Awesome song! w00000t! A lot of good songs off of Lateralus!

i think this song is pretty straight forward. Grudge, holding onto it, gives you a sense of worth, knowing whats wrong, who to blame. But it also holds you down, not letting you overcome what happened. Its refered to as a prison cell, confining you. You can hang on to it, or let it go and be humble.

amazing song, i love when it kicks into the hard part...it buts a smile on my face everytime i hear it....

Like i said before this site was re-vamped, whenever I listen to it, I think of it as the cylce of saturn and the theory that it has a gravitational pull on our lives at about 27. We have to virtually be born again, and refreshed, because Saturn is starting it's journey again. I think you can look pretty deep into this song if you want to, it's not only about a simple grudge, there's always something else there behind tool's songs. It could also relate to the myth of Saturn, read up on it, v. interesting

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Just like schism86 said, i had this post before the site re-vamped... I'm just gonna copy what I wrote before.. It's hella long, so only read it if your REALLY interested.

First off, sorry this is gonna be so long, I'm gonna disect pretty much every line
Well guys, I'm not here to clear anything up on the meaning of this song, cuz I don't know it for sure. I like to think my interpretation is right (some of you are probably closer though), but it's open to everyone's views, and I love reading what all of you think. But anyway, here goes.

I think unlike most songs, Tool is pretty straightforward on this song. It doesn't seem allegorical, but it is quite deep. To be honest, after buying lateralus and hearing this song, it became my life motto. I hate grudges, and I can't stand holding them now. It just seems so childish.

I think Maynard is almost throwing the idea of grudge holding back into the faces of people that do it. He's making fun of them for such a savage thing. Like the first line...

"wear the grudge like a crown of negativity" (go ahead, put your grudge out where everyone can see it, let everyone know that you're mad and that you want to be that way).

"calculate what we will and will not tolerate" (decide exactly what you want to get mad over that would make you hold a grudge. this way when it happens, you can keep putting that crown back on)

"desperate to control all and everything" (you don't want to be on good terms. you WANT the grudge. if you can control the grudge, you can control the person you hold the grudge against.)

"unable to forgive your scarlet letterman" (although they know they've done wrong, you won't forgive them under any circumstance)

"clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down" (clutch the grudge that you hold like a cornerstone, because you know if you don't then the grudge dies. you don't want that)

"justify denials and grip em to the lonesome end" (come up with excuses to continue holding the grudge, and stand by them until the end, even when everyone hates you for what you're doing, hence lonesome)

"Terrified of being wrong, ultimatum prison cell" (you're scared to death that someone can prove that you have no reason to hold a grudge. you worry about it so much you put yourself in your own little prison over it)
[Remember this whole time, I believe Maynard's making fun of the people that do this. Almost reverse psycology by showing them how stupid it is]

Then I have to agree with 'Insecure Dilusions' idea on the Saturn thing. Saturn was god of all greek gods. he was sooo worried he could be overthrown he ate his children. Yet Zeus was the one thing that Saturn overlooked. That one thing overthrew Saturn and killed him. Hang on to the grudge like saturn would, because if you don't you'll be humbled in your ignorance. And later he says "ignorant to the damage done"... ignorance isn't stupidity, it's not knowing about something. in this case, Saturn was ignorant to the damage done to himself until Zeus killed him.

"unable to forgive and we're sinking deeper" (you won't forgive, and for this you're slowly creating a larger grudge)

The grudge begins to define you, confine you, even control you.

Again to the Saturn reference for almost the rest of the song. Saying that Saturn, almost as if, takes over your body. He and you become one, you make the decisions Saturn chose. And not until you end the grudge will he quit tearing you apart.

Finally Maynard quit's criticizing and simply tells them what they need to do.
Give away the (corner)stone. Let the oceans take and transmute this cold and weighted anchor (that was your grudge, holding you down). Give away the stone. Let the waters take and transmute these leaden (heavy burdensome) grudges into gold. LET GO.

And thus ends my entirely too long interpretation. However, this is what I believe and exactly how I feel. This pretty much explains my life motto. I thank each of your for your time in reading such a long and drawn out post. You deserve a pat on the back for putting up with my jabbering.

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Nice job madson, I agree with a lot of your interpretation. Hmm, I had a long post on here, maybe I can say this again without rambling. Basically, I related the song to some psych theories of Karl Jung, which almost always tie in mythological and astrological aspects of our culture. I think it's worth doing again. First, I think the Saturn (king of titans) reference is valid, but perhaps not the only reason for mention of saturn. The metaphors of transmutation of lead into gold--like medieval alchemists attempted to do--lead me to Jungian theory. (Some Jungian influence has been seen in tool before, such as the album Aenima, especially 46 & 2). Anyway, Jung called an issue that must be confronted (like a grudge, per se) "base matter," "lead", or "saturn" (names known to alchemists). Some sort of heat/process is required to transmute it to gold--something good and beautiful obviously--which could be confrontation/resolution of the grudge. So this reference I think covers many lines of the song. Also, Jung considered astrological phenomenon and mythology in culture important to the subconscious...perhaps Maynard thinks ties like that are important too, since Jung's ideas have had influence on him. Personally the application of Jungian theory seems to be central to this song's lyrics, with myth/astrology secondary (always more than a single meaning).

