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Tool
Forty Six & 2
227 Comments

Lyrics for Forty Six & 2 as interpreted by implode

Forty Six & 2 Lyrics

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My shadow's
Shedding skin and
I've been picking
Scabs again
I'm down
Digging through
My old muscles
Looking for a clue

I've been crawling on my belly
Clearing out what could've been
I've been wallowing in my own confused
And insecure delusions
For a piece to cross me over
Or a word to guide me in
I wanna feel the changes coming down
I wanna know what I've been hiding in

My shadow
Change is coming through my shadow
My shadow's shedding skin
I've been picking
My scabs again

I've been crawling on my belly
Clearing out what could've been
I've been wallowing in my own chaotic
And insecure delusions

I wanna feel the change consume me,
Feel the outside turning in
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and
Cleansing I've endured within

My shadow
Change is coming
Now is my time
Listen to my muscle memory
Contemplate what I've been clinging to
Forty six and two ahead of me

I choose to live and to
Grow, take and give and to
Move, learn and love and to
Cry, kill and die and to
Be paranoid and to
Lie, hate and fear and to
Do what it takes to move through

I choose to live and to
Lie, kill and give and to
Die, learn and love and to
Do what it takes to step through

See my shadow changing,
Stretching up and over me
Soften this old armor
Hoping I can clear the way
By stepping through my shadow,
Coming out the other side
Step into the shadow
Forty six and two are just ahead of me

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Oberones
01-29-2002

Rated +10

This is one of Tool's most amazing songs, and really sums up the entire theme of Aenima. This song is about growing, changing, and moving towards the next level of human evolution and conciousness. It's deeply rooted in Jungian theory.

Basically, it's believed that there are three levels of human evolution and each has it's form of conciousness. There's the 1st level with 44 chromosones. These are primitve people's like the aboriginies in Australia who do not percieve anything outside of themselves. They only see one large conciousness with no distinguishment between organisms. Then there's the second level with 46 chromosones. That is us. We are a chaotic disharmonic conciousness that is basically used as a stepping stone between the first and third levels. The third level is 48 chromosones. (Or 46 & 2, with 2 being the sex chromosones x & y). This is the higher level of conciousness. Our destination.

But this is where the Jungian theory comes in. It is believed that you can not reach this third level of evolution without first delving into yourself and basically cleansing your conciousness for the next jump. That's where the Shadow comes in. The shadow is basically everything about that is unseen that you are uncomfortable with or hate. This is also known as the Anima (hence the name of the CD).

The last part of the song sums all of this up...

"See my shadow changing,
Stretching up and over me
Soften this old armor
Hoping I can clear the way
By stepping through my shadow,
Coming out the other side
Step into the shadow
Forty six and two are just ahead of me"

12 Replies

luie.pt
01-25-2009

Rated 0

Apes have 48 chromosomes, as do potatos. Australian aboriginies have 46 like all other humans

the spicie with the most chromosomes is Ophioglossum(a plant) with 1,400 chromosomes.

Love the song...love tool but Mr Carl Jung just had too many acids. lol

Changeiscomingthru
02-17-2009

Rated 0

Fantastic analysis of this song, it really makes sense now. Thank you for your input.

VoxAndPiano
06-22-2009

Rated 0

Drunvalo Melchizadek's idea that through the years to 2012, there will be a movement to feminine led consciousness which will last through to the end of the next 13,000 year cycle. Currently we are at 44+2 chromosomes. Maynard Keenan expresses that he intends to reach that next level of consciousness which he rightly calls 46+2, relating to the Forty-Six and 2 chromosomes that are foreseen by Drunvalo in his book The Serpent Of Light.

TaintedDeity
07-19-2009

Rated 0

But - but that's complete and utter garbage!
Biologists everywhere are sleeping uneasy in their beds because people like you are saying things like this!

