The Grudge
Tool爀 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Calculate what we will or will not tolerate
Desperate to control all and everything
Unable to forgive your scarlet lettermen
Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down
Justify denials and grip 'em to the lonesome end
Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down
Saturn ascends
choose one or ten
Hang on or be humbled again
Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down
Justify denials and grip 'em to the lonesome end
Saturn ascends, comes round again
Saturn ascends, the one, the ten
Ignorant to the damage done
Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity
Calculate what we will or will not tolerate
Desperate to control all and everything
Unable to forgive these scarlet lettermen
Wear the grudge like a crown
Desperate to control
Unable to forgive and sinking deeper
Defining
confining
and sinking deeper
Controlling
defining
and we're sinking deeper
Saturn comes back around to show you everything
Let's you choose what you will not see and then
Drags you down like a stone or lifts you up again
Spits you out like a child, light and innocent
Saturn comes back around.
Lifts you up like a child or
Drags you down like a stone
To consume you till you choose to let this go
Choose to let this go
Give away the stone
Let the oceans take and trans mutate this cold and fated anchor
Give away the stone
Let the waters kiss and trans mutate these leaden grudges into gold
Let go
The lyrics of Tool's "The Grudge" speak to the idea of holding onto negative emotions and past grudges, and the destructive consequences of doing so. The song urges the listener to "wear the grudge like a crown of negativity," highlighting the idea that some individuals thrive on their negative emotions, using them as a shield or source of power. The lyrics also speak to the desperate need some people have to control everything around them, a tendency that is ultimately self-destructive. The line "unable to forgive your scarlet lettermen" is likely a reference to the classic novel "The Scarlett Letter" and the stigma and shame that can come from public humiliation.
The repeated refrain, "clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down" speaks to the idea that some individuals hold onto their negative emotions so tightly that they become foundational to their identity, and letting go of them threatens a complete collapse of their sense of self. The song also alludes to the idea that we are often our own worst enemy, with lines like "terrified of being wrong, ultimatum prison cell" highlighting the ways in which we can trap ourselves in limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns.
Line by Line Meaning
Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity
Carry your baggage of anger, frustration, and resentment like a crown, using it as an identity rather than letting it go
Calculate what we will or will not tolerate
Decide what actions or behaviors we will accept or refuse based on our past experiences
Desperate to control all and everything
Feeling a strong need to have power and influence over others and all aspects of life
Unable to forgive your scarlet lettermen
Holding onto bitterness towards the people who have wronged you in the past, unable to let go and forgive
Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down
Hold onto your anger like an essential foundation, or else everything you know could crumble
Justify denials and grip 'em to the lonesome end
Rationalize and defend your anger and grievances, even if it means being alone in your struggle
Saturn ascends, comes round again
The cyclical nature of time brings back familiar patterns and struggles in life
Choose one or ten, hang on or be humbled again
Choose your actions wisely, as it will either lead to success or a humbling experience similar to past ones
Ignorant to the damage done
Unaware of the emotional harm caused by holding onto grudges and resentments
Desperate to control
The strong desire to have power and influence over situations and others
Unable to forgive and sinking deeper
Continuing to hold onto grievances and bitterness, fueling negative emotions and experiences
Defining, confining, and sinking deeper
Creating limiting beliefs and patterns of behavior that trap us in a cycle of negativity and suffering
Controlling, defining, and we're sinking deeper
Trying to have power and control over situations, leading to a deepening sense of despair and anger
Saturn comes back around to show you everything
Life's cycles bring back familiar struggles and lessons, revealing the need for growth and change
Let's you choose what you will not see and then
The opportunity to see the truth and change one's perspective, but often choosing to remain in a state of denial
Drags you down like a stone or lifts you up again
Life can either bring us down or offer opportunities for growth and elevation
Spits you out like a child, light and innocent
Releasing the burden of anger and grudges can bring a sense of relief and freedom, like a child's innocence
To consume you till you choose to let this go
Holding onto grudges and negative emotions can consume and control your life until you choose to release them
Give away the stone
Let go of the weight of resentment and anger, symbolized by a stone
Let the oceans take and trans mutate this cold and fated anchor
Allow the healing power of the natural world to transform and dissolve the toxic energy of grudges and negativity
Let the waters kiss and trans mutate these leaden grudges into gold
Embrace the transformative power of forgiveness, allowing it to transmute our negative emotions and experiences into something valuable
Choose to let this go
Making the conscious decision to release anger and grudges, instead of holding onto them and letting them define our lives
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ADAM JONES, DANIEL CAREY, JUSTIN GUNNER CHANCELLOR, MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bruna Santê
I am so grateful for videos like that! God bless! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Speak American English with Lyman Holton
You're welcome, Bruna. I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Please share with your friends.
