A Perfect Circle: The Noose Meaning
The Noose Lyrics
Overcome them, completely silent now
With heaven's help
You cast your demons out
And not to pull your halo down
Around your neck and tug you off your cloud
But I'm more than just a little curious
How you're...
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my opinion he's talking to christians as well as Christ. when the second coming happens chirst is going to "leave behind" those who are non believers or who he deems unworhty to die and suffer, (i'm more then just a little curious how ur planning to go about making ur amends, to the dead)cause chirst is forgiving and perfect. a lot of christians seem to think there s#*t don't stink ( well not to pull ur halo down) and "born again christians think by f$#@in' up and asking god back in there life sum how makes everything they've done in the past that hurt people ok (so glad to see you well
overcome and completely silent now
With heaven's help
You cast your demons out). to me he's politely reminding religious people that just because ur "in good with god" u just can't go around making judgments and think ur better then everyone else (not to pull ur halo down, around ur neck and tug u off ur cloud). a sly reality check to this certain group of people cause in the end we're all human and we should get along and help one another instead of tryin to hurt eachother....yet again just my 2 cents -
I interpreted this as Maynard talking to someone who is religious, that possibly uses religion as their argument even though they don't live by it as gracefully as they may say. Pointing the finger but not accepting, by their own beliefs, that they are going to have to answer to someone. If one is doing wrong by their own beliefs but isn't admitting to it, if they actually believe what they are saying then they will answer for it later.
I take it all as, him saying "by your own beliefs"
"So glad to see you well
Overcome and completely silent now
With heaven's help
You cast your demons out"
Sarcasm or as if he's mocking someone who is high on their pedestal.
"And not to pull your halo down
Around your neck and tug you off your cloud"
Now the obvious, saying not to knock you down a peg (but really is), cause you're aren't as holy as you try to pretend.
"But I'm more than just a little curious
How you're planning to go about
Making your amends to the dead
To the dead"
Once again (remember it doesn't matter what the artist (maynard) believes) he's calling out the person he's talking to. Saying, if you really believe in this, then according to your beliefs, you will be answering for what you know you did, no matter how you try to brush it off here. When you do have to talk to those (the dead, who I imagine could either be ones judging on judgement day, or angels, or something along those lines), Maynard is curious to how he will react and make amends.
Kind of in a mocking way, asking him how he's going to talk to those who know everything and he cant just lie to.
"Recall the deeds as if
They're all someone else's
Atrocious stories"
Not admitting to what this person has done. Blaming others. Not taking responsibility for what this person has done, or even possibly brushing them off.
"Now you stand reborn before us all
So glad to see you well"
Seems more like he's mocking again. Now oh holly one, who knows all and is reborn, better than the rest.
Then adds so "glad to see you well", as if either maynard believes that the person he is talking to knows that he is not "Reborn" and letting the person know, or just being sarcastic with him.
"And not to pull your halo down
Around your neck and tug you to the ground"
Pretty much what I said before. Using his "Holy" halo as a weapon against him. Pulling him off his pedestal.
"But I'm more than just a little curious
How you're planning to go about
Making your amends to the dead
To the dead"
Same.
"With your halo slipping down
Your halo slipping
Your halo slipping down
Your halo slipping down
Your halo slipping down
Your halo slipping down to choke you now"
The thing that is killing the person maynard is talking to (or that maynard may not like about this person) is his own belief of being a perfect individual or angel. -
Sadly, I have seen too many "accurate" portrayals of the song. Most of these have been the obvious surface meanings. In Lateralus by Tool, Maynard says ". . . as below, so above and beyond I imagine, drawn beyond the lines of reason. Push the envelope; watch it bend." This may seem irrelevant, but in reality, it is quite suitable, as it is saying that we should search deeper than the obvious.
The song is, in fact, referring to the twelve step program; the album is basically claiming to be the so-called Thirteenth Step to recovery. Although Maynard is speaking directly to somebody else, it is more of a metaphor.
The song itself is NOT referring to an actual recovering drug/alcohol addict, but to a cynic. Take the first stanza. He is happy to see this "person" is doing well. The surface definition is simple, you are better now that you recovered. However, the "truth" would be more sarcastic. "Oh, you seem COMPLETELY reformed thanks to Jesus."
The Chorus is more simple. He confronts the situation/idea by more or less saying, "Not to be a dick, but. . ." Maynard is trying to say that although something came out victorious, like a person from the twelve step program, they are NOT on top of the world, but rather more susceptible to abuse yet again. ". . . making your amends to the dead," is by NO means referring to dead people, but rather those who have excommunicated themselves from another person, i.e. disowned themselves. Let's say for the sake of understanding that the Chorus is referring to a person. He is only wondering how they plan on reviving a dead relationship.
The next verse describes a dream sequence. The "person" reflects on their past, and is so exasperated by what happened, that they cannot possibly accept that they did it. So after the program concludes, the "person" is completely changed and willing to face the world. The first three lines of the verse are meant to cancel out the last three, mainly to remind the listener that this person is still having flashbacks.
The Chorus now has a significantly different interpretation. It still holds the effect of dragging someone back into reality, much like the Eminem song, yet this time, ". . . making your amends to the dead," can be questioned as to whether or not the statement is literal. Did this "person" kill, or is the statement still referring to those who died inside, or as family.
