the chosen one?

[pjfan]

why is this guy the chosen one? there is obviously nothing about his character that makes him the chosen one according to the story. was he just randomly plucked from the ground? did the aliens choose him for a reason? am i just reading too much into the story? lol

[Jon08]

why is this guy the chosen one? there is obviously nothing about his character that makes him the chosen one according to the story. was he just randomly plucked from the ground? did the aliens choose him for a reason? am i just reading too much into the story? lol

in my opinion, this is a reference to Tool's (and artists, philosophers, writers, etc...) struggle to get people to open themselves to their ideas. they've tried and tried, album after album, to get their ideas across, and they simply cannot see the fruit of the effort.

[Choice Breath]

in my opinion, this is a reference to Tool's (and artists, philosophers, writers, etc...) struggle to get people to open themselves to their ideas. they've tried and tried, album after album, to get their ideas across, and they simply cannot see the fruit of the effort.

I know that Maynard said something to this effect in one of the first interviews we released for this album. And let me say I am not only a huge Tool fan, but a Maynard fan in particular as well.

Having said that, I really have to take issue with the idea that they have been trying to get their ideas across to people. It sounds like Maynard's making it out to be like the point of Tool has been to do so. This is just one contradiction because at other times he says that they do it all for themselves, period.

Also, how many people does he think are listening to their music? I mean, they are one of the most important bands in the world to me, but to most people they are nothing; they don't even register in most people's consciousness at all. It's either unrealistic of Maynard and the band to think that they are reaching that many, or Maynard just has really gigantic ego, or he's just full of shit on this point. (and I'll be the first to acknowledge that Tool may have, by this point in their career, sold enough albums to plant the seeds to spread to a critical mass of people such as to effect some change in the direction of spiritual growth, and I'll say more about that).

Another contradiction inherent in this issue: Maynard has gone out of his way, admittedly, to shroud much of what he says in occult language and symbolism, deep philosophy, and other manners of expressing what he's saying to the point that people are still debating what he meant on songs from every other album. He certainly hasn't come out and told anyone what it all means. There's an excerpt from an interview with Maynard when you click on the "Opinion" tab on this website where Maynard is quoted as saying that he reads people's interpretations of his songs but that they are "way off". How can you say that people are "way off" on their interpretations of your words, and then say that you're disappointed because they don't get your message, or at least haven't done anything about it? That's an extreme contradiction. I hate to say it, but a better word might be bullshit. I'd love to hear his explanation for that one. Just let me say that his words have been inspirational to me and I love his lyrics, but I have to call bullshit on this one.

For those of us who enjoy the debate and the research and the education inspired by his words, it is wonderful. I'm so glad to have been alive and at an age to be able to enjoy Tool. I just think that Maynard has to be intelligent enough to realize that you aren't going to be able to get people to change when your message is so unclear and requires so much deciphering. I think that's why we have the more straightforward lyrics on this album: he must realize this. Maybe he hasn't given up hope. I just think that he could do a lot of good by coming out with a more straighforward message on a worldwide scale. I'm sure the mass media is at his disposal to a great extent. I'm sure there are plenty of journalists who would love the chance for a rare in depth interview and who would give him the chance to say what he has to say as clearly as he can. I think we, who agree with the message we have gleaned from his words, bear the responsibility to share it with others and to be an example.

.

[savelints8]

I always saw it as another bit of Tool's sense of humor coming through in their music. This random guy being chosen to deliver a message to mankind...

[orangedarkblue]

why is this guy the chosen one? there is obviously nothing about his character that makes him the chosen one according to the story.

Hi there. I know from my own experience and the experience of people I know well, that often while under influence and certainly always when a person suffers from a psychosis, there is this deep conviction that you are 'the chosen ONE', and that the gods/ aliens speak to you and you alone. It is of course an interesting paradox , all these people believing they are the ONE, when they are obviously not.

[Ming]

All great art is somewhat cryptic and resonates -inspiring interpretation.

[orangedarkblue]

All great art is somewhat cryptic and resonates -inspiring interpretation.

yup, crosses in the ballpark

[Radeus]

Man only creates art and tools. It is ironic that Maynard decided to name his band "Tool", perhaps it has some meaning signifying it's purpose as a tool he created, which is perhaps to enlighten people to his way of thinking.

