what the hell does H. stand for. this is what i came up with this album is supposed to be dedicated to Bill Hicks and many songs are about him third eye eulogy, maybe this too. H for Hicks?. some said H. refers to addiction hicks was a addict. anyways what are some thoughts.
"H." Could stand for anything, or maybe noting, i am personally in agreeance with the "half empty. half full" anikdote. The song talks about something that you cant pull away from that is destroying you. In this sense i think H. Could stand for Heroin, which is probably the choice i least believe in, it could also stand for help. Maynard James Keenan was Born James Herbert Keenan as far as i know so it could be something to do with that, or his son, Devo, whos middle name is H. Any one of many possibilities.
For anyone who wants to know as much as they can about tool, go to www.innuendocornecopria.com, it is a truly excellent site.
__________________ Who are you to wave your finger?
I recently was reading Kesey's "Electric Kool-aid acit Test" and he was talking in there about a book called "Journey to the East" by Herman Hesse. Apparently, the main character in this book has the initials HH for his name. So looking at just his first or last name, it would be just "H". I haven't read the book, but it seems to deal a lot with a group of transdimentional travelers which is split apart by inner-conflicts. H is the narrator, and by the end he seems to resolve some inner conflict. I plan on reading the book, so I'll let you guys know when i finish it... laters
If a lot of people read the FAQ off this site, we could avoid a lot of posts.
But anyway, yes his sons name is Devo H.
He doesnt actually stand for anything for my knowledge. For all i know it could be Devo H Keenen. Who knows maybe i have a chance in hell and be right.
Read the lyrics and keep Devo in mind. It makes sense.. orit might not.
__________________ Your love is like a rollercoaster baby baby. I wanna ride!
"Could stand for Heroin, which is probably the choice i least believe in..."
i agree. the first thing i thought of when i saw "H" as the title was "herion" just from reading "diary of a drug fiend." they refer to heroin as H through out a good deal of the book. and it's not often one just sees the letter "H" by itself. so i just put the two together. though, to me, the lyrics show little support that it's about heroin. then again, one can make lyrics out to be whatever they want. so, i guess one could see this about heroin if they bend the lyrics enough. ??? who knows.
remeber high school chem? H is the 'symbol' (if you will) for Hydrogen. the lightest and most inclined of all the elements to bond with another...
perhaps if considered within the context of the song and how it seems to be about a relationship that changes and never really fades, the possibiltiy of H as a refernece to hydrogen is a little plausible i guess.
i also thought that maybe whoever this song is in reference to, it could possibly be an initial or a nick name???
Who knows, only maynard i spose!
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Re: What do you think H stands for?
I believe H. either stands for herion or at least wants you to think that. The song itself can certainly be related to drug use on one level but of course many Tool songs can be interpreted with the obvious but may have much more subliminal meaning. Thanks.
__________________ "We can look you in the eye and talk to you about life, heart, love, rock 'n' roll, whatever, but we do not have the moral authority to tell people how to vote or what to do to their bodies. We're just a rock band." - Billy Corgan
maybe it is one of those things that they called it that because of something but made it so that it could mean anything. Thats what this album is about, opening your mind and looking at ALL of the possibilities of something without it overwhelming you. It is a mainly subjective work accept for songs such as AEnema aand Hooker.
Try sometime and record an album and write it in the studio while recording. Many ideas come up between the members and the producer if he knows what the hell he is doing (I would say he is more of a consultant) and it is a very creative process. Its like you are making a sculpture with clay and there are so many things you can change and so many detail you can put and it could come out different than you initially had in you mind but it expresses what you wanted it to.
Jesus H. Christ
I think the H stands for lots of things
that's probably why they changed the name of the song before it made it to the album
Half Empty - working title
James Hubert Keenan
Devo H Keenan - I never heard that before today and I will have to investigate
Heraclitus - read my thread about H (Book on Dreams)
heroin
could be all coincidence
sidenote...
ever seen I Am Sam?
the character's favorite group was The Beatles
They had a song Revolution #9
the character moved into an apartment
the apt. number was 9
almost 3 years ago I moved into a shitty basement apartment
Apt. H
I personally am hip to the self-interpretation of the lyrics. You are challenged to think by Tool constantly, in every interview, at every show, on every album, at every turn of every song, in liner notes, etc., etc., etc. Their elusiveness supports this theory. They don't want you to know them, they want you to appreciate them. I so respect this approach to music: the nameless, faceless artist versus this creature that we personify and try to "relate to" and "associate with." The lyrics and music are a gift to us. We are not asked to tap the life of Maynard to seek answers. He gives us the ultimate tool (scuse the pun) to seek answers: freedom of interpretation.
