thirdeye May 12th, 2006 01:48AM  
To really "Squeegie that third eye" you need to listen to who Tool worships, that being Bill Hicks. This man is one of the most influential comedians of his time. There is even an art design of him in the liner notes. "Another Dead Hero" He made an album called Arizona Bay (this is where all those turds flush down too). If you like Tool's ideas, I strongly suggest listening to Bill's shit. (Bill can be heard on "Third Eye" on the last track of Aenema.) Once you listen to Bill, Tool makes a lot of sense. (He also toured with the band for a while) ...(Wow, there are more similarities to discover, but look for yourself, you won't be disappointed, trust me)

anonymous May 23rd, 2006 11:23PM  
Im going to stick with the theory that it is about Los Angeles, though I think that it may be more of an expression of misanthropy in general. In addition to being a gag by Bill Hicks, Maynard uses Los Angeles because it is a typical "shithole" city, using the theory about California falling into the ocean to expresses a misanthropic fantasy.
"Dont just call me pessimistic, try and read between the lines." I found this line to be rather explicit: Although the dark lyrics may suggest something terrible out on the horizon, it is not terrible at all, but something to be celebrated, a collective "Aenima": the purging of, among others, retro freaks, junkies, "gun-toting hip-ganster wannabees," "insecure actresses," and other contemptible people in order to benefit society.

In short, I see "Aenima" as Maynard, in the grips of misanthropy, giving a vision of a sort of cleansing of the gene pool by killing off the worthless -- starting with L.A.

Takuya June 3rd, 2006 12:48AM  
I personally think that MJK is sick of everything and can't wait until the end of the world comes. He's probablly sick of reality and the media and how people are and how human beings are so into the useless crap in life and I think that he just wants every thing to go away.

anonymous July 10th, 2006 07:16AM  
L.A. is a nightmare city, as soon as it is flushed into the ground due to a major earthquake the better this world will be. I'm not a pessismist, you will understand that if you read between the lines. furthermore, the way most humans adapt to this urban living is ridiclous, such as insecure actresses, gun-toting-hip-gangster-wannabee's, and L Ron Hubbard clones (understand scientology to understand how much of this city living you would not only have to tolerate, but embrace if you were to be a hubbard clone).

anonymous July 26th, 2006 02:51PM  
Hes talking about how the world needs an enima, to get rid of all the shit, to cleanse the world of shit.. Get it????

keepgoingspiralout July 31st, 2006 09:01PM  
I think this song is about how messed up society in general is, kind of a precursor to Vicarious. Maynard uses the example of California to symbolize that there are some aspects of our society that need to be changed.

anonymous August 1st, 2006 02:21PM  
Its about forgetting all your materialistic shit cause when we all die its not gonna matter and by learning to swim he means that we need to look forward to armegeddon. Cause it is coming. And keep yourself busy to make yourself better to go to the place that you want to go, heaven or hell, cause when it happens and if your not ready you may just live in the firey pits of hell for the rest of your spiritual life, be ready....

anonymous August 16th, 2006 04:40PM  
Every single person has been wrong so far. Keenan openly says that this song is about his best friend and outstanding comedian bill hicks's philosophies. Bill hicks released a comedy album called "arizona bay". The lyrics say "learn to swim, see you down in arizona bay." arizona bay is a concept hicks created to show what would be left after l.A. Falls into the ocean. He also has used the phrase "flush it away" when talking about l.A.

anonymous August 21st, 2006 01:12PM  
"mom please flush it all away". When he says mom, he's refering to mother nature, I think he's just asking why hasn't mother nature done something to fix this place. Its time for change, drown l.A., "I can't imagine why you wouldn't welcome any change, my friend".

anonymous August 22nd, 2006 07:15PM  
Maynard's saying two things at the same time. For instance, "learn to swim." by this he means, on a personal level, that you shouldn't follow the crowd, and should just be yourself and independent. At the same time he is saying, on a statewide scale, that learning to swim would be a good idea if california sank and everybody would have to swim to arizona bay. In particular, I like the part where he says "fret for your latte, lawsuit,etc." because he's talking about how a lot of people (especially in l.A.) worry about the stupid meaningless shit in life(cars,jobs,anti-depressant medicine)that we could definitely suvive without. As for the "mom's gonna fix it all soon" part, he is talking about the apocalypse on a global scale. Mom = mother earth. And finally, the verse about smiley glad-hands is referring to politicians. Kudos to Tool - this song kicks ass.

anonymous September 11th, 2006 07:19PM  
The song is certainly about living by your own standards.
The reference to LA is because it's the center of
superficial ideas of perfection that no one can obtain
that have been washed into our heads from the first
time we ever watched a television or read a magazine.
So learn to swim because the only way to cleanse it is
to flush it all away. Phuck smily glad hands they want
your money.. Phuck actors they want your attention.. Phuck
Hubbard or any religion, they want your compliance. Learn to
swim through the sea of bullshat because we're livin in it.

anonymous October 1st, 2006 04:10PM  
I think that whoever said at the beginning had it right that aenima was a cleansing of the soul, but remember, you hav to take an enema up the ass. So MJK is saying that someone is going to shove all their bullshit up their asses, but it will clense them and create something new.

