Aenema

I'm quite surprised on how little some people know about Tool. The CD this song comes from was entirely dedicated to the late great Bill Hicks (R.I.P.), and some of the lyrics, this song specifically, are actually plays off rants that Bill Hicks had. Maynard (and Tool) and Bill Hicks were close friends. Bill Hicks had mentioned numerous times about how much he hates L.A. and just wants to flush the whole thing down, so people better start learning to swim or they will drowned in their own filth. And the "see you down in Arizona Bay" part, Bill Hicks had also said that too. So all in all, this song is pretty straight forward if you know of the legendary Bill Hicks.

I think this song follows a similar theme to that of many Tool songs - enlightenment. It seems it can be taken at face value and that the 'narrator' is just sick of everything that is wrong with L.A. Taken to a deeper level of meaning, however, and I think the song is about hope for better rather than worse. Here is what the song translates to, in my opinion of course;

Most of the song is written from a negative perspective and in such a way that it really resonates with the disillusionment in many people. I think many people would derive a sick pleasure from watching the world collapse and to feel that their own misery is near an end, but i think the narrator sums it up perfectly when he says 'Don't just call me pessimist, try and read between the lines. I can't imagine why you wouldn't welcome any change, my friend.' To me this part implies that, although the narrator is speaking from a negative point of view, the desire is a positive one.

As with many of Tool's songs, Keenan suggests that by simply living in the here and now and by accepting each moment as the only thing that truly exists, one can be freed from the bonds of human existence and from a position in time (Parabola, perhaps?)in order to feel truly connected with the 'oneness' of consciousness. For most people, enlightenment is an esoteric concept rather than a freedom achievable with anyone who so strongly desires it. For those who do become enlightened, a large proportion had to suffer greatly in order for the transmutation to commence. Some became enlightened due to the death of a loved one, or through severe illness. In my case, I experienced a sudden flash of enlightened awareness after years of suffering from severe depression and anxiety. I am still practicing in order to get to that peaceful place again.

To me, the song seems to imply that the narrator hopes for a cataclysmic event to wake up those whose eyes are closed to the true and beautiful nature of existence.

Cheers.

Hey everyone! I just gotta say, by lookin past the surface of this song, or at least by tryin too, I get a lot more out of it. It goes past bein angry at how fake and superficial people and LA are. The word AEenma is a mixture of the word Enema, which is clearing of the bowels with fluid, and the word Anima, which is, in Jungian theory, the true inner subconscious self. It seems to me that this song is about clearing away those attachments to stupid useless shit that we don't need, and getting back to nature. He makes multiple references to mom, which is probably Mother Nature. Its about getting back to our true inner selves, uncovering what's hidden in our subconcious, and clearing away all of the shit, and learning how to swim. LEARN TO SWIM, The Full Effect

The 'learn to swim' part is a message for all Californians because maynards praying for it to sink into the ocean...if you notice in the in-lay of Tool's cd the 3-d picture, if you move it...only California dissappears.

"fret for your pilot" hes talking about a television pilot..etc

this song is just one big fuck you to Los Angeles, the entertainment industry, and to all the narcissistic people in california.

This song took maynard 6 whole mounths to write the song. Every second was well spent. Incredible meaning and sound. Genius's, all of em....

everyone has their own opinion meredith, and ours is that we like tool. we recognize the talant and identify with a lot of what their songs say. don't diss on that. and if tool and us are so fucking lame, what are you doing even posting that? why waste your precious time? this song and this band rock, and that's about all i have to say about that.

By the way, isn't it "i'm praying for rain, i'm praying for tidal waves", not "praying for mayhem"? last i knew it was "praying for rain", which makes more sense than using the word mayhem. rain is cleansing, rain washes things away.

Again fellow Tool Fans, just KISS (Keep It Simple Silly)! This song is on the '96 album AEnima, a tribute to Bill Hicks, another dead hero, who passed in '94 (no doubt the song writing began soon after the 32 y/o died). The album title requires you ignore the "E" (so Anima translates "life force" or "soul").

Then with the album's title track, spelled AEnema, you are to ignore the "A," you know, to start the detoxing process. Brilliant word smithing by MJK and the band! Bill Hicks in the afterlife is loving it!The song is simply about the famous phrase "sink or swim." Or, to be more L.A. like, "detox or die!"

If you... Read Between The Lines (by the lines I mean "Learn To Swim"), you'll see the "sink" parts (things we fret for, things that make us followers) and the "swim" parts (things to say f-you to, ways to go left when everyone else is going right).

If this song were written today, I'm sure Tool would have mentioned another item to fret: The Mother-F-ing Cell Phone!!! I'm a math professor at a California college who recently went to open a classroom door at which my students were waiting. As I was walking toward the door, I noticed at least 80% of them with their heads down playing with their cell phones (themselves... metaphorically... if you consider F-Book). Sadly, behind them was one of the most spectacular sunsets I'd ever seen. I'm not sure any of my 40 students even noticed "MOM's" work. That says a lot if you think about it.

And speaking of saying a lot, a certain magazine's person of the year is "The PROTESTOR." If you really want to protest something worthwhile, "Protest The Cell." If for no other reason, do it for the sake of humanity.

We're going to reap what we sow in 20-30 years when we start realizing the long term effects of carrying cell phones with their ever-increasing (4G, 8G, 16G, ...) electropollution (EMFs) being emitted 24-7 so near our collective reproductive organs.

"Learn To Swim" well enough to make it to the "Arizona Bay."

Translations?

Get the cells away from the bells! This goes for us ladies too.

Got EMF-ed? Ignore the EMF, and what do you get?

If you limp, you a wimp!

If you sink, we can't link!

Don't treat your "TOOL" that way and you'll make it to the Arizona Bay!

Learn to swim!

Oh, and don't forget about the little swimmers. I'm imagining headlines in 2030: All the franks are shooting blanks! No more eggs between the legs!

For the sake of humanity, to hell with the cell. Learn to swim!

The incredible urge to be rid of unpleasant old L.A. California. Love this song as it can be applied to the majority of america in a way. I want to watch it all go down.

He didn't just use LA as an example... he truly wants that city to be wiped off the face of the world...

and MHR i dont think that you should be ashamed of Tool for taking that look... because if you would do your research ... they are From LA ... i think they have a pretty good idea of what it is like.

Interpretation is a Gateway into the soul, when you hear anothers interpretation it gives you just a little glimpse at who they truly are....

• unScathed