Hostile Apostle

this song is all about the bands who put out a negative image. i.e. limp bizit, slipknot..those guys..who say all that shit to make money.. fav line: "open your eyes, look at who you're kissin' if you can't hear it people, just listen "

fuck! i love 311

Ya this song is telling people to wake up and listen to what the bands they are listening to are about. Like for instance, Type O' Negative, you ever see the type of people who go to their shows? Wearing all black, painting their face and nails black, skulls, chains, peircings....what is that about. They ever have the word negative in their band name. Anyways 311 listeners see through that kinda of bullshit and just like to chill.

Alright,

This is my interpretation.

This song has got some amazing lyrics. SA and Nick are so dead-on sometimes. I do not really think this song is about bands that put out a negative vibe. To me this song is about people who have power in life but practice their use of that power in bad negative ways to exploit people or a situation hence the term "Hostile Apostle". Their power could be anything, job status, money, position within a social circle, CEO's, lawyers, public speakers, spiritual leaders, whatever. .

In this killer tune Nick explains that he cant take part in the "deception" and is suspicious of the "motives on your mission". Clearly Nick and possibly the band had a run in with someone or some group that were dishonest and perhaps had manipulated a group of weaker individuals to follow them in whatever they were doing... and in so they were taking advantage of their followers like Con-men.

I think living in hollywood and working in the entertainment business people are probably always trying to con 311 and take advantage of them.. So they probably have experience in dealing with scum bags that might try to manipulate weaker people by promising them the world or some truth.

This sort of theme is all over the album From Chaos..

So Nick sings and raps about how when you are down and you're weak, you might want to follow people to help you out of the slump. But they really don't have the answers or power that you need to get out of your slump. They're really just phonies

While Nick sings about the "Hostile Apostle" and how they are lost negative people who take advantage of others.. SA is rapping about how to be the opposite, be postive, love life, typical 311 message.

I recently got the chance to meet someone an author who is one of the leaders of new pop-culture scene and lifestyle. The guy was a total fake. I did some business with him but quickly learned to stay away. Total let down. This song came on my ipod on random after I parted ways.. Really opened my eyes. The dude was a hostile Apostle.

This song is great. I personally think that 311 is talking about all of the posers who are in bands just to gain notoriety and fame. Especially metal bands. I remember I went to a metal concert and the opening bands SUCKED. They were just in it for the style. 311 however speak from their hearts and decided to be in a band because they love music. Just like my band. We get so pissed off when yet another group of kids decide to make a metal band. We make music from our soul, not from our egos.

And that's why I'll always be a three elevenist! 311 gots the boom yall!!

"I can't free myself of the suspicion for your motives on your mission"

• Referring to the main subject of the song - Bands putting out a negative image - mainly the "Angry human" that:

"leads impressionable boy to skulls and piercings and will to destroy"

• Sound familiar? We've all seen them.

"Hostile apostle, who are you following negative energy that you're swallowing"

• Following these bands just make you swallow negative energy. I don't care if you say you don't. 311 is a very enlightened band and explores the unconscious mind. They know what's up. That negative bullshit in that bullshit music effects you where you like it or not.

"all of your heroes speak nothing to me"

• The heroes being the band lead singers I suppose. Or the bands themselves. Most of them are only heroes because they were really good and committed suicide. Great image to spread to our children. Make lots of money for spreading negative vibes and kill yourself.

"some people live for the rules I live for exceptions"

• Just like the rebellious kids that listen to the bullshit. They look for someone to understand the fact that they want to blow the world away - only a few types of music sing about that kind of shit.

"can't take part in the deception but I know just how it feels to wanna blow the world away just to get to what is real"

• 311 Making that connection with it's listeners. They've felt the same way we have.

"it won't work cuz everybody grinds to a halt now and then everybody's game gets salt then again"

• 311 Making their listeners aware that everyone gets this feeling - there's no need to listen to music that gives you "one motion, one tempo, no real feeling". Having this feeling once in a while is normal - but going to the extent of listening to music so you keep it, that's fucked and the reason it's supported is fucked as well. Probably so the psychiatry field can make more money.

"In this field we are the presence of the thoughts you're missin' keepin' positive intact from all the people dissin'"

• 311 shows its manipulative side once in a while - and this is one of them. But it's for the best of the "lost souls". They refer to themselves as the presence of the thoughts the "impressionable boy" loses once he's a victim of "lost soul" due to his negative "heroes".

"you don't have to be a prick just to be heavy"

• Now we know what he was talking about the whole time - HEAVY METAL. And you don't have to be a fucking prick that sings about dumb shit and socially conditions children into hating themselves and the world. It's some real bullshit. Viva La Evolution.

"Victim of lost soul, hostile apostle."

• In the end that's all the kids are that listen to heavy metal all day. Wear black, wear pictures of skulls, remain a "background person" and talk to the same few people every day. Make jokes about fucked up shit like death and murder. Overall lose your entire mind and mental processes to the music you listen to. It's better to listen to a variety of music, It's understandable to listen to Heavy Metal - but not ONLY Heavy Metal.

Just my 10,000 cents.

I agree...it's about all the "negative vibe merchants" who rot kids brains with lyrics full of hate.

I agree with waht you said 'ate 16am'and 'beautiful disaster' and also possibly the fact that its called hostile apostle and an apostle is like a follower that would spread the word so almost taking in all the negativity in music nowadays is also helping it grow.

great song

yoo this song is just amazing on so many different levels (= you gotta love it..311 FOR LIFE!!

I think it can be less specific than just "hateful" music. It should be applied to more general ideas - like hateful people or hate in general.