Blue tape

anonymous November 9th, 2006 05:56AM  
Aenima is a song about the fall of human kind. Mother nature is sick and tired of us humans fucking up her planet. Therefore, "mom", will flush it all away. Maynard James Keenan, you're a genius. He knows it's going to end. It's already started. Learn to swim.

anonymous November 19th, 2006 10:15PM  
I have no idea how you idiots manage to log into the internet and access forums. It is blatantly obvious the entire song is metaphoric. I does not literally mean I want the world to drown, Think for a second. AEnema we have already determined means spiritual cleansing, now what would we drown in? Swim in? Comes down in the rain? Water! WATER WATER WATER! Purity, cleanse yourself in the renewing powers of water, wash away all the filth from you soul. L.A the spirtual anus of the world represents the spirtual anus of our souls, our souls are dirty and filth ridden, strip away all the bullshit with the cleansing powers of water.

MJK is saying the world needs a spirtual cleansing, the entire song is metaphoric, he says it himself "read between the lines", he's not talking about apolcalyptic cleansing or L.A literally, he is talking about the human spirit and it's need to be cleaned of all the filth that the world generates. Learn to swim in these cleansing waters, I'll see you there.

anonymous January 2nd, 2007 10:40PM  
Keenan openly says that this song is about his best friend and outstanding comedian Bill Hicks's philosophies. Bill Hicks released a comedy album called "arizona bay". The lyrics say "learn to swim, see you down in arizona bay." arizona bay is a concept hicks created to show what would be left after L.A. Falls into the ocean.

anonymous January 3rd, 2007 11:31PM  
Very few of you mentioned Bill Hicks in your interpretations. A great deal of this song, along with Third Eye, are heavily influenced by Hicks' philosophy, and the album as a whole is dedicated to him. That may tie up some loose ends.

anonymous January 12th, 2007 09:54PM  
I think there are several double meanings in the song. It can be taken both literally and metaphorically at the same time. It's obvious that it has some basis in realism, especially with the hologram of California falling into the ocean contained in the CD Case. In any case, I think this particular encompassing subject has been debated enough. What I'd like to throw in as far as my 2 cents are concerned is the repeated mention of "Mom." I believe the literal meaning in this case is attributed to the metaphorical aspects of the rest of the song and vice versa. The metaphorical "Mom" could refer to mother nature literally destroying L.A. (or the entire world). His actual Mom, however, would refer to his metaphorical catharsis. Maybe how if she'd wake up, she could 'just make it all go away,' as Mom's are so wont to do if only for a few minutes.

anonymous January 27th, 2007 11:50AM  
The thing about TOOL songs are that each one has different meanings to everybody which is why Maynard doesn't get the meaning out because it would not encourage the fans to Think for themselves. So here is my Interpretation of Aenema. I think this song is about the San Andreas fault and how it will eventually break California away from the states. How when this Armageddon comes none of the Material possessions will made like Latte, Law Suits, Gun totting hip gangster wannabes and how the only thing you can do is Learn to swim. THIS IS CLEARY 100% MY INTERPERTATION NOT MAYNARD'S OR ANYBODY ELSES IN THE BAND TO MY KNOWLEDGE. If you want to discuss this or any other TOOL song the email me at Selfmade@aol.com

anonymous March 2nd, 2007 09:30PM  
Hey Zaq has got it. If I were to explain my opinion, it would be the same as his. A song can mean more that one thing you know guys... anyways, I think bill hicks died and influenced the band a lot on the whole album. What Maynard did was state what bill's idea was. What then Maynard did was he made that comedic idea into a heartfelt song with a metaphor. I think the the cali floating away from the us is a small scale item for the human to understand. Once they understand that, they can relate it to the inner most lyrics of one of Tool's amazing songs.

anonymous March 4th, 2007 01:10PM  
I believe this is talking about mom as mother nature and LA as the constipated shit hole of the world that is need of cleansing through the use of an enema (basically a rectal douche) so the earth will use a giant tidal wave to cleanse the earth of LA just like the water from an enema cleans out shit from the rectum.