Putting their current commercial success aside, Tool was a band that shouldn’t have succeeded in their early years. They fought expectations. Considering Tool’s shaped-spanner logo and the things they wrote songs about like the Fibonacci sequence, and lots of weird things that was very difficult.
Despite this, they had a career that defied the years and took their place among the groups with the most loyal fans. It wasn’t easy to choose 15 songs from this discography, which they continued for many years without changing their style, sound, and quality. Here are the 15 greatest Tool songs we have ranked for you as Metalshout.
Top 15 Best Tool Songs
Tool’s music is generally considered an alternative metal band or progressive metal, although it contains some progressive, art, and psychedelic rock elements. Tool’s unique sound and mystical lyrics have inspired many major bands such as Deftones, Mastodon, and System of a Down.
You can also check Tool‘s 2023 tour dates here.
15. Rosetta Stoned
Released as the eighth track of 10,000 Days, Rosetta Stoned features complex fast-to-slow drum patterns from complicated fast to slow. The song’s name refers to the Rosetta Stone used in ancient Egypt. Thanks to the texts written in three languages on this stone, the Egyptian hieroglyphs were deciphered, and the meaning of the ancient inscriptions was understood.
The lyrics are about a man’s spiritual realizations after encountering aliens and his coma after a DMT trip and are written using the stream-of-consciousness technique. The song received positive reviews from critics and was particularly appreciated for drummer Danny Carey’s contribution to this song.
“Rosetta Stoned” is one of Tool’s most impressive and remarkable songs. The musical richness, deep lyrics, and Maynard James Keenan’s vocal performance make the song a special place in Tool’s extensive repertoire.
14. Intolerance
In their debut album, Undertow, “Intolerance” deals with the themes of self-contempt, social criticism, and self-empowerment. It has become a song that many who struggle with feelings of inadequacy and oppression find themselves and are motivated by.
In this song, Maynard James Keenan speaks of the arbitrary and superficial nature of specific social trends, in which people are often judged and excluded based on their inadequacies. Maynard’s message in the song that supports a rejection of social norms and self-expression draws attention.
13. H.
Since its release, H has been one of Tool’s most beloved songs and is considered a cult among fans. It has taken its place in the Tool discography as a timeless song with its complex lame rhythms and mystical sound while handling the themes of self-discovery, addiction, and spirituality.
“H” is a difficult song to categorize and define. It immerses the audience in a labyrinth of intense and mystical emotions. With its powerful music and touching words about addiction, “H” has brought many fans to the group and has become one of the Greatest Tool Songs.
12. Pushit
Tool‘s “Pushit” is one of the most mysterious tracks in the discography, and each listener can make their interpretation of the lyrics. It is an 8-minute-long song and is popular with old-school Tool fans. Written by Maynard James Keenan, this song is a soothing release of emotions and an inward journey.
The song is about a toxic relationship with many problems to solve. The lyrics describe a relationship where both sides bring each other to the point of experiencing psychological disturbances.
In the later parts of the song, it is understood that the author struggles with some demons inside. They are thrown in two different directions and cannot find peace. They both want to eliminate this toxic relationship and need each other at the addiction level.
One of the most exciting features of “Pushit” is that it is related to Buddhism. Maynard James Keenan has repeatedly mentioned his interest in religion and how he reflects on his songwriting.
It is possible that the themes of inner peace, forgiveness, and atonement in this song were borrowed from Buddhist teachings. In Buddhism, there is a set of guidelines within the teaching known as the Eightfold Path, which they follow to achieve enlightenment and find inner peace.
Things like right intention, right speech, and right action are some of them. When you listen to “Pushit,” you can hear how connected these teachings are to the author’s struggles. While listening to Pushit, we embark on a journey toward forgiveness and inner peace.
11. Prison Sex
Prison Sex made Tool so famous that MTV banned his music video. Initially, this video was nominated for the Special Effects category at the 1994 MTV Music Video Awards, but MTV took it down after receiving a lot of backlash for treating a theme such as child abuse.
The black character abuses the doll with a paintbrush, even though the doll is unable to resist. During this entire period of harassment, the doll tries to move once at the end of the video and tries to stop the abuser but fails. This scene gave many people goosebumps and was instrumental in getting it taken down.
It seems impossible to know if the rumors of Maynard James Keenan being abused by his stepfather are true. But before performing ‘Prison Sex’ at the Montreal concert on November 29, 1996, Keenan also said:
“This song is about recognizing and identifying the cycle of abuse within yourself. That’s the first step of the process: realization; and identification. The next step is to work through it. But, this song is about the first step in the process, which is recognizing.”
10. Eulogy
“Eulogy” is featured on Tool‘s second studio album, “Ænima,” which debuted in 1996 and is considered one of the turning points in Tool’s career. Some think the song is about the rise and fall of a celebrity, while others believe it’s about the band’s former bassist, Paul D’Amour.
Maynard James Keenan clarifies the event and says that the song is about L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. Keenan stated that he wrote the music to protest Hubbard’s belief system.
“Eulogy” strongly criticizes the Church of Scientology and the practices of those who abuse its power. The song tells us that those who use this church’s power will inevitably lose it, and we must hold them accountable for their actions.
Also, “Eulogy” warns us against the thinking that this cult is trying to instill in people. It tells us not to be manipulated for belonging to a group, a sense of being valued or taking orders from charismatic leaders.
