Tool – Schism lyrics

Tool – Schism lyrics

I know the pieces fit 'cause I watched them fall away
Mildewed and smoldering. Fundamental differing.
Pure intention that juxtaposed will set two lovers souls in motion
Disintegrating as it goes in testing our communication
The light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between us
So
We cannot seem to reach an end
Crippling our communication.

I know the pieces fit 'cause I watched them tumble down
No fault, none to blame it doesn't mean I don't desire to
Point the finger, blame the other, or watch the temple topple over.
To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication

The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,
And the circling is worth it.
Finding beauty in the dissonance.

There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall
Away.
Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting
I've done the math enough to know the dangers of our second
Guessing
Doomed to crumble unless we grow, and strengthen our
Communication.

Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion

Between supposed lovers. (x2)

I know the pieces fit. (x8)

Lyrics taken from /lyrics/t/tool/schism.html

Songwriters: Adam Jones, Daniel Carey, Justin Gunner Chancellor, Maynard James Keenan

Schism lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Corrected by CaptianFantastic

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+ 17
Rob Laudicina 2019-08-26 18:18:24

I totally disagree with most suggested meanings. To me its simply about the lifespan of a failed relationship. 2 lovers meet a schism eventually develops which kills communication between them. Turning into cold silence and all the bricks tumble. Its just about a failed relationship. Nothing to do with the lovers that shouldn't be lovers.

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+ 3
glenji2k4 2008-11-22 01:56:55

So the question is, knowing these feelings exist without having talked about them (playing their little games) is it better to just lay it all out on the table? Or turn and run with tails tucked between legs? What if the 2 have to be around each other, is it better to hide everything - which builds tension (which could in turn backfire and strengthen the passion in these feelings), or to just say how they feel and move on with their lives? Because each will always wonder if the other feels the same, if they do can't they just tell each other and still do the right thing? Like, can't they both know (admit to one another) they have these feelings yet choose not to act on them because they are obviously wrong? Being in this situation I would like to know, because I do love her and it hurts too much to go on wondering, at least if I knew for sure, one way or the other, then maybe I could bring some closure to this and get over it. Or maybe I am just being naive, I don't know.

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- 1
glenji2k4 2008-11-24 11:41:03

I just need to take this one step at a time. Trying to anticipate every possible scenario without even knowing her feelings yet is not the way to go. Whatever happens will happen, one thing I've learned through all this is that feelings do not always follow a logical path, so to try and rationalize and understand everything is kind of like comparing apples and oranges.
And btw - Obviously my original analysis was wrong (just me being self-centered again), the schism is the split between the two, the cold silence only causes bitterness, and the two need to strengthen their communication.

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- 3
glenji2k4 2008-11-22 01:30:51

Yes blob, hence the lines:
1) "Doomed to crumble unless we grow, and strengthen our
Communication. " - The less communication there is between the two, the better the chances are it will fizzle out with time, unless you fall under the school of thought that absence makes the heart grow fonder. If they continue to see each other and act in the same matter that brought them to this place in the first place, then of course the feelings will head in another direction.
2)"Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion" - knowing their union would be wrong, they resort to the aforementioned silence, so that they can "escape from each other" as you so succinctly put it. Whether any of these tactics will work remains to be seen.
Oh btw fixed the 2nd to last line, Maynard does not say 'brothers, ' but 'lovers' twice. Though the prior would offer a bizarre and interesting twist to the story, like a brother stealing the heart of his brother's woman, or g** incest yuk! Lol.

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- 3
glenji2k4 2008-11-21 01:34:29

You're looking too deep into it. What this song is about is 2 people in love who know they shouldn't be, creating a dilemma and internal conflict so they are either trying to create a new "tower" to avoid those feelings or just avoid each other and hope that the feelings go away (but they don't, because any way you slice it they are in love). It is very relevant to something I am experiencing now, an unrelenting ambivalence; 2 contradictory feelings felt with equal passion and fervor, this had caused me to go into serious denial because I couldn't come to grips with the fact that I was harboring these feelings (being that I am a married man). So I've been creating temples and they keep falling over, one after another, crumbled to dust. Schism means split, and that is what this song is about, split emotions unable to be resolved because they cancel each other out.

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