anonymous 2006-09-11 20:06:55    

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This song is about futility.. Nothing we do matters but
we long for it to. Nothing we say matters.. The dust
from our bones will be gone soon.. While you live.. While
your still alive you must transcend all set beliefs formed
from fear.. Fear and insecurity is the root of all counterproductive behavior... "swollowed his facade cause I'm so eager to identify with someone above the crowd, someone who Seemed To feel the same, someone prepared to lead the way and Someone who would die for me." everone longs for that kind of connection and nearly every religion, cult, society, business take advantage of it. "will you? Will you now.. Would you die for me.. Don't you fucking lie" look through it all
"you claimed all this time that you would die for me why then are you so surprised when you hear your own eulogy"
society is controlled with fear, corruption, or fake phucking relation. Kill that mentality... If you wanna die, if you wanna be a martyr, if you want your name to live on, die for your misguided beliefs fool .. Die die die lol
anyway something like that

-antismob

anonymous 2006-10-03 03:59:17    

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Oh for cryin out loud. It's so obvious that it's about bill hicks. If you just check out some of his material, and listen to the lyrics of the song it will be clear to you.

"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."

bill was known to go into these wild rants whenever he went on stage.

"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."

bill would often yell and scream on stage. Here Maynard also takes a shot on people who went to his shows wanting nothing but dick jokes and straight forward humor, and not caring about all the important stuff he was trying to say.

"standing above the crowd,
he had a voice so strong and loud and i
swallowed his facade because 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."

we all know that Maynard looked up to bill and that bill was a huge inspiration to him.

Toilet duck (norway)

creamygoodness 2006-10-04 00:56:23    

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This goes way back to the christian guy who listens to Tool but not the lyrics.

Tool is all about the message and the music and if your not listening to the message then you arent listening to the music and you arent a fan of tool

anonymous 2006-10-07 11:00:13    

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Well no kidding it's about bill hicks.. On the surface.
But it's about much more than that. It's about what
he represented to many ppl. About what many figures
in society have represented throughout the centuries.
Productive or otherwise.. Please refer to my previous
post

-antismob

anonymous 2006-10-13 14:32:56    

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"come down
get off your fuckin' cross
we need the fuckin' space
to nail the next fool martyr"

it speaks for itself, it's 100% obvious that it's about jesus christ, you guys are being too complex, it's simple and right infront of your face.

anonymous 2006-10-18 11:08:02    

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First off, I am also a christian and a fan of tool. We're allowed to be both. The 'come down, get off your fucking cross' line never sat well with me, but like every other Tool song ever, the words Maynard's using are metaphorical. I don't know if he's talking about Cobain, or Rollins or Hitler, but I'm sure it's not Jesus.

anonymous 2006-11-04 18:34:23    

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To see some of these discussions by Tool fans is really disapointing. I was expecting to read some open-minded discussion about possible interpretations based on reason and legitimate information they have heard from the band, or other reliable sources.

But its just a bunch of telling people what they think they know. Stop telling people how obvious the answer is, because it isnt. Keep an open mind. Accept the fact that you just might not know. And maybe more importantly, accept the fact that just because you don't know, doesn't mean there isn't a right answer.

Maynard(or just Tool in general) is extremly unclear/symbolic, and at the same time deliberate, with every word meaning something. Have fun trying to figure out what it all means. I think that's what he/they would want.

And don't try to make Tool your shepard. Thats just as bad as being a sheep under anyone else.
________

so people keep saying the target of the song is bill hicks. Maynard's, the band's, friend. Someone he looked up to.

"he had a lot to say.
He had a lot of nothing to say."

"ranting and pointing his finger
at everything but his heart."

the entire song is negative. About someone who is insincere and self serving. You can say they were mad about his dying in a stupid way, but do you really think a band that is so intelligent and deliberate in their lyrics would write something so insulting about their recently departed friend because "they were mad." not realizing that this song might exist for as long as the human race? That doesn't make sense to me.

Jesus doesn't make sense either.

Someone said L. Ron Hubbard above. A few people, not writing much about it. If you have read much about scientology or about the man, it makes a lot of sense.

suba_357 2006-11-07 03:07:54    

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Tool has nothing against christians, they do on the other hand have a problem with people who follow something blindly and do not think or question it. Maybe you guys need to put your ego aside for a minute and try to feel what the music is saying... And this song is in no way about bill hicks

anonymous 2006-11-12 15:55:17    

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Thank you, anonymous guy above this...

