Lyric interpretation of "Third Eye" by Tool

My understanding of the lyrics in the song ‘Third Eye’ by Tool

By Asher Kenton

Type of Article: Song Analysis

Please remember that ideas expressed in this article are only opinions. The lyrics are purposely written to be ambiguous in order to lead to many different interpretations. Here are mine.

To understand the ideas expressed by lyricist Maynard James Keenan in the song ‘Third Eye’ by the band Tool, we must first look at the band’s writing process, the wider social context of the period it was written in and its context within the Tool catalogue.

The song appears as the last track on the album Aenima. Thus it serves as an epic, 13 minute conclusion of all the ideas expressed on the album. This includes the discussion of the Shadow, the Anima and Jungian Psychology – the philosophies and ideas which form the backbone of the lyrics in songs such as ‘46&2’ and ‘Anema’. Also considered is the emotional conflict of ‘selling-out’ to make a record on ‘Hooker with a Penis’ and ideas of violence and conflict on ‘Pushit’. However, the main theme of this song is the idea of opening one’s “third eye”. The third eye is a metaphor for the expanding of one’s knowledge and creativity centres in the mind, as well as being the centre for spirituality and out-of-body experiences. However, third eye theory has a very physical basis; it is placed on the face, in between one’s regular two eyes as an extension to one’s seeing power (perhaps the ability to comprehend non-physical notions), this is where the pineal gland is located. The pineal gland is responsible for producing serotonin and melatonin, which not only regulate sleep patterns but are linked with the hallucinogenic and intense physical effects of certain drugs such as cocaine and LSD. Descartes referred to the pineal gland as “the seat of the soul”, thus highlighting its importance when considering issues of spirituality. The spiritual nature of the “third eye” is also supported by Hinduism, although Hindus cite the concentration of chakras between one’s eyes as the reason for our spiritual and creative properties. Hindus paint red dots on their foreheads to highlight this area’s importance. Thus there is a biological, spiritual and philosophical basis to the ideas that inspired the lyrics in ‘Third Eye’. Furthermore; these lyrics place a large emphasis on the notion of opening one’s own third eye in the search for spiritual enlightenment, an idea that will be explored in greater detail later on.

The album that the song appears on, Aenima, was released in 1996, meaning that it was written in the two or three years that preceded its release. This was a tumultuous time for music, the ‘grunge’ and ‘thrash metal’ movements were rebelling against the inflated glam rock scene of the 80’s, with bands like Metallica, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Tool and many more attempting to create a more genuine rock sound which people could relate to. And while Tool’s music is complex and hard for many people to get into, they offered a more intellectual take on the stripped-back, power-tune approach of a band like Rage Against the Machine (who incidentally are good friends), while essentially having the same goal. However, they nevertheless achieved cult-status in the alternative rock and metal scene of the early-mid ‘90s. The scene of this time will have no doubt infiltrated their song writing, however, Tool create a very unique sound, and write music very much on their own terms. The album Aenima is considered by many fans as being their greatest piece of work, and is written in order to be considered as a single piece of art. Thus the lyrics in ‘Third Eye’ must be considered within their social context and their context within the album.

Another crucial social factor is the death of their great friend and legendary comedian Bill Hicks in 1994, whom the album was dedicated to. Hicks worked closely with the band, opening for them on a number of occasions, and they bonded over social and political issues as well as a mutual appreciation for mind-expanding substances such as Magic Mushrooms. Three samples of Bill Hicks’ routine are used at the beginning of the song ‘Third Eye’, which express the importance of drug-taking in the last few decades and contempt for its’ criminalisation, “it’s not a war on drugs, it’s a war on personal freedom O.K? Keep that in mind at all times”. The sentiments sampled here are thus referenced by the band and expressed in the words of their great friend.

