Tool Lyrics

Discussion in 'Art & Culture' started by lokee, Sep 8, 2002.

  1. %BlueSoulRobot% Copyright! Copyright!! Registered Senior Member

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    Thanks, man. I'm special. *cheesy grin* Lemme go find Eulogy...

    All right, from this song, so aptly named "Eulogy", the singer is talking about Jesus on the cross. He finds little meaning in His death ("He had a lot to say. He had a lot of nothing to say."), and he thinks that Jesus was a poser, and not the Son of God ("He had a voice that was strong and loud. We'll miss him. Ranting and pointing his finger, At everything but his heart."). The singer has a cynical side to him; just look at all the times he has repeated "We'll miss him.".

    He can't believe that Jesus was really that saintly ("Don't you step out of line. Don't you fuckin lie."), and how Jesus was nothing but a two-faced liar, who preyed on man's insecurity to raise his own image ("I, Swallowed his facade cuz I'm so, Eager to identify with, Someone above the ground, Someone who seemed to feel the same...").

    The singer obviously takes little from Jesus's crucifixion, because the very title is a contradiction to what he says. A eulogy is a commendatory formal statement or set oration or high praise for the dead, yet here he is, crushing everything that Jesus's death stood for.

    Eulogy

    He had a lot to say.
    He had a lot of nothing to say.
    We'll miss him.

    So long.
    We wish you well.
    You told us how you weren't afraid to die.
    Well then, so long.
    Don't cry.
    Or feel too down.
    Not all martyrs see divinity.
    But at least you tried.

    Standing above the crowd,
    He had a voice that was strong and loud.
    We'll miss him.
    Ranting and pointing his finger
    At everything but his heart.
    We'll miss him.

    No way to recall
    What it was that you had said to me,
    Like I care at all.

    So loud.
    You sure could yell.
    You took a stand on every little thing
    And so loud.

    Standing above the crowd,
    He had a voice so strong and loud and I
    Swallowed his facade cuz I'm so
    Eager to identify with
    Someone above the ground,
    Someone who seemed to feel the same,
    Someone prepared to lead the way, with
    Someone who would die for me.

    Will you? Will you now?
    Would you die for me?
    Don't you fuckin lie.

    Don't you step out of line.
    Don't you fuckin lie.

    You've claimed all this time that you would die for me.
    Why then are you so surprised to hear your own eulogy?

    You had a lot to say.
    You had a lot of nothing to say.

    Come down.
    Get off your fuckin cross.
    We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

    To ascend you must die.
    You must be crucified
    For your sins and your lies. [sic]
    Goodbye...
     
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  3. Xev Registered Senior Member

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    I disagree with you on Eulogy, Blue. I think it's about a prophet who wasn't much of a prophet.

    He believed this prophet, then realized how shallow the things the person said. It might be about Jesus, but I think it's more general.

    He had a lot to say.
    He had a lot of nothing to say.
    We'll miss him.


    His prophet had a lot to say, bitter denunciations of everything under the sun and wild proposals to fix things, I imagine. But in the end, nothing that the prophet said was new, groundbreaking or meaningful.

    So long.
    We wish you well.
    You told us how you weren't afraid to die.
    Well then, so long.
    Don't cry.
    Or feel too down.


    He consoles the martyr. Such sweet irony!

    Not all martyrs see divinity.
    But at least you tried.


    The prophet thought he was more than he really was. But at least the prophet tried to be someone. I like the derision here.

    Standing above the crowd,
    He had a voice that was strong and loud.
    We'll miss him.
    Ranting and pointing his finger
    At everything but his heart.
    We'll miss him.


    He amused the singer with his hypocrisy, obvious enough here. The prophet tried to be more than he was. He thought he was better than everyone else "standing above the crowd" - and this amused the singer.

    No way to recall
    What it was that you had said to me,
    Like I care at all.


    "Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." as Shakesphere puts it.

    Standing above the crowd,
    He had a voice so strong and loud and I
    Swallowed his facade cuz I'm so
    Eager to identify with
    Someone above the ground,
    Someone who seemed to feel the same,
    Someone prepared to lead the way, with
    Someone who would die for me.


    I think this is about the Marliyn Manson, "pop-culture sucks, we love pop-culture" types who simply want to feel superiour to someone.

    Will you? Will you now?
    Would you die for me?
    Don't you fuckin lie.

    Don't you step out of line.
    Don't you fuckin lie.

    You've claimed all this time that you would die for me.
    Why then are you so surprised to hear your own eulogy?


