-Mathematical significance-
Counting between pauses, the syllables in Maynard James Keenan's vocals during the verses form the first few Fibonacci numbers, ascending and descending:
(1) Black,
(1) then,
(2) white are,
(3) all I see,
(5) in my infancy,
(8) red and yellow then came to be,
(5) reaching out to me,
(3) lets me see.
(2) There is,
(1) so,
(1) much,
(2) more and
(3) beckons me,
(5) to look through to these,
(8) infinite possibilities.
(13) As below so above and beyond I imagine,
(8) drawn beyond the lines of reason.
(5) Push the envelope.
(3) Watch it bend.
The Fibonacci sequence shares a relationship with spirals, which are mentioned several times later in the lyrics.
The time signatures of the chorus change from 9/8 to 8/8 to 7/8; as drummer Danny Carey says, "It was originally titled 9-8-7. For the time signatures. Then it turned out that 987 was the 17th step of the Fibonacci sequence. So that was cool."
-Interpretation-
In a 2001 interview, Keenan commented on the lyric mentioning black, white, red and yellow: "I use the archetype stories of North American aboriginals and the themes or colours which appear over and over again in the oral stories handed down through generations. Black, white, red, and yellow play very heavily in aboriginal stories of creation."
Common Interpretations
You might want to re-listen to the song while reading the line-breaks to make sure you agree that they are legit ahead of time. Otherwise, you may have a hard time believing this...
This song has strong ties to the Fibonacci Sequence as can be seen in this version of the lyrics. The Fibonacci Sequence follows the same growth ratio (phi) as the Golden spiral which almost certainly has something to do with the repeated references to the spirals in this song. When he goes up the sequence, then starts down and up again, he may be thought to be swinging on the spiral. Listen along as Maynard sings, and you can hear the pattern in the number of syllables in each line (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...).
The Fibonacci Sequence is computed by starting with the two values "0" and "1", then each subsequent number is the sum of the two previous numbers (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21....).
The timing in the chorus ("Over thinking, over analyzing...") also hints at the Fibonacci Sequence: The bars have 9, 8 and 7 beats respectively. 987 is a number in the Fibonacci sequence. The song was originally named "987" while it was being written.
NOTE: Interpretation below isn't necessarily agreed upon by a vast majority since this song is so mysterious...
As for the meaning of the words (not just their arrangement), it seems to be saying that organized religion and the clergy's exploitation of it, dampens the ability to perceive reality and its glory and appreciate it for what it is. ("Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition, missing opportunities").
Later he says "I embrace my desire to feel the rhythm, to feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow to feel inspired to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral [...] of our divinity and still be a human".In Maynard's words (not referring to this song specifically) "Life should be revered simply for the fact that we need to be thankful that we are currently able to consciously appreciate what we are going through right now."
If you don't like this interpretation, you're not necessarily wrong: Maynard believes that their songs have many layers, and are about self-reflection and discovery. He feels that you can (within limits) interpret their songs in various ways to help you understand life and create a self-identity.
More Interpretation: I don't think you have to apply the song to narrowly to just religion and such but just people and their minds in general how we tend to over think and worry about needless things out of our control in our culture. Instead of taking control of what we do have. Our body and minds which make up who we are. "Over thinking over analyzing separates the body from the mind" also applies to the golden spiral. If you use jimmy's formula of 1 + 1 = 1, our mind + our bodies = who we our. Bring them together you become who you are. You see this in a lot of tools songs the messages behind lyrics all vaguely reefer to same ideas and Lateralus the album is the accumulation of all those and the Title track is accumulation of the other tracks in the album when Tools brings it all together perfectly for a single moment in that 9:24 all stands still and then they go on swinging back around.
Hopefully they keep playing with this idea. If so we should get another moment of perfection by the end of the decade.
Lateralus
Tool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me
Lets me see
As below so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn beyond the lines of reason
Push the envelope, watch it bend
Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must
Feed my will to feel my moment, drawing way outside the lines
Black then white are all I see in my infancy
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me
Lets me see
There is so much more
And beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities
As below so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn outside the lines of reason
Push the envelope, watch it bend
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind
Withering my intuition leaving opportunities behind
Feed my will to feel this moment
Urging me to cross the line
Reaching out to embrace the random
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come
I embrace my desire to
I embrace my desire to
Feel the rhythm, to feel connected
Enough to step aside and weep like a widow
To feel inspired
To fathom the power
To witness the beauty
To bathe in the fountain
To swing on the spiral
To swing on the spiral to
Swing on the spiral
Of our divinity
And still be a human
With my feet upon the ground I lose myself
Between the sounds and open wide to suck it in
I feel it move across my skin
I'm reaching up and reaching out
I'm reaching for the random or whatever will bewilder me
Whatever will bewilder me
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
The song Lateralus by Tool is a complex and introspective exploration of the human mind and the journey of self-discovery. The opening lyrics describe the transition from childhood to adulthood, from seeing the world as black and white, to discovering that there are infinite possibilities and colors available if one is willing to push beyond the boundaries of reason and convention. The lyrics encourage the listener to embrace their intuition and desire, to explore the unknown and to step out of their comfort zone.
