Tool: H. Meaning
Song Released: 1997
H. Lyrics
What's holding up is a mirror.
But what's singing songs is a snake
Looking to turn my piss to wine.
They're both totally void of hate,
But killing me just the same.
The snake behind me hisses
What my...
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i think it is a battle between heroin and his son tearing maynard apart not a battle between maynards dad and his son.
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i interpret this as a love song to heroine or can be a love song in general. because ive done it i know how it feels this song describes it pretty well. "considerately killing me, i dont mind" "days away i still feel you touching me changing me" the song is called H. come on guys. go blow a line of H and youll understand the song.
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Uhhh I dunno what deep thinking accomplishes except obviously getting your head stuck up your own ass. I really truly deeply believe that the song H is about the H bomb. Everything he says in it refers exactly to heroin from the feeling you have on it then the feeling when its over. Shit even the song is climactic like right after you kick that shit. Its the same way with Stinkfist. Just place your bets on heroin for the DEEP SPIRITUAL meaning you were looking for. Don't make Maynard sound like one of you "tools". I'm pretty sure he knows whats going on. You think people just up and make awesome records without heroin??? WAKE UP!
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To me, this song is about getting so close to something or someone that you yourself turn into them. Even if you are days away, you can still feel them touching you and changing you. Even when you killed the temptation (symbolism of the snake) to be like them, you still feel connected to them. You don't mind that you're like that person but really, it's considerately "killing" you.
Killing the person you used to be. -
Some interpretations are very close but since I am telling you Maynard's interpretation from his own mouth this is the right one. The song is indeed about Devo his son whose middle initial is H. I have heard from many people that this is about heroin which is way wrong listen to the lyrics. The song is not about a desire to treat his son as he was treated by his father but about a fear of being a bad father, because of a lack of knowledge of how to be a good father, based on his own childhood with a lousy father. "What's coming through is alive" (He is writing what he is feeling while watching the birth of his son) "And what it's holding up is a mirror" (He is fully realizing that this creature is a part of himself) "But whats singing songs is a snake, that's, been looking to turn my piss to wine" (Instead of feeling joy, the fear of being like his father is all he feels. His father was military and was constantly trying to make Maynard change to what he thought was right, hence looking to turn my piss to wine) "They're both totally void of hate but killing me just the same." (Though he didn't have a great father he knows his father wanted what was best for him, the baby is completely innocent so they are both void of hate, but this is killing him) "The snake behind me hisses what my damage could've been." (The phrase every father says at least once to his son "You don't know how good you had it, The are a lot of people that were worse off than us" His father is the past (behind him)) "My blood before me begs me open up my heart again" (His child is his blood and his future (hence before him) "And I, feel this coming over like a storm again......Considerately" (He feels this fear engulfing him ...... But it's not as though his son means to make him panic). That the basic idea I have to go but I'll try to get back on soon and break down the rest of the lyrics. If I don't get back just want to say that I believe MJK to be the greatest song writer in the world with his ability to turn ordinary situations and thoughts into extrordinary poetry and this song is a prime example.
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I agree that this song most likely has multiple meanings. I liked the Medusa and Wuthering Heights posts. Many of you interpreted this song with a positive ending and I did not. Anyway, here is how my interpretation changed over time:
-when I first heard it (and loved it) I thought it was about a person tempted to return to a toxic relationship and eventually gives in.
-then I noticed Maynard says "As I look in HIS eyes my fear begins to fade" and I thought maybe he was gay, but then heard the song was about heroin and in the end he gives in and begins using again.
-then I heard the song Prison Sex and read that it's suspected that Maynard was sexually abused by his step-father and that is what Prison Sex is about, but the end of that song suggests that the person who was once abused later became the abuser. I thought about h in this sense as well, and maybe the song is about someone who was once abused being tempted to abuse another child ("his eyes") and in the end he gives in even though it kills him in a sense. Anyway once I came to that conclusion I was totally weirded out and stopped listening to Tool pretty much completely because I thought Maynard was a child rapist (but I do love Schism). What do you think?? -
This song is about his evil ways and his cruelty towards others.
this is the literal meaning of the song in order.
his past is true, he's looking at what he has become, the snake is his soul, which turns his sins and bad things to good or at least makes them better. His soul says what could have happened if he were different, his future begs him to love and care again, he feels his caring, loving soul coming back again. His soul also says how easy being evil and cruel is and that being caring takes effort. It makes him think to the point of depression. He's connected with being cruel and evil, he can't escape it. The temptation to return to his old ways is killing him. His soul is giving up, he stops fearing the evil, he recalls all the time of him being evil and cruel. He should have showed love. His evil subsides as he stares into his heart, he doesn't fear evil anymore. He remembers all of the evil times that could have been good. His soul has died, he will die, he doesn't care because he knows he's ruined others lives so his shouldn't be spared. -
Turn this piss to wine could be symbolic of the vedic Soma cult and their practice of consuming Amanita muscaria AKA Manna, The holy Grail, The Round Table, The Blood of Christ, The Tree of Knowledge. Prolly not but the songs are here for us to experience the divine. No absolute only transfinite understanding.
