Wow, all the irony and paradoxes aren't gonna get you anywhere Maynard. The speaker feels that he is always being blamed by others for everything he does wrong. And obviously he doesn't think much of himself. "Why can't we not be sober?" has a double-negative. Simplify it-- 'why can't we be drunk'-- he doesn't want to be sober and think, he wants to drown the problems. (Not that the song endorses alcoholism or anything.)
"Jesus won't you fucking whistle/something but the past and done" is a rhetorical question. It asks higher powers for help for the present and to come.
And I don't hear any whispering. Have I been listening to the song too loud?
dude man, the reason he was such an alcoholic was because his mother was paralyzed and bed-ridden for 27 years (approximately 10000 days, as the latest tool album suggests) before passing away. this song is about all of the guilt that he felt while losing his mother. if you knew anything about losing someone you would know that the guilt can fucking eat you alive man. and as for the "why can't we not be sober" vs "why can't be drunk"... well that just wouldn't quite have the same effect. and he's the artist, he created the song, he can...
dude man, the reason he was such an alcoholic was because his mother was paralyzed and bed-ridden for 27 years (approximately 10000 days, as the latest tool album suggests) before passing away. this song is about all of the guilt that he felt while losing his mother. if you knew anything about losing someone you would know that the guilt can fucking eat you alive man. and as for the "why can't we not be sober" vs "why can't be drunk"... well that just wouldn't quite have the same effect. and he's the artist, he created the song, he can do what he wants with it, haha.
as far as i'm concerned, this is probably maynard's most powerful song to date, and the least you can do is atleast appreciate that he got through it all safely and made beautiful music out of it.
Hey cowboy, I dont think anyone was asking Maynard to rewrite the song, I believe the drunk comment was used to simplify the lyrics for people who were digging to deep. I do agree that this is a very powerful song, and the song is one of my favorites.
Hey cowboy, I dont think anyone was asking Maynard to rewrite the song, I believe the drunk comment was used to simplify the lyrics for people who were digging to deep. I do agree that this is a very powerful song, and the song is one of my favorites.
@Babyeater I didn;'t feel that the rhetorical questions ask these higher powers anything. It's more of an observation that he's been abandoned. Sort of the grief-anger stage before bargaining, "Why can't we be drunk?" Then he pretty much accepts that fate at the end.
@Babyeater I didn;'t feel that the rhetorical questions ask these higher powers anything. It's more of an observation that he's been abandoned. Sort of the grief-anger stage before bargaining, "Why can't we be drunk?" Then he pretty much accepts that fate at the end.
Wow, all the irony and paradoxes aren't gonna get you anywhere Maynard. The speaker feels that he is always being blamed by others for everything he does wrong. And obviously he doesn't think much of himself. "Why can't we not be sober?" has a double-negative. Simplify it-- 'why can't we be drunk'-- he doesn't want to be sober and think, he wants to drown the problems. (Not that the song endorses alcoholism or anything.)
"Jesus won't you fucking whistle/something but the past and done" is a rhetorical question. It asks higher powers for help for the present and to come.
And I don't hear any whispering. Have I been listening to the song too loud?
Ther definatly is abit at about 4:02 because I always think its my mum calling me (my name is joe you will see what I mean)
Ther definatly is abit at about 4:02 because I always think its my mum calling me (my name is joe you will see what I mean)
It sounds like something scratching against a bass string.
It sounds like something scratching against a bass string.
dude man, the reason he was such an alcoholic was because his mother was paralyzed and bed-ridden for 27 years (approximately 10000 days, as the latest tool album suggests) before passing away. this song is about all of the guilt that he felt while losing his mother. if you knew anything about losing someone you would know that the guilt can fucking eat you alive man. and as for the "why can't we not be sober" vs "why can't be drunk"... well that just wouldn't quite have the same effect. and he's the artist, he created the song, he can...
dude man, the reason he was such an alcoholic was because his mother was paralyzed and bed-ridden for 27 years (approximately 10000 days, as the latest tool album suggests) before passing away. this song is about all of the guilt that he felt while losing his mother. if you knew anything about losing someone you would know that the guilt can fucking eat you alive man. and as for the "why can't we not be sober" vs "why can't be drunk"... well that just wouldn't quite have the same effect. and he's the artist, he created the song, he can do what he wants with it, haha.
as far as i'm concerned, this is probably maynard's most powerful song to date, and the least you can do is atleast appreciate that he got through it all safely and made beautiful music out of it.
Hey cowboy, I dont think anyone was asking Maynard to rewrite the song, I believe the drunk comment was used to simplify the lyrics for people who were digging to deep. I do agree that this is a very powerful song, and the song is one of my favorites.
Hey cowboy, I dont think anyone was asking Maynard to rewrite the song, I believe the drunk comment was used to simplify the lyrics for people who were digging to deep. I do agree that this is a very powerful song, and the song is one of my favorites.
@Babyeater I didn;'t feel that the rhetorical questions ask these higher powers anything. It's more of an observation that he's been abandoned. Sort of the grief-anger stage before bargaining, "Why can't we be drunk?" Then he pretty much accepts that fate at the end.
@Babyeater I didn;'t feel that the rhetorical questions ask these higher powers anything. It's more of an observation that he's been abandoned. Sort of the grief-anger stage before bargaining, "Why can't we be drunk?" Then he pretty much accepts that fate at the end.