From there, the song becomes a meditation on the dangers of overthinking and overanalyzing, which can lead to missed opportunities and a breakdown in the connection between mind and body. The lyrics urge the listener to feed their will and intuition, to step outside of the lines and embrace whatever may come. The chorus repeats the phrase "swinging on the spiral", which suggests a cyclical, transformative journey of self-exploration that spirals outwards in all directions.
Ultimately, the song encourages the listener to embrace the contradictions inherent in being human, to strive for balance between the physical and spiritual, and to keep pushing forward in the never-ending journey of self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Black then white are all I see in my infancy
The singer's limited worldview during their early years.
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me
The appearance of new colors, representing new experiences and perspectives.
Lets me see
There is so much more
And beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities
Encouragement to explore new perspectives and possibilities beyond the familiar black and white.
As below so above and beyond, I imagine
The artist's concept of interconnectedness and expanding their perspective beyond the physical world.
Drawn beyond the lines of reason
Push the envelope, watch it bend
Urging the listener to think beyond conventional logic and ideas.
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind
Withering my intuition leaving opportunities behind
The singer's critique of overthinking and the negative effects it has on their creativity and ability to seize opportunities.
Feed my will to feel this moment
Urging me to cross the line
Reaching out to embrace the random
The singer's desire to act on impulses and live in the present moment, even if it means embracing the unknown or surprising.
I embrace my desire to feel the rhythm, to feel connected
Enough to step aside and weep like a widow
To feel inspired
To fathom the power
To witness the beauty
To bathe in the fountain
To swing on the spiral
To swing on the spiral to
The artist's acceptance and celebration of their emotional responses to the world around them, and their desire to fully experience life in all its complexity.
Swing on the spiral
Of our divinity
And still be a human
The artist's belief in the ability to embrace spirituality while still remaining connected to their humanity.
With my feet upon the ground I lose myself
Between the sounds and open wide to suck it in
I feel it move across my skin
The artist's intense sensory experience and immersion in the world around them.
I'm reaching up and reaching out
I'm reaching for the random or whatever will bewilder me
Whatever will bewilder me
The singer's continued pursuit of new experiences and perspectives.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
The artist's encouragement to embrace the unknown and take risks in order to chart a new path for themselves.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Adam Jones, Daniel Carey, Justin Gunner Chancellor, Maynard James Keenan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@moonbabies0o241
Black then white are all I see in my infancy
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me
Lets me see
As below so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn beyond the lines of reason
Push the envelope, watch it bend
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind
Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must
Feed my will to feel my moment, drawing way outside the lines
Black then white are all I see in my infancy
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me
Lets me see
There is so much more
And beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities
As below so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn outside the lines of reason
Push the envelope, watch it bend
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind
Withering my intuition leaving opportunities behind
Feed my will to feel this moment
Urging me to cross the line
Reaching out to embrace the random
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come
I embrace my desire to
I embrace my desire to
Feel the rhythm, to feel connected
Enough to step aside and weep like a widow
To feel inspired
To fathom the power
To witness the beauty
To bathe in the fountain
To swing on the spiral
To swing on the spiral to
Swing on the spiral
Of our divinity
And still be a human
With my feet upon the ground I lose myself
Between the sounds and open wide to suck it in
I feel it move across my skin
I'm reaching up and reaching out
I'm reaching for the random or whatever will bewilder me
Whatever will bewilder me
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
Spiral out, keep going
@johnybro98
There's been an epidemic going on for 2 whole Tool songs now
@averydaley4094
now this is comedy gold
@jdubskiwright2380
Its became a pandemic lol.. but the riffs are sick
@nigeleharis5886
Sooooo smart
@cesarsamaniego8814
It may last 10'000 days
@BierMeister360
Wait, two whole tool songs, wow, I only managed to count one
@curly_wyn
Tool’s greatest and most important lyric:
“Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind…”
@pacotaco505
I think of those lyrics when I start to have panic attacks.
@byakuyaboii1562
Fibonacci Sequence, formula of chaos
@zornale
You're not alone my friend @@pacotaco505