    But the prophet falls short of what he needs to be. The prophet isn't enough.

    You had a lot to say.
    You had a lot of nothing to say.


    I think this is the thesis of the song.

    Come down.
    Get off your fuckin cross.
    We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.


    Reminds me of a old put down:

    "Should I bring your crown of thorns now?"

    To ascend you must die.
    You must be crucified
    For your sins and your lies.
    Goodbye...


    The prophet might be something if he is willing to be a martyr.
     
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  5. ubermich amnesiac . . . Registered Senior Member

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    235
    im an avid nin and tool fan, for various reasons. one being, no doubt, the subtle, almost ambiguous poignancy of their lyrics.

    nin and tool are about defining the human condition, translating the overwhelming emotion that you feel all over your body at any given moment (from any number of situational contexts) into poetry. i think their foci are more upon what we feel in a situation, or the threads and webs we weave out of a string of those situations, than trying to ground human emotions into concrete, real-world experiences that we all can relate to.

    its all supposed to make you think, not think about what they're thinking.

    (of course, that's just my take on it. it is by no means 'the truth.')
    so, i dont really see much use in trying to establish what either maynard or trent were referring to in the real world when they wrote their lyrics.

    i.e. where a fisting motif shows up in tools works. who the fuck cares? i really dont see any lines in any of maynard's lyrics that try to make the distinction of whether or not it's rape, or fisting, or whatever. bc i dont think maynard himself really cares. the music focuses on what you feel, not how your feelings stem from a given situation. it's all the same--rape/fisting/oral sex is humiliation. prison sex elaborates on the circle of hate that humiliation breeds, i feel. not whether child abuse is reprehensible or laudable.

    i know tool critiques certain things. you cant separate aenima from its critique of "pop-culture" or eulogy from its critique of "the prophet." but i believe more in tying what these words mean to me, or in relation to eachother. what is maynard telling us to do? why is he right? why is he a crackpot? what influences do i see in him? one name comes to mind when i try to answer these questions with regard to maynard: nietzsche.

    im sure other people see nietzsche in tool...(can anyone say lateralus?) tool focuses on the body, the spirit, what man could become...not what he is. whenever tool discusses the world as it is, it seems very critical (aenima).

    i realize i have gone off the deep-end...this really isnt on topic. but yet it is...if were going to discuss tool lyrics, i think we have to establish how were going to discuss them.

    and, i'll admit, ive heard discussions of both tool and nin that try to interpret their lyrics as they would any other group. i can't do that. i dont think anyone here is really doing that, perhaps this is just spilling out of me all at once...
     
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  7. bentheogen Registered Member

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  8. ApocalypticFlood Registered Member

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    3
    nice article.
     
  9. Geometric-drumming Registered Member

    Messages:
    17
    Schism

    Hi everyone...
    i won't loose any odes to TOOL here as i consider it redundant...
    Schism is the only song I'd dare to say I truely understand...
    and what I've read here quite fits my image...
    except for i think it's only about human interaction...
    my actual concern is the rhythm of the song...
    It represents the title...it's arranged in 12/8 time which is SPLIT into 5/8 and 7/8 - which only really FITS as you PUT THE PIECES BACK TOGETHER
    thx for listening
    I'll speak my mind if there's something worth wasting your time
    take care
     
  10. Geometric-drumming Registered Member

    Messages:
    17
    forgot one thing...

    whenever i think of schism i wanna call it their best song...
    but then i think of The Grudge, Stinkfist, Opiate, Aenema, Pushit,
    Lateralus, Ticks and Leeches, Prison Sex, Parabola, Hooker with a penis and so forth

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  11. UberDragon The Freak at the Computer Registered Senior Member

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    770
    You know, compared to their other albums, Lateralus is a little lighter than most of their other stuff. Don't you think?? In the way of songs, don't forget Parabol/Parabola and Triad from Lateralus!!

    Parabol

    So familiar and overwhelmingly warm
    This one, this form I hold now.
    Embracing you, this reality here,
    This one, this form I hold now, so
    Wide eyed and hopeful.
    Wide eyed and hopefully wild.

    We barely remember what came before this precious moment,
    Choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside...
    This body holding me, reminding me that I am not alone in
    This body makes me feel eternal. All this pain is an illusion.

    Parabola

    We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment,
    We are choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside
    This holy reality, this holy experience.
    Choosing to be here in

    This body. This body holding me. Be my reminder here that I am not alone in
    This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal
    All this pain is an illusion.

