ok i am now a first time tool listener and ive found i really enjoy their music. here is my interpretation of the song reflection.

"I have come curiously close to the end, down
Beneath my self-indulgent pitiful hole.
Defeated, Concede and move closer. I may find comfort here
I may find peace within the emptiness.
How pitiful."

there i found they are curious about sucide while still trying to live with the nothing he has been left with.

"And in my darkest moment, fetal and weeping.
The moon tells me a secret.
My confidant.
As full and bright as I am, this light is not my own
A million light reflections
pass over me
It's source is bright and endless. She resuscitates the hopeless.
Without her we are lifeless satellites drifting."

there it's stating that even during the hardest of times there is always one thing or person tha will bring hope and light into your life.

"So crucify the ego before it's far too late
To leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical
And you will come to find that we are all one mind
Capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
Just let the light touch you and let the words spill through
Just let them pass right through, bringing out our hope and reason."

you have to leave your ego before you lose the things you do have in life. you just need to make things right and life will go back to the way it used to be.

^^^ Antennas to heaven, you beat me to it. Anyway, I got a very strong message from the hidden track on Undertow, although its not very figurative. Its basically a kermit the frog like voice preaching in the typical sermon manner. I wont type the whole thing, but he goes on about how he heard the carrots on his farm screaming and crying, and comparing their harvest to a holocaust. The song then breaks into a rhythmic tribal beat with the lyrics "this is necessary, life feeds on life" repeated. From this, I get the impression that pain and murder are an unavoidable part of nature. These "activists" preach animal rights, but what about the plants?? They could very well feel as much pain as humans or animals. If anyone gets anything out of the last part of the track, be free to share becaus Im stuck there.

Adam jones is GOD, that link you gave all us lucky people was really intreeging, its a shame the guys email adress doesnt work, but really more links like that would be greatly apreciated :D

you mean the part that says "satan, satan", and fades off and then the stories about extacy and acid? lol kinda obvious drug induced antics.................love it lol

[QUOTE=Metal!]you mean the part that says "satan, satan", and fades off and then the stories about extacy and acid? lol kinda obvious drug induced antics.................love it lol[/QUOTE]

Very funny song, and if you haven't noticed, the track is at 6 minutes and 66 seconds on track 6 (although it varies at points depending on your CD player).
The same with other hidden tracks on the other albums.

[QUOTE=Antennas to Heaven]Although I wouldn't say your interperetation is "bad", Martin Luther King Jr. wasnt the one who nailed the 95 theses to the front of the church door. The man was Martin Luther, who disagreed with the church, and gave 95 reasons for a reform, several hundred years ago. This created Lutheran following, and open the flood gates for other Roman Catholic "spin-off" sects.[/QUOTE]

Thanks dude, I only know from what i read, maybe that dude was talking about the older ML. My interpretation now doesn't make too much sense. It is so difficult to explain the crucifiction and get off your f*cking cross bits without talking about jesus.

A guy way back there said that 'Stinkfist' is about anal fisting.

How wrong you are. I read something about Stinkfist somewhere, and it is now what I believe the song is about.

What i believe, is that Stinkfist is about the desensitisation of the human race. For example, back in the 1970's it was shocking to put certain things on television, like nudity, drugs etc. Nowadays, people dont 'want more', they 'need more' to be stimulated. It's ok to show that stuff now as we are used to it. We, the human race are becoming desensitised. "Knuckle/Fist/Shoulder deep within the borderline". This is saying that we need more and more to stimulate us, and each time we want to get it as close to the borderline (past that being too far) as we can without going over it. Another example would be taking as much heroin as you can to get as stimulated as you can without overdosing.

[QUOTE=bob dole]this is kinda spam but id like to thank you guys for making me want to start listening to tool. it seems as though they are one of the few bands that puts real meaning in their songs and would never have realized it 'till i rea this thread[/QUOTE]

Thanks.
My goal is the same as "adam jones is GOD" to spread the word of Rev. Maynard & TOOL. Alot of people dont like the band, because they dont understand them. they are "too weird, too satanic" which I feel is totally wrong. if you actually try understanding lyrics, and making sense of their music as a whole... you cant help but love them... very funny, very intelligent.

Lets try keeping this thread alive, by not spaming & trying to keep the theorys flowing. keep rockin!

[QUOTE=metally_mental]A guy way back there said that 'Stinkfist' is about anal fisting.

How wrong you are. I read something about Stinkfist somewhere, and it is now what I believe the song is about.