The whole point of Tool, the lyrics and the music, is to bring us together and destroy the hate and negativity around the world. You can't call yourself a Tool fan if you're going to argue with other Tool fans and not be the least bit open minded about what other people have to say. Part of Tools message is to believe what you want to believe, be open minded... It doesn't matter because if we all learn to love one another then everything is all good.

Do not over analyze the songs. Thats is clearly stated in Tools works of art. Maynard stated in an interview with Mtv that he releases the lyrics of the songs a month after the album is released because he wants the people to feel the music before they actually start dissecting the song. A lot of the message is in the music, if you would step back and listen, you might find something out you never knew before. I did.

anonymous 2006-11-26 03:55:14    

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NO! Holy crap, you guys are killing me...It is NOT about Bill Hicks. Tool are big fans of Hicks, so why would Maynard write such a scathing, sarcastic, horribly insulting ode to a man he admires? You are not hearing the sarcasm in the song...Every time MJK says, "we'll miss him", his tongue is planted firmly in his cheek. The song is a blantant attack on Jesus, L. Ron Hubbard, and all other martyrs, religious or otherwise.

anonymous 2006-11-28 17:58:16    

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Whatever environment you grow up in is USUALLY what influences you for the rest of your life, therefore some people are Christians and some are not. This shows that no one is better than anyone,no matter what religion, because if God wanted us to all be Christians, he would have made us all be born to Christian parents and to always think Christian-like for our entire lives, but HE DIDN'T NOW, DID HE? The media, and the country in general, are making Christianity into what it shouldn't be. Although I believe in Jesus, I avoid the label of "Christian" because I do not want to be associated with the hypocritical Church. To show you where I am coming from I'll tell you some history: The Catholic Church,in the old days,said that the Earth was the center of the universe, and that gravity didn't exist! Then they killed people who defied this teaching.

Anyway, Tool is cool, and I respect their ideas.

anonymous 2006-12-06 18:29:42    

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I swear some of you claim to be such tool fans but would rather use their lyrics to bash on christianity. If you look closely at their songs it is not anti-christian(i.e. 10000 days), or at least the belief. It's the clergy who come between you and god who ruin it and do the exact opposite of their teachings. Those of you who claim your so much more intelligent than "conforming" christians are the self-righteous assholes that this song is about. If you ask me, there is nothing easy about being a christian these days that would equal to conforming. If you're a non christian, that's your belief(or lack thereof) so don't mock those who are. Believe whatever you want and don't be a hippocrite. Thats one of the biggest messages from tool.

anonymous 2006-12-27 21:26:35    

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it's about tendencies Maynard said it himself in the tdn articles, in like 1999ish? I can't remember but some where around there

anonymous 2007-01-27 23:55:45    

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First, I listened to the whisper at 5:20, and damn if I can't understand what he says.... anyone got that?

hmmm... So what if Maynard was writing about a new discovery... possibly one within one's own self?
Maybe this song is about leaving a certain faith behind.
When I give the album a 'quick' look and try to summarize it, I see these guys questioning what it is that you, me, them, and everyone spend our minutes struggling for, worrying about, and all together making up in our heads.
Try this... laugh.... really good and hard at yourself for something... anything that in retrospect seems completely unnecessary now. Next, listen to Eulogy- subjectify the 'person, or thing ' being eugoogilized to simply "a belief that has now changed." Perhaps something like a loss of religious belief... okay. Now imagine that youre from a "religious" background i.e. your mother and/or father are very 'faithful'. let your cd player take you through the next track H. Pretend that those two songs are one, and look for signifigance...
In the beginning of the bible what is it that sets man apart from God?
Later... why would man need to re-discover god? and through what device could he do that?
More later... what if he found that God never existed as man thought? would man be angry? would it become a struggle to overcome heartily-instilled desires to faith?
"My blood before me begs me..."
"The snake behind me..."
Could it be that this portion of the album has to do with the struggle of losing faith, then filling that void with something as meaningful?
I don't know... I am just as silly as the rest of the world but, what I've read from this forum... maybe some of you could take some advice from the guys whose ideas you are defending so religiously?
But to each his own.
Peace. Out.
Renfield Esspiezzio?