    Alive, I

    In this holy reality, in this holy experience. Choosing to be here in

    This body. This body holding me. Be my reminder here that I am not alone in
    This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal
    All this pain is an illusion.

    Twirling round with this familiar parable.
    Spinning, weaving round each new experience.
    Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing.

    This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.
    Embrace this moment. Remember. We are eternal.
    All this pain is an illusion.

    P.S. has anyone heard Tool's variation of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter"??? It is awesome!!
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2003
  12. EvilPoet I am what I am Registered Senior Member

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    2,007
    Tool is cool and totally kicks ass imo. That's all
    I have to say about Tool.

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    "If you don't think drugs have done good things
    for us then take all of your records, tapes and
    CDs and burn them." -Bill Hicks
     
  13. Geometric-drumming Registered Member

    Messages:
    17
    shift of heaviness

    I consider Lateralus much more of a concept-album...The Grudge...Parabol/Parabola...and Faed D'opiate or whatever these last hopefully NOT meaningful noises are called...so (to me) the heaviness was transfered from "simple" rock into interwoven meaning (ref. Schism, supposably the grudge etc...)
    thx for listening
    Chris
     
  14. UberDragon The Freak at the Computer Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    770
    Stinkfist is about taking advantage of the one you love. Just to let you know.
     
  15. DeadOhio Registered Member

    Messages:
    5
    Overthinking, Overanalyzing

    Okay - I'm a first time poster, but there are some things that I really want to throw around. To me, Tool's Lateralus is the most amazing piece of music ever composed. Not because I'm a goofball that has an affinity for the rockin' hard metal, and not because I want to latch on to their (in my opinion, unfairly applied) satanic reputation, but because I can say that it is the most intellectual, inspirational, and awe-inspiring material that I have ever been exposed to. Many reviews and commentaries of Lateralus on the internet mention that it was long-awaited, often saying that it eased Tool fans' desire for more. I think it was much more than that. I think Tool deliberately wanted to give their fans something truly amazing, but wanted them to find it on their own.

    "Recognize this as a holy gift..."

    At first, I thought that the song Lateralus was about tripping acid - discovering true color by seperating the body from the mind. At first listen, I imagined the bending envelope as an intense visual. After becoming more familiar with the track, however, I had reformed my interpretation to something broader: think deeper. Lateralus, perhaps because it is the album's "title track", serves as the central clue for a puzzle that a friend of mine had read about somewhere on the internet. "All I know is that there is a different order for the songs - something about two spirals. Oh yeah, and thirteen is in the middle." After scavenging through endless google search results, I gave up on finding more about this 'alternate order'.

    Intent to figure the album out, and very curious about the spirals - I put on the proverbial 'thinking cap'. I understood how the spirals could have a lot of significance, in that the album's title track offers the inspiring, "swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human..........And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been. We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been." In my internet scavenging, I had read one review, written by a drummer, who mentioned that Danny Carey's drum beat formed a fibonacci sequence during the song Lateralus. A drummer myself, I decided to get out the graph paper and follow Danny. I can't play like he can, but at least I can hear everything he's doing, and thus was able to construct the drum tabulature. Sure enough, Danny repeats a Fibonacci sequence through the number 13: 1,1,2,3,5,8,13. After 13, he starts again with 1. Bringing in my Algebra 2 knowledge of the Fibonacci sequence, when the equation for the Fibonacci sequence (which I don't actually know) is graphed, it forms a sprial whose vertex depends on the number at which the sequence begins. Coincidence? I began to think not.

    I had already known of Danny's obsession with sacred geometry and am familiar with Bob Frissell's book, Nothing in This Book Is True, But It's Exactly How Things Are , so the significance of what I had stumbled upon had actually begun to settle in.

    This is where I just had to play with Lateralus. I had doodled a few spirals in the corners of my graph paper, and in doing so made the first important connection to Lateralus. I knew that if the tracks were in fact intended to be heard in a different order, "Parabol" and "Parabola" would have to go together. In drawing my spirals, I had begun with a vertex and 'spiraled' outwards. After writing the numbers 1 through 13 linearly, I could immediately see that Parabol and Parabola would have to be the middle of my spiral (in that 13 / 2 = 6.5). I drew a simple arrow between 6 and 7 and then pondered the next pair. At first, I actually drew a spiral connecting pairs of numbers whose sum equaled 13 (the number of songs on the album). This, however, left the last track in the same position and without anything to connect to.