So it's very possible he feels he is some sort of "chosen one", or it could just be a song with random subject matter.

[orangedarkblue]

So it's very possible he feels he is some sort of "chosen one", or it could just be a song with random subject matter.

Maynard and random subject matter... Dunno bout that dude.


RS just feels like this continuation of faaip de oiad -

I, I don't have a whole lot of time. Um, OK, I'm a former employee of Area 51. I, I was let go on a medical discharge about a week ago

(he has probably been diagnosed as a schizo)

OK, um, um, OK, what we're thinking of as, as aliens, they're extradimensional beings,

(bananasplit the sky wide open)

The disasters that are coming, they, the military, I'm sorry, the government knows about them.

(apparently ONLY he, well except for several govt. acronyms, knows about all this. i.e. HE is the chosen one etc. But beside making people feel slighly uneasy and ending up on a Tool record this guy doesn't achieve much; Katrina etc. just happen. Goddamn, Shit the bed again.

Typical....)

[haloocyn]

to be honest with u if we take for consideration that the guy is on sthg then it is not that hard to believe that his personal ego and the experience that he is having is making him think as an exception and that he believes that he is the chosen one. ive tripped once (god knows only in what way) and i have found myself going trough my pocketrs to find sthg to write with. ive written 'this is a tank' on a pack of cigarettes. i blurry remember this trip but while i was there i felt like i discover sthg deep & meaningful - it wasnt on any of commonly known 'drugs' substances... i know it was a bullshit but my mind made up a whole theory about 'the tank' ...

... and ive shit the bed once :) ...

'RS just feels like this continuation of faaip de oiad' - makes sence...

[Luosdasa]

... personally, im still pretty sure that he isnt really the "chosen one"... pretty sure he's just some guy tripping...

[haloocyn]

on the other hand... who should the aliens kidnap to make it the TRUE chosen one?? ... the pope?

[weesper]

Man only creates art and tools. It is ironic that Maynard decided to name his band "Tool", perhaps it has some meaning signifying it's purpose as a tool he created, which is perhaps to enlighten people to his way of thinking.

So it's very possible he feels he is some sort of "chosen one", or it could just be a song with random subject matter.


Hold it right there; there is only one reason this band is called Tool and that's cuz it refers to the guy in any hierarchial (for Maynard this would be the army and his platoon) who's obeying the rules just because those are the rules and if tomorrow the rules would be different he would be obeying those without ever questioning the rules themselves; as such he is within his platoon 'the sergeant's tool'. If you become like that, not questioning authority, you become a tool of the system.

That (plus it looks cool) is why they're called tool, let there be no doubt about it.

[haloocyn]

dont think that M thinks he is the chosen one... those guys are saying how they see the world, themselves, and all the aspects of life and they as far as i can see very far from thinking their with their egos only...

when i meant 'the guy' i meant 'the subject in song', not M himself... and ive just described a state of mind when someone can think he is the 'chosen one'... but i ve been in better states of mind than this one...

... as for tool - yes i can agree with weesper but there is more than one meaning that can be considered and i wouldnt make "That (plus it looks cool) is why they're called tool, let there be no doubt about it." a definite ... fi. tool (with dick-shaped wrench from the opiate) is quite meaningful and speaks for itself... take it as you want - that people are reproductive tools (that brings the life to one level of meaning), that human male is a reproductive tool... that dick is a way to enlightment (when experiencing orgasm you touch a piece of the divine for a sec) etc. so there you have ... different meanings, and there are more.... so i think the word tool is evolving with the band... gets new meanings and becomes more and more powerful tool... as this 4 human band is .. a tool - an excellent music making tool & much much more... because a tool is just a tool to...

[orangedarkblue]

... personally, im still pretty sure that he isnt really the "chosen one"... pretty sure he's just some guy tripping...

Yeah, obviously... But that's the interesting paradox. Apprently A LOT of people feel that their trip is at the very least sthng very special, and MANY feel like they are indeed chosen ones.