And as the song drags on, the words "Your halo slipping down" are repeated, mainly to emphasize this person is slowly losing who they became during the process of the twelve step program.
Later, the song layers in ". . . more than just a little curious. . .to the dead," to create imagery of flashbacks.
The ultimatum is reached as the person "dies."
Or resorts to alcohol/drug abuse when the stress overtakes them once more. Their "halo," or ego, gets the best of them. -
It's a deep conversation between the conscious & the sub conscious/human ego
I agree with ih8u2ho, -
I think this song is about someone who has used other people to overcome life's obstacles. They've put themselves into an enviable or even powerful position while claiming they made a greater sacrifice. I like to imagine it as this person being confronted by one who had been done wrong by them.
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Maynard is trying to tell someone to snap out of their fantasy world. The halo around their head is just a way for this person to say he/she is better than everyone else, while in reality they are the same. The halo is the harsh words of someone bringing them to reality by "pulling them off their clouds". This person did so many deeds that upset or offended so many people that they became "dead" to him/her. After being brought back to earth the person tried to tell how they were better and renewed, reborn if you will, yet the deeds they did always seemed to stem from someone else. Again they are reminded that they are only human. As this person realizes the truth, the "halo" is slipping down around this person's neck, and by the end they believe suicide is the only way out, hence the noose.
Yes this song may be about somebody recovering from an addiction, but that doesn't mean it was from material goods. The person in question was most likely recovering from an addiction to one's own person. Narcissm. They couldn't handle the fact that they hurt so many people simply because they thought the world of themselves, and the pedestal they put themselves one, i.e. The cloud and their halo, became their undoing. -
Simple as this....George W. Bush
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I have no idea but to me the song represents a sarcastic look at Jesus Christ. I get the recovering drug addict interp, but when he says that he says he's more than just a little curious how your plannin to go about making your amends...to the dead. He is saying that the people who have followed and believed in his "false" words are now dead and gone. Therefore not really sitting along side him in heaven or reaping any of those so-called benefits......MAYBE?
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Surely this song is about people on a death sentence who turn to god? if you think about the lyrics with that in the back of your mind it is a totally damning song, and is so powerful and unanswerable. people that have killed or inflicted such an amount of pain on a person to be awarded the death penalty cannot suddenly turn to god and appear angelic and re-born. The line "...make your amends to the dead" clearly shows that no its all very well that these people turn to god and are "re-born" but there is no making up for what you have done, to take the life of another is unforgiveable and cannot be remedied by a suddenly dumb-founding realisation in god. I love the line "recall the deeds..." where you can imagine someone talking about what happened and being totally free from guilt as they whole heartedly believe that it was not them who caused all this pain, that it was their former self. Its so intelligently written to paint this picture of someone on death row falsly forgiving themselves for what they have done. "so glad to see you well..." shows MJKs view on the subject, in a blatantly sarcastic way. I'm not sure if there is a personal experience that he is drawing from, but regardless of this he should be commended on his ability to rouse such strong feelings towards a subject, he has done that so many times and has applied it to so many situations, love (3 libras) god and his mother (judith) classical stories (orestes) and even to the loss of self esteem and dignity over strippers (magdelena). I think the man is amazing, his grasp of language and emotion is only something that can come from self experience and his intelligence, and will be something that I don't think will ever be replicated.
as for the noose, it has to be about the death penalty and the prisoners finding of god, there is no other explanation I can see, unless I am very very blind. -
I see hear and feel 'The NOose" as a general slam against those that turn to religion to overcome addictions, and then act like they are better than everyone else with the same problems. A person in recovery struggles daily, therefore, how can they possibly act they are better than anyone else. I think its the hypocrisy of it all that he is talking about.
Just like Oscar Wilde so eloquently put it: “The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity”
D. -
my interpretation: he is speaking to someone who "supposedly" turned their life around with the help of god or some form of deity (reborn before us all). now they are self righteous (on a cloud) so they may be judgemental of non-believers for not turning their life over to god which in turn makes them a hypocrite (halo slipping). how are you going to make your amends with the dead (a non-believer is considered to be "dead" in christ) when you are a fake? i think he pretty much told the person to go hang themselves with their "halo".
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With regards to my previous post (the one direrctly above this). My guess is:
A murderer, or tyrannical leader (non in particular, or so it seems, although there seems to be a personal touch to the emotion in the vocals).
"Supposedly found God" but he can see through the facade.
A song of animosity and spite towards the person,
basically slapping the person in the face with words.
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I believe all of them are very close to the point. But I see a certain vindictive side to the song also. Maybe not necessarily he's "glad to see the person is doing well" but more of a vindictive, sarcastic expression of they're failing attempt at turning around their ways or at least masking them. Also in the sense that "so glad to se you doing well, after you hurt so many" and also "I'm more than just a little curious at ow your planning to go about making your ammense to the dead" more so "After what you've done, it's beyond me how you will ever repent for your actions."
Picture someone that's gone through anger management. You look at the person so calm and cool looking, but you notice their eye twitch out of the rage built up - it's just a guise - "Your halo slipping down". A representation of the falsification of their "new" self. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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