TOOL - LATERALUS | REACTION

Over Analyzing Separates The Body From The Mind 😅

[BricktowneMedia]

Definitely one of their masterworks. It goes way deeper than you might think....It's heavily influenced by a mathematical sequence of numbers known as the Fibonacci Number Sequence. The sequence goes as follows...
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ... The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it. Interestingly, this can also be plotted out graphically, as a spiral...and not just ANY spiral...but a very specific one, which can be found literally everywhere in nature...for example, the curl in a chameleon's tail, the seed pattern in the middle of a sunflower (and many other plants follow this spiral as well), to the way hurricanes are shaped, allll the way up to the Spiral Arms of our Milky Way Galaxy.

You called the opening verse, Maynard is describing the beginning of life, and the process of gaining vision, at fist everything is black, then you are born and slowly contrast becomes necessary to discern, so whites come into play, more like light vs dark...and then once our light receptors (Rods) are formed in the retina, Cones begin to develop, and the first 'colors' we see are in the longer wavelength of light, and so reds and yellows. BUT, check this out

Black (1)
Then (1)
White are (2)
All I see (3)
In my Infancy (5)
Red and yellow then came to be (8)
Reaching out to me (5)
Let's me see (3)
(its an ascending and desceding Fibonacci number sequence going by syllables, also, just like a spiral, growing larger, then shrinking)

and again with the bridge
As below, so above and beyond, I imagine (13)
Drawn beyond the lines of reason (8)
Push the envelope, (5)
watch it bend (3)

This song also has three general time signatures within the 'main chorus' section, one in 9, then in 8 and then in 7....987 is one of the numbers in the Fibonacci Sequence.

In the end, this song attempts (and succeeds) in highlighting the interconnectedness of all and everything, as below, so above. From the twist in our double helix DNA to the very shape and form of our galaxy, the pattern runs through it all. After making this point, he urges us to embrace our humanity, To feel inspired
, To fathom the power, To witness the beauty, To bathe in the fountain...to live life as a human, but still be aware of our oneness with the entirety of reality, our Divinity. The song ends with a strong and clear message to open yourself up to the universe, and to enjoy the ride while we are here.

And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been

Spiral out, keep going

:0) If i missed anything folks can leave a comment reply...but i think i got the basics covered. Again....its truly a friggin masterpiece of art, thought, music and humanity. THIS is why Tool is the best band on earth :0d imho.

[actavisprime]

This is how it goes. You hear this song for the first time and think wow what a unique and powerful song. Then somebody tells you everything behind it. You then listen to it again and your mind is blown.

[Ziontrainism]

Glad to see my favorite "music reaction" guy is listening to my favorite band.

[Andalf]

One needs to listen to this song four times.


Once to listen to the words.
Once to listen to the music.
Once to listen to both together.


and another with the repeat button on lock.

[robagnew]

Finally, lateralus is one of my top 5 songs ever

[HighlandBhoy]

I've listened to this song thousands of times and it still gives me goosebumps in the same instances every single time.

[ConnerSpeed]

Jamal: Y'all ain't slick!


TOOL: HOLD MY FIBONACCI

[rabpanz]

I don't think there is a more meticulously crafted song in all of music. Masterpiece. It literally changed my life as a kid and helped me to always think more in terms of the collective instead of the individual; to hope for real ascension and fulfilling our potential as a species.

[clothbound.connoisseur]

Danny Carey's work in this song is incredible (drummer). My favourite Maynard lyrics. Favourite Tool song and one of the best pieces of music ever written. There's nothing like that 3 minute buildup to the drop at 9:25. Unreal.

[avigayegos]

NOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHY WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH

[GoldTop]

This should be required listening for Life, forget just being a music fan.  Calling it a "song" is almost a disservice to this work of art.

[chadcassidy]

As much as I love Undertow and Aenima, Lateralus is Tool's finest masterpiece!

[TakeAHikeMike]

I feel like hearing Lateralus is like a right of passage. Its such an incredible work of art.

[chezwickcheese]

There will never be another band like Tool and I'm grateful to have been able to grow up listening to them.

[mofnr]

Here's a little tid-bit. The song is 9 minutes and 24 seconds long. That makes the mid-point of the song fall at 4 minutes 42 seconds. The lyric that falls exactly on that mid-point is "Reaching out to embrace the random. Reaching out to embrace whatever may come." So that lyric is the passage between the first half of the song (our present situation and short-comings) and the second half of the song (our potential and the path to enlightenment). To transcend our present state (the first half of the song) and reach our potential (the second half of the song) we must pass through that transition and reach out to embrace the randomness of the universe and embrace whatever may come. These guys are freaking wizards!

[ChaseNovack]

Ah, Lateralus! I wrote a whole damn paper on this song in high school lol. Epic epic track! It also follows the fibbonaci sequence in its lyrical delivery and meter!

[kpag]

One of the best complete albums ever f all time in my mind. It will never leave my rotation.

[IRuinEvrything]

I'm so happy that you do reactions, Jamel. I really mean it.

for those of us who are musicians, you are the hope that someone is paying attention.

[JoeyW-]

I saw the lateralus tour...it was amazing. This song KICKED ASS!! From 9:30 to 10:45 was what TOOL fans call a "Toogasm" I'm so grateful to have heard it live. SPIRAL OUT...KEEP GOING!

[toolsoldier]

When you started mouthing along the words at the end it just filled me with so much happiness!