It's a bit like when you read a very excelent story (try Alice In Wonderland) or a poem, (Try http://xrl.us/TheHollowMen , for instance) If it grabs you, you feel that the poet speaks to you and you alone, that you are the first one to REALLY understand what he's trying to say. At the same time this text has been printed at least 10,000 times.

In a trip this effect gets amplified a 1000 times over. Catch my drift?

[Freezen]

I think the goal of this song was to get people to think exatcly like we are all debating. Not knowing if its some druggy on a trip or some guy that actaully was abducted and is freaking out. I just love how soo many of their songs have mayn different meanings to different people...jus tmy 2 cents

[absolutpepper]

Maybe its Neo haha, maybe maynard just loves the matrix lol.

[bellamadia]

why is this guy the chosen one? there is obviously nothing about his character that makes him the chosen one according to the story. was he just randomly plucked from the ground? did the aliens choose him for a reason? am i just reading too much into the story? lol

If Maynard is trying to tell a story here and it is more than a story about a friend's bad acid trip then I think the 2nd part of the sentence to this is equally important....

"....and I didn't even graduate from fucking highschool"

The point here could be, the "alien" came to him and chose him because he was open minded to it. You don't have to be uber intelligent to be enlightened, just open to it. So the "alien" saw him as the perfect candidate to be the chosen one.

[paraflux]

Um, I think it's all a bunch of straight disillusionment on the part of the narrator.

[third_eye77]

I was thinking it might be the starter of cult such as L. Ron Hubbard or Joseph Smith.

[bellamadia]

I was thinking it might be the starter of cult such as L. Ron Hubbard or Joseph Smith.

I had that thought for a moment too.

[haloslippingdown]

why is this guy the chosen one? there is obviously nothing about his character that makes him the chosen one according to the story. was he just randomly plucked from the ground? did the aliens choose him for a reason? am i just reading too much into the story? lol


E fucking T chose him because it's all just one trip. I think it's hilarious. Who knows if the song has a deeper, metaphorical meaning. You can debate that forever. But, just down to the bones of it, this guy is at Area 51, tripping. He hallucinates, sees ET, gets told he's the chosen one, and shits his bed. Just a real fun story. :)

[paraflux]

The whole, "they chose me" part was part of his delusion. He isnt anymore chosen than anyone could be, but he chooses to believe that way. I knew a guy in college who took a lot of acid and came back claiming he was the return ot Christ. He actually carried that idea for some time until he finally came down I guess.

[haloslippingdown]

I thought the song took place in a different area then area 51.


When I went to see Alex Grey, he told us the story of the song. There's an area right outside of Area 51 that people often go to. That supposedly is the spot of this drama. :) If you look on the Toolband.com site, and go to one of the past newsletters, you can see some off these areas. Pretty interesting. There's a rock that has 10, 000 days written on it, a sign, and some other things.


http://www.toolband.com/news/letter/2006_03.php

[haloslippingdown]

The whole, "they chose me" part was part of his delusion. He isnt anymore chosen than anyone could be, but he chooses to believe that way. I knew a guy in college who took a lot of acid and came back claiming he was the return ot Christ. He actually carried that idea for some time until he finally came down I guess.


You mean to tell me he wasn't the second coming? Damn, there goes my whole belief system. :) :)

Thanks for the story :)

[researchtriangle]

It's funny to read everyone's long-winded and pseudo-intellectual explainations, and they're all wrong. It's part of the common alien abduction\UFO lore that the aliens will supposedly tell the abductee that he or she is the "chosen one." Basically a load of cosmic bullshit (maybe in order to pacify the abductee?)

[DON IOTAE]

I can't believe threads like this get so much traffic...

[haloslippingdown]

I can't believe threads like this get so much traffic...


Haha, you're the one that added to the traffic.

:)

[DON IOTAE]

^ busted.

I only came in here because it was on the home page, one click away....

[haloslippingdown]

^ busted.

I only came in here because it was on the home page, one click away....