Great song though, I always hate to analyze the good ones to any point beyond getting a basic understanding of them.

Oh yeah, where I said "issue to be confronted" that really means anything that you make fully conscious.

Also, the transmutation metaphor fits the song nicely, as far as letting go of the grudge.

I've read a few Jung books and I gotta agree with Almighty that Maynard has used some jungian theories in his songs. I think any tool fan should give Carl Jung a go. Man and His symbols is a good starter.

that's very true about saturn... its kind of like a renewal time, i think it's 29 years, not 27, but who cares its close

Wow, you guys really look into these songs. I just like the lyrics. The really long note is pretty imressive too. What is it? 30 odd seconds long? Wow. I love Maynard

This song is so cool. Probably one of my favorites on Lateralus alongside The Patient and Lateralus. It's pretty straightforward except for the whole saturn thing I don't really get, but from what you guys are saying about, it sounds pretty cool. It's about holding on to a grudge and with it, it brings power, but you must choose to let it go along with the benefits that came with it and return to your humble state. One of the coolest songs on Lateralus! Go Tool!

this is a sweet tune
when your stoned its like AAAAAHHHHHHHHH :)

I recently went on a camping trip with my aunts and uncles and their friends out in the middle of nowhere. They have gone there many times before. They go there because they don't want to go to a stinkin' resort type place, they don't like all the rules. Many of them have kids now and they come too. But the whole time they're worried about what the kids should and shouldn't be doing. They're constantly telling them not to do things and I bet that this is exactly how they said they didn't want to raise their kids. I was listening to this song while I was about to go to sleep and I kept on relating it to the adults in the way they raise their kids and in the substances they abuse. For the 3 days that we were there they were drinking from about 11 in the morning until they went to bed and some of them get high too. They don't realize that they have to let go of these things if they want to be the best possible parents for their kids. The best example was my cousin who is a few years older than I and has a son of her own(she isn't married either). She drinks and smokes weed, she leaves her son with her parents a lot while she goes out partying, basically she doesn't raise her son. Marijuana, or any drug for that matter, is the worst thing you can do while you are raising children and IT MUST STOP! If there's one think that our generation must learn from Tool, our parents, and even the older kids of our generation, it's that we have to learn when to stop making stupid mistakes. If we're still fucking up while we're trying to raise kids, then they're just going to be fuck ups as well. Life is all about the younger kids because they are life. If you took the time to read this post I hope you agree with me or have learned something from it. It's time to grow up, we do know more than our parents and we can see what the real problems are. Let's try to fix them.
Peace

I think that this song is about holding onto a beleif that is a cornerstone of your life. Let's take Christianity for example, something we know that Maynard has strong opinions about (Opiate, Judith, Eulogy).

Maynard is describing people who need to hold on to their beleifs despite all defying logicial or spiritual influences, in order to stabalize their lives. Holding a Grudge against all possible truths that could defy or disprove that beleif is the grudge that is described.

"Calculate what we will or will not tolerate" speaks of weighing between what to accept and what not to, according to that central beleif, thereby attempting to "control all and everthing."



He says "Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise is all comes down." Meaning that he can't let go of his beleif (religion, whatever) or else everything else will crash down with it, the mental structure that you've built for your life.

He's willing to "Justify denials and Grip 'em to the lonesome end," placing himself in a virtual prison cell, created by this limitations that he's send for his mind. (what he will and will not tolerate, confining and defining factors).

Then comes the references of Saturn ascending, and aspect of this song that you cannot ignore. As stated in previous posts, Saturn completes its orbit around the earth every 27 or 29 years, therefore beginning a new one. This is supposed to be a time of renewal, of the heart and mind. This may be a reference to a midlife crisis, someone going through this process and possibly coming to the epiphany that the beleifs in their life are false, challenged by new insights.

"Hang on or be Humbled again" refers to the choice of remaing stalwart to a cause or releasing and accepting, a life changing choice. He is torn between his inevitable acceptance, and then the release of his grudge.

"Lifts you up like a child Or drags you down like a stone to Consume you till you Choose to Let this go." This again illustrates the two possibilities of acceptance or continued denial, and their emotional impacts. Although here, he insinuates again that acceptance is inevitable.

The end stanza refers to the release of the grudge, allowing this "cold and fated anchor" (the grudge/stone) to be "transmuted" (changed) into gold.

...and that...is the result of my heavy obsession with tool's lyrics.

joshthack, i totally agree with you. so much information is avaliable to us today about the damage we are doing our bodies and spirits by abusing them. we do have to stop, we cant plead ignorance as our excuse anymore. as for the song, u guys are so amazing, u tell me everythign i could possibly need to know about the meaning of all of tool's songs! i love reading what you write cos there is no way i'd come up with this stuff myself!

i think this song is about maynard having a hangover.

