I'll start this by commenting on the origin of the name of the song. It was origianly called Half Full, but Maynard thought that was just as interchangable as Half Empty, so he just called it H. to show the sides of the decision. He has been quoted to have said in concerts "This song is about Choices." The song is about the decision to be in his son Devo's life or not. Another interesting tidbit is that in 46+2, he makes reference to H. ("I'v been crawling on my belly, clearing out what could have been"). Anyway, without further adoooooo, here's the interpretation.
H.
What's coming through is alive.
What's holding up is a mirror.
But what's singing songs is a snake looking to turn this piss to wine. They're both totally void of hate, but killing me just the same.
The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been.
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again.
considerately.
Venomous voice, tempts me, drains me, bleeds me, leaves me cracked and empty.
Drags me down like some sweet gravity.
The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been.
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again.
I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me.
Without the skin, beneath the storm, under these tears the walls came down.
And the snake is drowned and as I look in his eyes, my fear begins to fade recalling all of those times.
I could have cried then.
I should have cried then.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes my fear begins to fade recalling all of the times I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I don't mind.
I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me.
What's coming through is alive.
The baby being brought into the world is a life he created.
What's holding up is a mirror.
The baby is like a reflection or mirror image of him.
But what's singing songs is a snake looking to turn this piss to wine.
But there's a voice in the back of his head telling him to leave his son's life for the sake of his own, looking to turn a bad situation into a good one.
They're both totally void of hate, but killing me just the same.
The temptation to leave his son's life is not because he dislikes him, but that dosent make the decision any easier.
The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been.
He hears the side of the decision that tells him what oppertunities he will be leaving behind and the things he will be giving up if he decides to take a child into his life.
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again.
Seing his son before him makes him lose all his defenses and want to accept him into his life.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again.
He feels the decision coming over his conciousness like a storm.
considerately.
But not because of hate, which is why it is so hard, all his son wants is love.
Venomous voice, tempts me, drains me, bleeds me, leaves me cracked and empty.
The side of him that wants him to leave his child leaves him exhausted, tempting him with the posabilities of his life staying the same.
Drags me down like some sweet gravity.
Concideratly brings him down, but not because of hate or negative emotions.
The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been.
The side of him that tempts him to leave his child reminds him what he could be giving up by accepting Devo into his life.
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again.
Seeing his son in front of him makes him drop all his guards.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again.
He feels the decision coming over his conciousness like a storm, in waves.
I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away.
He realizes he loves his son too much to let him slip out of his life.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me.
He realizes that seeing a life he has made is changing him, purifying and transforming his soul while at the same time killing the person he used to be and possabilites he is leaving behind.
Without the skin, beneath the storm, under these tears the walls came down.
He breaks down and cries, realizing he can't hold up the walls against his son forever because he loves him too much.
And the snake is drowned and as I look in his eyes, my fear begins to fade recalling all of those times.
The part of him that tempted him to leave his son is gone, and looking at him he begins to realize all the times he wasted that could have been full a happiness because of his love for his son.
I could have cried then.
He could have accepted his son his son into his life much sooner and felt all these wonderfull emotions before.
I should have cried then.
He should have accpted his son sooner and let the posative emotions take ahold of him.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes my fear begins to fade recalling all of the times I have died and will die.
He looks at his son and realizes that everyone has a father, and everyone deserves to know their father and that it's okay that he is that person, because he dident like it when his mother left him when he was 11.
It's all right.
It's allright that he is Devo's father.
I don't mind.
He dosent mind being a father.
I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away.
He loves his son too much to fade out of his life.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me.
And allthough he has accepted his son into his life and it's a wonderful thing, he still somtimes wonders what could have been if he haden't.
yep, that's my interpretation. The birth of his son plays a large role in the themes of both AEnima and Lateralus, with many songs on each cd about birth and Devo. This is an amazing song, and i hope you now have a new perspecive on it. If you want me to interpret any other of tool's songs, just name one and i'll do my best....i listen to TooL too much lol.
l've read at least 10 entries now about the opinion that this song is about Devo.
__________________ l don't want to be alone again today...
Hold me close and together we'll pray
That this moment never fades away...
Fade away, fade away, like any other day.
Nice job. What you just explained is exactly what I think H. is about. Although I think the "Considerately killing me" line means that his son coming into his life is helping him mature and become more selfless by killing the previous "irresponible" side of him. I think that he meant that his son coming into his life generously forces him to think less about himself and more about his son. Not that I think Maynard was selfish before he had his son, I just think that he feels that having a child has made him a better person in many ways.
AllforUnity, maybe the reason there are so many entries about Devo is that Maynard pretty much said it himself. In an interview, when he was asked "who or what was 'h.'?" He answered, "My son's name is Devo H. That's all I'll say..."
And to the person who made this thread, sorry I forgot the name, don't you think this sounds a little similar to my interpretation. It's about making a choice between Devo and <enter anything here>. I'm pretty sure we're both on the right track, and I agree with your interpretation as much as I agree with mine.
Oh Wow! I figured it would have something to do with making decisions but never that in-depth! Wasn't there something about it also being called H. because of Heroin? Cause instead of birth he could be talking about addiction? Just a thought, I read the Heroin bit somewhere...
hmmm Yea i think it would have something to do with Heroin...
as h... pointed out its about making a choice berween Deco and <Heroin maybe> ???
Great interpretations though... keep up the good work!
no its not about heroin, look at the faq on this site, it states that its a safe bet H is not about heroin... a better thoguht is its about half life or looking at a cup being half full or half empty...
__________________ Signatures: should be kept short (4 lines or less) and free of crazy colors / fonts.
Although I very much doubt you are getting this reply from me, I need to say it anyway...
