Adam Jo… Read Full Bio ↴Sober is a song on Tool's first full-length album, Undertow.
Adam Jones has stated in an interview that the song is about a friend of the band whose artistic expression only comes out when he is under the influence. "A lot of people give him shit for that," Jones explains. "If you become addicted and a junkie, well, that's your fault."
Writing
"Sober" was one of the earliest songs composed by its writer, Maynard James Keenan, with roots dating back to a 1987 live performance (released as Peace Day with his first band, Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty) in which the song was called "Burn About Out". The song contains some lyrics from the first verse of "Sober", with the same basic melody, although the melody is considerably faster and has an instrumental chorus.
The song was recorded by Keenan with Tool for the first time in mid-1991 on an untitled demo tape referred to as 72826.
Video
A video for "Sober" was made in 1993. It was filmed using stop-motion animation, with characters' models designed by Adam Jones and directed by Fred Stuhr. It was the first of Tool's videos to be made in stop motion, the earlier promo video for "Hush" being live action and featuring all four band members. However, brief flashes of the musicians can be seen near the beginning, as well as a live-action figure twitching and vibrating violently (à la the film Jacob's Ladder).
Besides being one of their first videos, it is also one of Tool's most ambiguous. Its protagonist is a small, humanoid being, who lives and sleeps in a rusty room sparsely decorated with a bed, table and chair. He happens upon a wooden box, which he opens near the beginning. Its contents are kept hidden for the majority of the video's duration, but it seems whatever it is has had adverse effects - there are repeated shots of the humanoid levitating in his chair, and his head and arm vibrating wildly. While experiencing these effects, he ventures through his living quarters and its many corridors.
The climax provides a barrage of imagery and revelations: a figure attached to a wall behind a translucent screen, a sentry of sorts wielding a mobile, robotic cannon and a worm like, organic creature hidden within the house's pipes. At the end, the box is empty, leaving the viewer to determine its meaning.
Notable performances and covers
* In August 2006 Kirk Hammett, lead guitarist of Metallica, joined Tool on stage while performing and 'jammed' together with the band at a show in South Korea.
* In January 2007, at the Big Day Out music festival in Auckland, New Zealand, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian joined Tool for an improvisational version of the song.
* Staind has released an acoustic cover version of "Sober" on their 2006 compilation The Singles: 1996-2006.
* String Quartet Tribute did a "classical" cover of the song for the album "String Quartet to Tool." (They also have done albums covering other bands).
References in popular culture
* In an episode of Beavis & Butt-Head, the eponymous duo provide commentary on the video. They mock the band's name, but give an otherwise positive review of the video.
* Electronic duo Orbital sampled the song in "Tootled", from their DVD album The Altogether.
Sober
Tool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shrouding every step I take
Making every promise empty
Pointing every finger at me
Waiting like a stalking butler
Who upon the finger rests
Murder now the path of must we
Just because the son has come
Jesus, won't you fucking whistle
Something but the past and done?
Jesus, won't you fucking whistle
Something but the past and done?
Why can't we not be sober?
Just want to start this over
And why can't we drink forever?
I just want to start this over
I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
I will work to elevate you
Just enough to bring you down
Mother Mary, won't you whisper?
Something but what's past and done
Mother Mary, won't you whisper?
Something but the past and done
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
And why can't we sleep forever?
I just want to start this over
Why?
I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
Trust me
Trust me
Trust me
Trust me
Trust me
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start things over
And why can't we sleep forever?
I just want to start this over
Why?
I want what I want
I want what I want
I want what I want
I want what I want
The lyrics of Tool's song "Sober" touch upon themes of deception, addiction, and the desire for redemption. The first verse describes a shadow that follows the singer, making promises empty and pointing fingers at them. The next lines mention a stalking butler who waits to kill the singer, perhaps a reference to their own self-destructive tendencies. The question is then asked of Jesus to provide something more than the past and done – to offer a way out of this cycle of addiction and pain.
The chorus is a plea to be sober, but also to start over, to somehow go back in time and make better choices. The singer longs to drink forever, but it's unclear if this is meant literally or metaphorically. The next verse is especially introspective, with the singer admitting their own worthlessness and foolishness. They explain that they will only complicate those around them, and that despite their desire to bring others up, they often end up tearing them down.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a shadow just behind me
I feel like something is always following or haunting me
Shrouding every step I take
It's affecting my every move and action
Making every promise empty
I can't keep my word to myself or others
Pointing every finger at me
Blaming myself for everything
Waiting like a stalking butler
The negative presence is always looming, like a butler waiting to serve
Who upon the finger rests
It's controlling and influencing my actions
Murder now the path of must we
The negativity is leading me down a destructive path
Just because the son has come
It's like a cycle that repeats itself, like the rising of the sun
Jesus, won't you fucking whistle
Asking for divine intervention or guidance
Something but the past and done?