A crucial issue to consider when analysing the lyrics of a band such as Tool, is that they firmly place music first, and lyrics second. The lyrics are therefore an attempt to match the mood and emotions of the music rather than vice versa. Adam Jones’ guitar part is played mainly on beat, in a 3/4 time signature. However, the guitar emphasises different beats at different times, leading each bar to lead on to each other, blurring the distinctions between each musical phrase. This gives the song a trippy quality, which is enhanced by the unique drumming style of Danny Carey, who manages to keep time despite moving into all sorts of duple, triple and quadruple rhythms, on top of the on beat 3/4 time signature of the guitar parts. At times he even moves into polyrhythm, playing lots of rhythms on top of each other. This simultaneously anchors the song, and progresses it forward, therefore influencing the lyrics of the song, as it served as the starting point. The trippy and visual lyrics of the song, “dreaming of that face again. It’s bright and blue and shimmering” match the feeling expressed by the other instruments by indicating a visual reference of something that could be real or hallucinated. Furthermore, the industrial guitar sound at parts of the song sound almost like a furnace, which is matched in the simple, yet brutal lyrics “Prying open my third eye”. This also portrays some kind of creation, be it personal or more wide-reaching, as may occur in an industrial factory. While this interpretation may seem somewhat far-fetched, it is important to remember the huge influence of the sounds of dreary industrial life of midland England on pioneering metal bands such as Black Sabbath, who in turn were a big influence on Tool.

A central part of these lyrics is Maynard’s attempt to open his own third eye through tripping on hallucinogenic substance DMT. These trips are known for a more intense trip than LSD and can last for days, even weeks. They have been associated with out-of-body experiences, life-changing moments and intense spiritual experiences. However, these lyrics are less focused on the specific nature of the trip (as later on expressed in the song ‘Rosetta Stoned’) but more with its life-changing characteristics and Maynard’s attempt to open his third eye. All members of the band have experimented with hallucinogenic drugs, and thus the song serves to express the impact this has had. The song builds into a crescendo, where the line “PRYING OPEN MY THIRD EYE” is sung/shouted/screamed repetitively. This idea comes from Bill Hicks’ claim that through mind-expanding substances one can “squeegee open” their third eye, and is the dramatic conclusion and resting point of this epic song. Many people actually consider the physical nature of Maynard screaming these lyrics (especially live) as being an attempt to not only literally pry open his own third eye but those of his audience as well.

In the rare ‘Salival’ live recording of this song, the Bill Hicks sample is replaced by one by Timothy Leary, “think for yourself, question authority…” Leary was a Harvard PhD and lecturer who conducted much research on the healing effects of LSD trips. He found that many criminals who had one LSD trip had such a profound life-changing experience that only 20% of them re-offended, compared to the standard re-offender rate of 60%. The band therefore reference another advocate of the values of hallucinogenic drugs, thus further highlighting the profound impact they have had on the band and many others in opening up levels of consciousness otherwise seemed incomprehensible.

At certain points in the song, the lyrics take on a childlike quality, “Come out to watch you play, why are you running away?” This may refer to the déjà vu nature of hallucinogenic trips, how they can bring back memories that have been buried so deep inside they have been almost forgotten. It is possible that these are repressed, painful memories which are stripped back during the trip and can be understood in a new light, perhaps leading to personal healing, “So glad to see you, I’ve missed you so much”. A Freudian analysis of these lyrics could suggest a primal desire for the unrequited love of one’s mother, and they could also refer to the desperate, dependant, and emotionally immature nature of childhood romances. Therefore, this verse indicates the basic human desire to be loved which is captured during trips due to the access to parts of the brain that were previously closed off, and memories that had been all but forgotten.

In summary, the lyrics of the song ‘Third Eye’ by Tool are inspired greatly by the profound nature of trips on hallucinogenic substances such as Acid, DMT and Magic Mushrooms. Furthermore they take on a deeper, more philosophical nature due to the impact these drugs had as serving as tools to open one’s third eye, and expand their levels of understanding, spirituality and consciousness. The song also must be considered within its social context and its place within the Aenima album. Moreover, the song (and the album) is dedicated to a great friend and comrade, and the ideas expressed within it are those that the band and Hicks explored together.