1,368,688 plays (189,045 listeners)
“
Lateralus” is the title track of the 2001 album of the same name by the American progressive rock band Tool’.
-Mathematical significance-
Counting between pauses, the syllables in Maynard James Keenan’s vocals during the verses form the first few Fibonacci numbers, ascending and descending:
(1) Black,
(1) then,
(2) white are,
(3) all I see,
(5) in my infancy,
(8) red and yellow then came to be,
(5) reaching out to me,
(3) lets me see.
(2) There is,
(1) so,
(1) much,
(2) more and
(3) beckons me,
(5) to look through to these,
(8) infinite possibilities.
(13) As below so above and beyond I imagine,
(8) drawn beyond the lines of reason.
(5) Push the envelope.
(3) Watch it bend.
The Fibonacci sequence shares a relationship with spirals, which are mentioned several times later in the lyrics.
The time signatures of the chorus change from 9/8 to 8/8 to 7/8; as drummer Danny Carey says, “It was originally titled 9-8-7. For the time signatures. Then it turned out that 987 was the 17th step of the Fibonacci sequence. So that was cool.”
-Interpretation-
In a 2001 interview, Keenan commented on the lyric mentioning black, white, red and yellow: “I use the archetype stories of North American aboriginals and the themes or colours which appear over and over again in the oral stories handed down through generations. Black, white, red, and yellow play very heavily in aboriginal stories of creation.”
Common Interpretations
You might want to re-listen to the song while reading the line-breaks to make sure you agree that they are legit ahead of time. Otherwise, you may have a hard time believing this…
Lateralus” is the title track of the 2001 album of the same name by the American progressive rock band Tool’.-Mathematical significance-
Counting between pauses, the syllables in Maynard James Keenan’s vocals during the verses form the first few Fibonacci numbers, ascending and descending:
(1) Black,
(1) then,
(2) white are,
(3) all I see,
(5) in my infancy,
(8) red and yellow then came to be,
(5) reaching out to me,
(3) lets me see.
(2) There is,
(1) so,
(1) much,
(2) more and
(3) beckons me,
(5) to look through to these,
(8) infinite possibilities.
(13) As below so above and beyond I imagine,
(8) drawn beyond the lines of reason.
(5) Push the envelope.
(3) Watch it bend.
The Fibonacci sequence shares a relationship with spirals, which are mentioned several times later in the lyrics.
The time signatures of the chorus change from 9/8 to 8/8 to 7/8; as drummer Danny Carey says, “It was originally titled 9-8-7. For the time signatures. Then it turned out that 987 was the 17th step of the Fibonacci sequence. So that was cool.”
-Interpretation-
In a 2001 interview, Keenan commented on the lyric mentioning black, white, red and yellow: “I use the archetype stories of North American aboriginals and the themes or colours which appear over and over again in the oral stories handed down through generations. Black, white, red, and yellow play very heavily in aboriginal stories of creation.”
Common Interpretations
You might want to re-listen to the song while reading the line-breaks to make sure you agree that they are legit ahead of time. Otherwise, you may have a hard time believing this…
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Drumming with originals
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Albums featuring this track
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Shouts
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chaub wrote:
cool
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FlamingFloe wrote:
honestly, NOTHING can compete with this masterpiece
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Sorbetto13 wrote:
such a amazing song
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kittencalamity wrote:
Danny is such a bad ass drummer! Love him!
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MortgageBoy wrote:
stole my idea! :)
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princezaleski wrote:
maybe the best "metal" track of all times. that use of the fibonacci series in music and lyrics is simply awsome.
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HERRGEIST wrote:
A Masterpiece in every sense
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TheCameo89 wrote:
Great album!!
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serenecake wrote:
the world's most wonderful song ever. my inspiration of living. spiral out, keep going... i cant describe it.. this song is a ritual for flying.
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RedNr4 wrote:
genius
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spiral2012 wrote:
SPIRAL OUT!
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wedonttanwerust wrote:
Ride the Spiral to the End...it may just go where no ones been. I'll bet Maynards been there!!!! btw.... Danny Carey is GOD!!!!!!
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jamb-gumb wrote:
Genius track. They're on a completely different level with songs like this. Faultless.
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Adogg40 wrote:
Never met a Tool tune I didn't like.
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giania wrote:
This is probably one of their better ones. Tightly wound sound structured with thought-provoking lyrics. I appreciate the navel-gazing turn they've taken in the last several years.
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grimy_bear wrote:
Love it when something like this pops up in the prog radio station and reminds me that I haven't listened to Tool for far too long! This band is just incredible
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holograverse wrote:
With my feet upon the ground I move myself between the sounds and open wide to suck it in. I feel it move across my skin. I'm reaching up and reaching out. I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
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Neshinea wrote:
amazing song with incredible lyrics
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clintbeed6793 wrote:
One of the best songs off Lateralus. Love it
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samuraistatus42 wrote:
nice
Tool
Lateralus
full track
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Recent Activity
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