| Tool – The Pot Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Though, I disagree slightly with some of your interpretations, I found your criticism pretty good and it's nice to see someone who actually appreciates lyrics.. instead of the typical "oh this is cool" or "Tool Sucks", or those who don't take the time to explain why's of their beliefs. Where I disagree with you is below in another post, but in short, I don't think that this song is saying that "us" the people are onto the government, I see it as "us" the people are high and allowing the government to abuse us-but this is just my take on it. | |
| Tool – The Pot Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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So, I decided to avoid doing a paper on Tim O'Brien and instead wanted to try my hands at cracking this one. Though not one of Maynord's deepest recordings, it contains some pretty interesting symbolism, along with a convoluted meaning, and no I didn't edit this or make all fluid and "smart" like- I just took it line by line and study the etymology behind this, which should still be pretty decent. If you don't care to see the break up, just skip to the last paragraph. So first verse... This verse is extremely accusatory. He says who are you to judge me when you don't see what's going on "eye hole deep in muddy water". You talk so highly about yourself, that you assume a Godly status "raise the dead". "Rob the grave to snow the cradle then burn the evidence down" These lines boldly describe a desperate and loathsome individual, but who? To Snow actually refers to over compliment someone and over flattery in order to take advantage of them, it can also refer to cocaine, but you wouldn't coke a cradle, unless you are creating an environment of delusion.So taking this into consideration, you steal from the dead, and lie to the innocent to get what you want, and then you hide your actions. The rest is a given a "House of Cards", a House of "Glass"..these things are fragile, this is in reference to New Testament ideology, he who lives without sin... I bring this up because the album as a whole has a very religious awakening theme throughout. Second V: The speaker accuses the recipient of being delusional and so full of shit, he then makes fun of them. In this line there also seems to be a change in direction towards the audience. "It must be difficult to dance this one, til you pull it out." This statement, says you, the listener can't fully understand the meaning of this song, til you get your head out of your ass. "Steal, borrow, refer, save your shady inference" You are relentless in your actions in order to support your belief. "kangaroo done hung the jury with the innocent" A kangaroo court doesn't always refer to an actual jury. It also applies to legal matters in general, such as legal misleading, it carries the theme of the dishonest individual. When we take the two lines as a whole we see a legal authority who is hell bent on getting there way. "now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo. (musta) got lemon juice up in your eye when you pissed all over my black kettle." Cozened, to win over someone by ways of deceit. Indigo- Historically one of the most important colors. Indigo was mandated to be worn only by authoritative figures. It also has another meaning in classic literature it often refers to the deepest sorrow, or an overwhelming depression. The Black kettle, ques into the Title, The pot calling the kettle black. Meaning: Your criticism of me and my belief, are blinding you and causing you harm."You musta been high"- Delusional. "who are you to wave your finger? so full of it". How dare you judge me, us! "Eye balls deep in muddy waters. fuckin hypocrite". You actions disallow you from judgment "liar, lawyer, mirror show me. what's the difference?" Our political system is full of lies, and lawyers are liars. "Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent." Our judicial system is corrupted and malfunctioning. "Kangaroo be stoned. he's guilty as the government." now we get the juxtaposing kangaroo, Kangaroo meaning someone dumb... it was first believed that Kangaroo meant "I don't know". So kangaroo be stoned either this idiot is high, or this idiot is being judged. He's as guilty as the government meaning that he is to blame for his actions as much as the government who created the laws against him. Ganja, please. Ganja, only means pot, it has no other meaning. Ganja, please.. please as in whatever, you must have been outta of your mind. The juxtaposition again either, it is the you, the listener, are crazy to think that this song is about pot. Or it is How dare you think that it is correct to destroy someone's life over something so dumb. I think this a criticism towards the current judicial persecution with the example of marijuana users persecution. It's main message though is to the listener that this is not a Pro-Pot song, it is a pro-activism song, because he is saying that the reasons that our government is so out of control, is because "we" the listeners are high, and we have allowed them to get this power. We have allowed them to blind us. Eye ball deep in muddy war in this context is us the listener, the baby in the cradle, the innocent. He is trying to get us accept responsibility, get our heads out of our ass and to actually do something. |
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