During the 1997 Lollapooloza tour Maynard spoke something generally like this " This next song is about having children, do any of you have kids? It is amazing how much they change your life isn't it?" Then began to play H. which is one of my favorite songs. If you listen to the song you can see why this could be true:
Whats coming through is alive - Giving Birth
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again - His child is his blood, wants to be loved, all children to
I feel this coming over like a storm again - All of the emotions that being a father brings.
I am too connected to you, slip away to fade away, Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me - He is his son he is connected to him, days away.. while on tour waiting to come home to see him, killing me.. he misses him so much it is killing him.
And as the snake is drowned and as i looked in his eyes my fear begins to fade recalling all of the times i could have cried then, I should have cried then - He has been scared of being a father but as he looks at his son he loosed that fear, he should of cried when his child was born because he was so happy.
And as the snake is drowned and as i look in your eyes my fear begins to fade recalling all of the times i have died, and will die its alright i don't mind - he is now speaking to his son, saying im not scared anymore im not scared your going to hurt me, and make me die inside, and all the times in the future that you will do it, i dont mind i love you your my son.
I have very similar ideas on this song. I think it makes sense. Here is my interpretation of this track.
"Whats coming through is alive
Whats holding up is a mirror
Whats singing songs is a snake
Looking to turn my piss to wine"
The birth of a child. With them they bring a whole new way of thinking for the parents. There is the nurturing and loving and caring, unconditionally, not to mention the fine line of whether to let your child play with fire and get burnt, or tell them that its hot and not to touch (sorry, lack of a better example). I think the introduction of the snake (an archetype, possibly in this case referring to control?) hints that the early stages of a childs life certainly needs this predictability and comfort and help from the parents, hence the snake is singing.
"They’re both totally void of hate
But killing me just the same
Snake behind me hisses
What my damage could’ve been
My blood before me megs me to open up my heart again
And I feel this coming over like a storm again, considerately."
The two strong feelings are tearing this parent apart. They are both totally natural and pure. Their child continues to grow, pushing every stage of their life, making mistakes and generally learning for themselves. As a parent, seeing this and not standing over the child to protect them can be quite difficult. He can see in his child eyes that they are human and free spirits, but the snake hisses at the child again, and the child asks “what my damage could’ve been?” implying that we all need to have a chance at learning for ourselves. The storm I think just indicates the build up of all of these emotions inside the parents head, and the childs for that matter.
"Venomous voice tempts me, drains me, bleeds me,
Leaves me cracked and empty. Drags me down
Like some sweet gravity."
This part is just beautiful. The snake continues to hiss, and these strong feelings are starting to affect him physically and emotionally, it is draining him.
"I am too connected to you to slip away
Fade away. Days away I still feel you touching me
Changing me, considerately killing me."
The love between a child and their parent is a bond which seldom breaks. The parent asserts that even though he has these feelings of over-bearing protection, he understands that he must let go, eventually. But this letting go means that he must also rid himself of the snake. The snake is apart of himself so he sees his son as unintentionally killing the snake, changing him.
"Without the skin here, beneath 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 have cried, and will cry"
It sounds as though there was some sort of emotional discussion where-by the parent finally overcomes the snake through communication and understanding, as the snake is really only a metaphor for a part of the psyche which, essentially, we all have (hence the archetype). He faces these emotions and through this understanding his fears of burdening his child fade.
"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, its alright. I don’t mind."
Now the parent knows that these were all natural emotions and that he will probably be confronted by them again, but he doesn’t mind.
"I am too connected to you to slip away
Fade away. Days away I still feel you touching me
Changing me, considerately killing me."
There it is. Not very well explained, but I think you can see where I am coming from. Remark, abuse, diss, make fun of, flirt or do whatever you want to this post.
Thank you for reading,
Andy
__________________ Chasing the Trail of smoke and reason
H. could be a bunch of things. Like happiness..or holy...or Horatio Hornblower. Who knows? Who cares?
And I think what a few people may have missed was the possibility that Maynard is also reflecting on his own childhood....