What i believe, is that Stinkfist is about the desensitisation of the human race. For example, back in the 1970's it was shocking to put certain things on television, like nudity, drugs etc. Nowadays, people dont 'want more', they 'need more' to be stimulated. It's ok to show that stuff now as we are used to it. We, the human race are becoming desensitised. "Knuckle/Fist/Shoulder deep within the borderline". This is saying that we need more and more to stimulate us, and each time we want to get it as close to the borderline (past that being too far) as we can without going over it. Another example would be taking as much heroin as you can to get as stimulated as you can without overdosing.[/QUOTE]

hm.. good theory. I agree with you.it makes alot of sense.
where he says...
[B]
[I]"Something has to change.
Un-deniable dilemma.
Boredom's not a burden
Anyone should bear.

Constant over stimu-lation numbs me
and I wouldn't have
It any other way."[/I][/B]

"Boredom's not a burden anyone should bear." goes back almost exactly like you were saying america have been desensitised, it takes more to "stimulate" the mind. good ol' "Leave it to Beaver" just aint cutting it anymore.
[b]
[i]
"Blend and balance
Pain and comfort
Deep within you
Till you will not have me any other way"
[/b][/i]

Pain = Murder/Violence; Comfort- Sex/Drugs.
Till you will not have me any other way = If you fill the human mind with sex, drugs, murder, hate.. then removed it all, and air old re-runs of Happy Days, Leave it to Beaver, the Three Stooges etc, what do you then would happen to the Ratings? just imangine alot of pissed off people.

[b][i]

" Shoulder deep within the borderline.
Relax. Turn around and take my hand."

"Knuckle deep inside the borderline.
This may hurt a little but it's something you'll get used to.
Relax. Slip away."

[/b][/i]

I'd say this is the view of the major television networks, Basicly anal fisting/raping you, sucking you into the grime of american t.v.

[B]The end[/B].. im at work and I gotta get busy.. I could keep going but i'll save you, and save myself from getting yelled at by the boss for not working.. Thats my view on the track, basically the same as metally_mental, enjoy!

:evil:

I agree with the previous comments on Stinkfist, i used to view it as a song about drug addiction, and how to get the desired effect each time, more is needed, but the views of the media images etc is one that I now see as the overall meaning.
This theme seems to be tied in with the video well, there are a few scenes, for example, the breathing apparatus could be seen as the need for more stimulation, something that is everyday and can be done anywhere fed through a single source. I interpret this as the media delievering ideas and themes that we could find anywhere in day to day life, but being fed to us through them.
Another scene where to two people's heads a fused together is a way of showing how it has caused all our minds to be on the same level, and how independent thought is being removed.
This would also explain the end well, as the character peels away his skin, and returns to colour, not the blue complextion, shows the independence and non conformity that the band itself has adopted, breaking away from the rest. The creature on his shoulder at the end represents the fact that no matter how we change, there will always be something there to curse us, constantly on our back, attempting to manipulate us.

Once again, this is just my opinion, Tool videos are even more open ended than lyrics, it often is Adam's take on the songs, and his interpretation of them, and (apart from probably Hush) there could be a dozen different views on them from different fans.

[QUOTE=metally_mental]A guy way back there said that 'Stinkfist' is about anal fisting.

How wrong you are. I read something about Stinkfist somewhere, and it is now what I believe the song is about.

What i believe, is that Stinkfist is about the desensitisation of the human race. For example, back in the 1970's it was shocking to put certain things on television, like nudity, drugs etc. Nowadays, people dont 'want more', they 'need more' to be stimulated. It's ok to show that stuff now as we are used to it. We, the human race are becoming desensitised. "Knuckle/Fist/Shoulder deep within the borderline". This is saying that we need more and more to stimulate us, and each time we want to get it as close to the borderline (past that being too far) as we can without going over it. Another example would be taking as much heroin as you can to get as stimulated as you can without overdosing.[/QUOTE]

if thats what the song's about, then whats with the line "show me that you love me/and the pieces come together" ?

anyways, im a huge Tool fan. i've even got the golden spiral as my avatar (well, because of Tool and the movie Pi). but yeah, i'll probably get around to personally interpreting one of their songs in the near future.

^^
ok, firstly its "show me that you love me and that we belong together". i don't know how this could tie into the song, other than just going along with the metaphorical meaning of the song, anal fisting. i would be interested on on peoples interpretation of that particular line though because im sure it has more meaning than that.

ok [FONT=Arial Black]"Forty-six and Two".[/FONT]
great song but wtf does it mean??

i read somewhere that its about humans evolving, leaving our primal ways behind... "stepping through the shadow, coming out the other side". before analysing id like to say that maynard is a big fan of the psychoanalyst, Carl Jung. His theory of the "shadow" is in this song. Jung argued that the shadow is our alter ego.. everything we hate about ourselves, formed into this despicable dark counterpart of our psyche, that we resent in ourselves.

