A Perfect Circle: Three Libras Meaning
Song Released: 2000
Three Libras Lyrics
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The zodiacal sign of Libra is symbolic of the "other". Venus, the ruler of Libra has dualities as do all other archetypal deities: she is vain, only seeking pleasure, and the urges of the senses until the blending of opposites occurs through becoming conscious of the other both within and without. Her relationships are more of a compliment to herself rather than a true love and appreciation of any one "other". Thus, Venus rules mirrors and projections, narcissism and seeing in others what you can not see in yourself, superficiality, and being what everyone wants you to be.
This song speaks to me as being about the unavoidable human instinct of projecting our unconscious qualities onto others and vice versa, and the wound of not being seen for our own individuality, a key word for the Libra polarity of Aries. I imagine a young person starving for acceptance to the point of desperation, and the superficial mask we wear to get through our superficial relationships. I imagine a triangle of Libras: where does all of the projection go? Onto whom? . . . "You don't see me". All you see is yourself. -
K people. I believe Maynard did have an official meaning when he wrote this and I know what it is because it fits perfectly so hear me out. 3 libras is about the 3 woman (mary magdalene for sure) who witnessed the crucifiction and/or (based on conflicting biblical accounts) resurrection of jesus from the tomb. Maynard said he read "the davinci code" which explains a good portion of mer de noms. Plus, there is a picture of a tomb in the cd booklet with words from Rose saying "I rose" not to mention a picture of Jesus. Anyway, Astronomers consider the libra symbol the most feminine of all on the Zodiac. They are likely to hang around people that are different or special. Jesus had three woman for whom he cared about more than his disciples. They remained him through the worst times. Variations exist in each Gospel concerning the women present at the death, entombment, and discovery. What is known is that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb in the early morning of Easter Sunday. The same story is in Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 24. I think Jesus chose to show himself to Mary first because she was more affected by jesus's death then the disciples. The song is told from Jesus perspective and takes place at the tomb; fitting in after this passage from John: "but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.". "Threw you the obvious"----Jesus asks Mary a question with an obvious answer because he wants her to recognize him. Who is it she is crying for? Obviously Jesus. "And you flew with it on your back"------After jesus revealed himself to Mary he tells her to hurry and go tell the disciples the good news of the resurrection. So Mary flew to the disciples with the weight of the good news that Jesus had risen from the dead. "A name in your recollection"----Jesus asks Mary the name of the person she's looking for. She first refers to him as Lord and then "master." Witnessing a man you saw crucified standing alive in front of you probably caused her to recollect. "Down among a million same"------Without Marys recognition of Jesus and her account of seeing Jesus alive, there would be no Christianity. In truth, without Mary the name of Jesus wouldn't have made it to millions. "Difficult not to be a little bit disappointed and passed over" --------- Jesus felt a love for Mary that was both human and divine but realizes he can't love her because he has obligations to his father and the world, so it disappoints jesus when Mary doesn't recognize him because he hasn't completed salvation duties but also because jesus chose to reveal himself Mary first. "When I look right in through it all see you naked but oblivious"-- ------Now that Jesus has died he is like God and is all knowing so he can see peoples true feelings and thoughts which would make a person feel naked if they were aware God could see this only if they weren't oblivious to it. Not to mention quite a depressing reminder of the passover supper! "And you don't see me"----------probably the most important line here. Mary witnessed a great portion of the Roman crucifixion and was left with a mental picture of Jesus as a tortured, dead, mutilated individual. When she came to the Tomb, Mary was looking for a DEAD man. Not a resurrected one. It was when jesus said her name that she knew it was him. So she turned away from Jesus when she first saw him leaving Jesus with the reminder of the crucifixion and his duties as savior. "But I threw you the obvious to see if there's more behind me." Again, Jesus asked a question he already knew the answer too. He may have done this for a variety of reasons. One could be because he was dead so how would he know he completed his dying on the cross? He said to Mary after she recognizes him "don't cling to me for I have not returned to my father" which looking at the meaning of cling could me "don't love me, let me go so I can follow my fathers orders." Or maybe he actually meant "don't embrace me with your love because I don't wana be reminded of how much I loved you before I died." "Eyes of a fallen angel, eyes of a tragedy."