The Story Of Tool's 10,000 Days

Vicarious:

Eye on the TV

'cause tragedy thrills me

Whatever flavour

It happens to be like;

Killed by the husband

Drowned by the ocean

Shot by his own son

She used the poison in his tea

And kissed him goodbye

That's my kind of story

It's no fun 'til someone dies

Don't look at me like

I am a monster

Frown out your one face

But with the other

Stare like a junkie

Into the TV

Stare like a zombie

While the mother

Holds her child

Watches him die

Hands to the sky crying

Why, oh why?

'cause I need to watch things die

From a distance

Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies

You all need it too, don't lie

Why can't we just admit it?

Why can't we just admit it?

We won't give pause until the blood is flowing

Neither the brave nor bold

The writers of stories sold

We won't give pause until the blood is flowing

I need to watch things die

From a good safe distance

Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies

You all feel the same so

Why can't we just admit it?

Blood like rain come down

Drawn on grave and ground

Part vampire

Part warrior

Carnivore and voyeur

Stare at the transmittal

Sing to the death rattle

La, la, la, la, la, la, la-lie

Credulous at best, your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men.

Pull your head on out your hippy haze and give a listen.

Shouldn't have to say it all again.

The universe is hostile. so Impersonal. devour to survive.

So it is. So it's always been.

We all feed on tragedy

It's like blood to a vampire

Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies

Much better you than I

Jambi:

Here from the king's mountain view

Here from the wild dream come true

Feast like a sultan I do

On treasures and flesh, never few.

But I, I would wish it all away.

If I thought I'd Lose you just one day.

The devil and his had me down,

in love with the dark side I'd found.

Dabble in all the way down

up to my neck soon to drown.

But you changed that all for me.

Lifted me up, turned me round.

So I...

I...

I...

I...

I would

I would

I would

Wish this all away

Prayed like a martyr dusk to dawn.

Beg like a hooker all night long.

Tempted the devil with my song.

And got what I wanted all along.

But I,

And I would,

If I could,

And I would,

Wish it away,

Wish it away,

Wish it all away,

Wanna wish it all away,

No prize that could hold sway,

Or justify my giving away,

my center.

So if I could I'd wish it all away.

If I thought tomorrow would take you away.

You're my peace of mind, my home, my center.

I'm just trying to hold on,

One more day.

Damn my eyes...

Damn my eyes...

Damn my eyes if they should compromise our fulcrum

wants and needs divide me

if I might as well be gone.

Shine on forever.

Shine on benevolent sun.

Shine down upon the broken.

Shine until the two become one.

Shine on forever.

Shine on benevolent sun.

Shine on upon the severed.

Shine until the two become one.

Divided I'm withering away.

Divide and I'm withering away.

Shine on upon the many, light our way

Benevolent sun.

Breathe in union.

Breathe in union.

Breathe in union.

Breathe in union.

Breathe in union.

So as one survive.

Another day and season.

Silence, legion, and save your praises

Silence, legion, and stay out of my way.

Wings For Marie (Part 1):

You believed

You believed in moments not conceived

You believed in me

A patient in spirit

Uncompromise

Without us in your heart

A light in your eyes that

Ends all lies

Vacant, broken

Fell at the hands of

Those moments that I wouldn't see

Cause you, you pray for me too

What have I done to be a son to an angel

What have I done to be worthy

Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescence

Difficult to see with this light

Please forgive this selfish question, but

What am I to say to all these ghouls tonight

She never told a lie

Well might of told a lie

But never lived one

Didn't have a life

Didn't have a life

But surely saved one

Alright, now it's time for us to let you go

10,000 Days (Part 2):

Listen to the tales and romanticize

How we follow the path of the hero

Boast about the day when the rivers overrun

How we rise to the height of our halo

Listen to the tales as we all rationalize

Our way into the arms of the savior

Fading all the trials and the tribulations

None of us have actually been there

Not like you

The ignorant fibbers in the congregation

Gather around spewing sympathy

Spare me

None of them can even hold a candle up to you

Blinded by choices hypocrites won't see

But enough about the collective Judas

Who could deny you were the one who illuminated

Your little piece of the divine

This little light of mine a gift you passed onto me

I'm gonna let it shine to guide you safely on your way

Your way home

What are they going to do when the lights go down

Without you to guide them all to Zion?

