Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Has Maynard James Keenan of Tool found Jesus?

This news story from VH1 says so. So does this news story from the unofficial Tool fan site. I don't know, but I sure hope so. As a Christian, I pray for everyone to find the salvation that Christ provides. I especially pray for this of people I am close to or who I am affected by, and MJK is one of those people.

Yes, I know the story seems to have surfaced on or near April Fool's Day. Yes, the Tool website has done some notorious April Fool's Day gags in the past, including announcing that the band had broken up.

Yes, Maynard James Keenan is notoriously anti-religious in his lyrics. Tool has a song called "Opiate" (based on Marx's "opiate for the masses" comment about religion) with lyrics that say:

If you want to get your soul to heaven.
Trust in me, now don't you judge or question.
You are broken now but faith can heal you.
Just do everything I tell you to do.
Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow.
What you need is someone strong to guide you, like me.


Another song entitled "Eulogy" seems to be based on Nietzche's proclamation that "God is dead". The lyrics for that one state:

He had a lot to say.
He had a lot of nothing to say.
We'll miss him.
Get off your cross.
We need the space to nail the next fool martyr.


MJK is constantly referencing psychology, philosophy, and religion in his lyrics. They are, quite possibly, the most intelligent and thought-provoking lyrics I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. MJK is a not a songwriter; he is a poet. Aside from perhaps Beethoven, he is probably my favorite musician of all-time.

With his music, he has always seemed to be searching for truth and questioning everything. That is a good thing. More people should search for truth and question authority at all times.

But did he really find Jesus?

My guess is no. It's probably all a joke. But man, I sure hope it's true. I can only imagine what sorts of lyrics he can write in praise of God. What a great story this will be if it's true.

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I pray that he does.
That would be so awesome!!!!

2:21 AM  
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12:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

well to be honest tool isnt "anti-christ" they just feel that they are speaking the truth...everyone has an opinion

1:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

that would be a fucking disgrace..

9:15 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

"Sour Grapes"

And the angel of the lord led me
Into the belly of the holy mother
A chamber black as pitch
But I felt no fear, only comfort,

For I was as a child in the womb
And she bade me
"Peer through yonder portal
Which looked upon the heavens,
And behold! a mournin' angel"

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

She ascended slowly from far beyond the horizon,
Her light like a heavenly finger pointing the way
And on yonder wall she traced for me a path
Which led me five directions, eight winters to east,

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

And behold!
As my feet landed firmly
Upon the vital winter of the second score
There appeared before me a heavenly star

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

A holy virgin, the bringer of life and breath
And she spoke unto me saying
"Fear not the movement of the heavens above or the earth below
For change is what we are, my child.

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

Righteous are those
Who look up and sway with the wind,
Who look down and dance with the shifting of the soil,
Who swim with the movement of the tides

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

Who seek the truth around them
And discover that we are,
And have always been, in paradise.
The reflections of heaven on earth."
Amen!'

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

And she spoke again saying
"Know, my child,
That there is no devil seekin'
To cause guilt in the hearts to men.

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

No evil, save blind faith, ignorance,
And the desire for the unprepared
To blame others for the devastation
Left in the wake of change

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

Change, my child
Change is in the heavens
Change is on this earth
Change is all around us

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

And if we
Are reflections of the divine
We must roll with these changes,
For we are these changes.

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

Eyes wide open,
We must look upon
The heavens as a mirror.
Wide awake, aware, deeply breathing

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

And when the ship comes down, my child,
You will be there,
A true and holy survivor
To inherit the kingdom of God.

(Hal-le-lu-jah!)

You will rise above the grumbles of the unprepared
To greet the new day,
To drink from the sweet fruit of the vine,
The water of life, the blood of the risen Christ, my child."

(Je-ho-vah! Yah-weh!)

"Go now, son,
Tell them all.
The ignorant, the blind paw of dogma,
Blinded by faith, the doubters, the nay sayers.

(Je-ho-vah! Yah-weh!)

Tell them all, child,
They cannot see
The kingdom of God,
They cannot see paradise
Unfold before them

(Je-ho-vah! Yah-weh!)

They cannot drink
From the chalice
Which holds the blood of Christ,
The water of life,
Until they get right with Jesus.

(Je-ho-vah! Yah-weh!)

Until they get right with Jesus.
It's always gonna be
Sour grapes with you, boy,
Until you get right with Jesus.
Amen!"

(Je-ho-vah! Yah-weh!)

11:25 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Those words were written by Maynard James Keenan

11:27 PM  

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