Don't forget to notice the 2001 a Space Odysee refernaces :D....

the song is basically about negativity, and mocking people who hold grudges etc. the first line of the song, "wear your grudge like a crown of negativity" is a metaphor, meaning that he is mocking people that tend to show off how negative they are, therefore wearing it like a crown. then "calculate what we will or will not tolerate" means that he is now mocking them for finding out exactly what piss people off & doing it purposely just to be negative. "desperate to control all and everything" is self-explanitory. "unable to forgive your scarlet letterman"...actually i'm not quite sure what this means but i'm guessing it means he is mocking them for not forgiving anybody, and just simply holding a grudge. then here's where the part about the stone comes in: "clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down"...he is now saying that negative people will hold their negativity and grudges because they don't want people to see them as positive. "justify denials and grip them to the lonesome end" means that they are now making up reasons to be negative and will stick with the reasons until the end, in which they will be all alone. now the part that confused me at first, the whole thing about "saturn ascends"...well, i thought it referred to the planet saturn, but i thought about it for awhile & it makes perfect sense if it is referring the roman god saturn, who was so worried that he would be overthrown (that he ate his own children), until one day he was killed by jupiter. i guess this is a metaphor for people with negativity not wanting to be positive, but one day they will be killed or something, i don't know i still really haven't figured it out....anyway, "unable to forgive and we're sinking deeper"...this one's a give-away of what it means. they're sinking deeper in negativity & they can't forgive anyone. then finally at the end of the song, maynard quits mocking negative people and now tells them this: "give away the stone" (referring back to the whole cornerstone thing, meaning if you give it away you will just give up on negativity)..."let the oceans take and transmute this cold and weighted anchor" (i'm guessing the weighted anchor and cold was the grudge holding you down (?)...."give away the stone. let the waters take and transmute these leaden grudge into gold." (if you "give away the stone", you could actually turn your negativity into something good)...and then the final words (after the awesome 30-second long scream) are just simply "let go", which you should definately know what that means by now. so there, your overly long explanation.

Hrrrrrrrrrrrrr..... AAAGGGGGHHHH


I love that. :D

does anyone have any ideas what the 'saturn ascends, choose one or ten' and then later, 'saturn ascends, the one the ten' thing is referring to? any ideas most welcome

There is an obvious theme, the planet Saturn is quoted throughout the song. Whether this has some metophorical interpretation is questionable. If Maynard did have a metophirical meaning for planet, it would be undoubtably be repeated in other songs, for he has a habitual habit of this. To me this song is about galileo, and his discovery of the formation of the planets in the solar system, namely, the sun is the centre, not us. The way Galileo disproved the church's model of the universe was to trace the path of the moons around the larger planets, namely Jupitar and Saturn. The church had said that the planets sat on crystal stands, but how could these stands exist when these moons were flying directlty through them. Only a hundred years before Copernicus was burnt at the stake for defying the church's model of the universe, so obviously the church had somewhat of a grudge against these freelance scientists who were on a mission to disprove the church. And the church were 'terrified of being wrong,' the people couldn't 'let go' of their faith, or the church would lose power over them, the church wanted to 'control all and everything,' for in those days, the church acted as goverment. So 'Saturn came around to show them everything,' to show the followers the faults in christianity. The lyric 'clutch it like a cornerstone' would be directed at the church, its like saying, "hold on to your faith while you've still got it." The cornerstone originating from the saying, "a cornerstone of faith." And I don't think I really need to backup Maynards feelings on religion, just listen to Euology!

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haha i found out this one when i was stoned.....but u guys already mentioned just about everything, but it thought it was tight when he was like "Give away the stone, let the waters kiss and transmutate these leaden grudges into gold" and i found out that that means to be baptized, perhaps when the world was flooded??? "give away the stone" (take away the actual land of the earth) "let the waters kiss" (let them cover all of the land) "and transmutate, these laden grudges into gold" be baptized...get rid of the grudge. just my .02

Saturn ascends, choose on or ten has a basis in Enochian and hermetic majik (if you'll notice my post under "faaip de oiad" there is a lot of occult reference on this album)

i found out something that could relate to the "saturn ascends,choose one or ten" part of the song. if you look on the back cover of the salival set (the plastic part with the ten circles connected by lines) that is the "tree of life" which is the basis of all existance, according to Qabalists.

The first sphere is known as Kether and is the crown (top) of the tree. The Crown was attributed to Kether to illustrate the fact that it is beyond consciousness: The Crown is worn ABOVE the head. It is pure being; timeless; being totally devoid of form.

Ten is known as Malkuth and is sorta the opposite from Kether. Kether is one step away from existance, while Malkuth IS existance.

Like its been brought up a few times, Saturn completes it's orbit around 27-33 years. According to the Maynard, you are faced with the choice whether you want to exist or enter a new consciousness that is just beyond existance (death maybe?).

Well let's start out with saturn. Saturn in astrology represents order, rule, regulation, the system, the man. Order is a good thing when you have nothing but chaos, but too much order tends to stagnate and degenerate. I think this song is partially about our society, how everyone has a grudge. and how we all hold on to our beliefs because we need order in our lives and are afraid of change. When saturn comes back around, the choice is made between growing and learning, or dying inside, being dragged down like a stone. Perhaps our society is at that point, or has passed it and has chosen to be dragged down.