Lateralus (song)

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"Lateralus"
Single by Tool
from the album 'Lateralus'
Released	February, 2002
Format	Promo CD
Recorded	2000
Genre	Progressive rock, Alternative Metal
Length	9:24
Label	Volcano II Tool Dissectional: US
Writer(s)	Tool
Producer(s)	Tool
Chart positions
#14 U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks #18 U.S. Modern Rock Tracks
Tool singles chronology
"Parabola" 2002	"Lateralus" 2002	"Vicarious" 2006

Lateralus is a song composed by the American progressive rock band, Tool.

[edit] Mathematical significance

Maynard James Keenan's vocals during the first few minutes of Lateralus form a Fibonacci sequence. The number of syllables progress to the sixth step, then back down to the first step; up to the seventh step, and then back to the fourth step:

[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 outside the lines of reason
[5] push the envelope
[3] watch it bend

The Fibonacci sequence shares a relationship with Phi, the golden ratio. The golden ratio is used to describe spirals, which are mentioned several times in the lyrics: "Swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be human", "Spiral out, keep going" twice, and "Spiral out, keep going." four times.

Also, Keenan first begins singing 1 minute and 37 seconds into the song, which equates to 1.617 minutes (the golden ratio = approximately 1.618).

The time signatures of the chorus change from 9/8 to 8/8 to 7/4, symbolizing a spiral. In addition, the number 987 is part of the Fibonacci sequence.

[edit] Popular interpretations

One interpretation of this song is that it describes an individual’s journey to a state of enlightenment - where the subjective mind transcends to an objective reality that is no longer bound by the dimensions of space and time.

Other interpretations and possible allusions:

The lyrics: "Black then white are all I see in my infancy. Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me - lets me see" probably refer to the alchemical stages lead must go through to become gold, the philosopher's stone (nigredo, albedo, citrinitas, rubedo) -- this was viewed by Carl Jung as the individuation process, spiralling toward the higher self. Lateralus and Ænima both feature many Jungian concepts in their lyrics, and Lateralus mentions spirals quite often.

Despite this, some speculate that the lyrics refer to what an infant may see after opening its eyes for the first time: black, white and the rest of the visible color spectrum. These words have also been interpreted to signify a psychedelic experience induced by high doses of Marijuana, LSD or DMT.

The next lyrics "As below, so above and beyond, I imagine - drawn beyond the lines of reason. Push the envelope. Watch it bend." have been thought to describe the infinite choices and possibilities presented by a presumably infinite universe, a concept which is expanded upon as the song progresses. The use of the term "As below, so above" may mirror the term "As above, so below" which is a central term in Hermiticism from the beginning of The Emerald Tablet meaning that "The universe is the same as God, God is the same as man".

"Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines." brings to mind a passage from Frank Herbert's Dune:

"Do you wrestle with dreams?
Do you contend with shadows?
Do you move in a kind of sleep?
Time has slipped away.
Your life is stolen.
You tarried with trifles.
Victim of your folly.
-Dirge for Jamis on the Funeral Plain, from "Songs of Muad'Dib" by Princess Irulan"

It also echoes themes from other Tool songs, including The Grudge and Ænema. It deals with the human tendency to become too immersed in trifles which, in the end, matter very little on a cosmic scale.

Next, "I embrace my desire to feel the rhythm, to feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow, to feel inspired, to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain..." again may refer to the human "experience", and the possibilities it presents.

The following lyrics: "To swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human." point toward the belief of human ascension towards divinity expressed in alchemy, or possibly describe pushing the limits of ingenuity and imagination, while retaining humanity.

The final, climactic verse: "With my feet upon the ground, I lose 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 whatever will bewilder me, whatever will bewilder me. 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, going..." may be interpreted as reaching a higher state of consciousness, or otherwise bettering oneself in a profound way.