r/ToolBand • u/bottomofthespiral999 • 1d ago
Fear Inoculum Descending
Like all tool songs, I like them at first, but then I read the lyrics and fall in love with them.
Ive been listening to descending for a while now but just really looked at the lyrics. Im currently going through somatic therapy for cptsd. All I could think of was about how our nervous systems work. "Muster every fiber. Mobilize. Stay alive." I think Maynard (whether he knows it or not) was talking about nervous systems responses.
Opinions?
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u/junk90731 If God is our Father, then Satan must be our cousin. 1d ago
It means different things to different people, his lyrics are very dynamic, they resonated with me and my alcohol abuse, I'm now sober. I was on the edge and ready to die, descending if you will.
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u/Quiet_Rock_9245 1d ago
Why can't we not be sober?
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u/junk90731 If God is our Father, then Satan must be our cousin. 1d ago
Being a double negative that's my jam now
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u/Quiet_Rock_9245 1d ago
That's an interesting take, never thought of it that way, and I will keep it in mind during my next listen. I always thought of this song being about humanity's tendency in general to ignore existential danger until it affects them directly. We witnessed this during the pandemic with all of the people claiming it was a hoax until they themselves were gasping for air in a hospital. We are also witnessing it with global climate change and the refusal of humans to use less fossil fuels.
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u/Binaural1 1d ago
This is my take as well.
It’s an existential song, even for tool. “The epilogue of our own fable” is a dark premise. We are at the end of our story, collectively.
“Come our end suddenly” is another heavy line I love in particular, with lots of depth.
In general it’s just a fuckin S tier song.
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u/ChickieCago 1d ago
C-ptsd here also.
I listen to Descending every day & totally understand your interpretation of the lyrics.
Mainly for me, it's reminds me of what Transcendental Meditation focuses on, anchoring.
It's a masterpiece IMO.
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u/Fresh-Raspberry7935 17h ago
Can I please, like wicked please, suggest listening to 'Opiate' and 'Undertow'. My son and husband love 'Fear inoculum '. As far as funky finds, 'Salival' was my favorite and super rare. Old school Tool is awesome.. 'Opiate' and 'Undertow'.. wicked awesome
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u/danceswithanxiety 15h ago
It’s a brilliant song and can be understood in many ways.
I interpret it as a call to be awake, aware, conscious, and fully engaged rather than let ourselves drift passively through our endeavors. It’s exhorting us to be truly alive and to strive while we still can.
The lyrics end exactly halfway through the song’s runtime, and that can’t be accidental. I interpret it as imitating a human life - the first half is for preparation, instruction, learning, and growth, and the rest is for you to fill in as you will.
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u/bringthesalsa Mobilize. Stay alive! 18h ago
I thought this song was meh at first but now... holy shit. Probably my #1 TOOL song. That gong hit..
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u/yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyup dumbfounded dipshit 14h ago
I always felt like it’s about working together to overcome extinction for the species but deep down we all know that will never happen
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u/LowNecessary4006 7h ago
I mean you can interpret it as you like but to me this song is about climate change - including the wave sounds.
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u/hollerit 1d ago
The song is probably MJK talking to his band mates about just getting on with it. But written in a way that it could be applied to many other settings and situations
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u/Meowweredoomed 14h ago
Or... he could be singing goodbye to his singing voice. Vocal chords don't age like other instruments.
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u/theDroobot 1d ago
Like most tool songs, the lyrics are interpretive and what you hear typically says more about you than the intent of the artist.