavy.com/showthread.php?t=47988

Basically what this has done for me, is that now that I know about his hypothesis I look at the song from a different perspective. So I think this supports your theory well. I am still contemplating the meaning of the song for myself of course and hope to be contemplating the meaning for a while to come.

Good thread starter.

[The Let Down]

I was going to write down what I thought the song meant but I forgot my pen. Typical.

[Jon08]

I was going to write down what I thought the song meant but I forgot my pen. Typical.

What's happened? Tell me everything!

[bawb]

Reminds me of the movie Trainspotting when he shits the bed, and the girlfriends mom wants to clean the sheets

[doggspine]

Reminds me of the movie Trainspotting when he shits the bed, and the girlfriends mom wants to clean the sheets
Do you work as a stagehand for local99 in Boise???

[hockeyzep]

I spent some time thinking about this song,and I may be completely off base form what Maynard intended to convey, but this is my interpretation if anyone cares ot listen.

I think this song is about a "would be" Prophet, who has experienced this magical moment (hallucination??)where a new diety has visited and advised him that he is the chosen one. The one who will pass along these new ideas of a new religion. A new Jesus for lack of a better term. The man who will launch a new era of spirituality, which will replace the other major religions, much as the current religions have all but replaced ancient, more tribal religious beliefs. But having experinced this in a Hallucination, or altered state, the man cannot recall the specifics of this responsibility(refferring to state induced learning in which if you learn something while in a specific state of mind, be it drunk, stoned, whatever, you will lose the meaning while in other states of mind)-When the man comes to, He realizes that he has "dropped the ball" or "shit the bed"...This causes the man to realize the importance of his error and he goes into a caotatonic like state, where he cannot explain to anyone, or to himself how he managed to screw this ulitmate responsibility up and how he has cost mankind, as a whole, to miss out on this spiritual evolution...Himself shouldering all of the blame...This would bring us to Lost Keys(Blame Hoffman) where the man is in the hospital, not knowing where else to turn to attempt to relieve this guilt weighing on him. He cannot explain the problem, or what is wrong w/ him...he is speachless and lost

Anyways, this may be utterly rediculous or whatever, but this is how I interperted this song and fugured I would share my opinion--Thanks for listinen'

[fibonacci underwater]

I agree with you completly Dtrain. Something that might match your view on it. What about THE rosetta stone??? It was writted in 3 different scripts (demotic, greek, hieroglyphics) for 3 different types of cultures to understand. Does anybody have anything about why it would be named Rosetta Stoned? Ptomely V became the king at age of 5 and he a to issue out his statues, and policy's in a language that everyone could understand. So maybe it could also be like this : A new ruler (alien) telling him to go and talk to his people and tell them about his new policys. i know thats kind of far fetched... but it goes along with 3rdi's interpretation.

[TheNothingOrchid]

Honestly, Tool should just throw us a bone.

Do we have to analyze EVERYTHING?

Seriously. My brain hurts.

[l3ster]

Tool...Trainspotting...Area57......Acid....ahhhhhh hh.....what does it all mean???

[teacher]

I have to admit that when I read some of the postings I usually disregard the interpretation of others but your interpretation was very interesting, maybe because my response to the song follows a similar path. The point is who knows and how long will it be before another listen changes our minds completely...so many of their songs are "living"....