| Project 86 – Twenty-three Lyrics | 23 years ago |
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Well, I hope this prompts more people to comment. Project 86 is one of the most creative, intelligent, poetic "Christian" bands out there. I put quotations around the word Christian to express the fact that while they are Christian, they don't want to be viewed--and shouldn't be viewed--as either a "secular" band or a "Christian" band. They're merely a band--musical artists like anyone else--whose lyrics and express their views and beliefs who they are. And since they're Christians, their music is of course gonna come from a Christian standpoint. All that said, I've yet to come up with an opinion of what this song is about. Perhaps later. But keep the comments coming, people! |
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| Tool – Opiate Lyrics | 23 years ago |
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It's interesting to see all these people think so deeply--or try to think so deeply--about religion. Now, personally, I believe Maynard is satirizing the hypocrisy of "organized religion" (by the way, would anyone here like to give me an example of a "disorganized religion," since that, apparently, would be preferable?), and he's doing so behind the guise of attacking religion altogether. I don't think Maynard has any beef with religion. In fact, I would think Maynard's a very spiritual person. But I do believe that true spirituality, and any truth about God or the hereafter or eternity or whatever, that is present in any religion, is stifled by some--not all-- religious leaders who use and twists these truths to control people. And this sort of thing doesn't stop with religion (religion just seems to be a potent sort of this demagoguery and control, since it concerns spiritual, eternal things). It also happens in politics, in media, in the arts, in society in general. A lot of people slam down on religion because it's often use to oppress and suppress and control, but people who want to control will control any way the can. Some people use TV, some people use political parties, some people use art, some people use The Bible. In any event, good, folks. Keep thinking and questioning. I don't agree with you all, but I certainly appreciate that more thought is going onto these things. I am a Christian, and I questioned and questioned and questioned. If I didn't continue questioning, my Christian beliefe would not be so true and sincere. But enough about me. |
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| Tool – Aenema Lyrics | 23 years ago |
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I think this song is about catharsis--purgation, cleansing altogether, and that Maynard is using the imagery, etc. of California breaking way and getting flushed away as something of a metaphor. Look at the title: "Aenima." It's a combination of the two homophones "anima"--which is a Jungian term for the soul; and "enima," which is a cleansing of wastes by via pushing up the rectum. So I guess it could be interpreted as being about the cleansing of the soul. When he says "fuck..." everything, he is indeed expressing his annoyance and frustration with society's (particularly the artificiality, showbusiness society of Los Angeles) focus on the material and all of the fakeness--like The Church of Scientology ("fuck L. Ron Hubbard and fuck all his clones"), which ought to be called the Cult of Celebrity; the degrading of hip-hop culture ("fuck all you gun-toting hip gangster wannabes"), fads ("fuck retro anything, fuck your tattoos"), excess in drugs, etc. that often goes on in Hollywood lifestyles, as well as the fickleness ("fuck all you junkies and fuck your short memory), the corruption and deception of folks in the business ("fuck smiley glad-hands with hidden agendas"), and the emotional pretentiousness of materialistic showbiz people who have all these screwed-up problems and run around crying about it ("fuck these dysfucntional, insecure actresses"). I don't think this song is necessarily about the end of the world--though it might be, and to many as this post shows, it very well is. But I personally interpret it as being about the cleansing of all the bullshit in society, and in ourselves, and the "world ending" analogies, along with the animosity towards the "millions of dipshits" and "bullshit three-ring circus sideshow of freaks", are Maynard's clever way of using metaphor But that's just my two cents. I could be wrong. |
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