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Tool - 10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2) Song Meanings

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Alright...for a while now I've been wanting to write down what the lyrics mean to me...so...here's what I think...

"Listen to the tales and romanticize,
How we follow the path of the hero"
(self-explanatory...we follow god)

"Boast about the day when the rivers overrun,
How we rise to the height of our halo."
(when we feel like the world is coming to destruction, we finally begin to pray and suddenly believe in god so we can go to a good place)

"Listen to the tales as we all rationalize
Our way into the arms of the savior
Fading all the trials and the tribulations"
(we throw away our distress by producing a self-satisfying, but incorrect, idea that your savior will be there for you...no matter the sins...)

"None of us have actually been there,
Not like you..."

"Ignorant flippants in the congregation
Gather around spewing sympathy,
Spare me..."
(congregation-A group of people gathered for religious worship. flippant-Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness. fable believers)

"None of them can even hold a candle up to you
Blinded by choices,
hypocrites won't see"

"But enough about the collective Judas
Who could deny you were the one who illuminated
your little piece of the divine"
(judas-One who betrays another under the guise of friendship divine-Being in the service or worship of a deity; sacred)

"This little light of mine it gives your past unto me,
I'm gonna let it shine,
to guide you safely on your way
Your way home..."
(his mother's faith is passed on to him...hoping she goes into a place which she believed in)

"Ohh, what are they gonna do when the lights go down
without you to guide them all to Zion?
What are they gonna do when the rivers overrun
other than tremble incessantly"
(people think that they know the works...but when something comes up that they wouldn't imagine, they aren't prepared to concieve the weight Zion-A place or religious community regarded as sacredly devoted to God)

"High is the way
but our eyes are upon the ground.
You are the light and the way
They'll only read about
I only pray Heaven knows
When to lift you out"
(we don't look to our god)

"10000 days in the fire is long enough.
You're going home..."
(27 years is how long Maynards mother was paralyzed, which is 10,000 days...)

"You're the only one who can hold your head up high,
Shake your fist at the gates saying,
'I have come home now!'"
(his mother deserves to go to heaven)

"Fetch me the spirit, the son and the father,
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended."
(his mother)

"'It's time now!
My time now!
Give me my
Give me my wings!'...
Give me my (x5)
'Give me my own wings'"

"You are the light, the way, that they will only read about"

"Set as I am in my ways and my arrogance
Burden of proof tossed upon non-believers.
You were my witness, my eyes, my evidence,
Judith Marie, unconditional one."

"Daylight dims leaving cool fluorescence.
Difficult to see you in this light."

"Please forgive this bold suggestion:
Should you see your maker's face tonight
Look him in the eye
Look him in the eye and tell him
I never lived a lie, never took a life,
But surely saved one"
(saved Maynard's life through the passage of faith)

"Hallelujah,
It's time for you to bring me home."


blah...i'm still working on it...the more I read it...the more things come to me...but yeh...thats just in my eyes...

Submitted by: narduzzi1120
Added: 2006-06-05 00:10:28     Rating:

Hi. I'm drew. I think, not positive, that the entire song is about maynard's mom. as I understand it, she died after a 27-year paralysis, which is the reason they named the album 10,000 days (27x365=~10,000). "wings for marie" and "10,000 days" are strictly about the death of his mother. listin to they lyrics, it makes a lot of sense.

Submitted by: CleanDave
Added: 2006-06-05 03:57:16     Rating:

Sounds Like Maynard wants to go to heaven after all. God damn, shit the bed.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-06-20 00:59:45     Rating:

Alot of people are saying that 365x27 are 10000, no its not its 9855... So I'm guessing MJK rounded it up to 10000??

Submitted by: Zaq
Added: 2006-06-30 21:33:14     Rating:

"Listen to the tales and romanticize
How we follow the path of the hero."
Read the Bible and pretend that we are on the same path as the "heroes" we are reading about.

"Boast about the day when the rivers overrun
How we rise to the height of our halo."
Brag about how we will be ready when Judgement Day comes. About how we will "rise to the height of our halo."

"Listen to the tales as we all rationalize
Our way into the arms of the savior.
Feigning all the trials and the tribulations.
None of us have actually been there,
Not like you."
Considering whether or not we are good enough to be with Him, and when we decide we are NOT, lie to ourselves and pretend we are. Take a bunch of hardships in our lives, over-exaggerate them, call them tribulations and tests. But none of us have really been tested... Not like you (Judith Marie).