"My blood before me begs me
Open up my heart again."
-Perhaps he sees his child as wanting him to look back to his own childhood, to understand what it means to be a child. Or maybe he thinks this is right.
"And I feel this coming over likea storm again."
-It could be interpreted as him realizing that the part of the cycle of life that he went through, (childhood) is about to come around again in the form of his son. He's going to observe his son go through things that he did as a child
"I could/should have cried then----recalling all of the times I have died, I will die."
Again, he could be looking back into his own youth.
Though like any Tool song, it could be interpreted a million ways. But the concept of this being about his child does make sense. I'm not saying that these interpretations are what I think is correct, I'm just providing a possible meaning.
I hate to sound arrogant, but this is really obvious if you know that H is a slang for Heroin. Heroin is spelled with a capital H because it is a brand name - the drug is really called diacetylmorphine. The snake refers to the drug, which will tempt you because it seems to turn piss to wine - and which would you rather have?
The "blood before me" is about the physical addiction to the drug, wanting it back to deal with the pain of life. The connection with the drug is a deep emotional connection that doesn't just go away when you stop using. When you're sad, the drug prevents you from crying or expressing your feeling, instead it gives you that feeling that is "so comfortable, too comfortable" (Undertow).
In regards to childbirth/childhood, it's about that return to childhood that one sees when the third eye opens. It can't open on drugs. From personal experience, recovery from drug abuse is like being reborn.
This song shares a line with Alice in Chains - Angry Chair, where Layne says regarding Heroin:
"Can't find it anywhere, I don't mind."
Last edited by PRNinja23; 07-01-2003 at 08:43 AM..
I hate to sound arrogant, but this is really obvious if you know that H is a slang for Heroin. Heroin is spelled with a capital H because it is a brand name - the drug is really called diacetylmorphine. The snake refers to the drug, which will tempt you because it seems to turn piss to wine - and which would you rather have?
The "blood before me" is about the physical addiction to the drug, wanting it back to deal with the pain of life. The connection with the drug is a deep emotional connection that doesn't just go away when you stop using. When you're sad, the drug prevents you from crying or expressing your feeling, instead it gives you that feeling that is "so comfortable, too comfortable" (Undertow).
In regards to childbirth/childhood, it's about that return to childhood that one sees when the third eye opens. It can't open on drugs. From personal experience, recovery from drug abuse is like being reborn.
This song shares a line with Alice in Chains - Angry Chair, where Layne says regarding Heroin:
"Can't find it anywhere, I don't mind."
i am more inclined to follow boith interpretations, as i have debated both. the addiction, and the birth of a child.
in teh faq area, was not this song referred as to almost eb ing called "half empty or half full" or has all that changed....you never know the real meaning of things w/tool, and that is fine with me...
During the 1997 Lollapooloza tour Maynard spoke something generally like this " This next song is about having children, do any of you have kids? It is amazing how much they change your life isn't it?" Then began to play H. which is one of my favorite songs. If you listen to the song you can see why this could be true:
Whats coming through is alive - Giving Birth
My blood before me begs me open up my heart again - His child is his blood, wants to be loved, all children to
I feel this coming over like a storm again - All of the emotions that being a father brings.
I am too connected to you, slip away to fade away, Days away I still feel you touching me, changing me, and considerately killing me - He is his son he is connected to him, days away.. while on tour waiting to come home to see him, killing me.. he misses him so much it is killing him.
And as the snake is drowned and as i looked in his eyes my fear begins to fade recalling all of the times i could have cried then, I should have cried then - He has been scared of being a father but as he looks at his son he loosed that fear, he should of cried when his child was born because he was so happy.
And as the snake is drowned and as i look in your eyes my fear begins to fade recalling all of the times i have died, and will die its alright i don't mind - he is now speaking to his son, saying im not scared anymore im not scared your going to hurt me, and make me die inside, and all the times in the future that you will do it, i dont mind i love you your my son.
