I think that this song is about people that use their religion or something else to point out how everyone else is so wrong in how they go about doing things and how they act, and this song is saying to them get over yourself youre not any better than the rest of us. Your beliefs dont' make you better than me.

I agree with musixux that its about hitler, it cant be about Jesus FULLY because "To ascend you must die.
You must be crucified
For your sins and your lies.
Goodbye...

Well jesus Was a perfect human being incapable of sinning so why would he be crucified for something he was unable to do? It points at hitler pretty hard, Thanks for letting me voice my opinion

all I know is its NOT about jesus.

Everyone has a point of view.... This is mine: The Eulogy is being directed to his old personality, where he had a lot of nothing to say, meaning he has changed, now he is not a social person, he is above all those social persons, he has embraced what said on 46 and 2, he has killed himself only to be born again. He has felt the metamorphosis. He is talking to the ashes of what he was before, maybe missing it because he is now surprised that it is dead and will not come back. But that old personality was looking for what he is now, that is why he says that he has been claiming that the old personality would die for him. To understand this you must know a little about the Jungean theory, but whatever... it's just my interpretation.

I forgot to say... ToolisGod, let me tell you something... I think you should read Hermann Hesse's Demain... Demian says that to be born again you must destroy a world... Aenima means Anima! It is an archetype, he whole purpose of the record is to show how he is fighting against those arquetypes and at the end, in third eye... he now wants to be able to see that change perfectly. To bad he will never be able to see it perfectly, because according to Jung, death is where we perfect our personality, which is what Maynard wants to see... Dead you can never see... Just my interpretation.

--An in depth explaination of the song "Eulogy" by Tool--
No offense, but I think all of you guys missed the point. Well, I suppose it could be nearly impossible to spot the meaning behind most of Maynard's songs, but it's there--they just love to be underlying or layered throughout the song, thats just the way he writes them. Lets do some delving into this one and find out the true meaning of this.
The first thing you should know about this song is that it is not about Jesus christ, rather it takes a bit from martyrs in general, but mostly of suicide.Let me elaborate--
(The sounds in the beginning I think represent Maynard thinking about everything this song will be about. The sounds build up, and then explodes with instruments and his vocals. Note how they are loud and not slow at all. I think its because the song has to do with strongly not liking everything he'll have to sing about.)
He had a lot to say
He had a lot of nothing to say
We'll miss him
We'll miss him
We're gonna miss him
We're gonna miss him
--^ This portion of the song is about someone who Maynard cared about who is no longer around, obviously. Lets continue on--
So long !
We wish you well
You told us how you weren't afraid to die
Well so long!
Don't cry.
Or feel too down
Not all martyrs see divinity
But at least you tried
--^His friend told him that he wasnt afraid to die. Maynard admired this friend, and looked up to him as someone who helped him through his very being, almost like Jesus christ, but not quite. Not quite a martyr either--martyrs go to heaven by dying for what they believe in, his friend killed himself, so he cannot. Anyone who knows anything about the Bible knows that suicide is a straight ticket to hell, which pisses of Maynard because this is someone he clearly saw as someone great.
Standing above the crowd,
He had a voice that was strong and loud
We'll miss him
We'll miss him
--^He was like a Jesus figure, he had a prescance and voice that everyone could hear and understand. It was imprinted onto his brain, but no one listened, not even Maynard until before his friend died.
Ranting and pointing his finger
At everything but his heart
__^He was adamant about how he felt, almost heartless...however this person Maynard knew, felt he wanted to die because no one listened to him...this person he knew was probably depressed or had a deathwish because of it...hence the suicide.
We'll miss him
We'll miss him
We're gonna miss him
We're gonna miss him
(--^--voices sopken during his friends Eulogy, hence the name of the song.)
No way to recall
What it was that you had said to me,
Like I care at all
--^He spoke about how he felt and what he believed in, like a martyr, but no one listened, but it stuck with Maynard as he remembers during the funeral.
But it was so loud
You sure could yell
You took a stand on every little thing
And it was so loud
--^A friend no one could seem to understand, but somehow on everyone there was a fragment of themselves in his dilemma that stuck with them. He spoke and people listened. He killed himself, told everyone he would and no one cared.

