Tool: H. Meaning

Song Released: 1997

H. Lyrics

What's coming through is alive.
What's holding up is a mirror.
But what's singing songs is a snake
Looking to turn my piss to wine.

They're both totally void of hate,
But killing me just the same.

The snake behind me hisses
What my...

1. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Mar 13th 2007 !⃝

   The song does not have one specific meaning to every person. It has one meaning relating to Maynard himself, but it was created to be open to interpretation and, therefore, would have a separate meaning to any person listening to it. To Maynard himself, the song is about his relationship with his son, Devo, whom he had to overcome becoming abusive towards and become a better person than his father (the snake), who was abusive towards Maynard when he was a child. So, the blood is beckoning upon Maynard to open up his heart to change, and when he finally does and destroys the abusive temptations that he had inherited from his father, he doesn't mind because of the better person he is for it. But, to a fan or any other listener, the song can just as easily transition to a relationship between two people in which a person is having an internal plight between submitting to what they're already familiar with and allowing hesitation rule their judgment, thus preventing them from opening up their heart to the other person, or they could decide to launch themselves into something that's unknown to them, and possibly more meaningful and benevolent, which is how the song relates to me currently in my life.
2. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 22nd 2007 !⃝

   I have an interesting interpretation...
   
   if you have ever heard of the greek story of perseus and medusa (im sure that you have)
   
   (medusa has the snakes on her head and whoever she looks at turns to stone....anyway perseus wants to kill her so he comes into her cave with a mirror shield and so medusa actually looks at herself and turns herself into stone)
   
   with the lyrics
   
   whats coming through is alive (not stone)
   what's holding up is a mirror (shield)
   but whats singing songs is a snake (on her head)
   looking to turn this piss to wine (perseus claiming medusa)
   
   the snake behind me hisses (on her head)
   
   
   other than that I can't really come to any other connections but if you think about it you can see how this fits
   
   
   but idk.....think for yourself
3. FinalOblation

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 25th 2006 !⃝

   I believe that this song is very open to interpretation just as any art is. I have mixed ideas of how I think this song should be interpreted. It could be one, the other, or even both.
   I believe this song is about a third wheel, to a degree. It is kind of a narrative of the thoughts that a guy or girl has on the outside of a relationship. It could be an ex that he/she is still very attached to or an infatuation that the person secretly holds. And there is very obviously a battle of conscience.
   
   "I am too connected to you to
   Slip away, to fade away.
   Days away I still feel you
   Touching me, changing me,
   And considerately killing me."
   There is a connection between the narrator and something. It can be assumed that this is about another person.
   
   "They're both totally void of hate,
   But killing me just the same."
   This could be observed as the view of the couple that the narrator is referring to. They are completely in love and it is killing him/her.
   
   "The snake behind me hisses
   What my damage could have been.
   My blood before me begs me
   Open up my heart again. "
   I see this as the Angel and Devil on his shoulder. This is a conflict of conscience. There is obviously either an issue of right and wrong or an issue of past and present, hence the snake "behind" him and the blood "before" him. The relative position of the snake and blood could be meant as time orientation or good/evil alignment.
   
   These could be the battle of what he/she should do about this situation. Choose the honorable choice of the blood before him, the painful option where he/she just deals with the anguish of not being with this person that has such power and connection to them. Or they could make a move; give into the evil side, the lure of the snake.
   
   "Without the skin,
   Beneath the storm,
   Under these tears
   The walls came down."
   I see this as the person describing a collapse of their emotional and mental defenses. Under the skin = not of the body. Beneath the storm = the affect of the conflict. Under these tears = build up of anguish. The walls come down = feelings breaking free or thoughts breaking in.
   
   "And the snake is drowned and
   As I look in his eyes,
   My fear begins to fade
   Recalling all of those times.
   
   I could have cried then.
   I should have cried then.
   
   And as the walls come down and
   As I look in your eyes
   My fear begins to fade
   Recalling all of the times
   I have died
   and will die.
   It's all right.
   I don't mind."
   This is where I try to make my theory concrete. The first part “And the snake is drowned and As I look in his eyes, My fear begins to fade” this part shows the snake did not win, which means the painful path was chosen. When the walls come down and he/she looks in "their" eyes he/she realizes "My fear begins to fade Recalling all of the times I have died and will die. It's all right. I don't mind." he/she has dealt with this pain before and over and over come through it, so why not bite the bullet, deal with the pain. They have for so long and yet they haven't shown a care so far...so why should they mind now?
   
