As far as people stating so adamantly "THIS IS ABOUT HIS MOTHER"...ok. So what? It may resonate some feelings about the relationship he has with his mother, but it can also be interpreted individualistically, about the relationship I have with my daughter, for example. I have had moments of despising everything and everyone...but my daughter. And I never will.
I don't really want to buy into the arguments, and I won't be arguing at all.
However, it is very...ironic?...that so many "Hardcore TOOL fans," insist that practically every song TOOL releases is about Maynard's mother. Interpreting the music that way, is not the real crime committed in and of itself...it's the added line people choose to give again and again, which is, "A real TOOL fan would know that." Which is ridiculous.
A real fan of TOOL would recognize that the band members are individual people, complex in every way as you and I (perhaps more the former than the latter), and the death of his mother is not the only thing that has ever happened in his life. TOOL should be, in my opinion, afforded more respect for their artistic abilities than this sort of pigeon-hole, so many creepy "fans" want to place them in.
The name of the band is TOOL. They are a TOOL. Sometimes for aggression. Sometimes for reflection. Sometimes used for anger. Sometimes for sadness. But, the key message in so many songs, is to evolve. Mainly to evolve past the "Stinkfist" manner of living, which society throws on us. And, claiming you are a "real" TOOL fan and others are not, because they don't point every single thing, specifically, back to the death of his Mother, is nothing but a "Stinkfist", in my opinion.
100% agreed. There is a great interview with the band members in revolver magazine. They said they want people to make up their own interpretations to the music, and NOT try and analyze and pick apart the music to figure out what the song means to the band. They said it. In the magazine, and it made me love them even more than I already did. Too many things (art, music, poetry) are picked apart, held under a microscope, beaten, and mutilated, by people trying to get out what meaning the author, writer, painter was trying to convey. Well,...
100% agreed. There is a great interview with the band members in revolver magazine. They said they want people to make up their own interpretations to the music, and NOT try and analyze and pick apart the music to figure out what the song means to the band. They said it. In the magazine, and it made me love them even more than I already did. Too many things (art, music, poetry) are picked apart, held under a microscope, beaten, and mutilated, by people trying to get out what meaning the author, writer, painter was trying to convey. Well, sometimes the meaning is meant to stay with the author, writer, painter, etc. and we're suppose to find out our own meaning. Instead of ruining the whole experience by being haughty, pompous, dick holes. Of course it's fin to have your own meaning and be curious and ponder what they were writing about, but when people can only see one side of it and then claim that others are not true fans... well that's just bullshit.
As far as people stating so adamantly "THIS IS ABOUT HIS MOTHER"...ok. So what? It may resonate some feelings about the relationship he has with his mother, but it can also be interpreted individualistically, about the relationship I have with my daughter, for example. I have had moments of despising everything and everyone...but my daughter. And I never will.
I don't really want to buy into the arguments, and I won't be arguing at all.
However, it is very...ironic?...that so many "Hardcore TOOL fans," insist that practically every song TOOL releases is about Maynard's mother. Interpreting the music that way, is not the real crime committed in and of itself...it's the added line people choose to give again and again, which is, "A real TOOL fan would know that." Which is ridiculous.
A real fan of TOOL would recognize that the band members are individual people, complex in every way as you and I (perhaps more the former than the latter), and the death of his mother is not the only thing that has ever happened in his life. TOOL should be, in my opinion, afforded more respect for their artistic abilities than this sort of pigeon-hole, so many creepy "fans" want to place them in.
The name of the band is TOOL. They are a TOOL. Sometimes for aggression. Sometimes for reflection. Sometimes used for anger. Sometimes for sadness. But, the key message in so many songs, is to evolve. Mainly to evolve past the "Stinkfist" manner of living, which society throws on us. And, claiming you are a "real" TOOL fan and others are not, because they don't point every single thing, specifically, back to the death of his Mother, is nothing but a "Stinkfist", in my opinion.
100% agreed. There is a great interview with the band members in revolver magazine. They said they want people to make up their own interpretations to the music, and NOT try and analyze and pick apart the music to figure out what the song means to the band. They said it. In the magazine, and it made me love them even more than I already did. Too many things (art, music, poetry) are picked apart, held under a microscope, beaten, and mutilated, by people trying to get out what meaning the author, writer, painter was trying to convey. Well,...
100% agreed. There is a great interview with the band members in revolver magazine. They said they want people to make up their own interpretations to the music, and NOT try and analyze and pick apart the music to figure out what the song means to the band. They said it. In the magazine, and it made me love them even more than I already did. Too many things (art, music, poetry) are picked apart, held under a microscope, beaten, and mutilated, by people trying to get out what meaning the author, writer, painter was trying to convey. Well, sometimes the meaning is meant to stay with the author, writer, painter, etc. and we're suppose to find out our own meaning. Instead of ruining the whole experience by being haughty, pompous, dick holes. Of course it's fin to have your own meaning and be curious and ponder what they were writing about, but when people can only see one side of it and then claim that others are not true fans... well that's just bullshit.
@pattycr I couldn’t have said it better. I agree with you completely.
@pattycr I couldn’t have said it better. I agree with you completely.