[FONT=Arial Black]"shadows shedding skin, ive been pickin scabs again.
ive been digging through my old muscles, looking for a clue."[/FONT]

Maynard is saying he is looking through himself, looking at his past and how he has changed, and looking at everything he dislikes in himself, and is now ready to move on. he is saying his shadow is shedding things he used to hate about himself, because he is past all that now and more mature.

[FONT=Arial Black]"ive been crawlin on my belly, clearing out what could have been.
ive been wallowing in my own confused and, insecure delusions"[/FONT]

talking about the past still, realising how stupid he used to be eg. maynard in the army?? lol. clearing out means forgetting old dreams of a conformed lifestyle.

[FONT=Arial Black]"For a piece to cross me over, or a word to guide me in.
I wanna feel the changes coming down.
I wanna know what I've been hiding in, my shadow."[/FONT]

for a piece, i think could mean just a piece of inspiration, be it music, art anything. anything to inspire him to take another look at himself, and the world around him. he is saying he is ready to feel the changes, and ready to face everything he has resented and hidden away in his alter ego, his shadow.

now about the forty-six and two bit. apparently, there used to be this guy who believed that there were three different kinds of humans, with different chromosomes. the aboriginals of australia supposedly has less than us, 36 or something. this being determined by their lifestyle and beliefs. the other group i forget now, but us has 42 and 2 i think*. not important anyway because all humans have the same chromosomes (except for people with down syndrome who are either missing one or have an extra one, i forget now.) but, supposedly we were supposed to evolve, and gain more chromosomes, presenting us with new abilities as humans. a nice theory, but all a lot of bull5hit in reality. but hey, it made for a great song and maynard just used it as an example of evolution in ourselves, and the process of 'individualisation'. another one of jungs theories. This song not being specific to that theory, just using it as a guideline to get his message across.

now, the rest of the song is just about maynard being ready to experience the world in a new light, and to be open to everything the world throws at him. "to be paranoid and to lie". he is even ready to face it when the world throws s hit in his face, or he does things he doesnt want to do like lie. you get the idea, and this is again, an opinion i stole from someone else because i otherwise would have had no fu ck ing clue about this song. i recognised the carl jung stuff though, and if you want to understand the title aenima, and the song aenema, research his stuff. very interesting reading. cheers... :thumb:

How has this thread managed to slip onto page 5? I think there are still some interesting point sto be taken from it,and a lot of people ar efinally giving interesting comments on Tool for a change. Although from reading another APC thread, I think it should be extended to discuss APC lyrics too, as they are just as complex as Maynards in Tool.

(although if I get flamed for bumping this, ill let this thread die)

This is one of my favorite topics. The beauty of Tool is thier lyrics can mean multiple things to different people. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent chatting with people about Tool lyrics, what they mean, how they arrange and compose thier music. If ya ever get bored and wanna talk shop lemme know! SFK.

Good to see this thread now had Mod sponsorship of a sorts (Cheers Stagefrightken :thumb:). I figured I should write my own in depth review of a Tool song, and hope the fans will re emerge and discuss.

Tool – The Patient

This is my personal favourite Tool song (that isn’t a live track, at least), and it is also one that is surprisingly thin on lyrics. Again though, it could be interpreted many ways. Here is my interpretation:

A groan of tedium escapes me, startling the fearful.
Is this a test?

I see this as MJK interpreting the reactions that previous comments and lyrics have received off certain people in the media, etc. The groan of tedium being his take on the world (songs like Ænima and Opiate spring to mind), and the criticisms the band has received being the test.

But I'm still right here, giving blood and keeping faith. And I'm still right here.

Going with the theme, it means that he is still making music, and putting his heart into the songs, and believing they are having a positive impact.

If there were no rewards to reap,
no loving embrace to see me through this tedious path I've chosen here,
I certainly would've walked away by now.

The rewards could either be the reactions of the fans, or depending on MJK’s attitude with the song, could be the record sales and profits (He has a tendency to be honest or conformist about trivial matters at times, or do the opposite and creates bizarre but believable hoax versions). The tedious path would refer to the music industry, which we know can be a long road for bands with true talent (and unfortunately, a stroll for those who are deemed ‘the next best thing’).

If there were no desire to heal
The damaged and broken met along this tedious path I've chosen here,

This refers to other artists that Tool has seen along the way that have run into problems or broke up due to the pressures (Tool once said in an interview that all their peers have seemingly gone, eg. RATM, Soundgarden, etc, and it was uup to them to fly the flag), and the desire to show them that there is hope. The healing reference could be their attempt to restore some kind of consistency to real music, and not all these moment of glory pop-punk/emo acts making up the masses.

I certainly would've walked away by now.
And I still may. And I still may. And I still may.

