Post by Tool 666 on Nov 14, 2002 20:19:00 GMT -5
I was listening to Disgustipated (by Tool) just before, and it started me thinking about the meanings of lyrics in progressive rock. With Tool being the forefront of modern progressive rock, let's start there.
Take for example, the lyrics of Disgustipated:
THE FIRST VERSE:
"And the angel of the lord came unto me, snatching me up from my place of slumber. And took me on high, and higher still until we moved to the spaces betwixt the air itself. And he brought me into a vast farmlands of our own midwest. And as we descended, cries of impending doom rose from the soil. One thousand, nay a million voices full of fear. And terror possesed me then.
And I begged, "Angel of the Lord, what are these tortured screams?" And the angel said unto me, "These are the cries of the carrots, the cries of the carrots! You see, Reverend Maynard, tomorrow is harvest day and to them it is the holocaust."
And I sprang from my slumber drenched in sweat like the tears of one million terrified brothers and roared, "Hear me now, I have seen the light! They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! d**n you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers!" Can I get an amen? Can I get a hallelujah? Thank you Jesus. "
Isn't that just the way it is in life? Yes, it is. The Chorus of this track is "This is necessary... This is necessary.... Life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life...." etc. and this ties into the theme of the song, for it is the case that Life feeds on life. Also, the "This is necessary" bit is saying that it's necessary for life to feed on life. HOWEVER, is that really what the song is saying? To me it seems to be saying that humanity is destined to passive self-destruction, because of these needs and actions.
I don't understand the second verse...
Anyway, here's another song for discussion: Third Eye.
"Dreaming of that face again.
It's bright and blue and shimmering.
Grinning wide
And comforting me with it's three warm and wild eyes.
On my back and tumbling
Down that hole and back again
Rising up
And wiping the webs and the dew from my withered eye.
In... Out... In... Out... In... Out...
A child's rhyme stuck in my head.
It said that life is but a dream.
I've spent so many years in question
to find I've known this all along.
"So good to see you.
I've missed you so much.
So glad it's over.
I've missed you so much
Came out to watch you play.
Why are you running?"
Shroud-ing all the ground around me
Is this holy crow above me.
Black as holes within a memory
And blue as our new second sun.
I stick my hand into his shadow
To pull the pieces from the sand.
Which I attempt to reassemble
To see just who I might have been.
I do not recognize the vessel,
But the eyes seem so familiar.
Like phosphorescent desert buttons
Singing one familiar song...
"So good to see you.
I've missed you so much.
So glad it's over.
I've missed you so much.
Came out to watch you play.
Why are you running away?"
Prying open my third eye. x 10
So good to see you once again.
I thought that you were hiding.
And you thought that I had run away.
Chasing the tail of dogma.
I opened my eye and there we were.
So good to see you once again
I thought that you were hiding from me.
And you thought that I had run away.
Chasing a trail of smoke and reason.
Prying open my third eye. x 10"
Ok. The title of this song suggests enlightenment, for as buhddist mythology shows, the "third eye" is the symbol of enlightenment, showing that the soul has opened it's eye, allowing the truth to permeate it. But really, is that what it's about? Rather, it seems a CHASE to find premature enlightenment, hence the "prying open my third eye." What could this mean? Well, in the modern age, we like to think ourselves enlightened over what we once were. Not so. In fact, one could say that we are worse, for not only do we sin (for lack of a better word) far more than in the past, we ignore the plight of other people, and act on very immoral principles. in my book, that's not synonymous with "enlightened."
ok, opinions people. What are your thoughts?
Take for example, the lyrics of Disgustipated:
THE FIRST VERSE:
"And the angel of the lord came unto me, snatching me up from my place of slumber. And took me on high, and higher still until we moved to the spaces betwixt the air itself. And he brought me into a vast farmlands of our own midwest. And as we descended, cries of impending doom rose from the soil. One thousand, nay a million voices full of fear. And terror possesed me then.
And I begged, "Angel of the Lord, what are these tortured screams?" And the angel said unto me, "These are the cries of the carrots, the cries of the carrots! You see, Reverend Maynard, tomorrow is harvest day and to them it is the holocaust."
And I sprang from my slumber drenched in sweat like the tears of one million terrified brothers and roared, "Hear me now, I have seen the light! They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! d**n you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers!" Can I get an amen? Can I get a hallelujah? Thank you Jesus. "
Isn't that just the way it is in life? Yes, it is. The Chorus of this track is "This is necessary... This is necessary.... Life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life...." etc. and this ties into the theme of the song, for it is the case that Life feeds on life. Also, the "This is necessary" bit is saying that it's necessary for life to feed on life. HOWEVER, is that really what the song is saying? To me it seems to be saying that humanity is destined to passive self-destruction, because of these needs and actions.
I don't understand the second verse...
Anyway, here's another song for discussion: Third Eye.
"Dreaming of that face again.
It's bright and blue and shimmering.
Grinning wide
And comforting me with it's three warm and wild eyes.
On my back and tumbling
Down that hole and back again
Rising up
And wiping the webs and the dew from my withered eye.
In... Out... In... Out... In... Out...
A child's rhyme stuck in my head.
It said that life is but a dream.
I've spent so many years in question
to find I've known this all along.
"So good to see you.
I've missed you so much.
So glad it's over.
I've missed you so much
Came out to watch you play.
Why are you running?"
Shroud-ing all the ground around me
Is this holy crow above me.
Black as holes within a memory
And blue as our new second sun.
I stick my hand into his shadow
To pull the pieces from the sand.
Which I attempt to reassemble
To see just who I might have been.
I do not recognize the vessel,
But the eyes seem so familiar.
Like phosphorescent desert buttons
Singing one familiar song...
"So good to see you.
I've missed you so much.
So glad it's over.
I've missed you so much.
Came out to watch you play.
Why are you running away?"
Prying open my third eye. x 10
So good to see you once again.
I thought that you were hiding.
And you thought that I had run away.
Chasing the tail of dogma.
I opened my eye and there we were.
So good to see you once again
I thought that you were hiding from me.
And you thought that I had run away.
Chasing a trail of smoke and reason.
Prying open my third eye. x 10"
Ok. The title of this song suggests enlightenment, for as buhddist mythology shows, the "third eye" is the symbol of enlightenment, showing that the soul has opened it's eye, allowing the truth to permeate it. But really, is that what it's about? Rather, it seems a CHASE to find premature enlightenment, hence the "prying open my third eye." What could this mean? Well, in the modern age, we like to think ourselves enlightened over what we once were. Not so. In fact, one could say that we are worse, for not only do we sin (for lack of a better word) far more than in the past, we ignore the plight of other people, and act on very immoral principles. in my book, that's not synonymous with "enlightened."
ok, opinions people. What are your thoughts?