Thread: Devo "H" Keenan
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Old 11-22-2002, 11:18 AM   #2
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: San Marcos, TX
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I agree with this interpretation as well and will attempt to elaborate on it, but like all Tool songs there are several lines that I do not fully understand in the context of this interpretation.

"Whats coming through is alive,
Whats holding up is a mirror,"

These lines are in reference to his son.

"But whats singing songs is a snake,
Looking to turn this piss into wine"

The are in reference to his abusive past and, I assume, his father. I am not quite sure what the piss to wine line means but the snake is his past tempting him to follow the same abusive path.

"They're both totally void of hate,
but killing me just the same"

These refer to his wife and child who he sometimes gets angry at for no real reason as a result of his past and wants to lash out at them.

"The snake behind me hisses,
What my damage could have been"

Once again the snake is his past trying to lead him down an abusive path.

"My blood before me begs me,
Open up my heart again"

His blood before him being his son who just wants his fathers love and doesnt understand why he gets angry sometimes.

"And I feel this coming over like a storm again,
Considerately"

But no matter how much he tries to unconditionally love his son he feels that anger and abuse overcome him."

"Venemous voice, Tempts me, Drains me, Bleeds me,
Leaves me cracked and empty, Drags me down like some sweet gravity"

Once again his past comes back to haunt him.

"I am too connected to you to slip away, fade away,
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me,
And considerately killing me"

He is too connected to his past to let it go and move on. No matter how much time passes he can still feel the abuse that he suffered change him.

"Without the skin, Beneath the storm,
Under these tears, the walls come down"

He finally opens up to his son and lets his defenses down.

"And the snake is drowned and as I look in his eyes,
My fear begins to fade, recalling all of the times,
I should have cried,"

His love for his son is enough to defeat his inner demons and he comes to realize that there were many times like this when he should have opened up and been more emotionally honest with his son.

Then there is a repeat of this only he says:

"I have died and will die,
Its all right, I dont mind"

He knows that this is not the end of his torment and his past will come back to haunt him more but he knows that he can overcome it.

This is a very multi-layered song and I can see the ties this could and very well does have with heroin but this is what I get when I hear this song.
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