Here's what H. does for me:
I reflect. I introspect. Mirrors are powerful symbols of seeing the outide and within oneself. Snakes are powerful symbols of past haunting. Turning piss to wine is a powerful symbol of evolution from sour to sweet. They are ways to tangibilze (is that a word?) the emotions one goes thru when reflecting. A song that drives me to reflect is a very powerful song to me. I find myself relieved of alot of negative energy during, "I don't mind, I don't mind, I don't minddddddddd" and the driven musicianship that follows.
At times it's hard with Tool to decipher that which is intended to provoke thought and that which is shot straight from the heart. That perplexity is what makes Maynard's lyrics timeless.
ObviousParadox is probably right about the explicit meaning of the song's title: Half-Empty/Half-Full. However, with Tool it seems there's often a difference between what they say and what they mean; otherwise, I'd by studying lachrymology right now instead of posting this message.
I've always liked the idea that H. stood for Heroin, especially after reading Crowley's "Diary". The song's narrator is in a horribly destructive relationship, but one that provides him some kind of safety; therefore, he can't get out. But recently I've been thinking that H. might stand for Hubbard, given the tiff between L. Ron and Tool, and the fact that Scientologists and heroin addicts tend to behave similarly.
its all a matter of perception...do you view this as a love song (some sweet gravity, i could have died, I don't mind) or as a hate song (i could have cried then, the whole snake reference)
I remember reading somewhere on the internet (yeah yeah, I know it's unreliable) that around the time of Ænema, Maynard was using heroin (or maybe it was using him!) and he OD'd. He went into a coma, and whilst in the coma, he dreamt that a devil and an angel appeared to him(kinda like in the Warner Bros cartoons). The angel and the devil were trying to influence him, so he decided to ignore them both - causing him to come out of his coma.
Maybe the song is about this experience and his reflection on his addiction - who knows.
More than likely, if M overdosed, we would have heard about it. Although, not for sure. I read Maynard in an interview talking about other artists on drugs and how it effects there lyrics/music. He said, "There's a lot of people on heroin writing amazing music, but it's a hard way to go, because you sacrifice your life." He could have been speaking from his own experience with the drug, or he could have seen what it does to others. If he was a heroin addict, it would explain what the song undertow was about(as for me, I believe it's about sex).
"It says "see you auntie" in the liner notes. Your Web page said to
say it one syllable at a time, slowly, and you'll get it, which would
sound like this, C-U-N-T. Is that it?"
Where is this, and what is this? Anyone know where i can find these? Liner Notes? Meaning the foldout section in the cover of the cd?
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Reincarnation
Quote:
Originally posted by 42&2 that around the time of Ænema, Maynard was using heroin (or maybe it was using him!) and he OD'd. He went into a coma,
I've always believed that in some ways the song is about reincarnation. The "I Have Died, I Will Die, It's All Right, I Dont Mind" is like Maynard saying that he's gone through reincarnation already and he's going to go through it again, but he embrasses it. He realizes that just one life xperience isn't enough.
H could stand for anything depending on how you, yourself interperate the song. Tool is about making people think for themselves, so everyone here is right in a sense, i know what H. stands for to me because that particular thing is what it makes me feel. If i was to say anything on the meaning of the song from the bands point of view, it would be Hicks. Bill Hicks, was very good at what he does and i am a fan of him myself, although i do believe he did have some bad habbits which he may have involved Tool in, or maybe they could just see what it was doing to him from the outside. Bill's smoking comes to mind.
__________________ Who are you to wave your finger?
ok then, since this has been resurrected I might as well contribute.
H stands for hippo. or hamburger. herpes? horrible? oohhhh, wait ... hamster!
no? I'm going to go with hamster.
I think the song refers to Heroin. There's a lot of referances that could go along with this theory..
"The snake behind me hisses, what my damage could have"
I doubt I'm the only one who has heard of Heroin injections as "snake bites". Like in that song Voodoo by Godsmack(kill me, now.) 'I'm not the one who's so far away when I feel the snake bite enter my veins". He knows that Heroin is stalking him, and he knows the damage it holds. Read on..
"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."
Heroin addiction. You are too connected and dependant on Heroin to just give it up. You can't go on with normal life and hope the craving will disappaite into oblivion. I know from personal experience that opiates used recreationally, stay in your system for a few days after you stop using them. You still feel the chemical inside of you, you think "wow, I'll feel this way forever", but in the back of your mind, your conciounce is telling you, that it's killing you.
