H.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"H."
Single by Tool
Released	1996
Genre	Alternative, Heavy Metal
Length	06:07
Label	Volcano Records
Writer(s)	Maynard James Keenan
Chart positions
#23 U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks

"H." is a song by American progressive rock/metal band Tool. The title was given to the song by Maynard James Keenan and may seem a bit awkward, but to fans of the band, it is just another in a long list of unique song titles.

Contents 1 Interpretations 2 Alternate versions 3 Charts 4 External links

[edit] Interpretations

Many possible theories of what the title of the song means exist, but none of them have been substantiated by an official source.

• Refers to a patient of Carl Jung, Rowland H. treated for chronic alcoholism. Ænima deals with many aspects of Jung's work. Jung in fact told Rowland H that nothing short of a religious experience would save him from his alcoholism. The destructive effects mentioned within this song seem to be the effects of alcohol upon H's poor body and mind.
• Reference to comedian Bill Hicks whom had died in 1994, two years before Ænima. The "H." standing for his last name. Maynard and Hicks were good friends.
• Refers to Keenan's son Devo H. Keenan [1]
• Reference to an independent movie of the same name. Many lyrics in the song could easily be seen as referencing events and characters in the movie.
• The protagonist in the song lyrics is actually Keenan, who was born James Herbert Keenan, with "H." representing his given middle name.
• The title stands for Half-Full or Half-Empty. [2] The form of the letter H allows it to be construed in such a way. During a show in Philadelphia on November 23, 1996, the singer introduced the song by asking if the audience had seen "those old Warner Brother cartoons", specifically referring to scenes wherein a conflicted character is presented with an angelic character on one shoulder and a demonic character on the other one to give him conflicting advice. "It's not always that simple though," Keenan continues. "Usually they're not angels or devils but just friends, trying to help you, to give you advice, but not really knowing what's gonna be best for you. So you need to make the decision yourself."^{[citation needed]}
• Refers to the chemical symbol for water - H₂O. As in many Tool songs, water and liquids take a lead part. Fluids appear all through "Undertow" and "Ænima", as signs of Lachrymology; the study of crying. Even the name "Tool" (and the former band name "Toolshed") itself is often mentioned as tool for understanding Lachrymology. According to Lachrymology , pain is the only way to go through a true mental revolution of one's self. Tears (from the Latin "lacrima", "tear"), crying and other bodily and non-bodily fluids symbolize change through pain and can be found in many tool materials and Maynard's lyrics. (It should be noted, however, that the entire concept of Lachrymology was a joke created by the band, and therefore this is not an adequate explanation of the song "H".)
• "H" refers to Heroin, and deals with issues such as dependency, self-control, and addiction: "Venomous voice, tempts me, drains me, bleeds me, leaves me cracked and empty, drags me down like some sweet gravity".
• Some speculate that Maynard had found a universal code connecting many different things together and producing the one thing they all had in common, "H.".
• The song could also be named after "H", a person in Carlos Casteneda's "The Teachings of Don Juan".
• The song could be a reference to H. Rider Haggards book (or a character within the book) "The Blue Curtains" in which vicarious grief plays an important role in the story.
• The song title could also refer to the middle initial of Jesus when said by people. "Jesus H. Christ". The H stands for Harold, as in, "Our Father, who art in heaven, Harold be thy name". http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_033.html

[edit] Alternate versions

There is an obscure, alternate version of H. under the name "Kundalini" floating around various peer-to-peer (P2P) programs. The alternate name is a reference to Kundalini Yoga. Websites associated closely with the band itself appear obstructive about this different remix of H. Users that post topics of this mysterious version on the Toolshed website forums [3] have the posts inexplicably deleted.

The original source of the remix is currently unknown.

[edit] Charts

• 1997 - Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #23 [4]

[edit] External links

• Lyrics at The Tool Page submitted by Keenan