What are they going to do when the rivers overrun

Other than tremble incessantly?

High is the way, but our Lives are upon the ground.

You are the light and the way, they'll only read about.

I only pray heaven knows when to lift you out.

Ten thousand days in the fire is long enough, you're going home.

You're the only one who can hold your head up high

Shake your fists at the gates saying:

"I have come home now!

Fetch me the spirit, the son, and the father

Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.

It's time now

My time now

Give me my, give me my wings!"

give me my(X5)

give me my wings

You are the light and way that they will only read about.

Set as I am in my ways and my arrogance

Burden of proof tossed upon non-believers

You were my witness

My eyes, my evidence

Judith Marie

Unconditional one.

Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescence

Difficult to see you in this light

Please forgive this bold suggestion:

Should you see your Maker's face tonight

Look Him in the eye

Look Him in the eye and tell Him:

"I never lived a lie, never took a life, but surely saved one

Hallelujah, its time for you to bring me home"

The Pot:

Who are you to wave your finger?

Ya' 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,

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 asshole.

Whatcha 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 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

Fuckin' hypocrite.

Liar, lawyer, mirror, show me.

What's the difference?

kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent.

NOW!

You'll weep or, change the cozened indigo.

Got lemon juice up in your high eye.

When you pissed all over my black kettle

You musta 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 ya,

What's the difference?

kangaroo be stoned

He's guilty as the government

NOW!

Will you weep or, change the cozened indigo

Got lemon juice up in your, EYE!

EYE!

Now when you pissed all over my black kettle.

You musta 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!

Lipan Conjuring:

no lyrics to this song

just chanting

Lost Keys (Blame Hoffman):

Lost Keys

[voices fading in]

[Nurse:] Excuse me? Doctor? Do you have a moment?

[Doctor:] A moment? What's the question?

[Nurse:] More of a situation, a gentleman in exam 3.

[Doctor:] What's the problem?

[Nurse:] That is the problem, we're not sure.

[Doctor:] You got the chart?

[Nurse:] Right here.

[Doctor:] Not much here to say

[Nurse:] No doctor, no obvious physical trauma. Vitals are stable.

[Doctor:] Name?

[Nurse:] No sir.

[Doctor:] Did someone drop him off?

Maybe we could speak to them.

Let's get some background on this fella.

[Nurse:] No ID. Nothing

[heavy breathing in background]

And he won't speak to anybody.

[Doctor:] Well, let's say hello.

Good Morning, I'm Dr. Lawson.

How are you today? How - are - you today?

Look son, you're in a safe place.

We wanna help in whatever way we can.

But you need to talk to us.

We can't help you otherwise.

What's happened? Tell me everything.

[Growling and heavy breathing grows louder]

Rosetta Stoned:

Alright then, picture this if you will:

10 to 2 AM, X, Yogi DMT, and a box of Krispy Kremes, in my "need to know" pose, just outside of Area 51.

Contemplating the whole "chosen people" thingy when a flaming stealth banana split the sky like one would hope but never really expect to see in a place like this.

Cutting right angle donuts on a dime and stopping right at my Birkenstocks, and me yelping...

Holy fucking shit!

Then the X-Files being, looking like some kind of blue-green Jackie Chan with Isabella Rossellini lips and breath that reeked of vanilla Chig Champa,

did a slow-mo Matrix descent out of the butt end of the banana vessel and hovered above my bug-eyes, my gaping jaw, and my sweaty L. Ron Hubbard upper lip and all I could think was: "I hope Uncle Martin here doesn't notice that I pissed my fuckin' pants."

So light in his way,

Like an apparition,

He had me crying out,

"Fuck me,

It's gotta be,

Deadhead Chemistry,

The blotter got right on top of me,

Got me seein' E-motherfuckin'-T!"

And after calming me down with some orange slices and some fetal spooning, E.T. revealed to me his singular purpose.

He said, "You are the Chosen One, the One who will deliver the message. A message of hope for those who choose to hear it and a warning for those who do not."

Me. The Chosen One?

They chose me!

And I didn't even graduate from fuckin' high school.

You better.

You better.

You better.

You better listen.

When he looked right through me

With somniferous almond eyes.

Don't even know what that means

Must remember to write it down.