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This is definitely one of my favorite TOOL songs. and I think the lyrics in this one are probably its best. I think that this song has more than one meaning. like almost the whole song is a constant metaphor for two things. I think its a lot about heroine addiction. when the song says, "once the snake is drowned, there lies a looks in its eyes, my fear begins to fade..." I always thought this was about overcoming addiction and realizing all that's happened during your time of addiction. but the next part I feel is more directed to his son, "as the walls come down, and as I look in your eyes, my fear begins to fade, recalling all of the times I have died, I will die, its alright..." so maybe I think this song is keeping addiction away to take better care of his son. He says, "I will die, its alright, I don't mind." which I think he means he knows he will someday die but it won't be from drugs, despite the fact its hard to stay away from heroine (days away I still feel you, touching me, changing me). oh and then about the verse, "without the skin, beneath the storm, under these tears, the walls came down," I think it means that during very harsh withdrawal he managed to not use which brought "the walls down." its pretty scattered but that's my interpretation.
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I love the Wuthering Heights interpretation. If you take away Heathcliff and Catherine, though, and take it as being about any relationship with such intensity, so much love that it's deadly, and obvious to both lovers from the beginning (yet they don't mind), then you have my interpretation. H. Is the most passionate love song ever written. And it is my favorite song.
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Well hell, I guess it is about his son. Coulda fooled me, I thought for sure it was about heroin. and to me that's what it will always be about, when I was struggling with H this song is one of the things I'd look to when I needed help. So many aspects of heroin addiction are addressed and nailed right on the head. I always thought it was interesting how Maynard could explain addiction when he has never been hooked. maybe that's not what he was trying to do but that's what I got out of it.
"My blood before me begs meopen up my heart again. And I feel this coming over like a storm again. considerately"
my blood before me is like watching the blood come out of your arm on the draw back, comin over like a storm again is that awesome rush when you slam it in, "venomous voice, tempts me, drains me, bleeds me, leaves me cracked and empty, Drags me down like some sweet gravity" exactly what heroin does to you.
"As the walls come down there's a look in your eye my fear begins to fade recallin all the times I have died, and will die, its alright"
This would be the realization of your addiction and the fucked up things you've done and will continue to do if you don't quit the shit...sick song I get the chills every time I hear that last part. I got two years off that bull shit and I give a lot of credit to tool for their awesome songs which when interpreted can pretty much be made to address any problem. -
It looks like no one has been on for while so this might be pointless. The great thing about Tool is that you can listen to a song a thousand times and get something different each time, and have them mean somthing different This song though h - and I beleive it is in lowercase for a reason, definitely goes along with the theme of the Aenima CD in that is about cleansing and that sometimes you got to get past all the $hit that gets in the way. I feel and have always felt that this song is definitely about the birth of his son Devo and the mixed emotions that come in when something so pure, holy, and beautiful as a child has chosen you to be their parent, when on the inside we feel so underserving and unworthy for such a gift.
Another great thing about Tool is all parts are crucial to the life of each song. As h starts the guitar is dark, distorted, and dirty, representing him, then it comes into a pure and beautiful sound representing the baby. The guitar also resonates this later in the song sounding like a baby. The music is as important as the lyrics....
Whats coming through is alive - the baby
whats holding up is a mirror - a pure reflections of himself
Whats singing songs is a snake, looking to turn my piss to wine. - obviously he had dark issues at this time and is facing that with his son.
Their both totally void of hating - if you have a child you would understand.
Killing me just the same - understanding the responsibility and the future that is ultimately leading to death.
Snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been - what if he let darkness from his past rule the choices in his present.
My blood before begs me open up my hear again - The babies purity and holy connection is pulling at his inner purity.
And I feel this coming over like a storm again - emotions fromt he past, everything confronting him.
Considerately killing me- we are all dying and he realizes this, and even though we are all dying we have the chance to love in this life.
Venoumous voice, tempts me, drains me, leaves me cracked and empty, drags me down like some sweet gravity. (my fav line) - Satan, the darkside, whatever is a snake using things we want, dressed in sheeps clothing to tempt us from our destinies, and only leaves us broken.
Snake behind me hisses what my damage could have been, but my blood before me begs me to open up my heart again, and I feel this coming over like a storm again now, and I feel this coming over like a storm again now.
Well I am too connected to you to slip away, fade away, days away I still feel you, touching me, changing me, considerately killing me. - pretty self explanatory here. The connection with our children is eternal, in blood, and in a way draining us of life as we give our lives to them.
Without the skin here - No ego
Beneath the storm - the chaos of life
under these tears now - even beyond my own emotions
the walls came down - Everything we put up to guard our emotions and our selves.
And as the snake is drowned - defeating the past the voice in our head
And as I look in his eyes - the gateway to heaven - peace
My fear begins to fade - everythings gonna be allright
Recalling all of the times. - all the hurt,
I could have cried then - Overwhelmed with love
I should have cried then - remembering he was overwhelmed with love.
And as the walls come down and - all the barriers we build
As I look in your eyes - in the present, still the same
My fear begins to fade - peace and understanding come with pure love
Recalling all of the times I have died - We have many deaths to who we think we are in our lives
and will die - and who we will be
It's all right - nothing else matters now
I don't mind - nothing else matters now
I am too connected to you to - eternal and true
Slip away, to fade away - To slip into the darkness of our minds
Days away I still feel you
Touching me, changing me, - as our children grow, we grow
And considerately killing me - and no matter what we are all on the path to death, are you enjoying yours?? -
somewhere I heared the song name "H." is meant to mean half full/half empty" but however you read it I guess
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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