I said the other day that the videos by the band Tool show me a vision of hell; they are disturbing to watch, and rarely deal with the subject matter of the song. In the case of "Parabol/Parabola" from the Lateralus CD, however, I think there is a closer fit, depending on how one interprets the song. This is one reason why I think Maynard Keenan is the best lyricist in rock; I first heard this song as positive; then read online interpretations that discussed it in terms of suicide rather than sex. Of course, since sex and death are often linked by poets, it may be that this is a false choice. In any event, this disturbing video of a song that might exemplify the healing power of sexual love or draw a grim portrait of a dying individual's final thoughts still sends chills through me.
