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)
Undertow
Tool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been struck dumb by a voice that
Speaks, from deep beneath peerless water that's
Twice as clear as heaven
Twice as loud as reason
Deep and rich like silt on a riverbed
Just as neverending
Current's mouth below me
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away
But I'm so comfortable
So comfortable
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
You're saturating me
How could I let this bring me
Back to my knees?
Third time in!
I've been baptized by your voice that
Screams, from deep beneath the cold black water that's
Half as high as heaven
Half as clear as reason
Cold and black like silt on the riverbed
Just as neverending
Current's mouth below me
Opens up around me
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away
But I'm so comfortable
So comfortable
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
You're saturating me
How could I let this happen?
Why don't you kill me?
I am weak and numb and insignificant
How could I let this bring me back to my knees?
Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria
I'm back down, I'm in the undertow
I'm helpless and I'm awake, I'm in the undertow
I'll die beneath the undertow
There doesn't seem to be a way out of the undertow
Euphoria
Undertow by Tool is a song that speaks to themes of being overwhelmed by something powerful and uncontrollable. The lyrics bring about imagery of drowning or being pulled under by a strong current, but they also convey a sense of comfort in the midst of this chaos. The singer describes being struck dumb by a voice that seems to be coming from a deep underwater source, something that's twice as loud as reason and twice as clear as heaven. This voice is so alluring that the singer finds themselves completely comfortable even as they're being overwhelmed and swallowed up by what it represents.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more desperate, almost pleading for the voice to stop saturating them and bringing them back to their knees. But they're also drawn to it, unable to resist the euphoria that it brings. The voice that started off as an alluring comfort now becomes a powerful force that the singer feels helpless against. They feel weak and insignificant in the face of it, and it seems like there's no way out of the undertow.
Overall, the song seems to be about the power of addiction or obsession. The voice that the singer refers to could be a person or a substance that has an irresistible pull. The lyrics convey a sense of being consumed and overwhelmed by this thing, but also a sense of being unable to resist it. It's both comforting and suffocating at the same time.
Line by Line Meaning
Two times in
On two separate occasions,
I've been struck dumb by a voice that
I have been rendered speechless by a voice that
Speaks, from deep beneath peerless water that's
this voice originates from deep beneath a body of water that
Twice as clear as heaven
is twice as crystal clear as the heavens.
Twice as loud as reason
It bellows twice as loud as logic
Deep and rich like silt on a riverbed
the voice is deep and rich like the silt on a riverbed
Just as neverending
it seems to have no end at all.
Current's mouth below me
The mouth of the water's current is below me.
Opens up around me
As the voice speaks, the water opens up around me.
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
It draws me in even as it engulfs and consumes me
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away
I'm surrounded by water, drowning, and then swept away.
But I'm so comfortable
despite all this danger, I somehow feel at ease and comfortable.
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
The singer is telling the voice to be quiet.
You're saturating me
The voice is overwhelming them.
How could I let this bring me
The singer is perplexed and confused as to how they could allow themselves
Back to my knees?
to be brought down to such a low position.
Third time in!
For the third occasion,
I've been baptized by your voice that
I have been baptized by this same voice that
Screams, from deep beneath the cold black water that's
this time it is screaming from deep beneath cold black water that
Half as high as heaven
only half as tall as the heavens,
Half as clear as reason
and only half as clear as logic.
Cold and black like silt on the riverbed
the water is cold and black, like silt on a riverbed.
Just as neverending
and, once again, it feels like it will never end.
Current's mouth below me
The water's current is still beneath me.
Opens up around me
Once again, as the voice speaks, the water opens up around the singer.
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
The voice beckons once more even as the water consumes them.
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away
They are once again surrounded, drowning, and swept away.
But I'm so comfortable
Despite all the danger, the artist is still oddly comfortable.
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
The artist is again telling the voice to be quiet.
You're saturating me
The voice is still overwhelming them.
How could I let this happen?
The singer is still puzzled as to how they keep putting themselves in this perilous situation
Why don't you kill me?
They question why they are not already dead from their own idiocy.
I am weak and numb and insignificant
The artist feels weak and insignificant.
How could I let this bring me back to my knees?
They don't understand how they always end up in this position.
Euphoria
The singer experiences a sense of euphoria.
Euphoria
They experience this sense again.
Euphoria
Once more they experience euphoria.
Euphoria
For a fourth time they experience euphoria.
I'm back down, I'm in the undertow
The singer has been pulled back down into the water's undertow.
I'm helpless and I'm awake, I'm in the undertow
They realize they are helpless and fully aware of their situation.
I'll die beneath the undertow
They are convinced they will meet their end beneath the water.
There doesn't seem to be a way out of the undertow
They feel like there is no escape from the water's grasp.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ADAM JONES, MAYNARS KEENAN, PAUL D'AMOUR, DANIEL CAREY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BrokenZen311
Two times in.
I've been struck dumb by a voice that
speaks, from deep beneath the endless water that's,
twice as clear as heaven,
twice as loud as reason.
Deep and rich like silt on a riverbed,
just as neverending.
Current's mouth below me;
opens up around me.
suggests and beckons all while swallowing.
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away.