"without the skin here, beneathe the storm, under these tears now, the walls came down. and as the snake is drowned, and as I look in his eyes, my fear begins to fade, recalling all of the 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 alright.. I don't mind."
You come to the realization, this isn't the first time that you've been struck down by the likes of something addictive. Maybe if you had have confronted your fears at the time being, the need for starting habital use of such a drug wouldn't have arose. You have died internally before, and you will die again. It's a part of life, you can't have the Heroin that your body needs, and that you're are disgusted by, it's an evolutionary kind of process.. you don't mind.
This is just my interpretation. I used to take on the Devo theory, but laying on my bed wrapped up in a warm blanket (H referance), I started thinking about the process of elimination of drug usage. Getting rid of fear, not being afraid of the needle, the aftereffects, etc. Anyways, hope you had a good read. <3
__________________ Crucify the ego, before it's far too late
What about H. standing for Hate? It could be his struggle with his son Devo, maybe he wanted to leave him when he was born and didn't want anything to do with him but then he realized that he couldn't do that ("I am too connected to slip away...) he realized that his Hate ("...snake behind me...") was influencing his decisions, ultimately blinding him to what he had. BUT! :) when he see's(/hear's?) his son ("my blood before me begs me open up my heart again"), he realizes that he can't just leave him with his mother and have no contact. Maynard is after all still, at least a little bit though it is open to discusion, human. But there is the fact that he says he will die etc. so be prepared for an update when i've woken up properly :)
Ham? I love Ham. Like shredded Ham, its so good. Not on bread. Just the Ham. I used to work in a kitchen in the middle of nowhere in a cafe and they had SHITLOADS of Ham. mmmmmmmmmmm :)
"H." Could stand for anything, or maybe noting, i am personally in agreeance with the "half empty. half full" anikdote. The song talks about something that you cant pull away from that is destroying you. In this sense i think H. Could stand for Heroin, which is probably the choice i least believe in, it could also stand for help. Maynard James Keenan was Born James Herbert Keenan as far as i know so it could be something to do with that, or his son, Devo, whos middle name is H. Any one of many possibilities.
For anyone who wants to know as much as they can about tool, go to www.innuendocornecopria.com, it is a truly excellent site.
H can stand for anything, to me its half empty... but its all about what it means to me! or to you...
There are like 5000 words in the english language that start with H. Pick one.
__________________ Mistakenly posted on my door a few weeks ago:
"Dear Mr. Hesk,
I know you got drunk, broke into my house and shampooed my cats again. If this happens one more time I'm calling the police. I'm sick of this."
__________________ Mistakenly posted on my door a few weeks ago:
"Dear Mr. Hesk,
I know you got drunk, broke into my house and shampooed my cats again. If this happens one more time I'm calling the police. I'm sick of this."
I was planning on making fun of your worthless post prof., but then I remembered what I have contributed so far in this thread and decided against it. Consider yourself spared, but now I owe you one.
... I for one think Professor should be terrified.
__________________ Mistakenly posted on my door a few weeks ago:
"Dear Mr. Hesk,
I know you got drunk, broke into my house and shampooed my cats again. If this happens one more time I'm calling the police. I'm sick of this."
I personally am hip to the self-interpretation of the lyrics. You are challenged to think by Tool constantly, in every interview, at every show, on every album, at every turn of every song, in liner notes, etc., etc., etc. Their elusiveness supports this theory. They don't want you to know them, they want you to appreciate them. I so respect this approach to music: the nameless, faceless artist versus this creature that we personify and try to "relate to" and "associate with." The lyrics and music are a gift to us. We are not asked to tap the life of Maynard to seek answers. He gives us the ultimate tool (scuse the pun) to seek answers: freedom of interpretation.
Here's what H. does for me:
I reflect. I introspect. Mirrors are powerful symbols of seeing the outide and within oneself. Snakes are powerful symbols of past haunting. Turning piss to wine is a powerful symbol of evolution from sour to sweet. They are ways to tangibilze (is that a word?) the emotions one goes thru when reflecting. A song that drives me to reflect is a very powerful song to me. I find myself relieved of alot of negative energy during, "I don't mind, I don't mind, I don't minddddddddd" and the driven musicianship that follows.
At times it's hard with Tool to decipher that which is intended to provoke thought and that which is shot straight from the heart. That perplexity is what makes Maynard's lyrics timeless.
very well said, the only thing i have to say is that the snake could possibly represent evil or self indulgent desires. Turning piss to wine could represent the intake of negative energies in the illusion that they feel good or will give you power. Kind of like drugs, but im not saying that this song is about drugs. It is that voice that says *more.