Man, I loved the song before. I mean damn did I love it. Before I knew the words, it invoked feelings inside me that went along with the song's concept. Then when I knew the words a little better, it just confirmed that and made the feeling stronger. But then, when I read this interpretation, OMFG! It is PERFECT! And what's more, I went through and am still going through this same experience right now that you just described! It inspires me to be a better father for my son's sake, to break this vicious cycle that one ignorant person can start, yet a real man must end. You may never know how much you just touched me. Neither will Maynard.
I'll start this by commenting on the origin of the name of the song. It was origianly called Half Full, but Maynard thought that was just as interchangable as Half Empty, so he just called it H. to show the sides of the decision. He has been quoted to have said in concerts "This song is about Choices." The song is about the decision to be in his son Devo's life or not. Another interesting tidbit is that in 46+2, he makes reference to H. ("I'v been crawling on my belly, clearing out what could have been"). Anyway, without further adoooooo, here's the interpretation.
H.
What's coming through is alive.
What's holding up is a mirror.
But what's singing songs is a snake looking to turn this piss to wine. They're both totally void of hate, but killing me just the same.
The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been.
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again.
considerately.
Venomous voice, tempts me, drains me, bleeds me, leaves me cracked and empty.
Drags me down like some sweet gravity.
The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been.
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again.
I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me.
Without the skin, beneath the storm, under these tears the walls came down.
And the snake is drowned and as I look in his eyes, my fear begins to fade recalling all of those times.
I could have cried then.
I should have cried then.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes my fear begins to fade recalling all of the times I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I don't mind.
I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me.
What's coming through is alive.
The baby being brought into the world is a life he created.
What's holding up is a mirror.
The baby is like a reflection or mirror image of him.
But what's singing songs is a snake looking to turn this piss to wine.
But there's a voice in the back of his head telling him to leave his son's life for the sake of his own, looking to turn a bad situation into a good one.
They're both totally void of hate, but killing me just the same.
The temptation to leave his son's life is not because he dislikes him, but that dosent make the decision any easier.
The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been.
He hears the side of the decision that tells him what oppertunities he will be leaving behind and the things he will be giving up if he decides to take a child into his life.
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again.
Seing his son before him makes him lose all his defenses and want to accept him into his life.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again.
He feels the decision coming over his conciousness like a storm.
considerately.
But not because of hate, which is why it is so hard, all his son wants is love.
Venomous voice, tempts me, drains me, bleeds me, leaves me cracked and empty.
The side of him that wants him to leave his child leaves him exhausted, tempting him with the posabilities of his life staying the same.
Drags me down like some sweet gravity.
Concideratly brings him down, but not because of hate or negative emotions.
The snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been.
The side of him that tempts him to leave his child reminds him what he could be giving up by accepting Devo into his life.
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again.
Seeing his son in front of him makes him drop all his guards.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again.
He feels the decision coming over his conciousness like a storm, in waves.
I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away.
He realizes he loves his son too much to let him slip out of his life.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me.
He realizes that seeing a life he has made is changing him, purifying and transforming his soul while at the same time killing the person he used to be and possabilites he is leaving behind.
Without the skin, beneath the storm, under these tears the walls came down.
He breaks down and cries, realizing he can't hold up the walls against his son forever because he loves him too much.
And the snake is drowned and as I look in his eyes, my fear begins to fade recalling all of those times.
The part of him that tempted him to leave his son is gone, and looking at him he begins to realize all the times he wasted that could have been full a happiness because of his love for his son.
I could have cried then.
He could have accepted his son his son into his life much sooner and felt all these wonderfull emotions before.
I should have cried then.
He should have accpted his son sooner and let the posative emotions take ahold of him.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes my fear begins to fade recalling all of the times I have died and will die.
He looks at his son and realizes that everyone has a father, and everyone deserves to know their father and that it's okay that he is that person, because he dident like it when his mother left him when he was 11.
It's all right.
It's allright that he is Devo's father.
I don't mind.
He dosent mind being a father.
I am too connected to you to slip away, to fade away.
He loves his son too much to fade out of his life.
Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me.
And allthough he has accepted his son into his life and it's a wonderful thing, he still somtimes wonders what could have been if he haden't.
yep, that's my interpretation. The birth of his son plays a large role in the themes of both AEnima and Lateralus, with many songs on each cd about birth and Devo. This is an amazing song, and i hope you now have a new perspecive on it. If you want me to interpret any other of tool's songs, just name one and i'll do my best....i listen to TooL too much lol.
You my friend, are amazing, I never thought of it that way
For the sake of putting in my two cents, I believe the Devo thing is interesting. In fact, it may possibly be about Devo. But I also think the song's real intent is to express Maynard's own feelings of inadequacies. He has the devil angel idea. Often it seems he sees that his son is better for him than he is for his son. Or maybe, he assumes it. This is a love song.
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Location: in the middle of the world on a fishhook
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Re: H. - An interpretation
I like that each line was explained regarding the interpretation. Most people on here just have explanations for a few lines and the others a just left out, but the whole song fit your theory. It's a good one.
Great interpretation. Enjoyed it. I'm just wondering what you feel the "snake" actually is though. Not necessarily what it represents (since, if using your interpretation, it would represent the "selfish" choice to keep himself out of Devo's life for his own benefit) but if there some mythological, religious or other connection to the idea of the snake?
__________________ Everything I'm about to tell you is a joke. Don't take it seriously.
For the sake of putting in my two cents, I believe the Devo thing is interesting. In fact, it may possibly be about Devo. But I also think the song's real intent is to express Maynard's own feelings of inadequacies. He has the devil angel idea. Often it seems he sees that his son is better for him than he is for his son. Or maybe, he assumes it. This is a love song.
i always thought H. was more of a love song.....
cuz luv dusnt HAV 2 b about lovers or something....
its an amazing song
