Album: Opiate (1992)

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• Used to be a bunch of assholes
  That lived in this part of the building here
  But we systematically removed them
  Like you would any kind of termite or roach
  
  Someone told me once
  That there's a right and wrong
  Punishment was sure
  For those who dare to cross the line
  But it must not be true
  For jerk-offs just like you
  Maybe it takes longer to catch a total asshole
  But I'm tired of waiting
  
  Someone told me once
  That there's a right and wrong
  Punishment was sure
  For those who dare to cross the line
  But it must not be true
  For jerk-offs just like you
  Maybe it's just bullshit, I should play God
  And shoot you myself
  Tired of waiting, oh
  
  Consequences dictate
  Our course of action
  And it doesn't matter what's right
  It's only wrong if you get caught
  If consequences dictate
  My course of action, I should
  I should play God and just
  Shoot you myself
  Tired of waiting
  
  Die, die
  Shoot it, kick it, fuck it
  Shoot you in your fucking head Writer/s: Adam Jones, Daniel Carey, Maynard James Keenan, Paul M D'amour
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

• Lewis from Gibraltar, Michiganthanks for the cleaver name TOOL. Now im getting ads for lube.
• Danny from IllinoisIts about how you feel when you resent someone....REALLY resent someone..everyone has one of these jerk offs in their life...somewhere along the line tool quit writing songs like this and everyone thinks they have to do a mental backflip to understand their lyrics...i miss the raw, blatantly obvious songs about the darker side of human behavior..need more songs like jerk off.....please
• Roman from Cardiff, AfghanistanThis is another esoteric teaching from maynard...and contains teachings of natural Law, like all of his music. all of his music is about teaching man and if you have not figured this out yet, go and re-read all of his lyrics and pick up a book, or video on esoteric wisdom teachings. he is being sarcastic, and ironic when he is talking about shooting someone in the head, whom thinks they have the right to do that to another. he is saying, if you think you have the right to do what the hell you like to people, then don't be surprised when you suffer the karmic consequences...i.e someone comes along and does exactly what you did to another, and you thought it was okay when you did it, so what's wrong? I SHOULD PLAY GOD AND SHOOT YOU MYSELF.... I'LL SHOOT YOU IN YOUR F*****G HEAD.
  
  The same irony and sarcasm can be seen in the song opiate, where he is pretending to be jesus and say that you must follow him in order to be saved
  
  "if you want to get your soul to heaven, trust in me now don't you judge or question. you are broken now, but faith can heal you"
  
  then he makes it obvious talking from his own perspective, being sarcastic;
  
  "Jesus christ, why don't you come save my life now. open my eyes, let me with your light now."
  
  maynard is a genius and talks in riddles. i spent the time to write this as i do not want his efforts to be in vein...that being the uplifting of humanity through enlightenment and knowing self. i'm sure there are plenty of people that are unaware of what he is talking about, and music is a great way for people to learn so share what you come to learn with others, without moral Dogmas written by Mans law, i.e religion and politics...mediated through the war machine.
  
  add me on fb if you wana talk about it - roman law
  
  
• Ken from Toledo, OhThis song is about the moralistic dilemma that has plagued man for centuries. ANY MEANS TO AN END.
  Is it ok to do bad if the outcome is good?
• Luke from Manchester, EnglandHow the hell can this be about Maynard James Keenan shooting his mum when he's a pacifist?
• Adam from Atttleboro, MaI don't necessarily think, he wants them to be killed off but more or less just get what they deserve or what's coming to them. Personally I believe that assholes don't get what they deserve and they keep on getting away or getting off with what ever they do.
• Derek from Boston, MaI don't think song has anything to do with Maynard's mother...if you listen to what he says at the beginning it's pretty obvious.
  
  "There used to be a bunch of assholes that lived in this part of the building here...but we systematically removed them like you would any kind of termite or roach."
  
  This song is just about being sick of waiting for "jerk-offs" to get what they deserve in life, and wanting to kill them off.

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