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)
Jerk-Off
Tool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That lived in this part of the building here
But we systematically removed them
Like you would any kind of termite or roach
Someone told me once
That there's a right and wrong
Punishment was sure
But it must not be true
For jerk-offs just like you
Maybe it takes longer to catch a total asshole
But I'm tired of waiting
Someone told me once
That there's a right and wrong
Punishment was sure
For those who dare to cross the line
But it must not be true
For jerk-offs just like you
Maybe it's just bullshit, I should play God
And shoot you myself
Tired of waiting, oh
Consequences dictate
Our course of action
And it doesn't matter what's right
It's only wrong if you get caught
If consequences dictate
My course of action, I should
I should play God and just
Shoot you myself
Tired of waiting
Die, die
Shoot it, kick it, fuck it
Shoot you in your fucking head
The lyrics of Tool's song Jerk-Off are straightforward and direct. The singer talks about the frustration of waiting for someone to face punishment for their wrongdoing. They question the morality of the world, suggesting that there might not be a clear line between right and wrong, and those who get caught are held accountable. The singer expresses their anger towards someone who has crossed that line and gotten away with it. They contemplate taking matters into their own hands and acting as judge, jury, and executioner.
The lyrics highlight the psychological turmoil of feeling powerless in a world that seems to let wrongdoers get away with their actions. The singer's frustration with the system's inability to serve justice and punishment only adds to their anger and desperation. Their thoughts turn to vigilantism as the only solution they see to this problem.
Tool's style of provocative lyrics and heavy music creates a biting commentary on society's systems and structures. The song's lyrics are a hard-hitting critique of justice, morality, and power. The band's raw energy amplifies these criticisms, creating a formidable and impactful message.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told me once
I've been told that there are rules in life.
That there's a right and wrong,
There are things that are considered right and wrong in society.
And that punishment
If you do something wrong, there will be consequences.
Would come to those
Those who break the rules will be punished.
Who dare to cross the line.
If you cross a certain line, you will face consequences.
But it must not be true
This idea must not actually be upheld in reality.
For jerk-offs like you.
Because assholes like you seem to get away with everything.
Maybe it takes longer to catch a total asshole.
Assholes seem to be able to get away with their bad behavior for longer periods of time.
But I'm tired of waiting.
I'm fed up with waiting for others to take action.
Maybe it's just bullshit and I should play God,
Maybe the idea of punishment for breaking the rules is just nonsense.
And shoot you myself
I should take matters into my own hands.
Because I'm tired of waiting.
I'm still fed up with waiting for someone else to take action.
Consequences dictate
The outcome of an action is determined by the consequences it brings.
Our course of action
We take an action based on the consequences it brings.
And it doesn't matter what's right.
Morality becomes irrelevant if the consequences of doing something outweigh the cost of not doing it.
It's only wrong if you get caught.
If you don't get caught, then it's not technically wrong.
If consequences dictate
If the consequences of an action dictate the next step to be taken.
My course of action
The next course of action I must take.
I should play God
I should take on the role of a deific character and determine the consequences of your bad behavior.
And shoot you myself
I should take matters into my own hands and get retribution for all the wrongs you've done.
I'm very tired of waiting.
I'm still tired of waiting for someone else to take action.
I should
It's about time that I take action into my own hands.
Kick you,
I should give you a good hard kick.
Beat you,
I should take a swing and beat you up.
Fuck you,
I should have sex with you to assert dominance over you.
And then shoot you in your fucking head
And once I'm through with you, I should just shoot you in the head to finish you off.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Adam Jones, Daniel Carey, Maynard James Keenan, Paul M D'amour
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tom K
This album is so consistently amazing. Kinda like NIN's album "Broken." Short, heavy, straight-forward, focused, and the rawness only youth can provide.
batman_zzzzz
i agree with this 100% and i love NIN, especially "broken".
a bit dopey
And both came out in 1992
GPlewright
My favourite from Opiate. A killer track.
PunchDrunkLizzy
My favorite from this album as well.
M Gonzalez
@I weigh more without clothes You nailed it.. that is what makes this song so God damned powerful... its something i don't even like to hear sometimes but i'm glad i had listened and experienced this in the past.
Thanks for your comment
Hot dog fans only
GPlewright same
⭐Countryside IC3⭐
And this was performed live. Best band ever.
ariel de jesus herrera guevara
in fact it first appeared in demo 72826
Bernie Wilitz
Still the greatest live performance of any song ive ever heard by anyone ever.