Inspiration?

[grungebass1029]

Did Maynard ever do any time? Don't get me wrong, its a great song, but did he get any inspiration form being in jail? or did he just see it as something good to disturb the general population?

[bdm56]

Dont take the name literally. 'Prison Sex' is just in reference to the sodomy that is occuring in the song. This song, in my opinion, is about coming around full circle. Whether or not the events in it are true I dont know. It starts off with maynard (or whoever is portrayed in the song) being raped and then it goes on to show him doing the same to someone else. Becoming his terror has somehow made him feel whole.

[grungebass1029]

Originally posted by bdm56
Dont take the name literally. 'Prison Sex' is just in reference to the sodomy that is occuring in the song. This song, in my opinion, is about coming around full circle. Whether or not the events in it are true I dont know. It starts off with maynard (or whoever is portrayed in the song) being raped and then it goes on to show him doing the same to someone else. Becoming his terror has somehow made him feel whole.

Alright, thanks dude, you helped me out with somethin ive been wonderin about for awhile.

[HumbleOne]

I think your right when you say that his terror brings him round full circle, and I'd just like to say that what I think is happening is that he fears this action and such, but he finally takes it upon himself, and sees it from the eyes of those who commit it, in a way he is coming closer to completing himself.

Completing yourself as a human isn't all good, yin-yang, you have to be able to experience some evil things, it's the only way to be complete. Life in my opinion isn't inteneded to be all peaches and cream, and I think Maynard in a lot of his songs shows us that you have to be able to think about the darker sides of life in order to finish yourself as a human-being.


HumbleOne

[ClockworkPmpkin]

I don't know exactly what it was that he said , but once, Maynard introduced this as a song about "recognizing the circle of defeat in humanity" or something to that extent. Dunno though, I could be way off. Feel free to back me up though.

[HumbleOne]

I believe I know what you are talking about, Maynard said that this was about a circle of life in which we recongize a pattern of probelms, and it's about becoming aware of them and to break them.

That was a good point you brought up I had totally forgotten that he did say that in one of the live versions he did.

HumbleOne

[Burning Eden]

The "full circle" lyric is very interesting... Many kids who grow up mentally abused, physically abused, raped, or whatever eventually become the person that they fear the most... the abuser. They in turn abuse their children later in life... It's the "endless cycle of defeat"... They know it's wrong but they do it anyway because that's all they've ever known. I think that the song does suggest rape, but it could be taken in any context...

Except the shit, blood, and cum part...that's pretty gross.

[Sagacious Foetu]

Originally posted by Burning Eden
Except the shit, blood, and cum part...that's pretty gross.
that's where the idea that he might've been raped was conceived, i think. it makes sense.


xxbaxx..

[a_divine_martyr]

i always thought of this song having a meaning of mental-sodomy (if that makes any damn sense) and that he's realizing that he has done to other people what he experiences. my parents were very abusive physically, and in turn mentally through that, and i woke up every day thinking, i will not be like them, i will NOT BE LIKE THEM, needless to say i've been rough with my girlfriend to the point where i have hurt her physically... that was a real turning point in my life. and i think that's where the inspiration of this song comes from

[ragna16]

Originally posted by Burning Eden
Except the shit, blood, and cum part...that's pretty gross.

Actually that's the whole point, he finds his sanity after he gives in the circular urge to do what has been done to him. But the sanity comes at a price, the shit, blood, and cum on his hands and he feels better because he's released his emotions onto another.

[Burning Eden]

lol Well yeah I understand what the shit, blood, and cum part means... To me it says that abuse doesn't come without consequences... And I agree with you a_divine_martyr... I've always thought that the song was about realizing the negative path you are on and taking steps to prevent yourself from completing the circle...

[evlcookie]

i have a bootleg (video) of the song with maynard saying what it is about
here is what he says

" This song seemed to have caused some controversy over here (montreal) ... this songs about recignising, identifying the cycle of abuse thats in yourself, the first step of the process realization , identifying, the next step is to work thru it, but this song is about the first step of the process which is recignising"
thats about as best as i can do.. i believe thats pretty much what he says...
hope it helps :)

[Metalanarchist]

In agreeing with the above, I think it's sad to point out how many people holler for the song in concert. Some of these folks take it at its most literal meaning, conjuring a vision of rape in prison and supporting this as the deserved punishment of criminals. Others love it because of the violence it seems to suggest on its surface — thus making it a soundtrack to the mosh pit, when it really is a call to turn inwards. Sure, one side of the song is external: the acting out of abuse. Except those who fulfill only that meaning of the song are taking it at only the most superficial level. On the other extreme, there's another faction of fans who can't get into the song because of its usage of the very graphic metaphor, "shit blood and cum on my hands." For these sensitive folks the radio stations bleeped out the offensive words, thus gutting the heart of the song — the point at which the protagonist sees the results of his becoming part of the cycle of abuse. I appreciated Tool very much at this stage of their development for their willingness to take risks, to create a story with a song — not a cliched nu-metal anthem of mommy hated me, but utilizing powerful imagery that drive the point home to anyone willing to listen.

[wuphat]

The original question in this thread was "did Maynard ever do any time?" or something to that effect. Well, not that I'm aware of, but he did spend some time in a military prep school. Anyone who has gone through any military training can relate to a jail like setting that is posed here. I'm not saying that the armed forces are a bunch of butt-fucking rapists, but that there is a definite "do unto you now what has been done to me" climate, especially in basic training.