I'm gonna wait it out.


This shows that MJK knows that Tool or any other of his project culd not last forever, and if the current trends continue, there may be no hope for music. But it ends on the positive note that he will continue to create music and see what the end product is.


Discuss or destroy as you will, but please be constructive. (as always, this is merely an opinion, not fact. MJK said himself that most people's interpretations are way off, read it here in the opinions page [url]http://toolshed.down.net/0000.html[/url])

So Danny Carey and MJK basically worship the devil in some sort of sense, because MJK makes fun of Jesus Christ in some songs.

for all Tool fans!!!

Check this out:
[url]http://www.thirdeyegathering.com[/url]
It's a three day festival of Art, Music and Philosophy, formerly known as the Toolgathering.
Hint: use the password "REVE" to get a ticket discount online!

Peace.

[QUOTE=Everything_and_Nothing_3:15]So Danny Carey and MJK basically worship the devil in some sort of sense, because MJK makes fun of Jesus Christ in some songs.[/QUOTE]

How does making fun of Jesus imply devil worship? :confused:

Well first off Maynard may worship satan because he was the only child of a baptist minister.. Right now I will say I do not know much about religion so he may have been brought up with so many restrictions he sees jesus christ as the "bad guy" and has turned against the religion.

"[B]Die Eier Von Sataan[/B]"

is German for the eggs of satan. This song is just a German recipie (sp) about making some kind of tradtional Germanic dish. My stepdad happens to be from Berlin, so he had just told me what it meant, and it was pretty much like they took a page out of a book and translated it into German. This thread has made me want to go and work on a few songs, so I shall post my finding soon.

[B]Track: The Grudge
Album: Lateralis[/B]


My interpritation: Excuse for possibly the most legendary scream in a song EVER!


tool rool

[QUOTE]How does making fun of Jesus imply devil worship?[/QUOTE]
Well Jesus Christ is one of the Higher figures in the Christian religion right? Therefore disrestpecting some one of higher power in an organization like christanity shows that you don't care for them and don't like them. So when some one doesnt' like some thing they usually go in the opposite direciton of it, the opposite of christanity being Satanism. For example, someone who doesn't like to drive cars drives a motorcycle.

this is the best thread ever...well i caught on a little late so im gonna make a run through of some things ive noticed and i want to say something about..
Adam Jones is great, everybody thinks good guitar skills are soloing..thats why noone gives much credit to kurt cobain..but making up good guitar riffs is **** hard and they are both good at it.

Maynard is god.

i always pictured eulogy being about hitler..im sure its wrong but, what i saw in my head.

im not much on analyzing tool songs, i just like to read others analyzations cause i figure all of these are probably wrong but Maynard is never gonna tell us what the songs mean anyway, so appreciation of the opinions are highly noted.

Thanks for the awesome thread,and please keep it going
Peace
Jeff

What is the song Hooker with a ***** about?

Granted Tool has different religous beliefs, that doesnt make them bad people. Thats one of the greatest things about living in the United States, freedom of religion. If they choose to sing about politics, religion, or whatever they don't have to worry about the secret police breaking in and hauling them off.

I don't believe the members of Tool are Satanists at all. I feel they are spiritual people with different beliefs. If anything, and this is a guess, I would say they were Athiest. I have no idea tho, it would be interesting to get into a religious conversation with some of them.....

Some one needs to have an interview with the band so we can find out what all there song mean.

Eulogy is about Bill Hicks, and Aenema is basically one of Bill Hicks visions about the natural demise of California. I think the song also touches on how the human race has turned life in general into a self centered, self promoting materialistic world with LA being the center of the universe for most of these people. Again, this is the beauty of Tool lyrics, so many people get different things from them...

If I remember correctly, Hooker with a ***** is about a kid goin up to them tellen them that they sold out. Something like that.

I am not sure at all...But I think Hooker With a ***** is about the guy on Harry manback...Like I said, I don't know, that is what I thought.

[QUOTE=eon blue apocolypse][B]this is the best thread ever[/B]...well i caught on a little late so im gonna make a run through of some things ive noticed and i want to say something about..
Adam Jones is great, everybody thinks good guitar skills are soloing..thats why noone gives much credit to kurt cobain..but making up good guitar riffs is **** hard and they are both good at it.

Maynard is god.

i always pictured eulogy being about hitler..im sure its wrong but, what i saw in my head.

im not much on analyzing tool songs, i just like to read others analyzations cause i figure all of these are probably wrong but Maynard is never gonna tell us what the songs mean anyway, so appreciation of the opinions are highly noted.

Thanks for the awesome thread,and please keep it going
Peace
Jeff[/QUOTE]

I completely agree. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: