You kiddin, right?

It's

cut and divide it all right in two

or


cutting dividing all right in two

both work, it's either the one or the other. Nothing else.

There are too many words in your suggestions. With all of the distortion on the voice, I really think that if Maynard tried to cram all of that into the allotted time, it would end up sounding a lot more jumbled than it already does. Really, I think that the vocal effects mandate simplicity.

For me it's cutting light and all right in two or something like that, but i can't hear the "divide" part in it.

Also, "tug-of-war" implies that there is a game of sorts in progress, and if the Angels are "wondering where this tug-of-war will end," that would seem to explain why they are "on the sidline." Why are they "on the sidline, again," though? Is this a reference to the humans killed in the flood that propelled Noah into fame, implying that the Angels were relegated to the sidelines in their tugs-of-war? If so, I guess it fits with the Christian imagery . . .

Non-carnate messengers, on the sidelines by the nature of their form.

Better yet, anyone who declines to enter a given melee is by default left on the side-lines, what kind of messenger (read: angel) enters a melee?

Does anyone really have a strong feeling that this lament peaks so near to mentions of simple talk, of war?

i think by "again" he just means the same as if he said "yet again." the angels haven't been "benched along with patience and reason" just as a recent occurance, they've been "benched" throughout most of the history of mankind, and once "again," they're currently riding the pine.

i'm pretty sure he's saying "bananas and blow"

No way, it's totally "Puerto Rican Power!"

I'm not sure if this has come up or not, but could it be "cuttin all i know right in two". He kinda joins the words together.. so its something like "cuttin 'll-I know right in two". It sorta makes sense to me within the context of the song.

And speaking of lyrics, does Tool plan to release the official lyrics ever?

Theyre wondering when this tug of war will end


I wish they would cut the lyrics right in two and post half now and half later.

Listen closely. It sounds mumbled sort of like "kinda divide it all right in two". That should make the "divide" come out for you.


Once you hear the "divide it all right in two", you can start figuring out what comes before that.

Granted, it's all mumbled and distorted, but logically, it can be only "cut and" or "cutting".

Give it a serious listen.

Ditto.
Listen closely. It sounds mumbled sort of like "kinda divide it all right in two". That should make the "divide" come out for you.


Once you hear the "divide it all right in two", you can start figuring out what comes before that.

Granted, it's all mumbled and distorted, but logically, it can be only "cut and" or "cutting".

Give it a serious listen.

all i can hear in the chorus is "divide it all right in two".
it's like: dai -- vai -- d it - ol ... one syllable between "-".

and the "fight over this, over that..." part,
i think that adam (/guitar) is making that "ahhh" sound,
as the begining of the introduction to the coming madness!

i hear 'cut and lie it all right in two' alright.

Well then more power to ya!

It's actually "Right in two right in two". Lol.

The whole debate on the lyrics of the chorus is simply resolved.

There are 2 or more vocal tracks layered, each with subtle variation.

Hence, one hears signiatures of one cosonant or another, this

syllabic rythm or that, especialy if one has been suugested to hear so.

he repeats the phrase several times, and the only thing it ALWAYS sounds like to me is "cutting Arlo right in to," so, the question now is, who's Arlo?

This is interesting, I definitely thought I heard "brothers" the second time around.

The first one i'm still torn between what you have that and "where there's one they're bound to divide it" Both makes sense in context with the song. Personally after listening with vocals increased and tempo slowed, it sounds more like 'where there's one'.

Second verse I think brothers wander is correct.

AS many have said, I'm fairly certain it's "cut and divide it all" Maynard barely (if not at all) annunciates the D in divide. The clearest example is the very last time he says it at the end. Most of the song sounds like "Cut 'n 'ivide it all" My guess is because the N and D are adjacent and at the speed he sings the two words the d sorta gets lost. Kinda like "theyallsoundlike peanuts parents" in Rosetta Stoned.

while somewhat ridiculous, this comes closest to what i am hearing.

Its: Cut it a-long, right in two

I have listened to this song 842,326 times and I think he is saying either "gotta divide it all right in two" or "try to divide it all right in two". But what do I know? I'm just a silly monkey after all.

In regards to the debate over the chorus, I really think he's just saying, "Cut it all right in two," but drawing out the "cut" and varying pitch: "Cuh-uht it all. . ." all the way to "KAY-AYT it all. . . " right at the end. I don't hear an "ing" in there anywhere, and I definitely don't hear any "divide" during those parts.

So far here is everything that I can make out. Let me know if I come up short. Sleep eludes me so I wouldn't be surprised if I forgot something.



Angels on the sideline,
Puzzled and amused.
Why did Father give these humans free will?
Now they’re all confused.

Don’t these talking monkeys know that
Eden has enough to go around?
Playing in this holy garden, silly old monkeys,
Well there’s one who's bound to divide it
Right in two

Angels on the sideline,
Baffled and confused.
Father blessed them all with reason.
And this is what they choose.
Monkey killing monkey killing monkey
Over a piece of other ground.

Silly monkeys given thumbs,
They forge a blade,
And then theres one bound to divide it,
Right in two.
Right in two.

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey
Over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys give them thumbs,
They make a club
And beat their brother down.
How they survive so misguided is a mystery.
Repugnant dismal creature who would squander
The ability live, to die, and have a conscience
Brothers live and die here

Cut it all right in two (x4)

Fight over the clouds, over wind, over sky
Fight over life, over blood, over prayer, over head and light
Fight over love, over sun, over another
Fight...

Angels on the sideline again
Been so long with patience and reason
Angels on the sideline again
Wondering when this tug of war will end

Cut it all right in two (x3)
Right in two (x2)

"Cutting my black kettle right in two".

I totally agree. I believe it to be Cut and divide it all right in two. But I can see where you are coming from with the "gotta". Either way he definitely
slurs the entire line making it difficult to discern. I think its most clear the last time he says it.

Angels on the sideline
Puzzled and amused
Why did Father give these humans free will?
Now they're all confused

Don’t these talking monkeys know that
Eden has enough to go around?
Plenty in this holy garden, silly old monkeys,
Well there’s one who's bound to divide it
Right in two

Angels on the sideline
Baffled and confused
Father blessed them all with reason
And this is what they choose.

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey
Over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys given thumbs,
They forge a blade,
And where there's one they're
Bound to divide it
Right in two.
Right in two.

Monkey killing monkey killing monkey
Over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys give them thumbs,
They make a club
And beat their brother down.

How they survive so misguided is a mystery.
***
Repugnant is a creature who would squander
The ability to lift and eye to heaven
Conscious of its fleeting time here.

(This makes sense as Maynard paints these angels as ones who look down in disgust at us humans since none of us spend our short amount of time here doing good and enjoying what God gave us.)
***

Cut it all
Right in two.


***
Fight over the clouds, over wind, over sky
Fight over life, over blood, over prayer, over head and light
Fight over love, over sun, over another
Fight till they die, over (something), over reason

(I doubt anyone will truly figure this part out
until Maynard comes along and makes a post.)
***

Angels on the sideline again
Been so long with patience and reason
Angels on the sideline again
Wondering when this tug of war will end

Cut it all
Right in two


I don't agree with "Cut and divide it all." I tried as hard as I could to hear "divide in there somewhere and I just can't do it, however I do believe there is another word in there somewhere.

Basically the tug of war represents human existence as we are now. Constantly fighting over something. The angels are on the sideline because they cannot act. God did not give them free will and they cannot interfere with the lives of men.(Depending on what your religion believes anyway) I'm guessing they are "on the sideline again" has to do with the war in Iraq. It's the most recent "tug of war" if you will, that's happened.

For all you ladies out there I use the word "men" only in a general sense.

A good example would be the Gaza Strip. Israel and Palestine have been fighting over that piece of ground for a long time. Hence, tug of war.

From the very first time I heard it I thought it was "cutting it all right in two"
Too many people are over-listening to it. Not "divide".

like the thought, but I'd say IF it concerns something "more recent", it would simply be the region (EDEN, according to biblical texts is around the Mesopotamian area/aka present day Iran?)...

or, if it's political, I think it's probably the tug of war over Israel/Palestine like you said above

I'm hearing "where there's one" in every single place that line's repeated, but people keep posting stuff like "wonders when" and "brothers wander" and "Well there’s one" etc...

Am I the only one hearing "where there's one" every single time? I know we'd like fancy tricky lyrics in all places but sometimes repetition happens.

i get the same impression...

only thing that makes sense given the other three things you posted from others as "possible" lyrics

no way it's "cut and divide it all right in two". I don't hear the two d's.

My best guess is:
"Kill it all right in two"

But that doesn't seem to make sense.

I agree, it's definately "where there's one they're bound to divide it, right in two"

and I DO BELIEVE I know what the double sound is in "cut it all right in two da da da" People are coming up with all these crazy words that just simply are not there. I hear "Cuttin' our love right in two"...think of that and listen again.

"Cuttin' our love..right in two"

where do you hear "our love"???

NOPE, not buying that at all! I've listened for "cutting our love" with an open mind but I just don't see it nor does the word "love" flow with the theme of the song. Where in the song does it talk about "cutting our love"?? I don't think out of the blue for the chorus he'd just start talking about cutting love. I think any other option for lyrics of this part is more likely as in:

Cut it all right in two
Cut and divide it all...
Cut it right all right in two (even though I think this one is also highly unlikely).

I think of all of the options, the one I most strongly think it could be is CUUUTaNDivideitall right in two with the CUTNDIVDE part being sung almost as if it was one word and all slurring together...

I don't hear an "R" sound as in our at all...nor do I hear a word or sound long enough or pronouncable enough to be "love" so I'm ruling that one out.

Well, I hear "Cutting my love right in two." First I'll explain my phoenetics. Where you hear "Cut and . . ." I hear "Cutting . . ." That comparison of our interpretations is so sonically similar that it's not even worth debating. However, where you hear "divide it all . . ." I hear "my love . . ." I really think that the enunciation of four syllables that you hear is attributable to the dissonent beats created by the combination of the mass of effects that are placed on Maynard's vocals and the rising volume of the guitars. It sounds to me like flangers of differing frequency are applied to both vocals and guitar at this point, and a stereo delay to the vocals; and the result is an obscured chorus (I believe that this affectation is intentional, and I will explain that in the following paragraphs). Bottom line, I really think that if Maynard were packing all of those syllables underneath that sonic distortion, the result would sound more jumbled than it already does.

Now, to answer your challenge to the meaning . . . Regardless of our diverse interpretations of this song, I think that we can all agree that Maynard uses Christian (and some would specify, Catholic) imagery to illustrate the story. Part of the dogma from which this imagery springs, is that all of the material elements that make up the "real world" are manifestations of God's love. So, if the line that has sparked this controversy is spoken from the perspective of the "father [who] blessed [us] all with reason," (as I believe it to be) then "My love" and "it all" would be congruous notions.

And now let us continue with the perspective from which this line is delivered. As I have stated before, it seems to me that Tool uses its mastery of sonic effects to create that mass of distortion which obscures the delivery of this line intentionally. The purpose of this lyrical obfuscation is to show that it is a lament of the voice of all creation- of the father; a voice that is omnipresent, yet difficult to understand for humans who have moved so far from the divinity extant within ourselves. By yielding to trends of division and distraction, we have deprived oursleves of "God's" message as we continue to be "bound to divide it right in two." This song is a reflection of the confusion experienced by the angels as they watch the humans who insist upon destroying the father's love rather than enjoying its plentiful gift; punctuated by the tears of the father.

"Cutting my love, right in two."

Ok, you make a very impressive argument and one that I can agree with for the most part. And because of that, I'll leave my mind open to the possiblilty of it being Cutting our love... but I also think that Cut and divide it all right in two also has merit and in my mind, continues the flow of the song.

Albiet depending on how you look at it, "Cut and divide" could be a bit redundant.

And I'll keep my mind open to yours. High five, SunBurN! That's showing 'em how to debate diplomatically.

Are you serious with the "love" thing Success? Listen to the damn song. "Gotta divide it all right in two". Without being thoughtless. I would bet all my money on it. It's about sharing.