----Just previously, jesus was in hell looking the fallen angel in the eyes and telling him he won. Also behind him was the crucifiction which I think we all know is pretty tragic. "Here I am expecting just a little bit too much from the wounded." I think this is where Jesus shows his undying compassion for Mary. She was weeping for him, even for his dead body, so that she could care for him by preserving it with the spices. She was also at the crucifiction and seemed to dwell on her Lords death while the disciples went there own way. And here's Jesus expecting her to recognize a man that's been dead since Friday. She asks her twice who she's looking and crying for and then promptly tells her to inform the disciples of his resurrection without even a hug. "But I see, see through it all, see through, see you because I" jesus understands Mary's reasons for not seeing who he really is and then turning away from him. Sometimes its hard to see through your own tears and let's not forget it was still dark out at this time and Mary just dealt with a crazy earthquake. "Threw you the obvious to see what occured behind me. Eyes of a fallen angel. Eyes of a tragedy. Oh well. Oh well. Apparently nothing. Apparently nothing at all." Jesus is saying saving everyone from eternal damnation is meaningless if Mary has no mental image of Jesus and can't keep memories of him or his physical features all because he was Messiah. Dying on the cross meant nothing to him because the person he loved on earth couldn't see or recognize him because of it. "You don't see me at all." Jesus wanted to just be noticed or feel like a human once more before he ascended into heaven so he could recall what its like to feel love for someone. Maybe before he ascended he wished he could take his suffering and death all back so Mary could know who he was again.I think if I read the Da Vinci Code I'll be able to interpret this more accurately until then feel free to correct me or shed some light.
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i believe this song to be about feeling denied by god and wondering about the other way- the fallen angel or satan. i am not very religious and dont know the songwriters views on such things but thats the conclusion i have drawn. it is a very emotional and well thought out song. i dont understand the 3 libra idea. the wounded would be refering to jesus.
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maynard stated that it's about being overlooked, but just like in tool he doesn't tell the real meaning mostly because his songs have many meanings, i think it is about someone who spends their time trying to please people who use them and grows sad because they don't see them for what they really are.
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For me personally the song is simply a love song:
Threw you the obvious and you flew
with it on your back, a name in your recollection,
thrown down among a million same.
***That Part of the song is about Maynard saying his love, or affection for someone and them just not disgarding it. He perhaps doesn't even tell them he likes them, they just don't see the signs***
difficult not to feel a little bit disappointed
and passed over
when I've looked right through
to see you naked and oblivious
and
you don't see me.
***This Part relates to the previous section, this person is obviously a friend to Maynard (naked and oblivious can be a metaphor for open) but despite this they still don't see Maynards love***
but I threw you the obvious
just to see if there's more behind the eyes
of a fallen angel,
***Maynard again referring to the obvious, this person is slipping in his esteem (fallen angel, meaning he/she was an angel previously)this is the beginning of the bitterness***
the eyes of a tragedy.
here I am expecting just a little bit
too much from the wounded.
but I see through it all
and see you.
***Perhaps this person he loves/likes has just experienced a tragedy, perhaps through love, a recent relationship split up (expecting too much from the wounded, he wants this person but they are still hurt from a relationship)****
so I threw you the obvious
to see what occurs behind the eyes of a fallen angel,
eyes of a tragedy.
***He threw the obvious to show love, to help this "fallen angel"***
oh well. apparently nothing.
you don't see me.
you don't see me at all.
***The final rejection, she doesn't see him at all, the worst feeling to someone can be that of being ignored by their love, unrequited love hurts the most****
So to me the song is about unrequited love, at least that's what it says to me.
(Whoever wrote this, wrote exactly what I was thinking) I just didn't feel like typing all that so I copied and pasted yours. Thanks! -
Here's my thoughts:
This song is about a man who is in love with a woman who does not love him back. It seems to me that he either tells the woman how he feels and she laughs him off. Or it's someone who he sees on a regular basis, he's tried to tell her how he feels and she just doesn't get it - hence the "you don't see me".
From the feel of the song, I also think that this woman is perhaps in either an abusive or loveless relationship that she is not willing to give up.
Just my opinion. P.T.S.F.!!!! -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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For me it's just a song about Unrequited love. The speaker (not necessarily Maynard) sees this person exactly as they are. He sees their weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and flaws and is ok with those things. He accepts this person totally and completely and wants to connect so he throws them an obvious sign of his feelings. That's why it's "difficult not to feel disappointed and passed over" because his obvious sign is ignored. This person doesn't see him like he sees them and so he feels invisible and unimportant. Because he can't connect to that person, that's the "apparently nothing" line which to me came off as bitter and sorrowful. His bitterness at being passed over. The repetition at the end reflects the cause of the bitterness and sorrow.
