Maynard’s relevance in the … Read Full Bio ↴Dope Rider says: October 4, 2019 at 10:49 pm
Maynard’s relevance in the music industry is indisputable. He and his band are revered by many and likely always will be. that said, I think the idea of staying relevant – of dwelling on past victories – hits home for anyone. It certainly did for me. When I first listened to it, I felt like the song was written specifically for me haha.
I’m a military veteran. In my youth, my relevance was never in question – I felt on top of the world! But that shit was just a tiny blip in a long, boring, and ultimately inconsequential life. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself struggling to “matter” in the world – like many other vets. I have no doubt that these same feelings apply to EVERYONE as they age. We all feel like a somebody until we grow up and realize, well, we aren’t!
Thank you @Dope Rider for your story
Invincible
Tool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Longing for another win
Lurch into the fray
Weapon out and belly in
Warrior struggling
To remain consequential
Bellow aloud
Of where I've been
But here I am
Beating chest and drums
Beating tired bones again
Age-old battle, mine
Weapon out and belly in
Tales told of battles won
Of things we've done
Caligula would grin
Beating tired bones
Tripping through remember when
Once invincible
Now the armor's wearing thin
Heavy shield down
Warrior struggling
To remain relevant
Warrior struggling
To remain consequential
Cry aloud
Bold and proud
Of where I've been
But here I am
Where I end
Warrior struggling
To remain relevant
Warrior struggling
To remain consequential
Tears in my eyes
Chasing Ponce de Leon's phantom
So filled with hope
I can taste mythical fountains
False hope, perhaps
But the truth never got in my way
Before now, feel the sting
Feeling time bearing down
Tears in my eyes
Chasing Ponce de Leon's phantom
So filled with hope
I can taste mythical fountains
False hope, perhaps
But the truth never got in my way
Before now, feel the sting
Feeling time bearing down
False hope, perhaps
But the truth never got in my way
Before now, feel the sting
Feeling time bearing down
Bearing down
The lyrics to Tool's song Invincible convey a sense of a warrior who is aging and struggling to maintain the level of strength, fierceness and relevancy they once held. The metaphorical language used here compares the warrior to an aging animal ("long in tooth and soul") and emphasizes the warrior's continued willingness to engage in battle ("lurch into the fray, weapon out and belly in"). The warrior reflects on their past accomplishments, telling stories of battles won, but acknowledges that their armor is wearing thin and they are no longer invincible. The lyrics also touch on the theme of false hope and the inevitability of time and mortality.
The use of historical references such as Caligula and Ponce de Leon adds depth to the song's themes. Caligula was a tyrannical emperor of Rome who committed countless atrocities during his reign. The mention of Caligula grinning at the battles won suggests a certain level of triumph that comes with achieving great feats, but also acknowledges the darker side of human nature that revels in violence and power. Ponce de Leon was a Spanish explorer who searched for the Fountain of Youth, a mythical spring that was said to restore youth to whoever drank from it. His pursuit of this fountain is used here as a metaphor for false hope and the realization that one cannot escape the inevitability of aging and mortality.
Overall, the lyrics of Invincible illustrate the universal struggle of aging and the quest for relevance and meaning in life. The warrior's journey is not just a physical battle, but also an internal one that we all face as we age and confront the reality of our own mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Long in tooth and soul
Old and wise, but still full of passion
Longing for another win
Craving another victory
Lurch into the fray
Jump into battle
Weapon out and belly in
Ready and fearless for the fight
Warrior struggling
To remain consequential
A brave fighter fighting to stay significant
Bellow aloud
Bold and proud
Of where I've been
But here I am
Announcing with confidence my past successes and present position
Beating chest and drums
Beating tired bones again
Age-old battle, mine
Weapon out and belly in
Heartbeat racing, ready for yet another old yet personal fight
Tales told of battles won
Of things we've done
Caligula would grin
Recounting stories of our victories, even Caligula would approve
Beating tired bones
Tripping through remember when
Once invincible
Now the armor's wearing thin
Heavy shield down
Tired and broken, reminiscing on the old days of invincibility, now feeling vulnerable
Cry aloud
Bold and proud
Of where I've been
But here I am
Where I end
Scream out confidently acknowledging both past and present, but recognizing limitations
