Prone to downtime due to Keenan's other musical commitments, the band has featured a variety of musicians throughout alternating periods of activity and inactivity, and has changed line-ups on each album, leaving Keenan and Howerdel the only constant members. The original incarnation of the band included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Josh Freese on drums. Primus drummer Tim Alexander had briefly stood in as a drummer prior to Freese in the band's initial live shows; however, this was prior to releasing any material. Band collaborator and producer Danny Lohner and Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White were also members for a short period in the early 2000s. The band's current lineup features the Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl, the latter two also being contributors to the related Puscifer and Ashes Divide projects. Despite the varied cast and numerous lineup changes, the stylistic content of A Perfect Circle's songs has remained consistent with Howerdel as music composer, and Keenan writing lyrics and vocal melodies. The band's studio albums have been generally well received critically and commercially, with their first three studio albums selling 4 million copies collectively as of 2005.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Perfect_Circle
Studio albums
Mer de Noms (2000)
Thirteenth Step (2003)
Emotive (2004)
Eat the Elephant (2018)
Thomas
A Perfect Circle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Learning to pray
Praying for visions
To show me the way
Show me the way to forgive you
Allow me to let it go
Allow me to be forgiven
Show me the way to let go
Allow me to let it go
Allow me to be forgiven
Show me the way to let go
Illuminate me
Illuminate me
Illuminate me
I'm just praying for you to show me
Where I'm to begin
Hoping to
Hoping to reconnect to you
Hoping to reconnect to you
Reconnect to you
The lyrics of A Perfect Circle's song "Thomas" address themes of humility, forgiveness, and seeking guidance. The opening lines express a sense of vulnerability and need for guidance, as the singer describes themselves as humble and helpless, learning to pray and seeking visions to show them the way forward. This quest for direction is focused on forgiveness, as the singer appeals to a higher power to show them the way to forgive someone and to be forgiven in turn. The repeated chorus line "Illuminate me" reinforces the sense of seeking clarity and understanding.
Overall, the lyrics of "Thomas" convey a sense of personal struggle and an earnest desire for guidance and illumination. The emphasis on forgiveness and reconnecting with another person suggests that this struggle may be related to a specific interpersonal conflict or relationship. Throughout the song, the singer addresses a higher power or entity, suggesting a spiritual dimension to their quest for clarity and resolution.
Line by Line Meaning
Humble and helpless
Feeling vulnerable and without power
Learning to pray
Trying to seek help and guidance from a higher power
Praying for visions
Asking for clarity and insight
To show me the way
To help me find direction and purpose
Show me the way to forgive you
Asking for guidance on how to let go and pardon someone
Allow me to let it go
Asking for help to release feelings of anger or resentment
Allow me to be forgiven
Asking for forgiveness and redemption
Show me the way to let go
Asking for help in moving on
Illuminate me
Shine a light on my darkness
I'm just praying for you to show me
Asking for direction and guidance from someone
Where I'm to begin
Asking for a starting point to begin a journey or relationship
Hoping to
Having the desire to do something
Hoping to reconnect to you
Desiring to restore a relationship or connection that was lost
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Billy Howerdel, Maynard James Keenan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind