anonymous June 6th, 2009 02:26AM  
Ok here's what I think its a song that says a lot yes the guy is clearly high but he is told something so great that it could change the world it shows that just because he is an average guy he can do great things the quote they chose one they chose me and I didn't even graduate from f***in high school really effected me like yes this story is odd but here he is a teenager in the woods playing with drugs and he's probly tripping but he belives he has a purpose something to live for a message to spread in that split second he is the most important person alive he's just been contacted by life from another planet because they trust him to deliver a message he finally gets to tell someone and he forgets this song clearly to me says that you don't need to be a a doctor or scientist to be important every one has the POTENTIAL to be great the reason I say this is because say he wasn't high and remembered the key to salvation of the planet if he wasn't tripping he would have saved us all he POSSIBLY could have changed the entire world as we no it the drop out the one who people though would amount to nothing its all about what we as a single people can do when we put our minds to it and what can possibly happen if we do not take things seriously enough

wolf_vayne June 13th, 2009 05:01PM  
I think you may be wright, and for some reason,it's one of my fav of the album, however I think that this song is like Mormonic religion. Because Joseph Smith had a similar situation, said that he was chosen and that sort of crap. I think that what Tool wanted to say here is that we can't only believe words of some random people who have no proof. And I think that Keenan despites the mormonic religion: have you reckognized that the 10,000 days album has that "south and north american tribes" wibe (Lipans: a tribe, Jambi: a tribe). It makes me think like that, now I don't know have I explained it very well but I think that's it.

anonymous July 23rd, 2009 10:54PM  
This song is very personal to me, (sounds goofy, but "hear me out")
I feel like I've ridden the path of inner exploration along with Tool (not just MJK, the music speaks just as loud behind him) and I think Rosetta Stoned caps off the journey.
First Here's my quick summary of the albums:
Undertow = "there's something down there"
Ænima = "here's how to find it"
Lateralus = "Look! Here it is!"
10000 = "hmmm.. That was OKAY I suppose..."

I tried all these different drugs, had episodes, spoke with gods, planets, aliens, dinosaurs, saw wonderful and terrifying things.
Then I outgrew that. I felt like the psychoactive experiences had taught me all I could learn and all that was left was just "partying" (except DMT)

anyway, I believed I was learning all these things, but years later, I am not sure all the drugs were necessary for that. Rambling about myself -

-point. Had a super huge revelation about the secret of life. Took a lot of drugs to find it, but in the end, The search for truth has only one answer:

"we don't know, we won't know"

Even after discovering the simple fact that being a human on the planet is such a precious gift (Lateralus)
MJK still had a mom that this was useless to, because she suffered 10000 days regardless.

And the only CONCRETE result of the "deadhead chemistry" was Shitting the bed.

He's basically saying "I know you liked those albums guys but I'm not really a hero"

boobah July 24th, 2009 01:41AM  
!! to reviewers, editors, moderators, whomever.. a few hours ago I submitted an anonymous interpretation for Rosetta stoned that mentions talking to gods, planets, aliens, dinosaurs. (to specify) If possible, can that be credited to boobah? (If it gets posted)

anonymous August 2nd, 2009 12:48AM  
Guys... Yall are over estimating the meaning of the song. This has no ties to religion other than the Hubbard reference, which the band is against Scientology as heard in Ænima.

The man goes on a trip using LSD and over the counter pills (Sudafed)and basicaly he is an unintelligent fella, as shown through not understanding what "somniferous" means or graduating High School. He then was told in the trip that he was the chosen one by aliens that he was the chosen one. He desperately wants you to believe him even though you know he is just seeing shit. He has problems remembering what was told to him due to the fact that he couldn't write it down. Then lastly he shits the bed...

Logicaly you can deduce that this all is emphasizing that drugs are bad for you. I think you are lead to make the assumption that he may have not passed High School from his drug habit and the way of showing how feeble minded the person is he not only needs a pen to remember the vision but he dosn't understand the word "somniferous". He not only wants you to believe that he is the chosen one. It makes it funny in itself to have a person so substandard as to where he even shits the bed and pisses his pants, to be something as important as "The Chosen One".

Honestly the guy tripping is very typical to a normal person that uses high quantities of drugs.

This songs purpose is to show the stupidity of illusionary drugs, which that is a very biased opinion obviously but what else is it? It shows how idiodic a person can be that is addicted to drugs. If you get past my silly rambling, you can see that is the meaning of the song.

P.S. Drugs are bad kids.

anonymous August 10th, 2009 10:30AM  
If you look at the song before Rosetta Stoned, Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann), the spelling of the name "Hofmann" is not the traditional spelling. And I don't think that it's just a coincidence that Albert Hofmann was the chemist to formulate LSD. The patient in Lost Keys sounds like he is freaking out, like an acid trip, which is why he may be "blaming" Hofmann. Then Rosetta Stoned itself just sounds like a badass acid trip. :)

anonymous September 22nd, 2009 04:59PM  
To understand this song, we must first listen to the previous song, Lost Keys(Blame Hofmann). Granted, the first 3 minutes of this song is filled with guitar feedback, but we must listen to the very end. The vocals start with a Doctor, who after talking with an assistant of his, introduces himself to a patient, re iterates and tells an undistinguishable person to calm down, and tell him everything that happened. Rosetta Stoned, in it's most literal translation, is a patient of a Doctor explaining his trip on DMT (Dimethyltriptamine). To prove this, we need only took to the look at the few beginning stanzas: "10 to 2 am, X, Yogi DMT..."

anonymous October 20th, 2009 03:58AM  
I always figured that it was a weird and kinda funny story about a guy on an drug trip that doubled as a commentary on what people choose to believe(religion). The protagonist, who comes from humble beginnings, has a mystical experience where he is visited by a seemingly all powerful being who tells him that he is the "chosen one." Sound familiar? It should. because this is how most religious stories begin. Anyways, the protagonist is clearly tripping or insane and therefore lacks credibility. But people blindly act and follow religions that are based on these stories where the protagonist is insane. Also, I saw another message. The title "Rosetta Stoned" refers to the actual Rosetta Stone which helped to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. The title seems to indicate that the message the protagonist received was translated wrong. After all, the protagonist is clearly having trouble conveying the message, and he "forgot his pen." On a wider scale, it suggests that even if the stories we are told by religions were remotely true, it would be most likely that their messages have been misinterpreted and/or their meanings have been lost over time. This is either a very agnostic song or Maynard just wrote it to make people like us blog about it(the former is most likely true).

Metal_Marcus139 October 26th, 2009 07:45PM  
From what I've gathered,this song is about a DMT trip.For those who don't know what that does,I've read that it causes people to have immensely vivid hallucinations that may be forgotten if not written down,hence all the lyrics mentioning his pen and what not.I see a flaw in my interpretation though;him being able to tell of the story but yet keep mentioning that he should have written it down amkes little sense.That's just my opinion thoug;hopefully it's somewhat logical.

anonymous November 3rd, 2009 06:10PM  
I agree with the DMT trip explanation. An intense DMT trip can make a person loose both bladder and bowel control. Just like when you die, which is one of the times a large amount of natural DMT is produced in your Pineal gland. Maynard makes a reference to the protagonist pissing his pants and several of him shitting the bed. Last I heard no amount of LSD will make you do that. Also, the speed of the lyrics is much like the progression of a DMT trip, which is so short and intense it is hard to wrap ones brain around what the fuck just happened.

anonymous November 6th, 2009 11:44AM  
Many people miss the big picture... Its not an acid trip people he says it in the song he is tripping on DMT, (Dimethatryptamine)If you know anything about tool you know that they are all about the Pineal Gland (THRID EYE). Your Pineal gland in your brian produces D.M.T when you reach REM sleep. This is the cause for your dreams. This is not about an acid trip! The Pineal and DMT are the gateway to your consciousness and the truth about life beyond your body. People should do more research on the Pineal Gland and DMT. DMT is the strongest holucenigen known to man and is produced by your brain every night while you sleep and right before death. HE SAYS HE IS ON IT IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SONG!!! ITS NOT ABOUT A STUPID ACID TRIP! Its about meeting those on the other side of your consciousness.. DMT brings you to a whole new dimension. Acid doesnt even come close. Most say that when on DMT you can talk to our creators and its like being transported to a whole new dimension. Isolation and depervation tanks are used a long with DMT to get the propper concentration needed to pass correctly without fear. WATCH the movie ALTERED STATE!!!

anonymous November 7th, 2009 11:24PM  
This song IS I repeat IS about a DMT trip.

anonymous December 14th, 2009 04:12PM  
First, lets refer to the breathing man in lost keys. He is obviously freaked out beyond imagination. Rosetta Stoned must be his recount of what happened. Then, something must have happened. Lets assume (yeah I know) he was abducted in the first place. Then, lets assume he was abducted again, by military or another xenotheric(alien) race. If so, then they must have done something, something horrible to repress the memory of the first, the peaceful abduction.
"Strapped done. My bed. Am I out my head."
email me to discuss further at randomkidb@rochester.rr.com

anonymous December 21st, 2009 12:00AM  
My interpretation of Rosetta Stoned is that Maynard is describing one of his visits outside of a Top Sectret Military base in which he is sitting there with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. And while waiting for what he believes is a visit from some sort of higher being, sitting in his "need to know pose" so in other words meditating, he decides to take some DMT. Now because DMT is naturally produced in the brain while you sleep, it is believed to be the cause of your dreams. This theory makes perfect sense because when you take DMT weather it be orally or through smoking it, it is almost impossible to remember your trip and you start to forget it almost immediately just like your dreams unless you think about it right away and right down the details. And one of the common trips or hallucinations of taking DMT is visits from higher beings or strange geometric shapes. Trust me as I would know. now when you dream, its like your in a whole other life, or an alternate reality. So just the same, when you take DMT when you're awake, your reality is replaced with another one. So in Maynards case, he was tripping on DMT and is pissed off because he forgot his pen and therefore could not right down the details of his trip in which an important message was revealed to him to share with the world but has failed to do so. I also believe this account to be a true one, and if not one of Maynard's experiences then maybe someone he was close to. Possibly the great Bill Hicks? Who knows. Either way, I do believe that natural drugs such as Shrooms, Pot and DMT do help us uncover great secrets to our existence as I have had many accounts like the one in Rosetta Stoned and some of them without the use of any drugs and I have achieved this only by meditation and opening my Third Eye.

anonymous January 13th, 2010 04:34AM  
I believe it has to do with the bands message in general. The dudes more then likely had some insane trips on drugs and learned some spectacular things about the mind because of it. They have so many messages and insights that are so seeming unreal that they aren't easily understood or communicated. So they know all these things and all this shit is building up, with the undertow of such a ridiculous burden (like knowing abuse) and then things get twisted up and spit out and it takes a while to cope. Its the tool formula, its this crazy song that really sums it up. Drugs...opiate...finding some bewildering thing, knowledge...undertow...pain of new shit, making a meaning...aenima...twisting it to make a puzzle, lateralus...making the puzzle a tool, and accepting it...10000 days.

tool1pc@hotmail.com
id love to hear feedback

anonymous January 28th, 2010 04:45PM  
If anyone has ever read communion by whitley streiber, a book about a mans experiences with alien abductions, they might see this too, but after reading the lyrics to this song I noticed a lot of similarities if not direct allusions to the book. "The chosen ones" is how the aliens referred to their abductees in the book. They were also trying to pass on a message to the humans in the book, but none could ever truly remember what it was. Just thought i'd throw this out there.

anonymous March 5th, 2010 12:02PM  
ok it is about religion but the album is antigovernmental and anti sociological it is talking about the miscomunication between religion government and socity and even the name implies this (there are many meanings behind the names of tool's songs) the rossetta stone is a stone that had german egypt and one other launguage that escapes me right now but it is how we learned egyption hyrogliphics making the rosetta stone famouse and synonomus with comunication (ie calling someone a rosetta stone is calling them a comunication medium, rosetta stone launguage learning program) and the stoned part is basically saying that when your stoned you can't communicate and if you are a comunication medium who cannot comunicate properly you will have issues such as forgeting the message to save every human's life.