Forty-Six & 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. (help, get involved!)
Any material not supported by sources may be challenged and removed at any time. This article has been tagged since December 2006.

"Forty-Six & 2" is a song by American rock band Tool. The song is consistent with the sound by which Tool has become famous, and, like many of Tool's recordings from the album from which the song comes, Ænima, is lyrically sophisticated, addressing a number of complicated issues.

1 Title and lyrics
2 Similar themes in other songs
3 References
4 External Links

[edit] Title and lyrics

The title references an idea first conceived by Drunvalo Melchizadek concerning the possibility of reaching a state of evolution where the body would have two more than the normal 46 total chromosomes and leave a currently disharmonious state ^[1] The premise is that humans would deviate from the current state of human DNA which contains 44 autosome and 2 sex chromosomes, and the next step of evolution would likely have 46 and 2 chromosomes in their DNA.

Furthermore, the song references a wish to experience change through the "shadow"; an idea which represents the parts of one's personality that one hates and fears, which also exists as a recurring theme in the work of Carl Jung. Along with this is the idea behind the anima/animus influences on human behavior. Again referencing the album title, the anima/animus is believed to be the subconscious influence on the dream patterns of human beings.

An alternative, or additional interpretation is based on the number 23 (46/2) - see The 23 Enigma.

[edit] Similar themes in other songs

Tool has not been shy about referencing controversial and little-held beliefs in many of their other songs. For instance, they used a clip from Art Bell's radio show Coast to Coast AM as the basis of the track "Faaip De Oiad" on their album Lateralus, as well as continued the consciousness theme on the single "Schism".

There is an overall spiritual meaning and/or perspective to many of Maynard James Keenan's lyrics for Tool, as exemplified by this song, as well as the aforementioned songs in their follow-up album Lateralus, and perhaps these perspectives are conveyed in a more direct way (as opposed to using metaphor) in their second single from Lateralus, "Parabola".

Also, one of the final lyrics in this song are "I choose to live" which are also the final lyrics of the song "Gravity" by A Perfect Circle.