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I'm sweating,
And breathing
And staring and thinking
And sinking
Deeper.
It's almost like I'm swimming.
The sun is burning hot again
On the hunter
And the fisherman,
And he's trying to remember when,
But it makes him dizzy.
Seems like I've been here before.
Seems so familiar.
Seems like I'm slipping
Into a dream within a dream.
Must be the way you whisper.
The sun is setting cool again.
I'm the thinker
And the fisherman
And I'm trying to remember when
But it makes me dizzy.
And I'm sweating,
And breathing,
And staring and thinking
And sinking
Deeper
And it's almost like I'm swimming.
Seems like I've been here before.
Seems so familiar.
Seems like I'm slipping
Into a dream within a dream.
It's the way you whisper.
It drags me under
And takes me home.
And breathing
And staring and thinking
And sinking
Deeper.
It's almost like I'm swimming.
The sun is burning hot again
On the hunter
And the fisherman,
And he's trying to remember when,
But it makes him dizzy.
Seems like I've been here before.
Seems so familiar.
Seems like I'm slipping
Into a dream within a dream.
Must be the way you whisper.
The sun is setting cool again.
I'm the thinker
And the fisherman
And I'm trying to remember when
But it makes me dizzy.
And I'm sweating,
And breathing,
And staring and thinking
And sinking
Deeper
And it's almost like I'm swimming.
Seems like I've been here before.
Seems so familiar.
Seems like I'm slipping
Into a dream within a dream.
It's the way you whisper.
It drags me under
And takes me home.
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Typically with Tool albums, the theme of the album can be derived from the title track. In this case, I think the theme of the album deals with the famous Karl Marx quote, "religion is the Opium of the people." I think this is too broad though and extends itself into all modes of life. "It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness" (Marx, in Tucker 1972:4).
The song begins with a person who is in anguish. "I am sweating and breathing, and staring and thinking." This is the self-reflection this person is going through. However, the next line points to a different individual. "The sun is burning hot again
on the hunter and the fisherman, and he's trying to remember when, but it makes him dizzy." From this comes the impression of 'an other'. As this person is thinking of his own anguish, he is able to look out and see another person under the same circumstances. This observation then makes the person question his own life. "Seems like I've been here before.
Seems so familiar. Seems like I'm slipping into a dream within a dream. Must be the way you whisper." This person is seeing himself through 'the other' and is able to come to terms with his own nature. "The sun is setting cool again. I'm the thinker and the fisherman and I'm trying to remember when but it makes me dizzy." Now this person has transcended his own being and is seeing his existence as that of 'the other'. This is the realization of the One-dimensionality of Man.
For me, I get a strong impression that Capitalism is of topic. The whole idea of capitalism is to reduce a man to a cheap commodity, exploit him, and alienate him from his work. I think most people fall victim to this social construct and end up living an unexamined life. Capitalism works in such a way that you're either a hunter or a fisherman, but not both. I think Tool is trying to show that man can be a hunter, a fisherman, and a thinker all at once. "It's the way you whisper. It drags me under and takes me home." I think this 'whisper' could be the inner-voice we all have. Either of pure reason or of temptation for evil. "Drags me under and takes me home" could be an interpretation of being pulled down in the Undertow. Perhaps a reference to living in your own Hell.
You sweat when you work.
if you have a redundent job or maybe something that does not require all of brain, you go into a daze
lose track of time and then days of how long you been there. Maybe you could be on drugs not sure thats the point of the song. But you feel home when you are at work, on the lake fishing. seems like daja vu coming in to the same place everyday but your not really there. In your mind Thinking about something great. Could easily be done while being a fishermen and a thinker. Also look at guy who worked in the mills or railroad for 30 years only you his body sweating his a^% off. Ask him to remember what he was doing a year ago. Bet he gets dizzy. The whisper... might be subconscious? calling him back to work (is home) maybe calling him away to his little place in his mind to cope with the days labor
I can see the drug refs, though.
Am I the only one that, when listening to this song, thinks not only of Poe but of Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea"?
Maybe none of you will relate to this, (I'm not a total sap, I swear) but this song makes me feel like I do after making up with my boyfriend from a fight or rough patch. I get all worked up over it, then we make up, we're happy, and the familiar feeling of love and ecstasy returns. It feels like a dreamlike state and nothing else matters. And I feel like I'm where I should be (home.)