Standing above the crowd,
He had a voice that was strong and loud and I
Swallowed his façade 'cause I'm so
Eager to identify with
Someone above the ground,
Someone who seemed to feel the same,
Someone prepared to lead the way, with
Someone who would die for me
--^Someone who inspired him, Like Jesus Christ, who believed in what he spoke. It caught the attention of Maynard, and he was moved by him.
Will you? Will you now?
Would you die for me?
Don't you fucking lie
--^He is angry about what the bible says about suicide, and hes asking if not only his martyr-like friend can die for him, but would Jesus as well.
Don't you step out of line
Don't you step out of line
Don't you step out of line
Don't you fucking lie

You've claimed all this time that you would die for me
Why then are you so surprised when you hear your own eulogy?
--^Again, someone Maynard admired, said he'd be there for him, but now as he misses him he asks him if he was full of shit or not, his friend and Jesus.
You had a lot to say
You had a lot of nothing to say

Come down
Get off your fucking cross
We need the fucking space to nail the next fool martyr
--^In this one he's purely talking about Christ. Maynard used to favor both his friend and Jesus, than why can Jesus die for his beliefs annndd---
To ascend you must die
--^--go to heaven
You must be crucified
--^mocking christ dying and going to heaven, when his friend he admired could not go to heaven fo his suicide, when Maynard saw him as someone who moved him and spoke the truth.
For our sins and our lies
Goodbye...
--^To both his friend and Christ.
Well, thats all I can remember from my analysis from this song I did. Thats pretty much it, and im sure if you delve into it you can see alot more things I forgot to mention in this document. Thanks, and I hope this helped!
-Dusty

actually, they don't believe suicide is a straight ticket to hell, unless they're "Catholic". This song just means that Maynard gets paid millions to sing and hate Jesus, but oh well, he makes a mean cookie dough recipe.

In opposition to part of what Trexor said, surly there must be some meaning to this song, or we must be wasting our time. By all ends I feel that pleasure is the most desirable, that of intellect and spirituality. Perhaps I cant imagine someone devoting their entire life to write poetic songs that have captured quite an ironic following and a novel school of thought for metal musicians is all for nothing. Even the pursuit of nothing in itself is paradoxically something. I feel Maynard expresses a deep religious dilemma. He is left the objective observer, the philosopher (and I feel an agnostic not an atheist). In addition, Maynard is known to be a controlling man. His band and his theme are most if not all his ideas. Why would he go out of his way if there was no meaning to his poetry(lyrics)? Is he going through the meaningless motion in life?
This song reminds me of a Chuck Planiak quote, " martyrdom is televised suicide." (sorry if I butchered the name/quote it is late) This song doesn’t always have to be correlated to religion. I heard a rumor that Maynard was at west point for a while. To me, it is the fundamental human behavior of flocking together; the need to belong and be part of something. Yet, is that something truth that one is standing for or is it the high one feels because one is a part of something? "He had a lot of nothing to say" is about the guy who could "sure yell, above the crowd" the guy that wants to fit in and be with the flock whether it be the army, clergy, or any other organized group. All originality gone, mob mentality gained, and polarized views because of being part of that mob. Truth, well that doesn’t matter; ignorance is bliss, lets just shout our view out so the whole world knows we exist.

In opposition to part of what Trexor said, surly there must be some meaning to this song, or we must be wasting our time. By all ends I feel that pleasure is the most desirable, that of intellect and spirituality. Perhaps I cant imagine someone devoting their entire life to write poetic songs that have captured quite an ironic following and a novel school of thought for metal musicians is all for nothing. Even the pursuit of nothing in itself is paradoxically something. I feel Maynard expresses a deep religious dilemma. He is left the objective observer, the philosopher (and I feel an agnostic not an atheist). In addition, Maynard is known to be a controlling man. His band and his theme are most if not all his ideas. Why would he go out of his way if there was no meaning to his poetry(lyrics)? Is he going through the meaningless motion in life?
This song reminds me of a Chuck Planiak quote, " martyrdom is televised suicide." (sorry if I butchered the name/quote it is late) This song doesn’t always have to be correlated to religion. I heard a rumor that Maynard was at west point for a while. To me, it is the fundamental human behavior of flocking together; the need to belong and be part of something. Yet, is that something truth that one is standing for or is it the high one feels because one is a part of something? "He had a lot of nothing to say" is about the guy who could "sure yell, above the crowd" the guy that wants to fit in and be with the flock whether it be the army, clergy, or any other organized group. All originality gone, mob mentality gained, and polarized views because of being part of that mob. Truth, well that doesn’t matter; ignorance is bliss, lets just shout our view out so the whole world knows we exist.