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I knew a libra once that had a disturbing past and used drugs(what was I thinking?). I liked her deeply and tried desperately to express my deep feelings for her inclemently on several occasions. The last straw pretty much for that was when I told her I loved her and she denied me the right to express my feelings when she would really do whatever she wanted! needless to say we aren't speaking, but I also know that she had 'betrayed' people many times before and was constantly on the run. And guess what? now she's moving...Again!
anyway this makes me think that perhaps some of the 9 people or atleast "3" were friends who were messed up either on drugs er what not and/OR more so girls he tried to date or like(maybe even used by) that had been 'mistreated' early in life.
by the way it was definitely a take relationship. I was poor in wallet & spirit. She seemed rich in both and yet she would hardly return the favor. I bought her nice things she needed. and she'd wait till xmas or birthdays to give me used items that were partial, chipped, and cracked. The nicest gift though was a stuffed animal I had ta wash what? 5 times? And of course she fed off my patience and emotions like you can't imagine. She would even talk non stop about herself on the phone in the middle of the night on a night when I had to work the next morning and yes I told her that! she wouldn't let me speak during those calls about my problems not even to give her advice & when I didn't talk she'd stop somewhere and accuse me of not listening!? if you love someone, trust me, you listen! she even used my other room where I rented for waaaay too long...
although, I still have libra friends. and I know different people get messed up for different reasons, especially libra's sometimes. But the only real reason I don't talk with her is because she never quit the 'stuff'. coincidentally the only reason she still doesn't talk to me you could say is the same!
Peace Libras.
Peace All...
always,
Sagittarius-Dog
Grey timberwolf by lifepath
redhawk by birth
anonymous-otherwise -
Ok Let me add to that stuff I just wrote about being disappointed in a person he wanted to be close to. He could also be talking about how this person seems to have everybody fooled. but he "sees through" and "sees them". They are naked but oblivious. They are right in front of him in bass relief and not nearly as intelligent as he would have hoped they would be. He saw them completely. and they neither knew nor understood.
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I listened to this song the other day about 30 times in a row (I'm a bit of an audio addict) and came up with this possible idea. Love.
Since Tool is generally about society, he probably wanted to start a band where he can talk about the things he can't in Tool- love (which to me, seems to be the focus for the first album).
It might be my own personal connection to the song, but it feels like he's talking about a girl he likes that doesn't like him back. He sees her for everything she is (naked) but she doesn't see the same for him (oblivious). He felt he was too optimistic and screwed up somewhere. He made it obvious (at least for him) that he liked her but she didn't see him for the same attraction.
This would make sense by the song title 3 Libras. The sign for the Libra is a scale. 2 people would make a harmony of balance (or love) but there are 3 so the scales are off balanced and it doesn't work. -
I think this song is just beautiful. I think this song relates a lot to the poem “not waving but drowning”. Its a cry for his friends/family to see him for who is really is. just from the fact that this song has had so many comments, he may just have achieved just that.
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As he describes in the DVD Amotion, much of the song is about the idea of not being seen/noticed etc. I'm not sure if or how the title '3 libras' fits into that, perhaps an inside reasoning. He says the logo for APC is based on this idea and I think they wanted to get this idea out nice and early in the band's history. I think the logo represents this with the fact that there's actually 2 circles, not just the one that you kind of see.
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i think that the guy above is right...where he has 5 stars and the lyrics to the song..the "fallen angel" is refering to how beautiful the girl is..but everything else is true...the girl is devastated by the break-up of her x husband,boyfriend,fiance, and he is showing his love and is in love with her but she doesn't want him or isn't ready to start loving again and he is hurt because of it..great man!!
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All songs Maynard writes are open for your own interpretation, and how its a reference to your life as well as his. He tried to open up to someone, but his name was among a million same, meaning he's just another person in this particular person(s) eyes. I've seen you naked means he knows everything possible about this person. The song is a reference to someone you wish to be a friend or a lover with, who knows for Maynard, but how is it relevant in your life? Truly a beautiful piece of art.
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