AbsentCoder

I think we can take some of Keenan’s own words about the song.

“So, any of you ever watched those Warner Bros. cartoons? Sometimes there's that one where that guy is having a tough time trying to make a decision. He's got an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. Seems pretty obvious, right? Usually it's the angel who is kind of the one trying to give him the good advice while the devil is trying to get him to do what's bad for him. It's not always that simple though. Most times they're not really angels or devils. They're just friends giving you advice, looking out for your best interest but not really understanding what's going to be best for you. So it kind of comes down to you. You have to make the decision yourself... This song is called H.”

- Maynard James Keenan, 1996.

My belief is that the fact that the song’s title could be something like ““Hx” or “Hy”” and subsequently subject to debate leads me to think there is no one right answer. However, given Keenan’s own words about the song, as well as the lyrics, we can reach a bit of a conclusion.

The serpent brings to mind imagery of devilish things for me, due to the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve. However, the serpent is metaphoric, as the song says that it and the mirror are devoid of hate. The snake does tempt him, as he says with “venomous voice tempts me,” and that temptation is likely sinful.

The mirror in question is probably the singer himself, not a reflection. The singer mentions that the snake is drowned later on, likely having overcome its temptation.

As the song is about overcoming temptation to do evil, and the title could ultimately be anything - pure, evil, neutral, joking - I believe that the proper title is “Heaven or Hell”.