Tears in my eyes
Chasing Ponce de Leon's phantom
So filled with hope
I can taste mythical fountains
False hope, perhaps
But the truth never got in my way
Before now, feel the sting
Feeling time bearing down
Emotional and desperate, chasing after a mythical cure to aging, so desperately hopeful that I can almost taste it, although maybe it's all just an illusion
False hope, perhaps
But the truth never got in my way
Before now, feel the sting
Feeling time bearing down
Bearing down
Admitting that maybe my hope is just a fairy tale but previously I never paid attention, as I now feel the pressure of time bearing down
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Maynard James Keenan, Adam Jones, Daniel Carey, Justin Gunner Chancellor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@YARafin
Long in tooth and soul
Longing for another win
Lurch into the fray
Weapon out and belly in
Warrior
Strugglin'
To remain
Consequential
Bellow out loud
Bold and proud
Of where I've been
But here I am
Beating chest and drums
Beating tired bones again
Age-old battle, mine
Weapon out and belly in
Tales told of battles won
Of things we've done
Caligula would grin
Beating tired bones
Tripping through remember when
Once invincible
Now the armor's wearing thin
Heavy shield down
Warrior
Strugglin'
To remain
Relevant
Warrior
Strugglin'
To remain
Consequential
Cry aloud, bold and proud
O' where I've been
But here I am
Where I end
Warrior
Strugglin'
To remain
Relevant
Warrior
Strugglin'
To remain
Consequential
Tears in my eyes, chasing Ponce de Leon's phantom soul
Filled with hope, I can taste mythical fountains
False hope, perhaps
But the truth never got in my way
Before now, feel the sting, feeling time bearing down
Tears in my eyes chasing Ponce de Leon's phantom soul
Filled with hope, I can taste mythical fountains
False hope, perhaps
But the truth never got in my way
Before now, feel the sting, feeling time bearing down
False hope perhaps
But the truth never got in my way
Before now, feel the sting, feeling time bearing down
Bearing down
@ganon1028
So I've been thinking about the meaning of 'Fear Inoculum' since the release, and it got me thinking about the meanings and overall vibes of other Tool albums
Undertow is a dark, nihilistic and violent album. It's themes are abuse, addiction, violence and depravity. It feels like a torture dungeon or something. The music is brutal and unrelenting, with few moments of light or relief.
Aenima is the most varied and therefore hard to pin down, but I think broadly its about the human mind and is a call to spiritual awakening. As such the music has a strange, trippy and unsettling vibe, that gets deep inside your brain. It feels more like a laboratory or a messy study.
Lateralus is a deeply spiritual and humanistic album about the origins of human beings, our purpose, our relationships with others, and the nature of our own consciousness. It feels like an ancient temple or holy place, with its mystic rhythms and cryptic lyrics.
10000 Days is a very emotional record, its more about human nature in the personal sense, and our attitudes toward each other. It feels like an open landscape, a tapestry depicting the struggles of human beings and the nature of our societies. The music, with its tribal influences, supports this too.
So Fear Inoculum, the clue is in the title, from the Latin Inoculus, means in the modern sense to immunise or protect against some disease or ailment. This album feels like a weird, alien landscape, with its droning, repetitive motifs and strange noises, along with that artwork. Human beings naturally fear the unknown, we fear the future, we fear ourselves. This album encourages us to confront those fears, confront what we fear because we are not familiar with it, innoculate ourselves against this fear and move forwards. It sounds alien and impenetrable, but is anything but, it affirms us to keep moving in spite of our fear.
@miracleofsound
Maynard: Once invincible
Now the armor's wearing thin
Heavy shield down
Me at 40: There's something in my eye
@robertschulz6558
Maynard: "Bless this immunity."
Me: "Hold my asthma inhaler."
@cr0ssed00
Must be the wind coming out of subwoofer. Straight into your mind through the eye.
@trevormclean9904
Got Lemon juice up in your eye!!
Now you piss all over my black kettle...
You must have been---!
@Muzzle801
I'm 40. I ache 🙁
@specie44
....So get it out....???
@xXBrap
‘92 I started listening to TOOL.
‘94 my daughter was born, she is almost 25.
I’m old now.....But for Today, I feel like I’m 22 again.
@Pundit07
I’m also 25 and born in 1994, but I didn’t start listening to Tool until 2010 when I was still in high school. But I’m glad I’ve lived up to this point and got to know their discography along the way and I’m proud to call myself a fan.
@The-Junkologist
I’m right there with ya! I was 23 in ‘92. Been a TooL fan for many years.
@dannymontoya9469
OGT from back in '92.