remember_forget

My idea is that this song is based on spirals and fractals because those are an extremely common motif for ascendency that Tool's members would definitely know about. Having said that, I think the song is actually about bridging the "schism" (left and right sides of the brain, spirit and body, individual self and external people, there are a lot of ways to take this and I think that's intentional) and using the whole to create something new and powerful.

In the lyrics this is reflected by the logical, sequential verses and the emotional, irrational verses like the "breakdown." The conclusion could be the combined product.

I tend to think that other people over-interpret Tool's lyrics, but I think this is the song dedicated to those sorts of people, a song that's universally applicable and always relevant.

Definitely a concept album, and this is the song that anchors all the pieces together.