What do you think The Patient means?

Tool: The Patient Meaning

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Album cover for The Patient album cover

The Patient Lyrics

A groan of tedium escapes me
Startling the fearful.
Is this a test?
It has to be
Otherwise I can't go on

Draining patience
Drain vitality
This paranoid, paralyzed vampire act's a little old

But I'm still right here
Giving blood,...

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  1. Zaq
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     Jan 10th 2006 !⃝

    "The Patient" I think refers to Tool fans. Everyone reading this probably has been helped by the advice AND criticisms throughout their intelligent lyrics, deep(dare I say ... Spiritual?) guitars and mesmirizing, meditation envoking drums. Therefore I consider all of us true Tool fans patients of theirs.
    i agree with the rockstar theory, personally.

    "A groan of tedium escapes me
    Startling the fearful
    Is this a test?
    It has to be
    Otherwise I can't go on"
    Asking "Is this a test?" refers back to the tediousness of performing the same song over and over and questioning the meaning of the song.
    "Otherwise I can't go on." If it isn't just a test, if this feeling doesn't pass soon, he can't continue.
    Maybe the fans are the vampire, draining patience, draining vitality.
    "This paranoid, paralyzed vampire act's a little old."
    The act IS a little old. Tool is sick of having to tell their fans how to act, who to be, what to believe. They want us to be ourselves(refer back to AEnima). They want us to THINK for OURSELVES for the first time. From birth we are told who to be, how to act, what to believe(Prison Sex is NOT just about... well prison sex!). We are told by our parents, our teachers, our religious leaders, the fucking media(seriously, FUCK those lying bastards), the police, psychiatrists. They tell us what is normal, what is acceptable, what is politically correct. Pollitical correctness is self-censorship. It may offend others, so I better not say it. It will only offend those who are hearing you, but not listening to you. Those with their third eye (third ear?) open will at least give you a chance and try to understand. To those who believe in being "PC" haven't even begun to realize they have a third eye, never mind trying to take a peek at the real world.

  2. anonymous
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     Jan 2nd 2006 !⃝

    I believe this song can be interpreted in a lot of different ways but to me it's always seemed like a song about hope. A song about not giving up.

    "If there were no desire to heal
    The damaged and broken met along
    This tedious path I've chosen here
    I certainly would've walked away
    By now"
    From this I've gotten that if he didn't have any desire to heal those that have been hurt or are hurt around him he would have quit. Help other to help yourself.

    I realize this isn't the best interpretation and I could have elaborated but I have to go so I'll keep it short and hope it's at least a little clear as to what I meant.

  3. tool9386
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     Nov 29th 2005 !⃝

    I think the great thing about Tool, especially on "Lateralus" is that his songs can have different meanings to different people.

    I myself believe he is waiting for someone he loves.

  4. anonymous
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     Nov 28th 2005 !⃝

    This could also be Maynard's version of the "It sucks to be a rockstar" song.

    "A groan of tedium escapes me" - Perhaps the tedium of preforming the same songs every night on tour.

    "Draining patience
    Drain vitality
    This paranoid, paralyzed vampire act's a little old" - Same deal, getting bored with the "Job", Maybe the vampire reference is about being in a bus all day and on stage all night.

    "If there were no rewards to reap
    No loving embrace to see me through
    This tedious path I've chosen here
    I certainly would've walked away
    By now " - If there weren't a lot of perks to being a rockstar, I would quit.

    "If there were no desire to heal
    The damaged and broken met along
    This tedious path I've chosen here
    I certainly would've walked away
    By now" - If I didn't feel that I was helping people and affecting their lives, I would quit.

    I'm not saying this is the only interpretation of this, Or even saying it's correct, this is just a thought I had, besides Maynard is famous for writing songs that have several different meanings on several different levels.

  5. anonymous
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     Nov 25th 2005 !⃝

    I think it is his faith in a close loved one while he was on the right track with the worship of someone and seeing no benefit from their worship or keeping faith in that person.

  6. anonymous
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     Nov 14th 2005 !⃝

    You're extremely wrong my friend.

    Maynard + loving "god" = no.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  7. anonymous
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     Nov 12th 2005 !⃝

    I think this song is about someone that is very faithful to god but doesn't see any rewards. This person is still being patient and waiting for his rewards from god, but they're just not coming, and he is about to lose all faith in god.

    "If there were no rewards to reap
    No loving embrace to see me through
    This tedious path I've chosen here
    I certainly would've walked away
    By now"

    However, he is not going to lose faith he is going to "wait it out" as long as he has to in the hopes that there is some great reward for all his years of faith.

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