Ænima

Listening to Tool's AEnima. Getting heavy rotation. Catchy tune. Hey, any band that references Bill Hicks can't be all bad. But an amazing, bitter rejection of humanity, at least humanity in SoCal. Essentially, a catalog of show biz types and a prayer for their death by the impact of a rogue comet.

Maynard Keenan's the lyricist. I think.

So what's his problem exactly? He hates show biz? He, he's in a band. That's show biz, last time I checked. What happened? Some key grip cut him off at the call-in window at the In-and-Out Burger?

I keep thinking of that line in Greg Bear's Psychlone about a rune scrawled in blood in the ruins of a town of people that went nuts and ripped each other apart. An ancient Egyptian symbol. An eye. One tear. The tears of a soul in hell. A soul buried in shit.

A symbol of pain. Too much pain for this life. Pain from beyond this life.

AEnima hits the same vibe.

The lead singer's been possessed by a wrathful Egyptian deity who hates actors. It's the only logical explanation.

I mean, Jesus. It's just fucking show biz.

Lyrics below jump ...


AEnima

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 faultlines that cannot sit still.
Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits.

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.

Cuz I'm praying for rain
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.