nah, i was kidding about maynard the singing and hating jesus thing. i do respect maynard and a lot of truth in his songs, especially reflection. but no matter how you take this song, if it is about suicide, well suicide is just stupid. anyone who would kill themself deserves to die anyways, unless they are dying to save someone else. don't follow after something just to fit in or be a part of something. but think for yourself, and if something is worth believing in then it is very likely that it is worth dying for. and everyone has no choice but to believe in something. those who don't are the weak, the quitters who are afraid of being wrong.

TheCircleComplete, I've seen some pretentious people on this site, but I think you sound the most...oh, i don't know, loserly. You are ridiculous, you're post is ridiculous. Why don't you write a fucking essay about it.

well i wouldnt go so far as to say that to TheCircleComplete, but you also cant say we missed the point its not like you know maynard and asked him yourself. I think that maynard (or whoever else in the band writes lyrics) writes the lyrics for himself but hopes that us as the fans decipher them for ourselves so that the song can reach out to everyone.

i think uve all had great ideas, but i think i have a the best interpretation.

First and foremost, i dont care how religious anyone can be, but their is nothing worth dieing for. Once u are dead its as if u never existed in the first place. So take advantage of your random existence.

The Martyr in this song is Jesus, but maynard does this song in a clever way so that at first he may be speaking of any martyr even a terrorist who blows himself up for his faith. until he mentions the cross this could be any religious psycho's eulogy.

so then what is it that all martyrs have in common? they are destroying themselves for a belief, not knowledge, meaning it is illogical.

Atheists such as myself see this as the absolute stupid. The most extreme thing anyone can do since life is a precious bundle of random science, why would any man (terrorist/Jesus) kill themself for something so meaningless in the first place.

What you must realize, is that maynard is proving that if a Historical Jesus did actually exist, he must have been Insane enough to actually convince himself that he was some sort devine being. If jesus wasnt crazy and was faking his divinity then he wouldnt have allowed himself to die like that.

In other words, jesus is just as insane as a suicide bomber, thinking that he was doing something godly.

i think this song is pointing out the irony of being a martyr. a person can truely believe they are a martyr, dedicate their life to being a martyr, and eventually dying for everyone else's sins or sacrificing himself or whatever, but if you were a true martyr you wouldn't have the egomaniacal sense of being a martyr. it's basically like "you screamed at us to change ourselves. we didn't. so you killed yourself to save us. you tried to be one with god, oops, you're not. your bad. have fun being dead" does that make sense?

i like marcel dwayne's interpretation and mine is an elaboration ive come to a final conclusion on my own which has been agreed upon by others who interpreted it the same way. the eulogy is one for jesus christ who's death tends to be a rather popular story The lyrics seem to be shifting perspective between different individuals: the first verse is from maynard's perspective and the observations he's made which have led him to his own conclusion; possible defending his reasons for writing a eulogy for Jesus Christ the theme of compassion that seems to flow through tool's music comes again as he speaks from the perspective of the christian;"he had a voice that was strong and loud/I swallowed his facade cause I'm so eager to identify..." is similar to what's said in opiate. then starting at the verse "You claimed all this time..." is from the perspective of the now letdown former christian who's found that all he thought was everything isnt really (it always seemed to me that regardless of how good of a message he may have expressed, christ did act in vain)

This song points to no specific martyr, referancing Jesus to this so makes sense because people most associate him to words such as cross, marty, or any other words found in the song along those lines. Maynard targets any false martyr through Eulogy. Anyone that stands up to preach his beliefs, but not go so far as to follow through.

"He had alot to say, He had alot of nothing to say" and "You took a stand on every little thing" In analyzing these lines, one can presume that what was being said was probably alot of critisims and critiques on everyone else, with the exception of himself (the false martyr) "Ranting and pointing his finger, At everything but his heart"

But in the end this false martyr is exposed "Get off your fucking cross, we need the fucking space for the next fool martyr" So not only does this song point the finger at the false martyr who doesn't fulfill his preaching by dying in the end, but it also accuses the people of constantly needing someone to lead them.