Thats how I take the song ever since 1997.
What do you think??
Good shit.
__________________ "a mass of gallon sloth, as flys have walls for feet, a rapturous-verbatim-someone said but who's to know, and when you find the fringe, the one last hit that spent you, you'll find the ossuary is spilling by the day"
"G30. OK, they have a song called "H." What's it stand for?
The working / early title for this song was "Half Empty." The H likely stands for that (or "Half Full"). It may represent the old "half-empty is interchangeable with half-full" notion. Of course, it could also stand for anything else. It's a safe bet that it does not stand for Heroin. " - The Tool FAQ / Kabir
"G30. OK, they have a song called "H." What's it stand for?
The working / early title for this song was "Half Empty." The H likely stands for that (or "Half Full"). It may represent the old "half-empty is interchangeable with half-full" notion. Of course, it could also stand for anything else. It's a safe bet that it does not stand for Heroin. " - The Tool FAQ / Kabir
well... Music is an oppinion whether it be music is good... or music is bad. Music is an opinion. So if somoeone looks at this song as a song about heroin than let them... just tell us what you think of the song. and we will either agree or disagree
i've heard him talk about his son right before H. as well.
if maynard talks about his son right before the song, its pretty obvious the song is about his son.
H. may be slang for heroin, or the song may be about the half empty half full- question, theres nobody who knows better what the song is about than maynard himself. he is trying to tell us something. so he is not just mentioning his son who's middle name just happens to be H.
it's almost offfensive to just ignore his words and say the song is about drugs, when the song is about the love for children and parenthood. isn't that beautiful enough?
__________________ i am just an imbecile.
but trust me.
trust me.
H is about Hydrogen, yes, because a capitol H stands for Hydrogen. No, I don't really think that, I'm just saying that a capital H might be slang for Heroin, but that doesn't mean that it stands for that in Maynard's mind. P.S. One thing that I've learned is that you really haven't learned a thing if you make statements here instead of just ideas, comments, or opinions. So, maybe just saying that you think that song is about Heroin, that it makes sense to you for it to be about that, that is good, but to start saying that IT IS, and that you don't mean to sound arrogant because as soon as you say that, you sound arrogant. P.P.S Maynard has said that he wants to meet his fans through their music, so, however you interpret it and meet with the band, that is perfectly fine I think. Anyway, any comments are welcome.
Isnt it just amazing how an interpretation on HEROIN can sound right.... then something in a totally different realm, like childbirth, can be interpreted from the same set of lyrics... and both are right!
WOW TOOL is more insane than I could ever imagine :-D
I have posted this before and I still don't understand how you guys can be a member of a website and not read the FAQ section!!! H is NOT about Heroin that is ridiculous!! And referring to Maynard's songs like he's a junkee is an insult to me and TooL.
H stand for....Half Empy or Half Full...nothing else, and I read the magazine were Maynard was quoted saying that.
__________________ Our farthers are models for God. If our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God? --Tyler Durden--
I have posted this before and I still don't understand how you guys can be a member of a website and not read the FAQ section!!! H is NOT about Heroin that is ridiculous!! And referring to Maynard's songs like he's a junkee is an insult to me and TooL.
H stand for....Half Empy or Half Full...nothing else, and I read the magazine were Maynard was quoted saying that.
Oh, thanks, mate. I didn't realise that it was that simple. Did you hear that everyone, all we should have been doing this whole time was just accept the first things we read about in an interview.
Gosh, I was wasting all this time researching and shit, trying to learn something new, when it was as simple as that.
Thanks again, buddy.
p.s. Try reading something OTHER than the FAQ. There are heaps of good books out there and you never know, you might learn something new.
__________________ Chasing the Trail of smoke and reason
H stand for....Half Empy or Half Full...nothing else, and I read the magazine were Maynard was quoted saying that.
One time I read this magazine article where Tool said there was a going to be a song called Poopy the Clown on their next cd, so I don't trust the magazines anymore.
