This song is intriguing, very un-serious style it would seem for Tool. Also lyrics are more abstract and not a blatant joke (“Maynard’s Dick”) so, I’ve been trying to figure out just what the hell is going on in this song, because honestly in many ways it seems like it was made just to fuck with their fans (so many riffs and sounds are re-used but just slightly different).

My guess is, Tool themselves are a bit irritated with how pretentious some of their fans have become in regards to all the enlightenment themes that occur in their music. To me, Maynard is basically being sarcastic in this song saying he has the holy message to deliver, but, he forgot his pen. In a way, I think it may have to deal with the pressure he and the band feels with the level / pedestal some people have put Tool’s message in their lives. (which is kind of their own fault, with their own motto's like "Think for Yourself, Believe in Nothing")

I can’t figure out what’s with the seemingly intentional use of previous riffs and sounds from other songs, but again I almost feel like they just did it to mess with their fans.

Just an idea.

I hope I’m wrong really, I’m all for them fucking with their fans, but to devote 11 minutes of the album to it is kind of overkill. And, I think the song could be good but the fact that I feel like its fucking with me is making it hard for me to connect with it like I often do with Tool’s music.

His style kind of reminds me more of Mike Patton lyrics, which is cool, but man its strange to hear Tool songs without as distinct of a message.

the message is buried in the style...the frantic cadence and sudden screaming all suggest overwhelming drug effects

and everything theyve done is for a reason...if a riff sounds familiar, its supposed to sound familiar...

think of rosetta stoned as a wierd acid flashback of all previous tool albums...especially aenima

interesting idea, but still my point is kind of true

if the song is just an acid flash back, thats not much of a message, more just a description / illustration of events

where as every track its 'flashbacking' to on aenima / lateralus has a theme and or message

again, maybe I just don't get it though, reading some official lyrics would help a lot.

from what i can decipher

the hectic cadence is inserted purposefully..

and its supposed to be a flashback imo, but in that flashback are buried little nuggets of understanding. mainly, or so it seems to me, that understanding is that drugs arent the key to enlightenment because although they may seem to posess clarity, hallucinations and wandering drug induced trances dont really provide anything of value unless you posess the ability to comprehend them when sober.

again, just my opinion though...i too will love to read nards official lyrics to this one

have any of you read the lyrics posted at distortion online? They're obviously not complete, but they give some insight into the theme of the song.

The lyrics lead me to believe that maynard is doing some roleplaying (as an acidhead hippie- seemingly the 'chosen one' abducted by aliens and given DIVINE KNOWLEDGE) remember that one BMB fans?

I was under the impression that this song is simply about drugs... and how they can make you feel enlightened, when in reality you are just stupid and stoned....

I heard some speculation that i agreed with, which ill repeat here

"Overwhelmed is what you would be
If placed in my position.
Such a heavy burden now to be the one.
Born to bear and read you all the details of our ending.
To write it down for all the world to see.
But I forgot my pen.
Shit the bed again. Typical."

Its been suggested that the passage refers to Maynard's feeling of obligation to describe all things he sees wrong with American society, which so far, is how I interpret 10,000 days (for the most part). Vicarious points out the wrongs of the public's thirst for violence, right in two describes how senseless humans fighting humans is, the pot spells out wrongs of hypocrisy in our government.

Taken from Tool's Kerrang! interview...

"I think for me, and this is just personally, the last few years have really been crushing. For me, as an artist, I needed to see on some level if speaking my mind would actually inspire people - you see the sky falling and you feel like youve got to say something. I think of prior tool albums 'AEnema' and 'Lateralus', lyrically, I had this idea of trying to share things and push some kind of higher purpose - enlightenment, this global consciousness thing - and everything thats going on nowadays has kind of left me a little disappointed, a little bummed. So I think on this album Ive talked more about my personal stuff, things that I needed to get off my chest. Its a little cynical and its almost like coming from a sad place. Theres some hope in it, but its more back to rock and roll basics, just experessing some very big sadness thats from the gut."

I'd say that the personal stuff he needs get off his chest is half expressed in jambi and wings, and the other half is a final attempt to point out what's wrong.
In my opinion, this is the band's way of saying, "I feel like I'm responsible to make people realize that there are things that are wrong going on, and it's "such a heavy burden, now, to be the one. Born to bear and read you all the details of our ending.
To write it down for all the world to see."

A lot of the song still seems unexplained to me, however. Especially, "God damn, shit the bed," and "I can't remember what they said." You might argue that "God damn, shit the bed," is purely comedic, but (with the exception of maynards dick) every profanity in a Tool song has a deeper meaning. 4 degrees, on the surface its about how a womans asshole is 4 degrees warmer than her vagina, dig deeper and its about opening your mind to different possibilities. Aenema, on the surface, its an anal cleansing, dig deeper, and LA is the asshole being washed away. The same surface meaning/deeper meaning ideas are also in Prison Sex, Stinkfist, Third Eye, Pushit. Tool may have put in "shit the bed" purely for comedy, but i have a feeling theres more to it

well done mental

this song is multi-layered for certain

I like the literal interpretation, personally.

Good your nearly there, a little further and .. holy shit its a joke. HOAX