Lyrics for Rosetta Stoned as interpreted by Solarius

Rosetta Stoned Lyrics
All righty then... picture this if you will...
10 to 2 am, X, yogi DMT, and a box of krispy kreme's in my "need to know" pose just outside of area 51, contemplating the whole chosen people thingy when just then a flaming stealth banana split the sky like one would hope but never really expect to see in a place like this. Cutting right angle donuts on a dime and stopping right at my birkinstocks, and me yelping "holy fuckin' shit!"

then the X file being, looking like some kinda blue green Jackie chan, with Isabella Rossellini lips, and breath that reeked of vanilla chig champa, did a slow mo matrix decent outta the butt end of the banana vessel, and hovered above my bug eyes, my gaping jaw, and my sweaty L. Ron Hubbard upper lip and all I could think was, "I hope uncle martin here doesn't notice that I pissed my fuckin pants!!"

so light in his way, like an apparition, that he had me crying out...
"fuck me! It's gotta be the dead head chemistry. (the) blotter got right on top o' me. Got me seeing E mutha fuckin T!


and after calming me down with some orange slices and some fetal spooning, E.T. revealed to me his singular purpose. He said. "you are the chosen one. The one who will deliver the message. A message of hope for those who choose to hear it, and a warning for those who do not." Me! The chosen one. They chose me!!!! And I didn't even graduate from fuckin' high school!!

Then he looked right through me with somniferous almond eyes. Don't even know what that means. Must remember to write it down.
This is so real. Like the time Dave floated away. See, my heart is pounding. cuz this shit never happens to me.
Can't breathe right now.

It was so real. Like I woke up in wonderland. all sorta terrifying. I don't wanna be alone while I tell this story.
And can anyone tell me why y'all sound like peanuts parents?
Will I ever be coming down?
This is so real. Finally it's my lucky day See, my heart is racing cuz this shit never happens to me.
Can't breathe right now.


You believe me don't you? Please believe what I've just said. See, the dead ain't touring and this wasn't all in my head. see they took me by the hand and invited me right in. then they showed me something. I don't even know where to begin.

Strapped down to my bed, feet cold and eyes red.
I'm out of my head am I alive? Am I dead.
Can't remember what they said. God damn. Shit the bed.
Overwhelmed as one would be placed in my position...
Such a heavy burden now to be the one
Born to bear and bring to all the details of our ending.
to write it down for all the world to see.
But I forgot my pen. Shit the bed again. Typical.


Strapped down to my bed, feet cold and eyes red.
I'm out of my head am I alive? Am I dead.
Sun kissed and Sudafed Gyro scopes and infrared
won't help. I'm brain dead. Can't remember what they said.
God damn. Shit the bed.


Can't remember what they said to me.
Can't remember what they said to make me out to be the hero.
Can't remember what they said.
Bob help me.
Can't remember what they said.


We don't know and we won't know.
God damn shit the bed.

Interaction
Mail to a friend Send Lyrics to a Friend
Share on Facebook

Stumble It
Add to Del.icio.us Add to Del.icio.us




  • 488 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
oldest first     Expand All
caughtinaglimpse
05-01-2006

Rated 0 
Hmmm... the first time i actually understood some of the words when i listened to this song i thought it was about terry schaivo. obviously wrong. perhaps the song is a "rosetta stone" of sorts, maybe that means it can be used for the other songs, maybe it just has a message in every third letter or word or something... who knows...

Log in to reply
septimusphoenix
05-01-2006

Rated 0 
definately my fav off the album...before i understood the lyrics i felt as if they were high or pocessed, as if the drugs were talking for them...a bit like APCs Pet, but not...

Log in to reply
revolt
05-01-2006

Rated 0 
erm, i think this is in connection again to Bill Hicks who once said "once you've been taken aboard a UFO, it's kind of hard to top that."
somehow related to that perhaps?

Log in to reply
Cruper
05-01-2006

Rated 0 
instead of "WACHEN SIE AUF! (wake up, in german) its more like "MACH DIE TUER AUF" (open the door, in german)

Log in to reply
little_choi
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
seems to be almost supplementary to the story, waiting for godot does anyone agree/disagree?

Log in to reply
egb
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
Cruper- he's just repeating the ling 'HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!'

caughtinaglimpse- you know what, i think you're onto something with this song being a key of some sort... the April newsletter on toolband.com claims that this song contains a 'terrible secret'... this was revealed in an earlier newsletter in anagram form...hmmm

Log in to reply
nonetospeakof
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
“I think psychedelics play a major part in what we do, but having said that, I feel that if somebody's going to experiment with those things they really need to educate themselves about them. People just taking the chemicals and diving in without having any kind of preparation about what they're about to experience tend to have no frame of reference, so they're missing everything flying by and all these new perspectives. It's just a waste. They reach a little bit of spiritual enlightenment, but they end up going, 'Well, now I need that drug to get back there again.' The trick is to use the drugs once to get there, and maybe spend the next ten years trying to get back there without the drug.”
-MJK

Log in to reply
nonetospeakof
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
This is what I get from it, it may not be what you get, and that’s totally fine. Keeping in mind the three languages on the Rosetta Stone and the above quotation.