Asking for a new direction or hope for the future
Why can't we not be sober?
Asking why it's so hard to break free from negative influences
Just want to start this over
Desire for a fresh start
And why can't we drink forever?
Asking why we can't escape reality permanently
I just want to start this over
Desire for a new beginning
I am just a worthless liar
Feeling like a failure or unworthy of trust
I am just an imbecile
Feeling stupid or inadequate
I will only complicate you
Knowing that I will add more problems to your life
Trust in me and fall as well
Warning others against trusting me and potentially getting hurt
I will find a center in you
Looking for stability or grounding in another person
I will chew it up and leave
Knowing that I will ultimately sabotage the relationship
Mother Mary, won't you whisper?
Calling for guidance or comfort
Something but what's past and done
Desire for a new direction or message
Trust me
Asking for trust despite the previous warnings
Why can't we not be sober?
Still struggling with negative influences
And why can't we sleep forever?
Desire for an escape from reality
I want what I want
Selfish desire or obsession
I want what I want
Repetition reinforces the selfish desire
I want what I want
Continued obsession despite the negative consequences
I want what I want
Desire that may never be satisfied
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Paul M. D'Amour, Maynard James Keenan, Daniel Edwin Carey, Adam Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pride317
Lyrics
There's a shadow just behind me
Shrouding every step I take
Making every promise empty
Pointing every finger at me
Waiting like a stalking butler
Who upon the finger rests
Murder now the pattern, must we
Just because the son has come
Jesus,
Won't you fucking whistle
Something but the past and done?
Jesus,
Won't you fucking whistle
Something but the past and done?
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
Why can't we drink forever?
I just want to start this over
I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
I will work to elevate you
Just enough to bring you down
Mother Mary,
Won't you whisper
Something but the past and done?
Mother Mary,
Won't you whisper
Something but the past and done?
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
Why can't we sleep forever?
I just want to start this over
I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
Trust me,
Trust me,
Trust me,
Trust me,
Trust me
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start things over
Why can't we sleep forever?
I just want to start this over
Oh
I want what I want
I want what I want
I want what I want
I want what I want
@brandywebster8409
I've been off my D.O.C.'s (heroin/fentanyl and crack), for four years three, almost four months (four months is ironically my mom's birthday, March 1st). Even before the dope was a problem, I had other addictions. I was neveruch of a drinker, because of something that happened to me when I was 14 years old while I was drinking. At the ass end of that abusive relationship, I picked up the bottle. And this song helps just as much now as it did when I was sticking a needle in my arm and sucking on a.crack pipe.
Tool wasy favorite before I became a drug addict, and Tool is STILL my favorite band.
I hope I get to see them live soon. I've wanted to since I was 14. At 13 I discovered Tool and how amazing they were. When I was 14, my parents wouldn't allow me to go to concerts. Then I fell into addiction.
One of my life goals is to see Tool live. I'd love close seats, and the VIP packages with either a meet and great, or even just a picture.
Tool will always have a place in my heart. I wish I could afford now, as an adult with bills, to go see them live.
@dianehazlett6632
My son introduced me to Tool. He was obsessed with them. I love them, too. He and his wife even took me to a Tool concert. It was mind-blowing. My son died recently at 46. I am getting a Third Eye tattoo to commemorate him. I am broken, but listening to Tool brings wonderful memories of him.
@Wakkoh420
Bless you. You beautiful soul <3
@tarnish3613
God bless you
@joshuathomas2140
I'm so so so sorry for your loss.
@christiaanungerer3660
We are all brothers and sisters in this wonderful music. Your son will forever be with you through us and music.
@Nolbroshead
Sorry Diane! Much love.
@kowboi430
I'm a recovering meth addict I injected at least a 8 ball a day for years . This song perfectly describes addiction . It reminds me why I can't go back and that there's nothing to go back to . 18 months clean and sober today . . .
@ericjohnberni1
Stay motivated, stay focused, stay alive....
@ytwhite5930
Keep it up Chris. You're right,there's nothing to go back to...
@user-yz1we6ku7c
Ты молодец!! Желаю здоровья и удачи. Ты сильный человек, если бросил🤝.