To date, the band has released five studio albums, one EP and one box set. They emerged with a heavy metal sound on their first studio album, Undertow (1993), and became a dominant act in the alternative metal movement with the release of their follow-up album Ænima in 1996. Their efforts to unify musical experimentation, visual arts, and a message of personal evolution continued with Lateralus (2001) and 10,000 Days (2006), gaining critical acclaim and international commercial success. Their fifth studio album, Fear Inoculum, was released on August 30, 2019, to widespread critical acclaim. Prior to its release, the band had sold more than 13 million albums in the US alone.
Due to Tool's incorporation of visual arts and very long and complex releases, the band is generally described as a style-transcending act and part of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and art rock. The relationship between the band and today's music industry is ambivalent, at times marked by censorship, and the band's insistence on privacy.
There is a raging debate about whether Tool can be considered "post-metal" or not. However, they surely had a hand in its creation as much as Neurosis. The influential act Isis was heavily influenced by Tool's music, so much that they lifted entire basslines and guitar riffing from Tool and even their iconic snare sound was inspired by Tool's style. Much has been made of both Isis and Tool's sound and influence across the years but one thing is sure, modern post-metal has their fingerprints everywhere and it would not have sounded this way without them. Additionally, Tool actually was aware of and liked Isis' music as they chose Isis as touring partners, a move that brought even more attention to Isis' music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_(band)
Studio albums
Undertow (1993)
Ænima (1996)
Lateralus (2001)
10,000 Days (2006)
Fear Inoculum (2019)
4°
Tool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the calm beneath castles
Is a cavern of treasures that
Noone has been to
Let's go digging
Let's go digging
Bring it out to take you back in
Lay back and let me show you another way
I'll kill what you want me to
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Life's just too short to push it away
Take it all
Take it all in
All the way in
All the way in
Let it go in
Let it go in
You won't feel what you'd like to feel
Lay back and let me show you another way
Kill what you want me
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
If you knock me down
I'll just come back running
Knock you down
It won't be long now
All the way in
All the way
All the way in
All the way in
Kill what you want me
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
Take it up, take it up higher
4 degrees now, 4 degrees warmer
Give in now, give in now
And let me in
You'll like this in
Don't pull it out
It brings us closer than
Dying and cancer and crying
Kill what you want me
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
Just like that
Just like that
Just like that
Tool's song "4°" utilizes cryptic language and metaphor to explore themes of control and surrender. The opening lines, "Locked up inside you / Like the calm beneath castles / Is a cavern of treasures that / Noone has been to" suggest that the subject has a wealth of untapped potential within themselves, but it remains unexplored territory. The subsequent invitation to "go digging / Bring it out to take you back in" suggests an attempt to access this potential, possibly through psychoanalysis or similar methods.
The lyrics quickly shift focus to the idea of surrendering control: "You won't do what you'd like to do / Lay back and let me show you another way / I'll kill what you want me to / Take what's left and eat it / Take all or nothing." The suggestion here is that the subject is resistant to change or growth, and that surrendering control is the only way to move forward. The repetition of "take all or nothing" reinforces this idea of total surrender.
The repeated refrain of "All the way in / Let it go in" further emphasizes the idea of total surrender and vulnerability, while the final lines ("Don't pull it out / It brings us closer than / Dying and cancer and crying") seem to suggest that this surrender is ultimately beneficial, and that resisting it can lead to worse outcomes.
Line by Line Meaning
Locked up inside you
Deep within you, there is something hidden away
Like the calm beneath castles
This hidden thing is like a forgotten treasure chest, waiting to be discovered
Is a cavern of treasures that
It's filled with amazing things that are yet to be explored
Noone has been to
You've kept it hidden so long, nobody else has been able to discover it
Let's go digging
Let's pull this treasure out of hiding, and find out what it truly is
Let's go digging
Let's go deeper than anyone has gone before, and uncover what you've kept concealed
Bring it out to take you back in
By bringing it out into the open, we can explore it together and rediscover what was already inside you
You won't do what you'd like to do
You're holding back and afraid to let go of your innermost hidden feelings
Lay back and let me show you another way
Relax and trust me to guide you in a different direction that you haven't considered before
I'll kill what you want me to
I'll help you let go of what's holding you back, even if it's something you desire
Take what's left and eat it
Once we discard the things that are holding you back, we can embrace what remains and truly absorb it
Take all or nothing
Don't hold anything back, let go of everything or embrace it all
Life's just too short to push it away
Don't waste your life holding back your deepest desires
Take it all
Embrace everything you desire
Take it all in
Really absorb everything, don't just take it superficially
All the way in
Fully embrace everything, don't hold anything back
Let it go in
Release everything holding you back, and truly absorb the good things in life
You won't feel what you'd like to feel
You're holding back your emotions and not allowing yourself to feel what you truly desire
Kill what you want me
Don't let your desires hold you back, let go of them and embrace life fully
If you knock me down
If I face a setback in life
I'll just come back running
I'll face it head-on and won't let it hold me back
Knock you down
If you face a setback in life
It won't be long now
Don't worry, it won't last forever
Take it up, take it up higher
Let's aim for something even better than you ever thought possible
4 degrees now, 4 degrees warmer
Let's make things a little warmer, a little better than they are right now
Give in now, give in now
Don't hold back, allow yourself to let go
And let me in
Allow me to guide you and help you embrace everything life has to offer
You'll like this in
Once you let go and embrace your deepest desires, you'll be happy with the result
Don't pull it out
Don't go back to holding back everything inside you, even if it seems scary at first
It brings us closer than
By embracing everything, we can grow closer to each other and be happier in life
Dying and cancer and crying
Hiding your true desires leads to a life with death, physical and emotional pain
Just like that
It can happen quickly and easily, if you allow it
Just like that
It doesn't have to be a long, painful process
Just like that
Things can really change for the better in a very short time
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Daniel Carey, Maynard James Keenan, Paul M. D'Amour, Adam Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@inesakhachatryan1289
Locked up inside you
Like the calm beneath castles
Is a cavern of treasures that
Noone has been to
Let's go digging
Let's go digging
Bring it out to take you back in
You won't do what you'd like to do
Lay back and let me show you another way
I'll kill what you want me to
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Life's just too short to push it away
Take it all
Take it all in
All the way in
All the way in
Let it go in
Let it go in
You won't feel what you'd like to feel
Lay back and let me show you another way
Kill what you want me
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
If you knock me down
I'll just come back running
Knock you down
It won't be long now
All the way in
All the way
All the way in
All the way in
Kill what you want me
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
Take it up, take it up higher
4 degrees now, 4 degrees warmer
Give in now, give in now
And let me in
You'll like this in
Don't pull it out
It brings us closer than
Dying and cancer and crying
Kill what you want me
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
Just like that
Just like that
Just like that
@mostafahossaintuhin
Get up, get up now [4x]
Free yourself from yourself [2x]
Locked up inside you
Like the calm beneath castles
A cavern of treasures that
No one has been to
Let's go digging
Let's go digging
Bring it out and take it back in
You won't do what you'd like to do
Lay back and let me show you another way
Kill what you want to
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
Take it all
Take it all in
All the way in
All the way in
Let it go
Let it go in
You won't feel what you'd like to feel
Lay back and let me show you another way
Kill what you want to
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
Knock me down
I'll just come back running
Knock you down
It won't be long now
All the way in
All the way in
All the way
All the way
Way in!
Kill what you want to
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it away
Take it up, take it up higher
4 degrees now, 4 degrees warmer
Give in now
Give in now
Let me in!
You'll like this in
This brings us out
You'll like this
It brings us closer than
Dying and cancer and crying
Let's take it, take it...
Kill what you want to
Take what's left and eat it
Take all or nothing
Just too short to push it
Just like that
Just like that
Just like...
@Len0ne
"Free yourself from yourself
Locked up inside you,
Like the calm beneath castles,
Is a cavern of treasures
That no one has been to"
For me, it is about understanding the "I", which is intrinsically blocked within the individual through the ego. Getting rid of yourself is nothing more than letting go of that ego and finding your inner calm, which we can say is the only peace that exists, a treasure, so to speak, hidden at the bottom, like a castle. Where no one has ever been, we have never had contact with our true selves, because everything distracts us from ourselves. (Bearing in mind that 4 degrees can be associated with the fourth dimension, something we are not yet aware of because of our limitations, just as we are not aware of our true selves.)
"Let's go digging". (it means to search inside)
"Bring it out and take it back in" (overlap the ego and transcend).
Traveled? maybe, i know. But that's how I like to interpret TOOL's songs.
@StonedMeadowOfDoom
Undertow is one of Tool's best because Maynard's vocals are at their peak. He really shined on it. This is definitely one of the best songs on the album
@liveecarbme
Sylvia Massy was the fifth member ;)
@NikitkaDreamer
0w0
hello I am a sub;
yes, the vocals are top notch
@badmonkey3866
Ummm, meh! They've been on point since the very beginning, sorry def don't agree. Tool has been around this long for a reason, each member makes the band, MJK is an absolute artist! Tool forever brothers and sisters, you either like them or dont.
@JohnDoe-ym5ly
Their new music is shit bc Maynard lost his voice.
@katiejohnson9510
The whole album . This changed the way I look at everything
@graciepuu
this seriously has everything a song NEEDS
@danielm5531
This song has everything I need. Effin love this band
@insiddious
I love how it changes from slow heavy metal riffs to doom then back to that epic riff then back to that doomey riff. Only Tool can pull off so many transitions in one song with ease. And this is merely 6 mins long! Imagine a 15 min track :0
@jakehosey9927
Just like that !