| Tool – Stinkfist Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I never thought I would witness such beauty, intelligence, and insight from a discussion about a song called "stinkfist"- this is why I love Tool! | |
| Tool – Reflection Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I was reading something further up about this song being about relationships or sex, and how enlightened that viewpoint is. To me, sex and relationships are ALL about the ego- and this isn't good or bad, it just IS. In a sexual relationship, all we are looking for is someone who reflects are own ego back to us. This is really narcissicm, if you think about it. It's normal, but I think there is more to this song than just romance. Being an Aquarius, I for one would be so disappointed if all these songs were about sexual relationships. We are all one, there is so much more. True enlightenment is loving all of humanity, even the homeless guy on the street who can't affort Tool tickets. The idea of posessing and being possesed by someone, or saving or being saved by someone, or being "special" in the eyes of your "precious" is not enlightenment, in my opinion. Yes, there can be love between 2 people, (I'm happily married) but our society is so sick when in comes to this kind of love- people cling to each other so desparately like there will never be enough love, and if they don't get it from their partner, how quickly it turns to hate! Talking about sex or romance turns all this beautiful music into just another porn movie chick flick- take your pick. They are about the same in the end. I hope there is a transcendent love present when large numbers of people get together for a tool concert. If Maynard were just writing about just his girlfriend, it would be so fucking banal and anticlimactic, after all that talk about us all being one and capable of anything. How can one even listen to a typical love song after hearing this stuff? It's like peering into the beyond, and then you have to go about an ordinary existence- Love songs are about the narcissistic need to breed and become immortal, in the end. |
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| Tool – The Patient Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Funny about all the reference to religion. My "religion"- is all about how we have free will and control over our own destinies. This comes with a lot of responsibility, but I also believe that we can choose to either make life a struggle or not. To make it interesting or not. We all have this potential within us, but so many choose to let external conditions rule our lives. This is the vampire. Sometimes it is tempting to forget this and feel like a victim, but I believe that we are truly free when we take responsibility for our own power. How can we heal or create if we are so busy being martyrs? This is for the small minded. Remaining small and meek and a victim does NOT help to advance the human race. But it is a difficult path. I keep thinking of Luke Skywalker... This song is about temptation- when we are in despair, it is easy to think about walking away from it all. We know we have a higher purpose, but sometimes it just gets so exhausting. How many themes are there in movies and literature and myth about a reluctant messaiah? That's what we all are. They all face temptation- to walk away from their mission. It's a temptation we all face every day. Then you get strength from songs like Lateralus and Parabola... We are all powerful beyond measure, not in the small "ego" sense- but in the "higher self" sense, which we should all take the time to be guided by. Be patient. |
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| Tool – Lateralus Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Taking another break from my work here.. Anyone who thinks we are playing too much with numbers should study classical music theory. No parallel 4ths or 5ths, a certain harmonic chord progression must be observed, and many more mathematical rules. (If only Ashlee simpson could tell Mozart to get a life!) And the math behind the music of Tool is part of what makes them what they are! Even Pop music has math in it, even though it's more like 2+2=4, abab structure, boring, undynamic, formulaic stuff with no suprises or tension, with a few exceptions. Like it or not, math and art often merge, and what we think is pure intuition or feeling is a result of careful study, even if those rules are eventually broken. (Picasso, jazz theory) OK, I'm going to get some coffee and get some work done! Peace and Light! |
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| Tool – Lateralus Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I am listening to schism right now- the pieces are starting to fit! Thank you for the input on fibonacci sequences. For those who say get a life, this sacred geometry thing is more common than one would think. Artists have used it (I think Leonardo da Vinci, and others as well) Industrial designers, and graphic desginers use this type of math all the time. I have several books on mathmatics and the geometry of design. ( I used to be a graphic designer) Architecture is often based on these numbers. This pattern appears in nature as well- the human body, crystals, and of course, the nautilus shell. There are a lot of layers to anything we listen to or see. Which level one decides to go to us up to them. For those who choose to just look at the surface of things, of course things like the rhythm of a haiku poem or how a base riff compliments a vocal line or how certain melodic intervals or harmonies affect us on an emotional level or how a certain time signature makes us feel balanced or slightly off balance, or how our body can actually mimic these rhythms, or how we percieve stability and elegance in certain structural proportions, or exactly where the eye is going to be drawn to in a perfect visual composition is going to be lost on you. Leave these discussions to the artists that actually create. Others are obviously on this planet to mindlessly consume. There is elegant subtlety in all forms of art. If you want to pick it up on a subliminal level, just listen. If you want to create, be open to receive inspiration from EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN. This is why I am fascinated by math and physics- there is beauty in it. I am also reading about myths and stories- anything you put your mind to can resurface somewhere in your art, whatever that is. What is your life's work? Creating can be simple or complicated, but one must remain aware and open-minded, remaining "open wide to suck it in" so to speak. I am a drummer as well, although not in the same league as you all, I certainly appreciate the passion for rhythm. The ones who say just get a fucking life do not understand that much of art, whether it be drumming, dancing, or architecture is based not just on what is, but what isn't. (silence, space) Someone who doesn't know any better will create an ad filled with as much crap as possible with little regard for the element of space- or rely on a template. A songwriter - most pop songs- will rely on a template as well. There is no temporal tension, or sensititvity as to where gaps or silences, no matter how small, should be placed. The whole world is really rhythm, if you think about it. Snowflakes, industrial design, poetry, music, tides, biorhythms. If nobody understood and really thought about time and space in this matter, we would all still be in the dark ages. Anyone want to tell Leonardo da Vinci to get a life? As far as overthinking, overanalyzing: Once this stuff soaks into your subconscious, you then release it and watch what resurfaces- the body and the mind then join. You have to explore the external world first, then let the subconscious take over, to a certain degree. But to not even explore, and condemn others for doing so, is just sad. Keep pushing the envelope, guys. Thanks for some new perspectives, thanks for being awake and aware and alive and breathing. Thank God. |
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| No Doubt – Just A Girl Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| I just wanted to add that girls need their own version of Obi Wan or Yoda. Ultimately Ben and Yoda trusted Luke to accomplish some very lofty goals- almost impossible goals. Do girls have anyone to look up to that really believe that they can do anything? I got the usual lip service from parents and teachers, but in the end it they didn't truly beleive that I was even capable of taking care of myself on a basic level. Are girls still getting these mixed messages? | |
| Tool – Lateralus Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Check out books about quantum physics and how it relates to metaphysics, concepts about space and time and our relationship to it, and how it enables us to literally create our own reality. Titles: Self-Aware Universe- I lent the book out so I can't think of the author. There are so many other books out there on this subject. I have also read Deepak Chopras "The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire" and "The Way of the Wizard" which has changed my perception and expanded my reality. Reality is a lot bigger than we think it is- our perceptions are so limited. Another major shift more me is finally grasping the concept of the Eternal Now. Time and space is not what we imagine it to be- not by a long shot. So my study in this area has enriched my perspective of this song, and this song has given color and emotion and feel and sound and fleshed out my intellectual readings. There of course, other other songs and films that have done the same. Funny how all these things show up just when we need it. I am determined to see the universe the way a mystic sees it- even if it only lasts for a few seconds. It can be done. Spiral out! |
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| No Doubt – Just A Girl Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I have only heard this song a few times and I wanted to print out the lyrics to this song for a friend of mine's teenage daughter. (I'm 38) I am saddened to hear about all the sexism out there. All I can conclude is that there are quite a few men out there that must be afraid of their own shadow if they are so afraid of 16 year old girls. I think that they are, in a mental and emotional sense, so the only "weapon" they have is verbal and physical. Very lame, it really does shed a light on how fine a thread some men's egos are hanging from, and you girls have the knife (or scissors) in your hands, whether they are manicured or not. It's really all about fear. I was raised by a cop (in Chicago) and the lyrics that really hit a nerve for me were about driving late at night- (my brothers got away with a lot more than I did and I was constantly "protected"- from what I'm not sure- I had to learn more on my own than my parents bargained for because I am not the type who desires to be labeled as a naive girl. So I created adventure, and I still do. I have seen and done more than many, many, men. (Not to be confused with drama- this is what weaker women and girls resort to out of desparate boredom) Younger girls and women- ou may find yourselves having to create your own "initiations" and practical way of doing things, because you may not be getting them from your elders. (How to handle money, dangerous neighborhoods, the political minefields of working, how to fix a car, navigate in the wilderness, etc) Hopefully your parents are wiser than mine were at the time, because my process was longer and more dangerous than it had to be. Learning from peers can also be dangerous- the blind leading the blind, so to speak. There really should be a female version of Luke Skywalker, don't you think? The line- I can't do the little things I hold so dear- really struck a chord with me. I still hear this message today - I'm going to do some traveling in Asia- alone. Even if it's a bit less safe for me than for a guy- is this a compelling reason for me to stay home? To be at home before a certain time? (Drunks kill men and women indescriminately on the road) To not travel alone? To eliminate all risks, emotional and physical? ( I race mountain bikes downhill) - I would rather die living life to the fullest than take the so called "safe" path- being that safe made me feel dead inside. And oh by the way, such safety and security is really just an illusion anyway. Might as well go for it. Men take risks all the time- physical risks, emotional risks, etc. Taking these risks is a highly personal decision, and my parents tried to make these decisions for me as late as my college years. I know that they were trying to protect me, and I am not advising anyone to take stupid risks, but there has got to be a balance. Girls- get as far away as you can from men that would treat you as a parent-this is the trap many women in their early 20's fall into. It will stunt your growth. There are just too many people out there who would just love to stunt your growth in the name of love. Be yourself, use your own damn intuition as a guide, gathering useful information along the way from those who have been there. But realize that you have to dig through a lot of shit to get to the gems- simply because of the fears and emotional baggage others have brought with them. Be pure- but not in the pink girly way, unless that is truly who you are. By the way, I have seen many girls ride pink downhill bikes and snowboards! Go girls! |
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| Tool – Parabola Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I think it is beautiful that everyone has their own interpretation of this song, just like everyone has their own way of expressing themselves in life. I am an athlete and I'm into snowboarding and downhill mountain biking. I'm also an artist and a drummer- a very physical person. I love to think and to analyze, but in the end, the most transcendent experiences I have had were when I just let go and rode, or played, or painted. I let the divine flow through my body. I have played this song while painting and produced some of my favorite work. This song has inspired me to go for it on my board or bike- to either fly or fall- it doesn't seem to matter when I hear this song. It makes me feel like superwoman. I'm totally in the moment. The input by Tool drege to me, is right on. When you are in the flow, creating art or performing physically, you have to be in the now. You are not thinking about the past or the future. The present moment is holy. Try listening to this song when your are experiencing a (goo) adrenaline rush... a good way to experience nothing but the present moment. Being on the edge of disaster and a transcendent experience cannot be just the product of brain chemicals, however. When I accomplish/create something, I feel like it is something larger than myself. I feel the boundaries of my body expand, and yes, I even feel love. of course, my interpretation is only part of the big picture. I just wanted to add to it. |
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