Tool: Stinkfist Meaning
Song Released: 1996
Stinkfist Lyrics
Undeniable dilemma
Boredom's not a burden
Anyone should bear
Constant over stimulation
Numbs me
But I would not want you any other way
Just not enough
I need more
Nothing seems to satisfy
I don't want it
I...
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Well, I think...
It doesn't matter what one thinks, almost all of Tool's lyrics are multidimensional in meaning. To MJK it may mean one thing. To the listener it means what you feel when you hear it. To me, it's about society in one aspect, most have no feeling just think of how society was in say the 50's; we use to be very sensitive as a comunity not allowing our kids to run themselves and teaching them with subtlety instead of abuse, censorship was stronger, if our great great great grandparents saw the things shown or heard the things said they would have another heart attack. another thought is the drugs like stated by others, and could it be a lovers quarrel (a relationship gone stale and boring but spicing it up in the end). Read between the lines and start thinking for yourself, yet don't think you have to think for others. the middle ground is hardest to find, open minds have open opinions. -
I think the song stinkfist is about a love story and how the character wants his lover to be with him but that's what I think.
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Excuse me, but do you ignore the word "borderline"????? As I have the borderline personality disorder I see the context to this. In my opinion these lyrics describe borderline personality disorder and nothing else.
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I've heard many interpretations of this song and I've thought most of them were valid, but personally one thing that's always jumped out at me is the line
"de-sensitised to everything, what became of subtlety?"
which reminds of Wordsworth, who was writing during the Industrial Revolution and was worried that pushing people into factories would blunt our senses and appreciation of the world around us, and lead to a more and more extreme and coarser form of dialogue with that which we see as sustenence for the soul, as the work becomes more rote, the intellect dulls more so....with that in mind,...I give you the "Saw" series of films.... -
This song is about fisting as it goes on it say turn around,take my hand,
Bend and balance
Pain and comfort
Deep within you
Till you will not want me any other way
Knuckle deep inside the borderline
This may hurt a little
But it's something you'll get used to
Relax, turn away
Elbow deep inside the borderline
Show me that you love me
And that we belong together
Relax, turn around, and take my hand
thats why its called stinkfist -
The meaning will become apparent to those who are open and ready enough to receive it from the Tool, and some peoples' interpretation will deter them from moving deeper into the experience that the Tool offer, should they not be ready and open enough for it. As is the case with all of the Tools' songs.
Whether intentional or not, through the use and creation of incredibly complex inter-linking of Geometric patterns and other mathematics, musical time signatures and scales, images and symbols, magic, hypnotism, prophecies, psychology, languages and much, much more, the band IS a Tool for something... -
The lyrics are intentionally ambiguous and at the same time purposefully a double, double entendre.
lets look at what tool is about and specifically aenima.
1. lsd and its use to expand consciousness in general.
2. psychology references i.e. 46&2 reference to the shadow. a jungian term for the personal unconcious.
3. The reoccuring theme of being reborn through 'mystic experience.'
borderline is the key here. The word can be used as a metaphor for consciousness expansion. being on the borderline of enlightenment, blah blah. also, being maynards age it occurs to me that borderline at the same time can literally be interpreted as a female with borderline personality disorder. you would have to do extensive research on the subject and be subject to the issues. In a nitshell its someone between neurosis and psychosis.
heres why I think that;
1. note the song sleeping beauty on mer de noms. Healing a girl psychologically....
2. It makes sense to his references of compassion over fear. If you are old enough and have the life experience to have dealt with these issues you'll understand that statement.
3. during the writing phase of this record he was going through issues with his kids mother.
4. It also makes perfect sense as to why they extend it live with the song "suspicious minds."
"Caught in a trap, Can't walk out. Because I need you too much baby. Why can't you see, what you're doing to me? Because you love me too much baby."
lyrics that explain typical issues with someone suffering from BPD and their loved ones.
if you do some research into psychology, metaphysics, consciousness mapping, etc, etc.. The whole album, and all albums really, will take on a much different light for you. which is kinda the humor in all of it. Tool are dorks. They get a kick out of being obnoxious with overbearing metaphors and esoteric jokes (jokes that require very specific, non-general knowledge to understand).
also when things like lyrics are intentionally vague like this it creates a reflection dynamic to the listener. Humans always try to recognize patterns and derive meaning out of things, even when nothing is there. Interpretations of vague lyrics like these creates a fun experiment with the listener in that the interpretation tells one more about themselves than it does the ambiguous word structure. which may or may not have real intentional meaning.
look here for instance. we run the gamout of literal interpretations without considerations of metaphors or hidden meaning (naivety) of historonic deviance, to drug abuse, etc.. -
this song is about drug addiction. U could only understand it if u have been a drug addict. To all the addicts who listen to this song listen to the lyrics, listen clearly and it will relate to ure life. "Not enough i need more to breathe to feel to know im alive". Thats wat an addiction makes u feel like and u keep getting deeper and deeper into ure addiction.U barley feel a thing at all but u keep pumping the drugs to relax and bring u back to sanity. Once again only addicts, especially opiate addicts can relate.
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After listening to the song many times repeatedly, I've found many different meanings, honestly. The first one is a message / appeal for change when you are stuck into something - for example, a gray boring everyday housecleaning, or something similar. Boredom, as he says. That's why he needs to be alive, to feel, and desperately seeks the change, one way or another - purely positive song.
On the other hand, I can even go further and stick a "drug addiction" label to the song. Think about it :) -
I see it as being desensitization and is using fisting as a metaphor for the fact that we get used to something and have to have more and more until it is at an extreme.
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The main word of this song is "borderline". I am a borderliner, the "undiniable dilemma", "boredeom", "overstimulation", feeling "numb","desensitized", all these are just a few of my many many symptoms.
I constantly need to be told,that I am loved by my partner. And of course, this can also be an interpretation of our sick society. The video and the lyrics of this song touch me deeply. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I don't understand why everyone is missing the real interpretation. It's pretty clear, the song is about a recipe for lobster bisque.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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