But I'm so comfortable... So comfortable.
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up,
you're saturating me.
How could I let this bring me,
back to my knees?
Third time in.
I've been baptized by your voice that,
screams, from deep beneath the cold black water that's,
half as high as heaven,
half as clear as reason.
cold and black like silt on the riverbed.
Just as neverending.
Current's mouth below me;
opens up around me.
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing.
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away.
But I'm so comfortable... So comfortable.
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up,
you're saturating me.
How could I let this happen?
Why don't you kill me?
I am weak and numb and insignificant,
How could I let this bring me back to my knees?
Eu...phor...ia. [x4]
I'm back down, I'm in the undertow.
I'm helpless and I'm awake, I'm in the undertow.
I'll die beneath the undertow.
There doesn't seem no other way out of the undertow.
Eu..phor..ia.
@adityakharade9868
Two times in
I've been struck dumb by a voice that
Speaks, from deep beneath peerless water that's
Twice as clear as heaven
Twice as loud as reason
Deep and rich like silt on a riverbed
Just as neverending
Current's mouth below me
Opens up around me
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away
But I'm so comfortable
So comfortable
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
You're saturating me
How could I let this bring me
Back to my knees?
Third time in!
I've been baptized by your voice that
Screams, from deep beneath the cold black water that's
Half as high as heaven
Half as clear as reason
Cold and black like silt on the riverbed
Just as neverending
Current's mouth below me
Opens up around me
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away
But I'm so comfortable
So comfortable
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
You're saturating me
How could I let this happen?
Why don't you kill me?
I am weak and numb and insignificant
How could I let this bring me back to my knees?
Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria
I'm back down, I'm in the undertow
I'm helpless and I'm awake, I'm in the undertow
I'll die beneath the undertow
There doesn't seem to be a way out of the undertow
Euphoria
@Taranconalex
Here are the lyrics. Enjoy!
----------------------------------------
Two times in
I've been struck dumb by a voice that
Speaks, from deep beneath peerless water that's
Twice as clear as heaven
Twice as loud as reason
Deep and rich like silt on a riverbed
Just as neverending
Current's mouth below me
Opens up around me
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away
But I'm so comfortable
So comfortable
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
You're saturating me
How could I let this bring me
Back to my knees?
Third time in!
I've been baptized by your voice that
Screams, from deep beneath the cold black water that's
Half as high as heaven
Half as clear as reason
Cold and black like silt on the riverbed
Just as neverending
Current's mouth below me
Opens up around me
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
Surrounds and drowns, and wipes me away
But I'm so comfortable
So comfortable
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
You're saturating me
How could I let this happen?
Why don't you kill me?
I am weak and numb and insignificant
How could I let this bring me back to my knees?
Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria
I'm back down, I'm in the undertow
I'm helpless and I'm awake, I'm in the undertow
I'll die beneath the undertow
There doesn't seem to be a way out of the undertow
Euphoria
@joshuasizemore4862
[Verse 1]
Two times in
I've been struck dumb by a voice that
Speaks from deep beneath peerless water that's
Twice as clear as heaven
Twice as loud as reason
Deep and rich like silt on a riverbed
Just as never ending
Current's mouth below me
Opens up around me
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
Surrounds and drowns and wipes me away
But I'm so comfortable, so comfortable
[Chorus]
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
You're saturating me
How could I let this bring me
Back to my knees?
[Verse 2]
Third time in
I've been baptized by your voice that
Screams from deep beneath the cold black water that's
Half as high as heaven
Half as clear as reason
Cold and black like silt on the riverbed
Just as never ending
Current's mouth below me
Opens up around me
Suggests and beckons all while swallowing
Surrounds and drowns and wipes me away
But I'm so comfortable, so comfortable
[Chorus]
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up
You're saturating me
How could I let this happen?
Why don't you kill me?
I am weak and numb and insignificant
How could I let this bring me
Back to my knees?
[Bridge]
Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria
Euphoria
[Outro]
I'm back down, I'm in the undertow
I'm helpless and I'm awake, I'm in the undertow
I'll die beneath the undertow
There doesn't seem no other way out of the undertow
Euphoria
@johnelmers3348
As an ex 90’s metal drummer I gotta say that this drum track is one of the hardest Danny Carey tracks to try and replicate. Even the simple grooves are very complicated and hard to nail with a precise kind of flow. Danny is amazing. But so is the band. Tool always has been and will always be Tool
@marccram2664
Really? This ones very fun to play...triad is my current challenge
@russcoffell3560
It sounds like a pretty wicked riff reminds me of the Deftones drums. I like the guitar lick on it I haven't played since the 90s I'm going to pick it up and peel it at some point
@cometface
Say what you want about Tool songs, but the grooves and swing cannot ever be repeated
@Baldyjock4846
Pretty hard to follow a drums god.
@LucasNunes-zp9fx
His style of playing 16th resembles very much some simon phillips stuff, pretty hard to crack as well
@mossybunny333
This is easily one of their best songs.
@superhosster
Definetely the best from this album
@Oldschoolgamer13
@@superhosster This and Bottom are my favorite.
@bradmundies425
Agreed, this and prison sex= best on album.