Lyrical meaning
In a Guitar World interview, Adam Jones confirmed that the title is a reference to an idiomatic term for hypocrisy (i.e. the "pot calling the kettle black").
The Pot
Tool Lyrics
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You must have been out your head
Eye hole deep in muddy waters
You practically raised the dead
Rob the grave to snow the cradle
Then burn the evidence down
Soapbox house of cards and glass
You must have been high
You must have been high
You must have been
Foot in mouth and head up ass
So what you talkin' 'bout?
Difficult to dance 'round this one
Till you pull it out, boy
You must have been so high
You must have been so high
Steal, borrow, refer
Save your shady inference
Kangaroo done hung the juror with the innocent
Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye
When you pissed all over my black kettle
You must have been high, high
You must have been high, high
Who are you to wave your finger?
So full of it
Eyeballs deep in muddy waters
Fucking hypocrite
Liar, lawyer, mirror show me
What's the difference?
Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent
Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye, eye
When you pissed all over my black kettle
You must have been
So who are you to wave your finger?
Who are you to wave your fatty fingers at me?
You must have been out your mind
Weeping shades of indigo
Trapped without a reason
Weeping shades of indigo
Liar, lawyer, mirror for you
What's the difference?
Kangaroo be stoned
He's guilty as the government
Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye, eye
When you pissed all over my black kettle
You must have been high, high, high, high
Eyeballs deep in bloody waters
You're balls deep in muddy waters
Ganja? Please
You must have been out your mind
The song "The Pot" by Tool is a multifaceted commentary on different levels of society, with the central theme being the concept of hypocrisy. The lyrics are reflective of someone who has been wronged by another person and starts by questioning the other’s authority to judge others. The lyrics “Who are you to wave your finger? You must have been out your head. Eye hole deep in muddy waters, you practically raised the dead” are a clear accusation of the other’s fallibility in judging others. The singer goes on to query the other person’s motives, with particular focus on the hypocrisy of their actions when they had themselves committed the same sins earlier.
The refrain of “You must have been high” is meant to satirise the other person’s excuses for their actions, as it seems unlikely that someone can excuse all their poor choices through drugs or alcohol. The lyrics also see the singer using metaphors to further extend the commentary on society. The phrases “Foot in mouth and head up ass” and “Difficult to dance ‘round this one till you pull it out” are both metaphors used to describe the difficulty faced in facing an unpleasant situation, which could either cause harm to oneself or the people around them.
In the end, the song “The Pot” is an incisive commentary on the different levels of society that exist, from government to contemporary society, highlighting their hypocrisy and at the same time serving as a call to action for people to take responsibility for their actions and start discovering truths on their own.
Line by Line Meaning
Who are you to wave your finger?
Who do you think you are to judge others?
You must have been out your head
You were probably delusional or mentally unstable
Eye hole deep in muddy waters
You were heavily involved in a bad situation or decision
You practically raised the dead
Your actions had a significant impact on others, bringing them back to life in a way
Rob the grave to snow the cradle
You were willing to do something unethical or immoral to get what you wanted
Then burn the evidence down
You tried to cover your tracks and hide your wrongdoing
Soapbox, house of cards, and glass
Your opinions or arguments are fragile and easily broken
So don't go tossin' your stones around
Don't criticize others when you're not perfect yourself
Foot in mouth, and head up ass
You're making a fool of yourself by saying something ridiculous
So what you talkin' 'bout?
What are you even saying? Your words don't make sense.
Difficult to dance 'round this one
It's hard to avoid or ignore this issue
Till you pull it out, boy
You need to face the issue or problem directly
Steal, burrow, reefer
You're acting shady and doing something illegal
Save your shady inference
Keep your manipulative or misleading words to yourself
Kangaroo done hung the juror with the innocent
The justice system is flawed and punishes the wrong people
Now you're weeping shades of cozen indigo
You're feeling guilty or regretful about something you did
Got lemon juice up in your eye
You're experiencing a painful consequence from your actions
When you pissed all over my black kettle
Your actions negatively affected me or someone else
So full of it
You're lying or exaggerating
Fucking hypocrite
You're being dishonest by saying one thing and doing another
Liar, lawyer, mirror show me
You're trying to deceive others or hide the truth
What's the difference?
There's not much distinction between the different ways people deceive or manipulate others
Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent
The justice system is flawed and punishes the wrong people
You must have been out your mind
You were acting without proper judgment or reason
Trapped without a reason
Feeling stuck or helpless in a situation without justification
Kangaroo be stoned
The justice system is making incorrect decisions, similar to someone who is high
He's guilty as the government
The justice system is unfairly punishing someone who is not really guilty
You're balls deep in muddy waters
You're deeply involved in a bad situation
Ganja? Please!
The reason for your behavior is not simply drugs; it goes deeper than that
You must have been high, high, high, high
Your mind must have been altered to a significant degree for you to think this was acceptable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Adam Jones, Daniel Carey, Justin Gunner Chancellor, Maynard James Keenan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kizzlerawk6908
Lyrics:
Who are you to wave your finger?
You must have been out of your head
Eye hole deep in muddy waters
You practically raised the dead
Rob the grave to snow the cradle
Then burn the evidence down
Soapbox, house of cards and glass
So don't go tossin' your stones around
You must have been high
You must have been high
You must have been
Foot in mouth and head up ass
So what you talkin' 'bout?
Difficult to dance 'round this one
'Til you pull it out, boy!
You must have been so high
You must have been so high
Steal, borrow, refer, save your shady inference
Kangaroo done hung the jury with the innocent
Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye
When you pissed all over my black kettle
You must have been high, high
You must have been high, high
Who are you to wave your finger?
So full of it
Eyeballs deep in muddy waters
Fuckin' hypocrite
Liar, lawyer, mirror, show me what's the difference?
Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent
Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye, eye
When you pissed all over my black kettle
You must've been!
So who are you to wave your finger?
Who are you to wave your fatty fingers at me?
You must have been out your mind!
Weepin' shades of indigo shed without a reason
Weepin' shades of indigo...
Liar, lawyer, mirror for you, what's the difference?
Kangaroo be stoned. He's guilty as the government
Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye, eye!
Now when you pissed all over my black kettle
You must've been high, high, high, high
Eyeballs deep in muddy waters
Your balls deep in muddy waters
Ganja, please, you must have been out your mind!
@shoeboogie1989
Somewhere out there is a band called Loot with a song called The Top.
@justsomelurkerrr
the lid
@imcoleyourenot8391
Are you god
@nekkoskrilla6750
😂🤣🤣😂
@schism1816
Coomeet
@ronk3267
You must have been high
@LudusAurea
That bassline never gets old.
@cffvrfrf5235
no, it gets.
@richardseaboyer924
Driving BASS.
@JayJay-id5bu
Tool never gets old.