Oh, you're going to jail now. :)

[DON IOTAE]

what the hell, let's flood this thread with more unnecessary traffic:

haloslippingdown: there he is!

iota: who me? I'm innocent! Well, there was this little incident where...

haloslippingdown: SHut up! you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used...

iota: I'm innocent I tell you!

haloslippingdown: ha! tell that to the mods...

iota: godamm it...

[haloslippingdown]

Wonder if danny will fly is helicopter in this area when it gets back, or did he already? HHHHHMMMM

People get in trouble quite often trying to get close to Area 51. There are some areas that are easy to get in because it is so big and it is a desert after all. If I had a helicopter, I'd want to see it all.

[haloslippingdown]

what the hell, let's flood this thread with more unnecessary traffic:

haloslippingdown: there he is!

iota: who me? I'm innocent! Well, there was this little incident where...

haloslippingdown: SHut up! you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used...

iota: I'm innocent I tell you!

haloslippingdown: ha! tell that to the mods...

iota: godamm it...

It's the "Tell-tale Heart" all over again. Your heart quickens because you know you are guilty...you think you hear the heart of ET beating in your ears! Villans! Dissemble no more! Tear up the planks. It is the hideous beating of ET's heart!

[bellamadia]

what the hell, let's flood this thread with more unnecessary traffic:

haloslippingdown: there he is!

iota: who me? I'm innocent! Well, there was this little incident where...

haloslippingdown: SHut up! you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used...

iota: I'm innocent I tell you!

haloslippingdown: ha! tell that to the mods...

iota: godamm it...

Can I flood this more? Fun times...

Halo, Let iota go and just frisk me baby, frisk me.

[Terry21]

The guy has got no confidence. He feels like a loser. He's on a trip and fantasizing that there are aliens and picking him, calling him the chosen one and finally he has something to do, he is not a loser anymore, he is important! But he can't recall what the message was, because there WAS no message, is was just fantasized.

And THAT is the real interpretation.

[DON IOTAE]

Can I flood this more? Fun times...

Halo, Let iota go and just frisk me baby, frisk me.
Uh, officer, that shit does not look legal to me!

My turn!

Ah, crap, it's "Crash" all over again..

[bellamadia]

Uh, officer, that shit does not look legal to me!

My turn!

Ah, crap, it's "Crash" all over again..

GREAT fuckin movie! Aww shit, I'm clogging the board again. Doah!

[DON IOTAE]

hah! did you check out the quality of my posts? ;) Not to brag but...

I've known about tdn since '96, but was too internet impaired to ever join. too chicken shit as well. I guess I'm releasing all that built up angst in the past three months... ;)

Cheers.

[DON IOTAE]

lol, Should have checked my posts per day 1st.

Total Posts: 428 (15.37 posts per day)
Find all posts by T00LHEAD
Find all threads started by T00LHEAD


sorry iota for being an ass.
valued point, will cut back on useless info. But danny does have a rc helicopter that he flys while on tour. Just wondering if he flew it over area 51 or other illegal areas.
dude, and my first post on this thread was about the thread, not about your specific post... ;)

It's just that sometimes I think twice, even thrice about starting a thread, and then I come across threads like "the chosen one?"... I mean, do we really have to discuss this, again?

"ME, the chosen one, they chose me. And I didn't graduate from fuckin' High School.." Read in to that phrase. those are my two cents for this thread.

[DON IOTAE]

Or maybe this one suites you " Foot in mouth , Head up ass ".
Dont forget I did apologize.

I apologize for not accepting your apology. I was just so wrapped up in making a sensible response, that I missed that one...

Cheers.

[DON IOTAE]

GREAT fuckin movie! Aww shit, I'm clogging the board again. Doah!
yeah, good movie, but it did not deserve best film oscar...

[haloslippingdown]

lol, Should have checked my posts per day 1st.

Total Posts: 428 (15.37 posts per day)
Find all posts by T00LHEAD
Find all threads started by T00LHEAD


Posts
Total Posts: 12 (0.17 posts per day)
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Find all threads started by haloslippingdown

Both you guys are so average compared to me. Look at that. .17 posts per day.

[haloslippingdown]

Can I flood this more? Fun times...

Halo, Let iota go and just frisk me baby, frisk me.

When I get home. You'll be my chosen one.