anonymous 2007-02-28 12:56:25    

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yep, Tool's wonderful!! at street scene in san diego this last year, Maynard stopped the concert to tell everyone to chill. I myself would rather enjoy the song than throw elbows. but of coarse I was right in the thick of it...... with my wife,....... lost a shoe.... . If I had to interpret, I'd say that a lot of Tool fans are out of touch with Tool's reality.

anonymous 2007-03-02 21:10:05    

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Im not looking to argue. Maynard has nothing against peoples religion or choices people make.("freedom of speech"- the cover on emotive that meant so much to Maynard) Maynard has an issue like I do when people do something with out questioning it because of fear of that specific thing being false. I agree with a few people on this page, but I'm telling you now, Maynard would not be happy with all of these people claiming rational and incorrect meanings of songs from the most meaningful band of our time. Yes question authority. By the way why don't some of you guys actually listen to some commentary by Maynard on interviews and on that new APC dvd. On that video MJK talks about "Judith" which he states is not associated with the one true God (which Maynard has admitted in believing in), but to all the false idols such as things that strive form darkness. Most bands are against religion because its too risky to talk about God. I believe that true wisdom comes from this band. Maynard is an amazing writer as so are Danny and Adam (Justin?). I hope you all don't try and analyze this song too much, because it was not meant to be.

anonymous 2007-03-25 20:39:11    

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i believe this song is directly bashing dogmatism. Maynard is using Christianity because it is one of the most widely known and (sometimes) dogmatic religions. He doesn't like the fact that people bend over to get screwed for something that they don't even know much about. I believe he is trying (like many tool songs) to get people to THINK about something before just swallowing it. Great song.

anonymous 2007-04-03 20:02:05    

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Dude.... why try interpreting something that wasn't supposed to be interpreted in the first place? Sure, the song has a meaning, but come on? Why worry about who the song is talking about. They didn't name any names for a reason. They've left the interpreting part to us. The audience. The people buying their music and simultaneously relating to the music in a way that connects them to a band that is able to send out such a strong vibe and feel one hell of a connection just through what the excellent word choice in their lyrics.

anonymous 2007-05-10 17:56:27    

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Wow. Got everything from Curt Cobain to Henry Rollins to L. Ron Hubbard. Even some Jesus slander. Awesome! I'm not knocking the opinions on here, far from it. But why does it have to be just one person that this song is about? Through out human history, we have chosen our icons. This can apply to anyone. For the record, Jesus wasn't desperate for attention. If you're going to talk smack about something, know about it. We, WE made him into what he is today. Not him. I know he was a carpenter but I don't see any 2500 year old billboards he made that say "Please worship me." As some others have put on here, there are no specifics in this song. There rarely are in any Tool songs. It's open for your interpretation. That's what art is about. It makes you see what only you can see. And only what I can see. You can argue that it's about this or that, but then you're only placing yourself in the same B.S. position of most main stream religions. You become divided and miss the point. This is a song that TOOL gave to us for us to listen to and enjoy, and maybe learn something from. So, in my opinion, humble as it is, it's an expression of how silly main stream society is, that a lot of us look for help from those long gone. Look above the ground, look for someone who inspires you. Then again, maybe I'm wrong. In which case I'll end up in a new plain of existence after I die surrounded by angry TOOL fans. Which would be funny.

Djames2 2007-05-14 20:42:31    

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"He has stated that he takes little to no part in the lyric writing process. Danny and Adam do most of the writing. So all of you who think that Maynard writes all of these songs and thinks he is a mastermind are wrong. Maynard is a genius with the songs he writes. But Maynard himself has state he takes little to no part in this process especially with the music."

sorry sir but I was reading and found this to be quite absurd. first of all you denied that Maynard writes the songs....then you say "Maynard is a genius with the songs he writes." very dumb, my boy. He writes the songs. He's the singer. obviously he does..and its called concerts? and interviews? maybe if youve ever been to one or seen one you would know more about the songs. listen to an interview and youll find him to be supremely intelligent. Its pretty obvious he has crafted all the lyrical masterpieces. youre a fool. and I agree with the dude that said this site was interpretations for what we thought the band meant for the songs to mean, not the "its only what YOU decipher from it yourself. YOU decide." bullshit...