Heavy Metal Sunday already knows how to swim, thank you.

[gridlore]

Today's selection has been stuck in my freaking head for weeks. Really, I've woken up singing this song. Not that I'm complaining, it's a great song, but it requires a little back story.

The prog metal band Tool were close friends with guerrilla comedian Bill Hicks. Tool's lead singer Maynard James Keenan had worked as a comedian in Los Angeles prior to forming Tool and had met and befriended Hicks through mutual friends and performing at the same venues. Hicks heavily influenced Tool's early work, especially their second studio album Ænima. The title Ænima is a combination of the words 'anima' (Latin for 'soul' associated with the ideas of "life force" and a term often used by psychologist Carl Jung) and 'enema' the medical procedure.

This album featured many of Hicks' ideas, and you can hear Hicks performing at the beginning of the track Third Eye. But the biggest influence is the title track of the album, which is based on Hicks' Good bye you Lizard Scum off his posthumous Arizona Bay album. Tool took the idea from the bit and wrote what they have described as a "poisonous love song" to Los Angeles. The video was directed and created by guitarist Adam Jones, who prior to Tool had worked as a set builder and special effects technician.

WARNING: This video contains some disturbing images and the song has quite a bit of profanity. That being said, enjoy Tool - Ænima

Some say the end is near.
Some say we'll see Armageddon soon.
I certainly hope we will.
I sure could use a vacation from this

Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any fucking time. Any fucking day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona Bay.

Fret for your figure and
Fret for your latte and
Fret for your lawsuit and
Fret for your hairpiece and
Fret for your Prozac and
Fret for your pilot and
Fret for your contract and
Fret for your car.

It's a
Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any fucking Time. Any fucking day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona Bay.

Some say a comet will fall from the sky.
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by fault lines that cannot sit still.
Followed by millions of dumbfounded dip shits.

Some say the end is near.
Some say we'll see Armageddon soon.
I certainly hope we will cuz
I sure could use a vacation from this

STUPID shit, silly shit, stupid shit...

One great big festering neon distraction,
I've a suggestion to keep you all occupied.

Learn to swim.

Mum's gonna fix it all soon.
Mum's comin' round to put it back the way it ought to
be.

Learn to swim.

Fuck L Ron Hubbard and
Fuck all his clones.
Fuck all these gun-toting
Hip gangster wannabes.

Learn to swim.

Fuck retro anything.
Fuck your tattoos.
Fuck all you junkies and
Fuck your short memory.

Learn to swim.

Fuck smiley glad-hands,
With hidden agendas.
Fuck these dysfunctional,
Insecure actresses.

Learn to swim.

'Cause I'm praying for mayhem
And I'm praying for tidal waves
I wanna see the ground give way.
I wanna watch it all go down.
Mum please flush it all away.
I wanna see it go right in and down.
I wanna watch it go right in.
Watch you flush it all away.

Time to bring it down again.
Don't just call me pessimist.
Try and read between the lines.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't
Welcome any change, my friend.

I wanna see it come down.
Come down.
Suck it down.
Flush it down.

One amusing note. Keenan owns a winery in Arizona. He proudly boasts that he already has plans for building the first beach resort on Arizona Bay.

Learn to swim.

Comments

[biomekanic.livejournal.com]

When I lived in Denver, the PBS channel from... Louisville(?) used to have a video show on Sunday nights from 11:30 to 12:30, that was my first exposure to Tool. Also my first exposure to Lush.

Good music, I hope they're still on.