"Mom, have you ever heard of the saying "you can't see the forest for the trees? I said some person stole the line, and now they're saying it has been around for years! Please tell me you've never heardof it before mommy!"
Mom: Baby, that saying has been around for years.
Tuna: Ohh no. I guess I'll just have to ignore that accusation next time I post. Weeeee!
my christ... listen to tool live and you'll clearly see its saturating me...why the fuck would he say sense your enemy. all this explaination threedeviations came up with half way down the page is not a defence to his original post. it doesn't hold any water, so stop tryna change things and bullshitting us
its "you saturated me" - it even says so on the fucking lyrics page itself. why the FUCK would Lord Keenan LIE to his fans about what HE sings about. The only thing he DOESN'T want to tell us is WHAT the song is about.
get to a live show, email the band, whatever, just dont pollute this site with blatant misheard lyrics
and the "sense your enemy..." isn't the only part of the song where he sings something different than what is listed in the lyrics.
Here are actually what is said during this song.
Two times down!
I've been struckdumb by a voice
that speaks from deep
beneath the endless water
that's twice as clear as heaven
twice as loud as reason
deep and rich like silt on a riverbed...
just as neverending.
Currents mouth below me
opens up around me
suggests 'n beckons all while swallowing
surrounds 'n drowns and wipes me away.
Third time that ...
I've been baptized by a voice that screams, from deep beneath the calm of the water that's half as high as heaven, half as clear as reason. ("reason" repeated again faintly)
Clear and black like silt on a riverbed.
'Just as neverending. . .
Currents mouth below me, opens up around me.
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing....
'surrounds and drowns and wipes me away.
Why don't you kill me? I am weak and numb and insignificant.
How can I 'this bring me back to my knees?
Eu phor i a
Eu phor i a
Eu phor i a
Eu phor i a
I'm back down I'm in the undertow.
I'm helpless, and I'm awake...
I'm in the undertow.
Way down.... beneath the undertow.
There doesn't seem no other way out of the undertow....
Euphoria.
An explanation of the song?
I agree that it's about an overwhelming craving.
The song is an ongoing "conversation" and tug o' war between Maynard's SUPER EGO and his ID. (Freud)
The ID narrates most of the song.... When you read it below, think of it like you're reading a play.
In the first verse of the song, the "ID" refers to a voice... that voice, is his SUPER-EGO.
Maynard's personal tug of war in his head-
ID:
(ID acknowledging that it hears the suggestions from the super-ego... but isn't ready to concede its desires, just because it's getting lectured from the super-ego.)
"Two times down!
I've been struckdumb by a "voice" (voice is the super-ego)
that speaks from deep
beneath the endless water
that's twice as clear as heaven
twice as loud as reason
deep and rich like silt on a riverbed...
just as neverending.
ID:
(giving an analogy of going under the influence of his addiction. The craving grinning, whispering and swallowing him whole... )
Currents mouth below me
opens up around me
suggests 'n beckons all while swallowing
surrounds 'n drowns and wipes me away.
ID:
(sensing the super-ego isn't going to be happy about the decision of surrendering to the craving- tries to justify his decision)
But I'm so comfortable.... so comfortable."
SUPER-EGO:
(The super-ego won't rationalize comfort from the ID... The super-ego is frustrated, pissed off, and doesn't want to hear another word from ID now)
"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up.... sense your enemy!
SUPER-EGO:
( Super Ego realizes he's once again been dominated by the ID, and is frustrated that it let the ID get the best [or worst] of the situation.. asks itself...)
How can I (let) this bring me back to my knees?"
ID:
(ID is narrating/explaining/singing again. Getting ready to give in to the urge once again. Acknowledging it still hears the super-ego's voice of reason. The Super-Ego's message is clear and neverending... and now the super-ego is "screaming"... yet, the ID remains calm and unphazed)
"Third time that ...
I've been baptized by a voice that screams, from deep beneath the calm of the water that's half as high as heaven, half as clear as reason.
Clear and black like silt on a riverbed.
'Just as neverending. . .
Currents mouth below me, opens up around me.
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing....
'surrounds and drowns and wipes me away.
But I'm so comfortable. Too comfortable."
Super-Ego: (Super-Ego is frustrated once again at the ID- and now the Super-Ego is even starting to question "itself" because it wasn't strong enough to stop the ID from acting once again... but Super-Ego lectures again)
"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up.... Sense your enemy!
How can I let this happen?"
ID:
(coming down from its high... feeling depressed that it is no longer being consumed by the high... and trembling at the thought of having to wait... for another period of pleasure. ID realizes its negative effect on Maynard's/Super-Ego's overall well-being... and is feeling guilty and vulnerable and over-the-top... like a junkie without a fix)
"Why don't you kill me? I am weak and numb and insignificant!"