On another note its pointed out that the narrator of the story was a follower reading to the one he had followed. "To ascend you must die, you must be crucified, for our sins and our lies, Good Bye." This meaning that if you do not give up everything for your message then your message is superficial and empty. So the derannged follower kills him to satisfy his own need for a messiah.

but thats just what i think.

I think its about how Jesus was imaged in the bible. Paul started Christianity, and there is a lot of reference that said Paul was insane. There is also theroys that Cardinals, Priests, Popes... all of them have switched it around, because they were the only literate people and would preach to the illiterates, so they would change it around in the readings to make them seem more powerful.

So back to the Jesus thing... in my interpetation Maynard is saying Jesus wasn't nearly as good as everyone thought. All he did was correct others, but never bothered correcting himself... "Ranting and pointing his finger, at everything but his heart." People miss the interpeted Jesus, not the real one.

Another interpetation that kind of fits but I'm most likely on my own is that Jesus died for our sins, but we continued anyway. It's like putting your trust into someone and making a great sacrafice, but they go back on their word. And Maynard is saying he doesn't give a shit that he did."Will you now? Would you die for me?Don't you fucking lie."
Just some thoughts...

I think Ez2remember00 makes a good point. No one will die for something they know to be a lie. But people in general are like sheep and need to follow something and I think a lot of religious leaders take advantage of that. I get nauseated watching some of these assholes on TV

I doubt it's about Bill Hicks, since it is so condecending and he admired Bill Hicks.

I've always thought it was about Jesus although it applies to any evangelists.

counting bodys like sheep ........
QUESTION EVERY THING SETTLE FOR NOTHING

eulogy is a f@#k you to scientology/christianity/and evangalists Maynard tells them in this song that no man is so rightioust that he can stand and say i will die for you because we are parasites here only to feed so.......goodbye

I'm suprised that no one has brought up the strange vocals at the beginning. I think those are esseintial to the meaning. He's basically saying a lot of nothing...Which brings me to my main point here: This can't be about Jesus. You see, love the guy or hate the guy, Jesus's words did have a lot of substance to them. Also, Jesus was not one (if the stories are to be believed in the least) to point his finger at others. Jesus himself said at one point, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," asking people to turn those accusatory fingers on themslves before a consideration to pass judgement.
As far as martyrs seeing divinity, it can be argued one way or another that Jesus might not have seen divinity himself. That element is not in my opinion, necessary to the proof or disproof of Jesus as the discussed martyr.
"No way to recall
What it was that you had said to me,
Like I care at all"
Seems to evoke a 'can't see the forest for all the trees' idea. Appropriate to the theme, I guess.
Now, the notion of Hitler does come to mind when there is mention of one that is "Standing above the crowd," with "a voice so strong and loud," and even swallowing "his façade 'cause I'm so eager to identify with someone above a crowd."
I think the "Would you die for me? Don't you fucking lie," section refers not to death specifically, but the act of forcing one to own up to empty promises. Hitler was one who failed when faced with this question, as he was not able to deliver on his promises to his people. Other politicians have dealt with this, are dealing with this, or will deal with this at some point in their political careers. Take George W. Bush. He's made many claims over the course of his presidency, that have been dishonest, dodgy, or downright wrong. Yet he won't admit fault. Ranting and pointing his finger, so to speak.
The final lines elude to a figurative cross. When the so-named martyr's empty promises fall through, it can be almost guaranteed that a sort of crucifiction will take place. And, usually, the one being crucified in this manner will make quite a show of his suffering. Hitler didn't, but who was he going to show it to anyway? So, as the final sarcastic burn, this time directed at the martyr AND any angry mob, says stop showing off your pain and die already, we've got other saviors to destroy.

So, what I'm saying is that it's not an indictment of religion, or any specific, Jesus-styled martyr figure, but rather an indictment of politics, and those who seek to control others through beaurocracy.

Dudes, its about Jesus aight? Period. Ain't it obvious? What else could it be about? Come on stop wasting your time trying to over analyse this song.

Dudes, its about Jesus aight? Period. Ain't it obvious? What else could it be about? Come on stop wasting your time trying to over analyse this song.

Its saying, hey if your gonna pretend to be so holy and you have so much faith why dont you trust your "god" and die already. If not then dont preach. I think i heard something like "jesus christ filtered down" in this song somewhere