    At this time, I had used my copy of Lateralus and Cool Edit Pro to take out the silences between tracks and put the songs in the following order: 6,7,5,8,4,9,3,10,2,11,1,12,13. The transition from Parabola into Schism blew my mind, as the plucks, probably dismissed by listeners as a drawn out rant of an ending, perfectly transition into the beginning of Schism. When you count out beats as the strings are plucked, Schism resumes with the same time signature and tempo - mirroring the progression of notes. The transition from Schism into Ticks & Leeches is equally intriguing. Schism ends with strong double-kick bass and tom smacks, and Ticks & Leeches begins with what many would call a 'tribal' drum beat. The beat at the very start of Ticks & Leeches is slightly different every subsequent time it is repeated - the measures are two beats longer. Yup - you guessed it - those two beats are ACTUALLY the last two beats of Schism.

    I can honestly say that I never understood the album's fourth track, Mantra until reordering the album's songs. What I had originally heard as whale calls now had begun to resemble the worst imaginable dry heaves - or a stylized choking. Fitting, seeing as how the last line in Ticks & Leeches is "I hope you choke."

    After this transition, none of those following it really seemed to make much sense. I certainly didn't like that Disposition and Reflection had been seperated - as they sound quite good when played sequentially on the album. This was the only real roadblock in my disciphering of the Holy Gift. Then I had remembered what my friend had told me - 13 was in the middle. At the time, probably just wanting to believe that there was more to this cd, I had equated this to the positioning of the song "Intermission" on the previous release, Ænema. For the song to be in the 'middle' of the album it would have to be the seventh track in sequence, here having six tracks on either side of it. So I inserted Faaip de Oiad after Lateralus, and almost peed my pants when I discovered that (ever-so-faintly) the fading tone of the last note of Lateralus could be heard in beginning of Faaip de Oiad, and how the distortion of the guitars at the tail end of Lateralus resembled, and later transitioned seamlessly into, the static at the beginning of Faaip de Oiad.

    The lyrics of Lateralus justify this break in the spiral, almost instructing: "spiral out, keep going, spiral out, keep going."

    I went back to Lateralus to find the next clue. In Danny Carey's amazingly competent Fibonacci sequence, he had stopped at 13 and gone back to 1. This is what I chose to do to finish the sequence. A second spiral was now constucted, and the order for the Holy Gift now became 6,7,5,8,4,9,13,1,12,2,11,3,10.

    Already many of you are probably fascinated at what I have revealed to you, but I can not even begin to tell you what this new order has opened up for me.

    The beauty of Lateralus is very, very fragile and has to be viewed with a very open mind. It can also be different when looked at from different points of view. Aside from the fact that the new order of the songs places them in an order where they flow together nicely - often ending and resuming on the same notes or within the same progression, and some times - in the case of Lateralus into Faaip de Oiad and The Grudge into Triad - even overlapping (though admittadly sound much better when actually electronically overlapped, this is kind of cheating. Consider this a hint, however, if you plan on doing this yourself), the two spirals help to tell a story that every Tool fan should hear.

    In the interest of not boring the only casually intrigued, I will try to keep this very brief. I would also recommend familiarizing yourselves with Frissell's book (yeah - the one I mentioned earlier).

    I consider Parabol and Parabola to be quite expository. Maynard wants us to know that no matter what happens, we must all know that this is not our only existance. Our very minds and the contents of our subconscious are intended to be immortal, and if we accept this into our lives (be it because of personal or religious reasons), it will be so. As such, pain is an illusion. At first, I called it "The Lateralus Prophecy" (for reasons you will soon understand), but I have since decided to call the 'reordered' version of Lateralus "The Holy Gift". As Maynard says, "Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing," I take the word "this" to mean much more than just his simple cautioning. Since Parabola is the second track of the Holy Gift, it can be considered at the beginning (esp. considering the context of it's duality with Parabol), and as such, I interpret Maynard's words as more than just clever lyrics in a song. They are a plead for his listeners to listen to everything he has to say and truly celebrate the chance of immortality offered throughout.

    I would be lying if I said that each song has a specific translation. On the contrary, Tool's music is designed to make you think, not say something specific. It must be treated like great literature - much is hidden contextually. I will elude to Geometric-Drumming's previous post, where he explains the time signatures of Schism: "It represents the title...it's arranged in 12/8 time which is SPLIT into 5/8 and 7/8 - which only really FITS as you PUT THE PIECES BACK TOGETHER." Where Geometric-Drumming claims Schism as his favorite Tool song, I have heard some fans say that it was a retched pick for the album's only single - but I think it was brilliant. Not to downplay the interpretations of those who have posted before me (in fact, I agree with much of what %BlueSoulRobot% has to say), but I think that to the casual listener who knows nothing of Tool, it can be a powerful invitation. Think about it - a lot of dingbats with MTV and a radio would walk around with the words "I know the pieces fit" in their heads. I wonder how many of them took the time to put the pieces back together to (re)discover what is trying to be communicated.