Super-Ego:
(Super-ego realizes he's gettin whipped by something he should easily be managing...)
"How can I let this bring me back to my knees?!"
ID:
(Here, the ID basically needling the Super-Ego with soft whispers of "euphoria..." The ID is answering the Super-Ego's question of "How can I let this bring me back to my knees..?" Even the super-ego at this point is being overwhelmed by the craving... and the ID tells him why. Even the super-ego cannot deny the pleasure at this point)
"Eu phor i a. Eu phor i a. Eu phor i a. Eu phor i a."
Super-Ego-
(The super-ego has now given up... it too, has now totally been consumed by the craving. So now the Super-Ego and ID are hand in hand... in the undertow together. The Super-Ego's strength and morality have been suffocated. The Super-Ego is conscious [awake] of this, which makes it even more disturbing.... it knows it is wrong, but it's helpless. This unfortunately has happened before... despite it's genuine attempt to squelch the ID's influence on the overall self)
Super-Ego:
"I'm back down.
I'm in the undertow.
I'm helpless and I'm awake...
I'm in the undertow...
way down beneath the undertow
there doesn't seem no other way out of the undertow.
...Euphoria..."
I used to think it was "said your enemy". Now I clearly hear "you're saturating me". He says it like "saturenemy" though. But that sounds more like "saturating" than "sense your enemy." I don't fucking know.
__________________ Calm these hands before they snare another pill
And drive another nail down another meaty hole
Please release me...
Read what UtUmNo1 said, though. The lyrics page on TDN is not always right...
Maynard intentionally messes with it at times as well, probably in order to make people focus on the music a little more than the lyrics. Or just to fuck with the fans, as we know that the band loves to do so very much
__________________ "Computers are like women; they either work very well or not at all"
yeah, cause before he's says it there is clearly a "you're". So it wouldn't make sense to say "you're sense your enemy". But the way he says it, it really does sound like "enemy'. But because of the "you're" it cannot be. Definitley "saturating me".
__________________ Calm these hands before they snare another pill
And drive another nail down another meaty hole
Please release me...
"Read what UtUmNo1 said, though. The lyrics page on TDN is not always right...
Maynard intentionally messes with it at times as well, probably in order to make people focus on the music a little more than the lyrics. Or just to fuck with the fans, as we know that the band loves to do so very much."
That's the exact thing happening here.
For those of you who says you can clearly hear the "you're" before he says "saturating me" or "sense your enemy"... are crazy. There is a mumble- at best... and it doesn't sound like a "you're."
What is clearly heard is the "YOUR ENEMY." If you're a skeptic, then just listen to the phrase in question and tell me you dont hear "your enemy" at the end of the "senseyourenemy." I clearly hear all 3.
It's funny people acknowledge they hear "your enemy" but they still want to insist on it being "saturating me." Also, if you clearly hear the "enemy"... how could it still possibly be "saturating."
the word "saturating" cannot be pronounced without saying "ate"... you definitely DO NOT hear any "ATE" in the phrase during the song. You can hear the "your" and the "enemy." There's not a "t" sound either... but somehow it's "saturating..." which has 2 T's.
clearly hear enemy... and your. you do the math. Ockam's Razor.
I used to hear and never really questioned "saturating me" until it just clearly jumped out one time when I was listening to the song... and it's not like I was sitting there trying to find some new lyrics.
as I said in the very first post of this thread.. I think it could be a cousin to "Know Your Enemy" which he did back with Rage Against the Machine.
If you want my thorough explanation of why it's not "saturating me.." then ya need to start from post 1.
Oh, Path, "IN" instead of "Down.." very possible.
go listen to it with headphones and listen for "senseyourenemy"... instead of "saturating me"...I guarantee you'll hear it.
Last edited by ThreeDeviations; 08-22-2005 at 06:12 PM..
subtract the venom from it cuz I like you last few that have replied... even though you might not agree with what I'm saying- but here's the point.
"The funny thing is, if it was written down on the lyrics page that he says "sense your enemy," instead of "saturating me...." you would've never thought twice about it when you heard him sing that part. You would've never questioned a damn thing. You'd just smile and sing "sense your enemy" along with all of your friends. . .
Then some bozo would get on TDN, and make a post saying "I think he says "saturating me" instead of "sense your enemy..." then you and all of your friends would point your finger and giggle... and say, "Who does this self-righteous asshole think he is?"
It is positively NOT "saturating me" on the Undertow disk.
It is very likely that it's "senseyourenemy." Pronounced as a sens-yer enemy!
When he blends the sens and yer.. that's where people think they hear a "t" when really it's just the friction from the two letters rolled together.
1 so you say it could be "said" and NOT "sat" as the first syllable.... and you can hear "enemy" as you've already acknowledged previously...
2there's no clear "you're" before the phrase...