First off, the training instructors, drill instructors and everyone assigned to a military training facility are all military members, who have at one point gone through the same training they are now giving. Further, newer groups of recruits are mentored by other trainees father along in their own training, yet not out of the environment themselves.

The military training enviornment is one that uses the technique of tearing down what was and building up something new. I've seen the biggest, baddest mofo end up crying for his mother and the smallest looking twerp end up leading the way. That's how it works. Now in this there are instances that border on humiliation and belittling to strive towards perfection. For example, a perfectly made bed may be torn apart just so the trainee doesn't get a big head about things. That same trainee who was once re-making his bed soon will be tearing up the bed of another.

While this may seem cruel, no one really gets hurt by it and in most cases recover from their injured pride to grow and learn from it even though at the time it seems like it will never end. "I'm breathing so I guess I'm still alive, even if signs seem to tell me otherwise."

So, as with any other song of Tool's, there is a parallel from one situation to another. It's much more effective to talk about "shit, blood and cum on my hands" then how someone had to clean a shower and buff a floor.

[Misoanthropos]

in the OTRM version....the added lyrics paint an even more detailed picture....

i almost come to tears every time...

[praga]

Except the shit, blood, and cum part...that's pretty gross. [/B][/QUOTE]

just a quick little blurb on the shit, blood and cum line...i've always kinda thought that those were the 3 most common things among human beings. It's funny how we consider these things to be the nastiest things to deal with, but we all have them and they link almost everyone alive. Kinda goes with many various relious aspects that use these to represent life in it's rawest form. This might ring well with someone finding a "temporary sanity" within this world of plastic lives with the essence of life at his/her/whomever's hands.
Just my 2 bits on that
oh, and about if Manyard has been to jail...
i bet West Point was close enough for him
or Prep school, or whatever
remember "i will not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those that do"

[withered_EYE]

Originally posted by grungebass1029
Did Maynard ever do any time? Don't get me wrong, its a great song, but did he get any inspiration form being in jail? or did he just see it as something good to disturb the general population?

I wouldnt take the title of the song too literally. My interpretation of this song changes every time i listen to it or watch the video. West Point is nothing like a Prison...because when you get out you are going to get 250,000 per year rather than minumum wage (Praga). I don't really think the song has anything to do with prison, but when someone says sex and prison in the same sentence we think of something homosexual. The title is ment to provide the general listener with something that he or she is very familiar with. If you want a song about prison rape listen to Korn. I know most here realize that. I'm seeing the cycle of abuse but here is something else i would like to throw at yall.
We all live in a prison. A prison that confines us to limited expression. No man will ever be heard the exact way he thinks. His image will be mutated and warped to all extents by the listener and perhaps Maynard's prison is his own artistic limitations. Artistic expression is our window to everything that lies outside the prison walls. Does anyone see the similarity of the set of the video to a morg?

[Reverend Jacob]

What about consentual sex? Just the fact of there being 2 genders creates 2 different views of the experience. For one partner it can be a beautiful moment, a chance at bliss, a true connection with another human being, a seperate entity. You look so precious. Won't you come a bit closer?

At the same time, for the other person it can be a violent physical release, a moment of passion as pure and volatile as killing another living creature, consuming it's flesh. My lamb and martyr, this will be over soon.

And once you realize you've been used, it strengthens the idea that using some one else just might be acceptable. And I think Tool does a great job of seeing things from more than one angle.

[praga]

Originally posted by withered_EYE


West Point is nothing like a Prison...because when you get out you are going to get 250,000 per year rather than minumum wage (Praga).

who in the fuck do you know that makes 250,000 dollars coming out of military academy and who's dick are they sucking? when i was in the air force academy, the going wages for a new grad was around 27,000. Someone has greatly miss-informed you. and yes, it was a lot like prison, and that's from a first person experience. anywho, i think when you put "Prison" and "Sex" in the title of the song, not just a sentence, you seem to be implying just that...and i don't know too many co-ed prisons. If you really want to look deeper into it, you could say that you're getting fucked by your own "self", being symbolized by the same sex in a sense.
just don't tell people how things are when you don't know if they've walked thru it themselves.

[Torpid_Prey]

Originally posted by Burning Eden
The "full circle" lyric is very interesting... Many kids who grow up mentally abused, physically abused, raped, or whatever eventually become the person that they fear the most... the abuser. They in turn abuse their children later in life... It's the "endless cycle of defeat"... do you listen to the offspring at all? theres a song on "ixnay on the hombe" thats like this: it called "way down the line" although it doesnt go into as much detail or down the same path, it does point out that "... all the things u learn when ur a kid, you'll fuck up just like ur parents did. it all just happens agani way down the line."


']['ørpîd ]?rêÿ

[eyedunno]

I think, in this entire song, Maynard is once again using he whole thing as a metaphor. I think what hes trying to say is that people mess up, all the time, and everyone natural reaction to someone who messed up is to do what they did right back to them, "do unto otehrs, what has been don to me..." but I think it's interesting when he says "but i'm breathing so i guess im still alive, even if signs eems to tell me otherwise..." hs talking about what this leads to, death, almost? or something like it. I think what Maynard is really trying to tell us is that revenge, is not alwaysa good thing. And later in the song he says he's found temporary sanity in this...etc. But its temporary, what good is that, its ice for a moment, and then its right back to the beginning of the song all over again. In the end, if you always do unto other what has been to you, sooner or later you'll end righ back at the start and will hav mae no progress for yourself at all.