   After all he/she is still too connected to slip away or risk the loss, so they just let it go on with the person of their infatuation considerately killing them.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
4. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Oct 8th 2006 !⃝

   I belive this song is about a haroin addict, thus the name "h". The "venomous voice" he speaks of that is tempting him and draging him down like gravity is this aweful addiction. Then he gives in, "I feel this coming over like a storm again". "and the snake is drowned and
   as I look in his eyes,
   my fear begins to fade
   recalling all of those times." this is beating the addiction and the fear fading. Being a former addict I can really understand what this feels like. I have no idea whether Maynard has ever been an addict, but I really belieave in order to wright such complex, and beautiful words, a man must be clear of mind, which makes me believe this song is about one of the many friends Maynard has had with problems like this. Sweet lady h
5. keepgoingspiralout

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jul 31st 2006 !⃝

   I think this song is about MJK's inate craving to control his anger (or abuse in general), much like he was abused as a child (as someone has already pointed out). I think he realizes he can't help the way he feels, and is doing everything in his power to control this demon.
6. Thelowend5stringer

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jul 27th 2006 !⃝

   Well... I came here because I had some thoughts on this song... It appears that I maybe way wrong. I could tell that it was about a battle inside of maynard... Or whoever wrote it... But I thought it was between christ, the blood, and the snake, the devil. However it seems to me that the metaphor of his son seems more plausable with tool.
   I do feel however that when it talks about the snake 'turning my piss into wine' it is talking abaout how his father, the snake, is trying to make him 'better.' it would seem to me that maynard's father encouraged him to hold in his emotions and 'be a man.' however, with the birth of his son, Maynard feels the need to open up, but his father has taught him never to let his guard down emotionally. Maynard fights and fights, but eventually, the snake is drowned and Maynard realizes that it is ok to cry and has always been. 'the wall came down' refers to his emotional guard coming down. I am not certain on this... But I guess it is just my opinion.. Thanks to those of you with the information about maynard's son in regards to this song. This I guess is how I interpreted what you had already deciphered.
7. CleanDave

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jun 5th 2006 !⃝

   This song was created for open interpertation. Maynard says this song is about choices, only Maynard knows why this song was originally written, so Im going to give you my personal interpertation. When I first heard this song,I related to me and my girlfriends relationship. I see the snake as tempation, or maybe friends and family. Noone really likes her. My choice is too either stay or break up with this chick who "I am too conneted to you to fade away slip away, Days away I still feel you, touching me, holding me, and considerately killing me" Basically asociating this song with my life I hear a song written about the ups and downs of our relationship, how I love her and what not, but she drives me freaking crazy, considerately killing me. I don't know, I know that's not why the song was written, but that was my first mental relation with this song. BONG!
8. wildbill06

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   May 14th 2006 !⃝

   I have a live Tool bootleg from Houston, TX in 97'. Maynard said to the crowd before H., "ever seen those Warner Bros. cartoons, where there is someone trying to make a decision and they have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. Of course the angel is telling him to do the right thing and the devil is telling him to do what would not be right. Well sometimes we have this happen in real life, but its not always that simple, maybe its friends telling us what we should or should not do, but thier advice might not always be whats best for us...this song's called H."
   
   I think the song is about using your own conciense, thinking for yourself and to not get "dragged down" by outside influences.
9. thirdeye

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   May 12th 2006 !⃝

   Transhumanism
   From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   
   Transhumanism (sometimes abbreviated >H or H+) is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human physical and cognitive abilities and ameliorate what it regards as harsh aspects of the human condition, such as disease and aging. Transhumanism cultivates the academic study of the possibilities and consequences of developing and using human enhancement techniques and other emerging technologies for these purposes. Possible dangers, as well as benefits, of powerful new technologies that might radically change the conditions of human life are also of concern to the transhumanist movement.
   
   
   A book by Aldous Huxley (brother of Julian Huxley, please expand your minds and read both of these minds!) entitled "Brave New World" was a perfect example of authority playing god and ruling while everyone adapted by taking Soma, a happy drug (most likely opiates) So...think for yourself and question authority.
   
   Anyway, expand your minds. Everything makes sense.
10. 3Libras

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Feb 26th 2006 !⃝

    SO I do think it is possible for H. To be about Maynard's son Devo because Devo was born in 1995 and the album was released in 1996. The song must be about Maynard's past abusive relationship with his father and the fact that he has a desire to treat Devo the same way. He is trying so hard to be a better person thatn his father, to be a real man, but he has these desires that are eating away at him. He has managed to stop himself but it isn't easy.
11. Zaq

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Feb 25th 2006 !⃝

    Where the fuck did you hear that Maynard was a heroine addict?
12. maynardmcfugget

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Feb 25th 2006 !⃝

    I thought this song was about maynard's heroin addiction.
13. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Nov 12th 2005 !⃝

    Maynard wrote this song for his son. It talks about how his father beat him and was mean to him so he tries to do the same things to his son, but he contains his anger and holds himself back. What he's holding up is a mirror meaning that he is becoming his father or the snake behind me hisses what my damge could have been my blood before he makes me open up my heart again, meaning that there is something inside him that makes him want to treat his son the same way his father treated him.

Latest Articles

• 
  A new era for Millennial favorite, Linkin Park
• 
  Anime to watch for the soundtracks… and other reasons you’re undateable
• 
  Dolly, we need you
• 
  The Stranger Things Effect: How new media is drawing Gen Z and Alpha's attention to aging media
• 
  The most underrated soundtrack of the early 2000s
• 
  Buy the Soundtrack, Skip the Movie: Brainscan (1994)