Track 11 on
Tool's 2001 album
Lateralus. The second song of a three-part
epic. See
Disposition and
Triad.
This song, like the other two in the trilogy, features at least one Indian instrument; in this case, the tabla. The song's working title was "Resolution".
I have come curiously close to the end, though,
beneath my self-indulgent pitiful hole.
Defeated, I concede and move closer. I may find comfort here.
I may find peace within the emptiness. How pitiful.
It's calling me.
It's calling me.
It's calling me.
It's calling me.
And in my darkest moment, fetal and weeping,
the moon tells me a secret. My confidant.
As full and bright as I am.
This light is not my own and
a million light reflections pass over me.
The source is bright and endless.
She resuscitates the hopeless.
Without her, we are lifeless satellites drifting.
And as I pull my head out I am without one doubt.
Don't wanna peer down here, survey my narcissism.
I must crucify the ego before it's far too late.
I pray the light lifts me out before I pine away.
Before I pine away.
Before I pine away.
Before I pine away.
So crucify the ego, before it's far too late,
and leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical.
And you will come to find we are all one mind
capable of all that's imagined and all conceivable.
So let the light touch you so that the words spill through.
And let them pass right through bringing out our hope and reason.
Before we pine away.
Before we pine away.
Before we pine away.
Before we pine away.
Thematically, this song seems very similar to
Forty Six & 2; take a look at
artemis entreri's very informative writeup there for some clues as to what's going on. Given those definitions, it's not hard to figure out what's being said.
To really break it down for you, I personally think that this song is about destroying yourself (or rather, your "self") to move on, and become a part of something greater.
Do I agree with this? I don't know. But it's definitely something to think about.
Been doing some reading. Some other people have interesting takes on the meaning of this song. While most seem to agree with me on the Forty Six & 2 connection, there are a few other ideas worth noting.
Narcissus is a character in classical mythology (whose name forms the root of the word narcissism). In his story, he is so beautiful that he falls in love with his reflection when he stops at a stream for water. He eventually dies of thirst because he is so taken with his image that he cannot bear to shatter it to take a drink.
Many have suggested a connection between the album Lateralus and the Qabalah. The moon has several points of significance within this mythology; finding and interpreting them is left as an excercise for the reader.
A quote from a Usenet post to alt.music.tool by "Ellen":
In Reflection, the first part of the song looks at the past, the middle part looks at the present, and the final part begs for the future (even though it is all sung in the present tense...this is what happens when you 'reflect' upon (relive) your life).
Bringing a couple of these theories together: the mystical ideas directly referred to in Forty Six & 2 are part of a 'teaching' called Flower of Life. In addition to the chromosomal concepts discussed in that song, Flower of Life also focuses on the idea that we are all light, and connected to the one Holy Source. The moon reflecting the sun's light is used as an analogy for our own reflection of the Source. There's a good deal more, try a Google search on "Flower of Life".
Oddly enough, after Narcissus pines away, he is turned into a flower.
As to what all this means, your guess is almost as good as mine.
Hey look, there's more. From an interview with MJK by Prof. Christopher diCarlo in the publication Ontarion:
Prof: In Reflection you talk a good deal about losing or getting rid of the ego in order to attain some further end. What is it about the ego that prevents, or in some way, blocks one from getting some greater end?
M: If you look at the cycles of the moon, it starts as a thin crescent and then gradually waxes and becomes full; then it gradually wanes back into another crescent and then is gone. The moon reflects sunlight like humans reflect information. We wax and wane and when we become full moons, our egos are full. We think we have this knowledge when, in fact, the information we have is pure. And it reflects or shines off of us, is something we take credit for as though the moon could take credit for the light it reflects from the sun. We have to understand that we are egoless, just as the moon is without light. It and we are simply reflectors. The ego is not responsible for the information.
Thanks to toolshed.down.net for the article.
So there is that. I think you can figure it out from here.