Two Thousand
I’ve enjoyed watching your videos. I’m teaching my young son to read, so I’m brushing up on phonics. Came across your videos and had to congratulate you on such a wonderful collection of videos.Thank you for sharing.
Speak American English with Lyman Holton
You're most welcome, Two Thousand. I'm happy the videos are helpful to both you and your son.
Bruno Pinheiro
Wow amazing video. You are amazing. I have a hard time with vowel sounds in American English. My native language is Brazilian Portuguese. Most American english vowel sounds are very different from Portuguese vowel sounds . I Just subscribed to your Channel. I look forward to new vídeos. You rock! Greetings from Brazil.
Speak American English with Lyman Holton
Thank you, Junior! You're very kind. I suggest recording me saying the words and you repeating what I say. Then play the recording back and listen to how you pronunciate compared to me. Try to say the words exactly as I do. You'll be surprised how quickly you improve.
Alex E
Hello Layman!
Thanks for the video. I'm an English teacher and I was searching for a video that talks about all of the American English sounds because I don't want to miss any of them. I actually came up with around 27 sounds. I couldn't add any more sounds into the list. All of the extras are combinations of some sounds, but they're not actual sounds. Sounds might be less than 27 or more depending how accurate you want to be, but I'm pretty sure if my students can make all 27 sounds, they wouldn't have much trouble pronouncing most American English words. You know even native speakers sometimes they have some difficulties pronouncing some words in English, so it's not a big deal for a student to struggle with some words. By practicing, students can solve all of the problems. As they say practice makes perfect. Thank you👍
Speak American English with Lyman Holton
Alex R : Thank you, Alex, for your terrific comment and enlightening input. I hope this video was helpful to you.
Alex E
@Speak American English with Lyman Holton
It was! I just enjoyed the way you present things. It's very entertaining. You're definitely a fun teacher.
Regarding the video:-
There are a couple of mistakes on the video, so hopefully you can add notes or something, so people don't get confused. Like you doubled two or three sounds that are exactly the same. Like sound number 9 and sound number 13. They both sound exactly the same which is sh, and then also you made some mistakes with the pronunciation like when you talked about the ge sound like in the word age and engage. It's engaje like Jesus not engash like Gosh. That was really off. The other sound that you doubled was the th sound and that was number 12 and 21. Those sounds are exactly the same. The third one was the “c” sound it's in number 3 and 17. I didn't pay much attention to the vowels because most of them were combinations of two or three sounds. Don't get me wrong I know that a lot of students struggle with those combinations, but I was trying to make a list of like actual sounds.
Speak American English with Lyman Holton
Alex R Good critique, Alex. Thanks for pointing these shortcomings out. I did state in the video that I really couldn’t depict any difference between some of the sounds. I went with my research, which culminated in a total of 44 sounds. Another gentleman posted a comment stating that there are 45 and further stated that I should have included the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet. In consideration of the many country accents there are, I thought keeping it simple and just reinforcing the mid west American English accent without the complexity of also learning the IPA was the best route to take. Thanks for all your input. I’ll keep your comment at the top of this comments column so others can take it into consideration.