"Ignorant flippants in the congregation
Gather around spewing sympathy.
Spare me."
Stupid liars in the church around me (Maynard) giving their condolences... Spare me.

"None of them can even hold a candle up to you.
Blinded by choices
Hypocrites won't seek."
They are nothing compared to you.

"But enough about the collective Judas
Who could deny you were the one who illuminated
Your little piece of the divine?"
Enough about them. No one could deny you earned your place in Heaven.

"This little light of mine - a gift you passed unto me.
I'm gonna let it shine,
To guide you safely on your way, your way home."
The faith you've given me, I'll let it show, let it grow, so that you know you can go on.

"Oh, what are they gonna do when the lights go down
Without you to guide them all to Zion?
What are they gonna do when the rivers overrun
Other than tremble incessantly?"
What will they do when their day comes, and they have no one to lead them to the promised land? What will they do when Armegeddon comes, besides shake in their boots?

"High is the way
But our eyes are upon the ground.
You are the light and the way
They'll only read about.
I only pray heaven knows
When to lift you out."
The path leads to Heaven, So how can we find it if we are looking on Earth? You are the true believer, they will never be. I hope God knows when the time is come for you to join Him.

"Ten thousand days in the fire is long enough.
You're going home..."
27 years is enough. You're going to Heaven.

"You're the only one who can hold your head up high,
Shake your fist at the gates saying,
'I have come home now!
Fetch me the spirit, the son and the father,
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.
It's time now!
My time now!
Give me my...
Give me my wings!
Give me my... (x5)
Give me my own wings!'"
You are the only one who should be proud of your choices. When you arrive in Heaven, announce your arrival, and demand to see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Tell them that you are finally home, tell them it's time for you to be one of His angels.

"You are the light, the way, that they will only read about."
You are the kind of believer that was written about in the Bible.

"Set as I am in my ways and my arrogance...
Burden of proof tossed upon non-believers.
You were my witness, my eyes, my evidence,
Judith Marie, unconditional one."
As stubborn and arrogant as I am, they must now proove to me that God does NOT exist (instead of vice-versa). You were the one who watched me, who showed me, who proved Him to me. Judith Marie, the one who never faltered.

"Daylight dims leaving cool fluorescence.
Difficult to see you in this light.
Please forgive this bold suggestion:
Should you see your Maker's face tonight
Look him in the eye...
Look him in the eye and tell him,
'I never lived a lie, never took a life,
But surely saved one.'
Hallelujah,
It's time for you to bring me home."
Your light leaves this Earth, leaving a slight glow. It's hard to believe with you gone. I know this suggestion is nearly blasphemous, but forgive me. When you meet Him, look Him in the eye and tell him that you never faltered and you saved one who was nearly lost, me. Thank God, you saved me. Now bring me home.

Submitted by: white_violet
Added: 2006-07-13 23:14:40     Rating:

It's really interesting, now I have heard these songs it puts real perspective on a lot of Maynards other work, Tool and APC. After gaining a little bit of understanding about his mothers death and her partial paralysis during most of Maynards life, I listen to songs with a different form of understanding sometimes. I know, it would be foolish to assume all or many songs were influenced by what Maynard experienced from a young child growing up with what seems to be a painful situation, but it seems to radiate lyrically from a few songs in particular apart from the obvious. This is obviously deeply personal, and I thank Maynard for sharing this with his fans. It would take some courage I think, and as for me, I feel it has brought me closer emotionally to the music.

Cheers!

Submitted by: toolscott
Added: 2006-09-28 02:11:53     Rating:

O.K. Tool is by far my favorite band. And when I first heard this song, I could tell how much emotion he felt with every word he sang. It is one of their best. When I heard this song live it completed me, it struck me on such a level that cannot be put into words. Yes, the song is about his mother. But the way it is written it can be interpreted in any way. You can apply it metaphriclly to your own life. It is different for everyone. That is what makes them such a good band. They tell the story and the listener can take it where ever he/she wants. Tool lets you preceve a whole new reality and out look on life. This song and new album was everthing I hoped and thought it would be.