Folkie84
07-22-2009

Rated -1

I know this comment was posted 7 years ago, but I read it and was disgusted and needed to reply.
To correct Oberones and his statement about "the Aborignies in Australia", they are not, by any stretch of the imagination, "primitive people". They do not have only 44 chromosomes compared to "the second level" which have 46. They are exactly like every other human being on the plant - intellegent, with every cognitive, physical and social ability that Oberones himself has. They DO NOT struggle with the idea of perceiving anything outside of themselves, they CAN distinguish between organisms. I am mortified to hear someone state the opposite!
To suggest that Indigenous Australians are somehow inferior human beings is a narrow minded and vastly incorrect statement, and it's comments like these that are fueling the "us and them" mentality between races and cultures. Oberones is obviously not Australian, and has probably not even been to Australia. I challenge you, Oberones, to meet with an Indigneous Australian and determine whether or not they are so different to yourself.

asteriskp
08-16-2009

Rated 0

Ok Folkie84, get off the man's back. Blame Jung, not Oberones. Oberones was just posting Jung's theory. And perhaps he meant ancient Aboriginies? Fail on spelling "planet" wrong by the way. Good analysis Oberones.

TaintedDeity
08-22-2009

Rated 0

We can't blame Oberones for coming up with the theory but we can blame him for presenting such shit, racist at that, as truth.

Spreading misinformation is despicable.

Skumped
10-01-2009

Rated +3

Did anyone every stop to think that Maynards twisted mind is so twisted that he would write a simple song so that everyone would misinterpret it?
Has anyone ever thought that its about football?
Well its not..it would be funny if it were so simple....
But again someone says that this 0berones is correct...
In an interview where Danny Carey spoke with a reporter from Slamm magazine it states:

SLAMM: You mentioned the importance of evolution as it relates to the
band. "Forty-six & 2" off the new album seems to address this theme,
correct? And what does "Forty-six & 2" mean?

Danny: "Forty-six & 2" is a DNA chromosome count. And in the song we
use it as a metaphor for evolution and change. Right now, humans have
forty-four plus two, and supposedly the next step in our evolution
will be the addition of a couple more chromosomes. -end-

I find this amusing that there are so many comments about tool lyrics...
because Danny also stated that:

Danny: In our method of composing, Maynard is singing in the room
with us, but he's not really singing words. The words are an
afterthought. And the words and lyrics are about 90% Maynard's
interpretation. We don't place that much significance on them. We want
people to interpret the music and get their own inspiration out of it.
That's what we hope for, anyway. That's why we don't put the words in
the record, either, because people will latch onto them heavily. If
words were so important, compared to the light and energy that is
going on the stage, then people would be selling out spoken word
shows. Which they aren't. The music is what the emphasis is on in our
band.

Skumped
10-01-2009

Rated 0

this can be found at: http://toolshed.down.net/articles/index.php?action=view-article&id=March_1997--SLAMM_Magazine.html

Wallamanage
12-28-2009

Rated 0

In response to Folkie I can understand why this theory is offensive and racist. I agree with you on that entirely. But it's grossly unfair to blast Oberones for simply explaining what the theory is. He/she never says that this is their personal belief so there is no need for the personal attack. I found the analysis very interesting by the way, even though I don't agree with Jungian theory.

tsortore
01-29-2010

Rated 0

First off. Aboriginals is a modern term. think of it not so much as just Australians, but lesser evolved people of the past (those with 44). Dont get hung up on human made labels. Think outside the label.

And on that note of thinking outside the box.
Let me share an observation and question inspired by TaintedDeity's rebuttle.

Jungian theory stresses that people focus too heavily on science and not enough on spirituallity (label it what you may but dont think religiously here).

This is just one out of millions of examples of people relying on scientific theory that is supposedly holding us back according to Jung.

How do we know he is not right?

I am a Anthropology/Philosophy double major right now if it helps for me to qualify myself.

asteriskp
1 hr 3 min ago

Rated 0

Thank you Wallamanage. Tell TaintedDeity he can stop being a dick now.