This is so real.

Like the time he floated away.

See my heart is pounding,

'Cause this shit never happens to me.

Can't breathe, right now!

It was so real.

Like I woke up in Wonderland.

All sort of terrifying.

And I don't wanna be all alone when I tell this story.

And can anyone tell me why

you all sound like Peanut's parents

Will I ever be coming down?

This is so real.

Finally it's my lucky day.

See my heart is racing,

'Cause this shit never happens to me.

Can't breathe, right now!

You believe me, don't you?

Please believe what I just said, see the Dead ain't touring.

And this wasn't all in my head.

See they took me by the hand and invited me right in,

Then they showed me something.

I don't even know where to begin.

STRAPPED DOWN MY BED. FEET COLD AND EYES RED.

I'M OUT MY HEAD. AM I ALIVE, AM I DEAD?

CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY SAID.

GOD DAMN. SHIT THE BED!

(high... I I I I I... high... I I I I I)

(high)

[repeated]

Overwhelmed as one would be, placed in my position.

Such a heavy burden now to be the one.

Born to bear and read to all

The details of our ending.

To write it down for all the world to see.

But I forgot my pen,

Shit the bed again,

Typical.

STRAPPED DOWN MY BED. FEET COLD AND EYES RED.

I'M OUT MY HEAD. AM I ALIVE, AM I DEAD?

SUNKIST AND SUDAFED, GYROSCOPES AND INFRARED.

WON'T HELP, BRAIN DEAD.

CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY SAID.

GOD DAMN SHIT THE BED!

I...!

CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY SAID TO ME.

CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY SAID TO ME TO MAKE ME OUT TO BE A HERO!

Can't remember what they said.

OH NO, HELP NOW.

Can't remember what they said.

DON'T KNOW.

WON'T KNOW.

[repeated]

GOD DAMN SHIT THE BED!

Intension:

Pure as we begin.

Pure as we come in.

Pure as we begin.

Ruled by will alone.

Pure as we begin.

Here we have a stone.

Gather, place, array.

Shelter turns to home.

Pure as we begin.

Here we have a stone.

Throw to stay the stranger.

Swore to crush his bones.

Ruled by will alone.

Spark becomes a flame.

Flame becomes a fire.

Light the way or warm this.

Home we occupy.

Spark becomes a flame.

Flame becomes a fire.

Forge a blade to slay the stranger.

Take whatever we desire.

Moved by will alone.

Pure as we begin.

Pure as we begin

Move by will alone.

Leave as we come in.

Pure as light.

Return to one.

Move by will alone.

Move by will alone.

Right In Two:

Angels on the sideline,

Puzzled and amused.

Why did Father give these humans free will?

Now they're all confused.

Don't these talking monkeys know that

Eden has enough to go around?

Plenty in this holy garden, silly monkeys,

Where there's one you're bound to divide it.

Right in two.

Angels on the sideline,

Baffled and confused.

Father blessed them all with reason.

And this is what they choose.

And this is what they choose...

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey

Over pieces of the ground.

Silly monkeys give them thumbs,

They forge a blade,

And where there's one

they're bound to divide it,

Right in two.

Right in two.

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey.

Over pieces of the ground.

Silly monkeys give them thumbs.

They make a club.

And beat their brother, down.

How they survive so misguided is a mystery.

Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability to lift an eye to heaven conscious of his fleeting time here.

Cut it all right in two [x4]

Fight over the clouds, over wind, over sky

Fight over life, over blood, over prayer,

overhead and light

Fight over love, over sun,

over another, Fight...

Angels on the sideline again.

Benched along with patience and reason.

Angels on the sideline again

Wondering when this tug of war will end.

Cut it all right in two [x3]

RIGHT IN TWO!

Right in two...

Viginti Tres:

Una Infinitas

Abominatio Nascitur Autumno

Hic est tuum temptamen quod temptat tuam potentiam

Viginti tres gradus ad summam potestatem

[Translated:]

One infinity

The horror begins in autumn

This is your trial, which tries your (power, might, ability; efficacy, potency)

Twenty three steps to total power.(Or: 23 ranks to the highest power.)

My explanation. I think this whole album tells a story. You can listen to the songs (names in bold) while you are reading the lyrics. Tell me what you think and what kind of story it tells.