__________________ 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.
__________________ "a mass of gallon sloth, as flys have walls for feet, a rapturous-verbatim-someone said but who's to know, and when you find the fringe, the one last hit that spent you, you'll find the ossuary is spilling by the day"
l didn't mean what he said. l meant how he put the meaning of the song of what Maynard says it to be...and then just gave us that.
__________________ 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.
Maynard could've just said that stuff before they played H. just so he could fuck with your minds, and you would end up listening to H. always thinking that it was about the birth of his child...and them emotions that follows. PRNinja23 is getting somewhere with that whole heroin fact i mean why would maynard write "piss turns to wine'' part if its about Devo?
Well happy thinking........
Think for yourself, dont believe everything your told
+DeadOhio+
__________________ 'We're on a bullet, and we're headed straight into God..even he'd like to end it too: Marilyn Manson- Death Song
But it's been spoken previously about how the meaning of the title of the song H. is NOT heroin. Some people think it means half full...that l'm not possitive about, but it makes more sense. He could be talking to turning piss into wine because of biblical history...how God can change things. lncluding turning something bad, into good.
__________________ 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.
I read that Maynard's name is actually Maynard H. Keenan.Die hard Tool fans correct me if I am wrong.I agree that the song is about the birth of his son.Piss to wine?Wine represents the sperm.Think about it...
Maynards name is Maynard J. Keenan. This is because of his true first name James, Maynard James Keenan. He changed his name, his real name is James Herbert Keenan...He took off the Herbert, added the Maynard to the front...Making it Maynard J.
__________________ 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.
interpretation of a song is the worst thing to ever argue about. it ruins the song. instead of sitting back and letting the music pass over and through you people begin to sit and pick apart ever thing he says. even if i am just wallowing in a pool of naievity(<- not a real word)
i rather owuld be then ruining great music. H can mean so many things. H. can mean nothing. the only thing that really matters to me is the music.
__________________ i'd trade all my tomorrows for one single yesterday
Glad some other people here have looked at the song as something other than usage/addiction to heroin. Tool has no other songs about drugs, and i could never bring myself to think this one to be either. Personally I always kinda thought it was something about a failing relationship, but childbirth/having a son makes just as much sense. Thanks.
I do not believe that this song is about heirion or about chidren.. I have always interpreted as a strugle for ones self being..... its pretty amazing. but music is what you take out of it right?
interpretation of a song is the worst thing to ever argue about. it ruins the song. instead of sitting back and letting the music pass over and through you people begin to sit and pick apart ever thing he says. even if i am just wallowing in a pool of naievity(<- not a real word)
i rather owuld be then ruining great music. H can mean so many things. H. can mean nothing. the only thing that really matters to me is the music.
arguing about the meaning is stupid, but these discussions can help open our eyes to other ideas
MOST IMPORTANT is how you apply the lyrics to your life,
im actualy kind of suprised no one has mentioned this (or maybe they have..i dunno) but in the tree of life, your ego is the "snake" that constricts the proggression of your soul, and Tool seems kinda big on that... hot? warm? cold? needing to shut up now? alright im gonna go do something disfunctional now...
im actualy kind of suprised no one has mentioned this (or maybe they have..i dunno) but in the tree of life, your ego is the "snake" that constricts the proggression of your soul, and Tool seems kinda big on that... hot? warm? cold? needing to shut up now? alright im gonna go do something disfunctional now...
(Not to be too fragment, but...............) Thats an interesting point.
__________________ Chasing the Trail of smoke and reason
Heroin my ass... i seriously doubt this (wonderful) song is an ode to some narcotic. Childbirth is a more likely interpretation, but that just dosn't seem enough....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mehhico
(Not to be too fragment, but...............) Thats an interesting point.
Heroin my ass... i seriously doubt this (wonderful) song is an ode to some narcotic. Childbirth is a more likely interpretation, but that just dosn't seem enough....
then again, tool is a rather unpredictable bunch of lads.