3and there is no "ate" sound at all which is impossible if it's "saturATE-ing me" because you can't say "saturating" without pronouncing the "ate" sound... regardless of how you pronouce the word.
4 there's no 2nd "T" sound anywhere... and not really even an inital "T" sound in the phrase.
but yeah, it must be saTurATE (ing)
OJ got off too-
he must not have done it.
Last edited by ThreeDeviations; 08-23-2005 at 06:39 PM..
I can hear them both. Interesting. Doesn't much change the meaning of the song, so i dont understand what all the bitching is about. I guess the only problem I have with "sense your enemy" is i dont know why maynard would write down "youre saturating me" in attempt to mislead listeners. Also i think it would be hard for him to hear words other than what he himself said, in attempt to come up with a similar sounding phrase just to dupe listeners (if that makes any sense what-so-ever).
Don't know why he'd write down "you're saturating me" in the lyrics in an attempt to mislead listeners?
same reason he doesn't enter all of the whisperings throughout most of the songs.
i.e. "I have a hard-on for you, for you... here it is, straight in." Crawl Away.
Same reason he says "piece" of mind in Pushit, when he clearly means "peace of mind"... Some would consider that a blatant attempt to mislead.
Same reason he says "Close enough so I can DROWN you" in Prison Sex the 2nd time through that phrase... even though on the lyrics page it's listed as "smell" you for both instances.
Same reason he dresses like a woman on stage.
Same reason he says "Holy" instead of "ugly" in Bottom.
Maynard intentionally messes with it at times as well, probably in order to make people focus on the music a little more than the lyrics. Or just to fuck with the fans, as we know that the band loves to do so very much
What WAve says here is the reason..
and I do think Maynard contemplates every word very carefully.. and considers words or phrases that might smokescreen the real meaning of a song. Afterall, it is his personal demons in most the songs. You wanna openly tell me about all of your skeletons?
for example, 4 degrees... most people assume the song is about anal sex when it's not.. mostly because of the line "Take it up higher...4 degrees warmer..."
Yes, the whole song is written in sexual metaphor .. but it's to disguise the fact the song is actually about his inner struggle to completely accept God. (listen to the song as if it is GOD talking to Maynard throughout the song)
He deliberately put that line in the song to "mislead" people into thinking it's something it's not.
if you want a better explanation of the 4 degrees thing, you can find it if you read my thread under that song... I dont feel like totally detailing it again.
Because when ya can't/don't have something...
then ya want it.
by him posting the lyrics... it placates the clones...
and who is really going to question them when they're submitted by MJK himself. Double reverse.
It's easier to keep the song's meanings murky by him posting the lyrics... and tweaking them here and there.. Also, I dont think it's entirely about keeping them murky. It's about trying to provoke thought... and a subtle nudge to think for yourself... even it's the MAN himself telling you.
WHAT??????????????????????
He says "holy" in bottom??????
"And it makes me feel UGLY!", What are you joking? Jesus, you are taking this WAY to far.
And how can you NOT think that sound similar -
sat----ur-----a------ting-------me
sense-your---e------ne--------my
They could be easliy mistaken. So I'll take Maynard's word before yours (especially when you are the only one who hears it).
__________________ Calm these hands before they snare another pill
And drive another nail down another meaty hole
Please release me...
despite the whole sense your enemy/ saturating me thing i think that id vs. super ego interpretation was really good but wouldnt the ego be somewhere in the end there? i always thought it was kind of a set the id and the superego argue then ego is the one that makes the final descion ?
path- yes, "saturating me" and "sense your enemy" could sound similar.
but you can't say "saturating" without saying "ate." There's no "ate."
sinking deeper, yeah, I think that makes sense... but doesn't really apply in this instance.
you guys dont have to agree about "holy" or "sense your enemy"... I realize it's a shock to your system.
Maybe someday-
Path- nobody else hears "sense your enemy?" there have been people in THIS THREAD who agree with me. However, it shouldn't take a numbers game in order for you to hear it. Blind inertia.
As I said before... if it was stated on the lyrics page as "sense your enemy" and somebody came on here and said it was "saturating me"... you'd be one of the first people to shoot it down... just like Triad636.
The stuff he posted as "lyrics" isn't verbatim as to what's actually said... it's amusing people perceive them as if they are.
i dont believe this was a demonstration of proper english pronounciation - its a rock song. there is a chance your right, and an even greater chance your wrong. it has nothing to do with people being "blind inertia" and everything to do with the fact that your head is planted firmly in your own ass. unless maynard has personally told you otherwise, your brilliant deduction is nothing but spectulation. yes, you can hear both phrases if you listen for them. but if it comes down between what the person who wrote them says, and what some punk-ass internet poster from michigan says, im going tend to roll with what the author says. and it has nothing to do with being a sheep or it shocking my system, just common sense.
