to all you humans...

[iAMtheMA!]

couldn't "ticks & leeches" be from the perspective of earth?

[weathergirl]

And I thought I was the only one who thought that! I also remember reading a poem once that referred to the human race and as parasites. Indeed don't parasites feed off the host entirely for personal gain and regardless of the effect on the host even when it serves in the organisms best interests to develop a sustainable and mutually rewarding alliance? Totally agree.

[HelenA]

Indeed don't parasites feed off the host entirely for personal gain and regardless of the effect on the host even when it serves in the organisms best interests to develop a sustainable and mutually rewarding alliance? Totally agree.

Indeed. Biologically a parasitic relationship is all the parasite's way, the host be even be killed in the process. If the host benefits then it is called a symbiotic relationship (usually mutualism). If the host is not harmed or helped then it is called commensalism.

[DrJones]

Question: are you suggesting this song is about how we humans use the earth, or each other for that matter, for personal gain rather than a symbiotic relationship?

for now i dont really have anything else to offer...just tryin to get some conversation going!!

[Khastra_KSC]

i think it totally fits...

[Pairabowlz]

"Hope this is what you wanted, hope this is what you had in mind"
"Cuz this is what you're getting"

If I'm not mistaken it's more of a reply to the recording company who asked for a really heavy song on the album. I like the perspective you've given though, and it's still a very real possibility.

[cpclooli]

"Hope this is what you wanted, hope this is what you had in mind"
"Cuz this is what you're getting"

If I'm not mistaken it's more of a reply to the recording company who asked for a really heavy song on the album. I like the perspective you've given though, and it's still a very real possibility.


i have to agree with this. as if saying "fine, you want a heavy song here it is. well, is it what you wanted."

i can agree with it being about humans but i'd like to have a little more faith in humanity then to think we are all out to suck each other dry.

[fadastic]

"Hope this is what you wanted, hope this is what you had in mind"
"Cuz this is what you're getting"

If I'm not mistaken it's more of a reply to the recording company who asked for a really heavy song on the album. I like the perspective you've given though, and it's still a very real possibility.

Interesting. Where exactly has this been said? The song does seem to not fit in with the more positive message of Lateralus.

[Zinnia]

i think it's about the fans
how everyone always seems to be disappointed in the "new stuff"
it's just not the same....
there seems to be one song per album since aenima like this
hooker with a penis
ticks and leaches
the pot

[Lord Worm]

i think it's about the fans
how everyone always seems to be disappointed in the "new stuff"
it's just not the same....
there seems to be one song per album since aenima like this
hooker with a penis
ticks and leaches
the pot

the pot? i saw more of a political hypocrisy message in that song. maynard just uses the example of weed to show a greater picture of an overbearing, hypocritical government

[Zinnia]

the pot? i saw more of a political hypocrisy message in that song. maynard just uses the example of weed to show a greater picture of an overbearing, hypocritical government

it could go both ways

[x7 Lateralus 7x]

You think too much Zinnia xD

[Zinnia]

You think too much Zinnia xD

LIES!!!!

[Lord Worm]

it could go both ways

of course it can go both ways, thats what makes tool so good. thats just what i got from the song, good to see another view though

[mr. nikki jensen]

of course it can go both ways, thats what makes tool so good. thats just what i got from the song, good to see another view though

indeed

[]v[edusa]

"Suckin up all you can, suckin up all you can suck.
Workin up under my patience like a little tick."

"My blood is bruised and borrowed. You thieving bastards.You have turned my blood cold and bitter"

hey iamthema!, did you ever think that this song could be related to "the patient"? in the patient he talks about giving his blood to possibly those vampires he was talking about "This paranoid, paralyzed vampire act's a little old". the vampires being mankind or maybe even tool listeners and possibly the same goes for ticks and leeches.... it seems like in the patient he was more calm about it, very trusting, and keeping faith. then in t & l hes getting a little pissed off about it. just a thought.

[Eight]

I like this theory, sad to say I lost a lot of faith in humanity as a whole quite a few years ago.

[tonedeftool]

"Hope this is what you wanted, hope this is what you had in mind"
"Cuz this is what you're getting"

If I'm not mistaken it's more of a reply to the recording company who asked for a really heavy song on the album. I like the perspective you've given though, and it's still a very real possibility.

i've heard that elsewhere and you might be right. also might explain why some people here have mentioned that it sounds "out of place".

i have another take, could it be about online sharing, e.g. napster?
from any interview i've seen of maynard, he is staunchly against online sharing (though he doesn't sound as arrogant as lars). if you read the lyrics in this light, it really expresses maynards rage about freeloaders and sucking away at his art (fruit/blood).

[iAMtheMA!]

i'm inclined to believe that it could also be about the overall message of tool (whatever it may be) ...either way, they're not talking about losing trucks to twisters, dogs to cement mixers, or wives to wooden dongs. this is what we're getting instead of all of that shit, and the fans'd appreciate it more if they just broke away from lumping base preconceptions along the same messages of some other bands out there. ...tool is unique. do we really understand that yet? i dunno.

haha - "you've turned our preconceptions up ...side ...down."


i like the earth-perspective as well, thank you for sharing.