“Eulogy” is an important piece that combines Tool’s thoughtful and deep lyrics with his energetic and expressive music. The song is an example of the band creating their style and original sound.
9. 46 & 2
“Forty-Six & 2” references Evolution Theory and some of Carl Gustav Jung‘s theories. It is also thought that the song was written about the teachings of esoteric researcher Drunvalo Melchizedek. Here are some excerpts from an interview with Melchizedek:
(Leading Edge, 12/95): “There are three totally different kinds of humans on the Earth, meaning that they perceive the One reality in three different ways, interpreted differently. The first kind of human has a chromosome composition of 42+2.
They comprise a unity consciousness that does not see anything outside themselves as being separate from themselves. To them, there is only one energy – one life, one beingness that moves everywhere. Anything happening anywhere is within them, as well. They are like cells in the body. They are all connected to a single consciousness that moves through all of them.
These are the Aboriginals in Australia. There might be a few African tribes left like this. Then, there is our level, comprising 44+2 chromosomes. We are a disharmonic level of consciousness used as a stepping stone from the 42+2 level to the next level, 46+2…These two additional chromosomes change everything.”
8. Wings for Marie / 10,000 Days
10.000 Days was the album that won the group its 3rd Grammy. 10,000 days is the approximate period between the stroke of Maynard’s mother, Judith Marie, and her death in 2003.
Judith suffered a stroke in 1976 when Maynard was 11 years old. Judith was a devout Christian, and her faith remained unshakable during her condition, leaving her paralyzed and unable to speak or walk. By the end of her life, Judith could no longer breathe unaided.
Maynard James Keenan is famous for his enigmatic lyrics. He is known as a cold-blooded, emotionless, sarcastic, and grumpy person. He shares much more in this song than he’s shown people over the years.
7. Parabola
“Parabola” is about accepting the weaknesses and frailties that come with being human and reminds us that the most valuable thing we have is the present moment, noting that our time in this life is limited. It discusses the other lives we touch and emphasizes that life is a gift.
For a song with such positive messages, it has a very harsh sound and a creepy music video. “Parabola” reached #10 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in its first year of release.
“Parabola” is about saying yes to everything life brings and enjoying the moment regardless of the pain. These lyrics have an exceptional place among Tool fans and have taken their place among the greatest Tool songs.
6. Right in Two
The lyrics of Right in Two are written from a third-person perspective, describing how the angels feel towards humans and God. It is clear from both the lyrics and the music video that it is a song that summarizes the history of humanity with metaphors from beginning to end. This song points out how selfish and materialistic human beings are and talks about their nature based on polarization, hostility, and division into two wherever they go.
Right in Two begins with angels who are amazed that God gave humans free will even though he knew what would happen in advance, and describes humans as stupid as monkeys. The music video explains that human beings bring chaos, destruction, and war wherever they go.
5. Jambi
Tool‘s guitarist Adam Jones was inspired by ancient cultures and Indonesian mythology for “Jambi.” In Indonesia, a shadow puppet play called “Kethoprak” tells the story of a prince who has to take back his throne from a thief. The name Jambi comes from this story.
Another meaning of the lyrics is that they encourage the effort to find one’s true self despite all the distractions in the world. The lyrics try to motivate the traveler to continue the journey, no matter how uncertain it may be. This encouragement is related to the Buddhist concept of the Noble Eightfold Path.
In conclusion, “Jambi” is one of the songs that represent the musical universe and mentality that Tool has created. It is a motivating song with a complex rhythm that puts the listeners into hypnosis. This song, which will probably never get old, is frequently played at the band’s concerts.
4. The Pot
The lyrics of “The Pot” cover many things, from opiates to politics. Through metaphors and wordplay, he criticizes the hypocrisy of many groups of people in the world. We understand from Maynard’s words that the song is basically about hypocrisy:
“My more fundamentalist upbringing in Ohio taught me that hypocrisy runs deep.”
Some of the most apparent examples of hypocrisy in the song are about Christianity and are made as a reference to resurrecting the dead. The song is equipped with many double-meaning words and contains powerful messages. The Pot is an excellent example of Maynard James Keenan’s songwriting talent and literary skills.
3. Vicarious
“Vicarious,” released in 2006 as part of the “10,000 Days” album, contains numerous metaphorical and symbolic references. He explains that he is interested in anything stimulating people’s senses and does not care about tragedy and pain. It implies that every person is always a slave to an emotion, whether hate or love.
From the first line, Vicarious implies that society is obsessed with consuming negative news and tragedy and that the media exploits this obsession. It also tells us that society has become increasingly devoid of empathy and that we have become insensitive to other people’s pain and even enjoy it.
Finally, Maynard tells us in this song that people try to satisfy their search for meaning from external sources and tragedies, but this is impossible and they can only satisfy it from their inner world.
2. Sober
Knowing the concept on which Tool‘s “Sober” is based will make it easier to understand the metaphors in the lyrics. Sober was written about a friend of the Tool members who was a drug addict. This person cannot produce art without getting drunk and hating himself.
In his interview for Revolver Magazine, Maynard James Kenan said the following about the song: “This song is about a friend of mine who was a heroin addict. The person you’re trying to help seduces you into their world, and then they take you down with them. “You have to decide whether you will follow them down or remain the person you are.”
1. Schism
There are two theories about the factual basis of Tool‘s “Schism.” The first is that this is about divisions in the church. The second is the schism that Maynard experienced due to tension among the Tool band members due to legal problems with Maynard’s other band, Puscifer.
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