In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Pure as we begin
Pure as we come in
Pure as we begin
Ruled by will alone
Pure as we begin
Here we have a stone
Gather, place, erase so
Shelter turns to home
Pure as we begin
Here we have a stone
Throw to stay the stranger
Swore to crush his bones
Ruled by will alone
Spark becomes a flame
Flame becomes a fire
Light the way or warm this
Home we occupy
Spark becomes a flame
Flame becomes a fire
Forge a blade to slay the stranger
Take whatever we desire
Moved by will alone
Pure as we begin
Pure as we begin
Move by will alone
Leave as we come in
Pure as light, return to one
Move by will alone
Move by will alone
Pure as we come in
Pure as we begin
Ruled by will alone
Pure as we begin
Here we have a stone
Gather, place, erase so
Shelter turns to home
Pure as we begin
Here we have a stone
Throw to stay the stranger
Swore to crush his bones
Ruled by will alone
Spark becomes a flame
Flame becomes a fire
Light the way or warm this
Home we occupy
Spark becomes a flame
Flame becomes a fire
Forge a blade to slay the stranger
Take whatever we desire
Moved by will alone
Pure as we begin
Pure as we begin
Move by will alone
Leave as we come in
Pure as light, return to one
Move by will alone
Move by will alone
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Standing On The Edge Of Summer
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
some these responses make me wish 2012 really does happen...
this song presents what all other tool songs do, a meaning that applies to anyone and anything that exists. maynard talks about the stone that can either be 'gathered, placed, arranged so shelter turns to home' or thrown 'to stay the stranger'. The lines that follow...'move by will alone' suggest that it is ultimately up to us...this stone can be used for benefit or harm, and it boils down to our human will that makes the decision. The lyrics are somewhat critical of human nature, as are a lot of tool lyrics, but at the same time it is something that needs to be said. The second verse continues this via fire that can 'light the way/warm the home we occupy' or 'forge a blade to slay the stranger'...and of course followed with 'move by will alone'...
@pahunter This songs also continues to Right in two, which talks about angels seeing how we kill ourselves, start wars and even "perfection" them. That suggest that we chose both: create a home and slay the stranger.
@pahunter This songs also continues to Right in two, which talks about angels seeing how we kill ourselves, start wars and even "perfection" them. That suggest that we chose both: create a home and slay the stranger.
Intention + Tension = Intension?
WOAH thats clever<br /> of tool and you to figure that out<br /> i wonder what tensions supposed to really mean<br /> could be like tensions between people or something
Intension is its own word meaning to intensify<br /> <br /> —noun 1. intensification; increase in degree. <br />
in my opinion, he's saying when we're born we're pure but allow ourselves to be ruled by will alone and we do not progress and leave (die) just as we were born. we don't focus on self-improvement and do not try to understand ourselves...we just follow our will and that is not what is intended for us.
Judging by everything else Tool has done, it appears to be a very literal explanation of new age-ish philosophies, something they cover quite a bit. Returning to the light is exactly that, death, returning to light, which is God, in New Age ideas.
Oni, go here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intension
Wait, so if you reverse this song it goes "Work hard, Stay in school, Listen to your mother, your father is right/rising/right, son... Jesus loves you... Work hard, Stay in school, Listen to your mother, your father is right/rising/right son..."? I'm trying this out now.
Without intension of some sort, words have no meaning.
Spark becomes a flame. Flame becomes a fire. Light the way or warm this. Home we occupy
The spark could be an idea. The idea turns into something, then gets a little out of control.
Thrown this day a stranger Swore to crush his bones.... Forge a blade to slay the stranger
Getting back to the idea of free will, we have never ending conflict. Before the stanger this was not so. The stranger in a sense challenges our free will.
this isn't so much about civilisation as it is an idividual. Stripping down the world to it's essntial animalistic nature. The idea of free will is about not being ruled purely by instincts, though they remain the guiding force.
Born an innocent, return to earth (the atom mix if you want) when we die, pure.
but then again I've got a long track record of being wrong
btw, the guitar says to me: "feel the generations of death weigh upon this moment and feel the errors of this outward struggle over and over and over again. futile will."
I think it is a description of the 10 emanations or 4 worlds on the qabalistic tree of life.
Aziluth (Emanation) - "pure as we begin, pure as we come in"
Beriah (Creation) - "Here we have a stone. Gather, place, arrange so." (the first seperation from the divine - also paralled with human devlopment (from stone to blade... also a very crowleyish idea of magick)
Yezirah (Formation) - "Yezirah symbolizes the concept within creation of individual existence and space" - Division of man, "forge a blade to slay the stranger..."
Assiah, the Fourth World (Asiyyah (Action) - the material universe in which we live), the "rule" becomes "move" as it manifests into physical action "Move by will alone."
Just a theory
We don't exist, we are pure. Then we do, and will is our only tool. Take whatever you want at whatever the cost, because it's the will to possess. Then we die and are pure again. It's part of an overall theme to me...the war machine.
To me this song is an account of the journey of the individual consciousness from birth to death. To this effect, MJK, who is well-versed in mysticism, uses a variety of occult symbols.
The first paragraph is quite explicit. When we are born ('as we begin'), or when we 'come in[to]' the world, we are pure, ruled by Will alone. Look up Crowley's concept of True Will.
The 'stone' is a borrowing to the symbology of Alchemy (the first verses of Lateralus as well as the 46 & 2 song show MJK's knowledge about this), in the strictest sense the Stone is Consciousness (that has to be refined again and again - 'gather, place erase') but like any occult symbol it's supra-rational so you can interpret it in many ways.
The rest is a bit more complex and open to interpretation.
The 'stranger' is probably the Other (the polarity of the Self). We are afraid of realising and opening to that which is not ourselves, hence 'swore to crush his bones'.
The 'spark' is the Divine Spark of the Christian Gnostics, the divine essence. Because there is duality, there are two 'ways back' : follow the Way, or focus within ('warm this home'), if that makes sense.
The blade/sword is a symbol for the intellect (Air element), through life we build our own mind, and here comes the theme of the 'stranger' again.
To understand the references to the Will, here is a quote from Nietzsche : "This world is the will to power — and nothing besides ! And you yourselves are also this will to power — and nothing besides !"
And at the end of life, the cycle is complete, one 'leaves as one comes in, pure as light, returns to One.'
@sylvainsab "After your death you will be what you were before your birth."
@sylvainsab <br /> The lyrics is not entirely made by James though.<br /> Danny and Adam have much more knowledge about this subject.