There are three narratives that need to be deciphered in this song. At the beginning we have the narrative of events told by the guy who is still suffering the effects of LSD to the doctors. The garbled sound of the lyrics seems to accentuate the nonsensical lyrics themselves. Then we get the second narrative, his inner thoughts. This helps us understand the first narrative, he cant explain himself because he is still really stoned, but what he has to say does make some sense. We are missing a third narrative, which is that of the aliens.
So then what is the Rosetta Stone, his key to unlocking the cryptic message? The title suggests it’s the LSD. It is what allowed for the alien experience and makes the first nonsensical narrative possible, then the second more rational narrative. The reason we are missing the alien narrative is because we have an unprepared individual with no frame of reference, he forgot his pen. So he ends up missing the point. You get what you can from the Rosetta Stone (LSD or the actual stone used to decrypt the hieroglyphs) but once you decrypt, you don’t need the Rosetta Stone anymore. Once you figure out how to read Hieroglyphs you don’t need to translate through the stone again, you do it because you understand it. Much like once you reach a bit of spiritual enlightenment you can “get there again” because you understand it. The story teller was not prepared and therefore did not have the frame of reference to understand the new perspectives he encountered. It becomes a sort of response to “Third Eye.”

What makes this song cool to me is the humor used to poke fun at the stereotypical high school drop out that trips out just to trip out. Tool makes some great stuff.

Log in to reply
efess
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
nonetospeakof- Great interpretation, I agree 100% with this...

Log in to reply
JuFu
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
Fun Fact: The Rosetta Stone is a granite stone found in Egypt; the stone was the key to deciphering the hieroglyphs; it was also used as a pseudonym for children's author Dr. Seuss

Log in to reply
thirdeye187
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
Heh, a lot of this song reminds me of the film Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas.

To expand on nonetospeakof's comments, here's an MJK quotation:

"I think psychedelics play a major part in what we do, but having said that, I feel that if somebody's going to experiment with those things they really need to educate themselves about them. People just taking the chemicals and diving in without having any kind of preparation about what they're about to experience tend to have no frame of reference, so they're missing everything flying by and all these new perspectives. It's just a waste. They reach a little bit of spiritual enlightenment, but they end up going, 'Well, now I need that drug to get back there again.' The trick is to use the drugs once to get there, and maybe spend the next ten years trying to get back there without the drug."
- Maynard James Keenan

I think this song is basically the artistic, musical version of that quote. With "goddamn, shit the bed," he's saying he screwed up and he's trying to get back to where he was. But perhaps he's trying to do it without the initial catalyst? (LSD, DMT, whatever)

I also think the vocals are very clever. Being quite unconventional for MJK, they give the song a bit of a surreal sound (moreso than most Tool), especially with the delay voice, which is also slightly off-tune at times (obviously quite intentional).

Log in to reply
SmileyGladHands
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
thirdeye187 makes alot a good point. but do you think there is any meaning behind the titles? (blame hoffman) is pretty obvious because of the LSD connection, but what about "Rosetta Stoned"? is it just TOOLs sence of humor or is there more to be found?

Log in to reply
Fatts
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
Most of you have the general idea at least. It's actually pretty simple.

And XxINCHAINSxX you should listen to Aenema. Maynard wrote that song for you.

Log in to reply
Blindrider
05-03-2006

Rated 0 
i found this online. its some scientist who studies hallucinagetic drugs:

"I was led to the pineal gland as a possible source of psychedelic compounds produced under certain unusual mental or physical states. These conditions would include near-death, birth, high fever, prolonged meditation, starvation, and sensory deprivation. This tiny organ, or the "third-eye", might produce DMT or similar substances by simple chemical alterations of the well-known pineal hormone melatonin, or of the important brain chemical serotonin. Perhaps it is DMT, released by the pineal, that opens the mind's eye to spiritual or non physical, realities.

"This coming and going would be marked by the release of DMT by the pineal, mediating awareness of these awesome events."

"The peak effects of intravenous DMT occur between two to three minutes after the injection, and that they will not be able to communicate for at least fifteen minutes".

This was a study done where a patient was given dmt. how ther person given the drug couldnt talk could be why the patient couldnt talk in Lost Keys, but then in Rosetta Stoned the patient is having vivid hallucinations.

Log in to reply
naisebo
05-03-2006

Rated 0 
Is it wrong of me to find this song absolutely hillarious and for me to be reminded of Beetlejuice during the slurred verses?

Log in to reply
egb
05-03-2006

Rated 0 
Blindrider- i think it's pretty much accepted at this point that this sequence (lost keys (blame hofmann) and rosetta stoned) are inspired by LSD...

stuff like (Blame Hofmann)- albert hofmann being the guy from sandoz labarotories that first synthesized lsd... so, blame hofmann for your bad trip... also, there was a reference to this song on toolband.com when the band members and their friends threw an acid party for Camella's (adam's wife) birthday... Blair busted out his antique LSD collection, it was too much for several people and his responce was... Blame Hofmann...

as you have just noted, and my personal experience can confirm this, is that dmt is very short lived... you wouldn't even be high for the drive to the hospital... never mind catatonic by the time the doctor got to you. 10-15 minutes top... it's like LSD is to DMT as cocaine (snuff) is to crack...

naisebo- yes, these lyrics are quite comical for the most part... wouldn't be the first time... (i had a friend once.... he took some acid...) though i happen to believe that there's more to this song than meets the eye...

Log in to reply
thirdeye187
05-03-2006

Rated 0 
In no way can you compare DMT to Crack.

Its also quite feasible that this song isn't about any drug in particular, its just about intense chemically-induced hallucinations, which could be from LSD, DMT, peyote/mescaline, or even shrooms. I don't think the point is the drug at all, its the place you get to when you alter your consciousness and perception in such an extreme way.

Log in to reply
Blindrider
05-03-2006

Rated 0 
lsd was originally produced for medical purposes so that explains why its in a hospital/doctors office.

i found online that albert hofmann took lsd himself one day. hofmann had a doctor to watch him and when hofmann was high the doctor could not find any abnormal physical symptoms. hofmann had trouble speaking while he was high. after he took the drug there was a very high interest in reasearching lsd-blame hofmann for that i guess.

Log in to reply
traviswrdunbar
05-04-2006

Rated 0 
Just for the extra trivia bit: Originally, the Rosetta Stone was the first located stone with both Greek and Egyptian writings, allowing for translation of hieroglyphs for the first time. If that has any significance here, I must be missing it, but I thought i would mention it for further discussion.

Log in to reply
mauldinite
05-04-2006

Rated 0 
nonetospeakof, that's the best interpretation I've heard so far for this song, so props for that. I knew there had to be some kind of relevance between the Rosetta Stone and the 3 scripts. Maybe expanding a little bit on your idea, let's assume that the language, or the intentions, of the aliens in the song can be considered one of the languages of the Rosetta Stone. This would be like the Hieroglyphs which remained undeciphered until the Stone's discovery. Now this may be a stretch, but maybe the patient in this story attained enlightenment or whathaveyou, and found the interpretation with the alien beings. Since he achieved it through unconventional means, however, using LSD, he was unprepared for what he found. Had he achieved this state through purely natural means, he would have attained the Key, to the meaning of life or whatever connection the aliens could provide. Since he used LSD to get there, he lost the Key. Ergo, "Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)."

Log in to reply
jojojennjo
05-05-2006

Rated 0 
All I have to say is what the song made me think of. It reminded me of how my granpa talked the first few days after he had a stroke that effected the speech portion of his brain. He pulled words from things he had done in the past and made nonsense sentences. Thing is he knew what he was saying, only it made no sense to us. He knew we were pretending to understand him too.
So all this mumbo jumbo followed with the "you believe me" part reminds me of that.

Log in to reply
jojojennjo
05-05-2006

Rated 0 
I am not saying thats what its about, but thast what it makes me think of.

Log in to reply
egb
05-05-2006

Rated 0 
thirdeye187.... there's plenty of reasons to compare dmt to crack.

for example
-it's often smoked
-it's effects are felt instantly and a peak high is reached within minutes
-it's effects are short lived when compared to lsd

obviously dmt's nothing like base cocaine... but the analogy, for those who know less about drugs, works well when trying to explain what dmt is like...

Log in to reply
b1nary_ph0t0n
05-06-2006

Rated 0 
Does an acid trip mean the aliens were not real? I believe not. If you keep up on physics, you know that quantum physicists have to use 10 or 26 dimensions in order to make many calculations work. How many dimensions can your eyes detect? This is where the nifty stereoscopic lenses come in. With just two "2D" pictures (one taken from the each eye's p.o.v.), a magnifying glass for each eye, and you get a "3D" image. Does everything have to be seen

Log in to reply
b1nary_ph0t0n
05-06-2006

Rated 0 
test

Log in to reply




  • Add Your Comments
What does this song mean to you?

You must be logged in to post your comments.

Feel free to create an account with us, or log in with your existing account, to start adding your comments to songs.





Popular
Top:   Lyrics, Artists, Albums
Random:   Lyric, Artist, Album

Your Ad Here