    I welcome any feedback. I would love to share interpretations of the songs via email - just too lengthy to post here. I would like to offer the following advice: DO NOT use MP3s to digitally reorder Lateralus. A lot of VERY IMPORTANT information is encoded on the actual cd. Ever notice how everyone who has lost or broken that cd has IMMEDIATELY gone out and bought a new copy? I know I have. It's because there are things encoded on the factory pressing of the cd that are lost in the mp3 compression process and any direct copy onto a cd-r. If you want to do it, do it right - I can't stress how important this is. Use the cda tracks as you put it together and maintain all audio fidelity using professional mixing software.

    Not to promote illegal drugs, but this album (the Holy Gift, that is) is definately something completely different when listened to under the influence of psilocybin (SHROOMS!).
     
  16. UberDragon The Freak at the Computer Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    770
    I'm listening to it with my PC's CD player as we speak. you don't need to completely re-master it, just use your Windows CD Player and go to Edit Play List. I must say that I am very impressed. good job Dead! I use this site for anything Tool related:

    http://toolshed.down.net/
     
  17. Geometric-drumming Registered Member

    Messages:
    17
    what shall I say?

    frighteningly conclusive dead....
     
  18. %BlueSoulRobot% Copyright! Copyright!! Registered Senior Member

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    2,294
    I just got Lateralus, and Tool is quickly growing on to me.

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    And if anyone's interested, also check out A Perfect Circle, a relatively "new" band working with Maynard. The sound is much much lighter, and might be more suitable to newbies, or fans who are contemplating become hardcore Tool addicts.

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    Songs like "Orestes" and "Judith" are very reminiscent of Tool's flavour.

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  19. UberDragon The Freak at the Computer Registered Senior Member

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    770
    I hear APC is in the studio recording their sophomore album. Twiggy from Marilyn Manson is going to be their bassist as Paz Lenchantin is working with Zwan right now.


    P.S. When I have the chance, I'm gonna name my son Orestes

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  20. %BlueSoulRobot% Copyright! Copyright!! Registered Senior Member

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    Cool!

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  21. Lopsided Registered Member

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    5
    more on Lateralus

    I just thought i'd mention that the original name for the song "Lateralus" was "987" which refers to the different time signatures that the song progresses through, which conicidently is the 16th step of the fibonacci sequence. Very intrieging.:bugeye:
     
  22. UberDragon The Freak at the Computer Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    770
    It talks about commercialism, listen to some of the brandnames Maynard throws out, then the boy he's talking to tells him that Maynard has sold out.


    Hooker with a Penis I met a boy wearing Vans, 501s, and a Dope Beastie t, nipple rings, and New tattoos that claimed that he Was OGT, From '92, The first EP. And in between Sips of Coke He told me that He thought We were sellin' out, Layin' down, Suckin' up To the man. Well now I've got some A-dvice for you, little buddy. Before you point the finger You should know that I'm the man, And if I'm the man, Then you're the man, and He's the man as well so you can Point that fuckin' finger up your ass. All you know about me is what I've sold you, Dumb fuck. I sold out long before you ever heard my name. I sold my soul to make a record, Dip shit, And you bought one. So I've got some Advice for you, little buddy. Before you point your finger You should know that I'm the man, If I'm the fuckin' man Then you're the fuckin' man as well So you can Point that fuckin' finger up your ass. All you know about me is what I've sold you, Dumb fuck. I sold out long before you ever heard my name. I sold my soul to make a record, Dip shit, And you bought one. All you read and Wear or see and Hear on TV Is a product Begging for your Fatass dirty Dollar So...Shut up and Buy my new record Send more money Fuck you, buddy.

    This format kinda sucks, but you can see what I mean.
     
  23. Geometric-drumming Registered Member

    Messages:
    17
    Not lyric-related

    recently I got in contact with many people, saying that Tool-fans regard these four musicians as godlike...and put them above all other bands....=> being ignorant
    I partly have to accept this opinion...tool can indeed silence a room with people in it...I don't have a problem with that ....unortunately many people have...thus it does create tension...
    I myself solve this problem excluding tool from judgement (this term is dangerous concerning the song "Push it")...
    this way prevents any kind of tension...
    hope i didn't bore y'all...in case i did...i can't help it

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    regards

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