Submitted by: creamygoodness
Added: 2006-10-16 22:05:06     Rating:

Here is something really cool

ever notice how the lengths of Viginti Tres (5:02) and Wings for Marie (part 1) (6:13) add up to the exact length of 10,000 Days (Wings part 2) (11:15)?

make a playlist with Viginti Tres and Wings part 1 (in that order). Then make a playlist with only 10,000 Days. Play the playlists simultaneously (I do this with one playlist on my ipod and the other on my computer), sit back and listen to the wonder that is Tool.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2006-12-13 17:49:10     Rating:

Going along with what others have posted, I think it is obviously a tribute to his departed mother (which he confirmed at the September 8th show in Los Angeles when he thanked the audience for celebrating Judith's life after playing Wings Part I & II as the encore). Aparently, this was the first city of the tour he played Wings in.

One of the major themes I think was missed in other posts was what Maynard said on the Amotion DVD for A Perfect Circle when he comments on the video for "Judith". He talks specifically about the hipocracy of member's of Judith's congregation and how they were two-faced ghouls. In addition, he goes on to say he was confounded at the fact that to his paralyzed mother's face, they would say how she is honoring Christ with her resolve to live and how they would encourage her faith by giving her the "it's His divine plan designed just for you" speech. Behind her back, or without her knowing, they would then comment on how weak she looked physically and, therefore, leaving MJK with disgust in how insincere they were with their "well-wishes."

I think this song not only honors his mother, but condemns the people around her (including himself at times) for their lack of support / empathy for an unwaivering, dedicated servant to her lord. I still find it impossible to believe MJK is capable of faith in ANY organized religion whatsoever. In the end, everyone's faith is a personal, non-defined manifestation of their beliefs in the unknown. This is his tribute to the ones he believes deserve the concept of "Heaven".

Submitted by: ohiocoolchick
Added: 2006-12-27 11:19:19     Rating:

i think that was an awesome description of the song ...i just had to say that ...it was like you were reading my mind

Submitted by: Zaq
Added: 2007-02-19 09:54:51     Rating:

10,000 DAYS (WINGS Pt 2)
Words By Maynard James Keenan

Listen to the tales and romanticize how we'd follow the path of the hero.

Boast about a day when the rivers over run how we'd rise to the height of our halo.

Listen to the tales as we all rationalize our way into the arms of the savior.

Feigning all the Trials and tribulations but none of us have actually been there. Not like you.

Ignorant siblings and the congregation gather round spewing sympathy.
Spare me.
None of them can even hold a candle up to you.
Blinded by choice, these hypocrites won't see.

But enough about the collective Judas.

Who could deny you were the one who illuminated your little piece of the divine?

This little light of mine, a gift you passed on to me,
I'm gonna let it shine to guide you Safely On your way.
Your way home.

What are they gonna do when the lights go down without you to guide them all to Zion?

What are they gonna do when the river's over run other than tremble incessantly?

High is the way, but all eyes upon the ground.
You were the light and the way that they'll only read about.
I only pray heaven knows when to lift you out.
10 thousand days in the fire is long enough.
You're going home.

You're the only one who can hold your head up high, shake your fist at the gates, saying,
"I've come home.
now... Fetch me the spirit, the son, and the father.
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.
It's time now.
My time now.
Give me my wings."

Set as I am in my ways and my arrogance(with the )burden of proof
tossed upon the believers,
You were my witness, my eyes, and my evidence.
Judith Marie.
Unconditional one.

Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescents. (Sp.)
Difficult to see you in this light.
Please forgive this bold suggestion,
but should you see your makers face tonight...
Look him in the eye. Look him in the eye.
Tell him,
"I never lived a lie, never took a life,
but surely saved one.
Hallelujah.
It's time for you to bring me home."

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-03-08 17:57:50     Rating:

I enjoy after reading all these interpretations of Tool's songs, the song 10,000 days is actually a unusual one, after we read these lyrics we will probably understand why Maynard wrote this song, first off let's break it down, 10,000 days is the length his mother Judith Marie lived from when she was paralyzed 27.5 years, also we are forgetting an unusual fact about 10,000 days. The Vietnam war also did last for 10,000 days (27.5 years), now this raises many questions, what is the actual answer to this song? personally if you have gone to Tool's semi-official website (toolshed.down.net) click on 'opinions' and read what Maynard said in 1997, now after you read what is said, now we will have only our opinions of Tool's songs, and debate who is right and wrong, WE ARE NEITHER, we will never know what the real meaning is, but only what the song means to you, that is the true meaning.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-04-12 02:30:22     Rating:

Howdy all. 10,000 days Pt 2 is many people's fav song off this album, and rightfully so. If we break it down a little, we can see the song is alluding to belief in your own person. The beginning of Pt 2 sets up the premise of Jesus, a savior. Someone who is more capable than you. "None of us have actually been there, not like you" is what people of faith would accredit to Jesus. The lyrics take a turn at this point, "spare me" indicates what Maynard really thinks of believers. When referencing Judas, it's more in a poetic sense. If one of my friends betrayed me I could call them a Judas. I'm guessing his mother was religious, and her religious friends turned out to betray her."Without you to guide them all to Zion" is speaking to religion. When religion fails, who will save them? "You're the only one who can hold your head up high" is speaking to all of us. Ultimately, we're the ones who save ourselves. Without taking into consideration the links with Maynard's mum, Pt 2 is about having faith in your own self, highlighting the let downs of religion. As a side point, a song is NOT linear. It is not merely the songwriter speaking to one person. Their discussion can bounce around. They could be speaking to an issue, then to the listener and then to a specific person in their life

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-06-02 05:51:02     Rating:

I'd like to begin by saying that, along with other Tool songs, the meaning is what it means to you. But I think we can get a little bit into Maynard's head when he was writing these lyrics as well.

I'll go with the interpretation that it's about his mother.

There are 3 ways to look at these lyrics, imo

1) Judith was a religious woman, and though Maynard is not, he believes that if there is a heaven, she deserves a place there. People feel the "touch of god" mainly through the actions and love of other people, and he may feel that she was a shining light that this world may sorely miss, but she is in a better place now, and he is happy for that.

2) He could just be totally sarcastic and contemptuous of his mother's final days if he believes that her death is just a "dead end" and that she was just a deluded fool to think that there would be a place of reward for her graceful and "enlightening" life in the face of her own disability. A "I know you're a good person, so why waste your life?" kind of thing.

3) Even if her death isn't rewarded with an afterlife, she
taught her son about a heroic way to face adversity without self pity and evidently with great care for others. That's probably legacy enough and may require no other reward.

It could also be any mixture of these things, or none at all. Again, the meaning of the song is ultimately what it means to you.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-06-22 14:07:04     Rating:

The lyrics are pretty self-explanatory. MJK is talking directly to his mother, and he's addressing how, in roughly 10,000 days, or 27 years, of suffering, her faith in God was strong and true, and never faltered, and how, in the strength of her faith, she reinforced his own belief in God and taught him firsthand what it means to truly have faith, even in the face of suffering. He also is addressing how those around her, her so-called friends who were also of the church, turned their backs on her and talked shit about her, and so they are not truly people of God, but HYPOCRITES, however divine retribution will fall upon their heads when their own time comes. He is saying that his mom was more or less a true believer and if anyone deserves to go to Heaven, it is her for not only having such faith, but also in saving his life and his soul by showing him how to be a true believer as well. It's a beautiful, beautiful song.

Submitted by: beetee
Added: 2007-06-22 18:08:21     Rating:

Hey guys, I think this song is amazing and I've been wanting to give my thoughts on it. Y'all have given some good interpretations. But first of all, I really don't think there's any chance of Maynard being sarcastic here. It's clear that he loved his mother dearly, and I don't think he would make a mockery out of her. But that's just me. Anyways, one thing that's really cool and has been sticking out to me is the sort of comparison of Judith to Christ. It even seems to parallel her last days to his (Jesus)- with the storm in the background (the violent storm after Christ died) and comparing her congregation to Judas. I think this song leaves open the inference that MJK believes in Jesus. Now before you all raise up in arms, I would never, ever associate him with the stereotypical Purpose Driven Life-reading, if you died tonight would you go to heaven-asking, holier than thou Christian. I'm just saying I think his mother's life could have convinced him that Jesus is real. That's what I think is so cool about it. Every bit of Christianity he came around he saw hypocrisy and every kind of evil there pretty much is, but he knew at least ONE true Christian, and says to her "You were my witness, my eyes, my evidence, Judith Marie, unconditional one." Amongst all the people proving to him that God did not exist, SHE was evidence for the contrary (that he does exist). And where he tells her to say "I never lived a lie, never took a life, but surely saved one..." it's quite possible that she saved his life by showing him the love of Christ in her actions.
Yes it's possible that it may not be specifically Jesus that MJK believes in but, I think this song, if it indeed is not satirical (which I'm pretty sure it's not), shows that he believes in a God or the idea of God. I could be wrong but that's just my two cents. Peace.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-10-13 16:48:03     Rating:

Maynard's mother had some form of disability, I believe it was paralysis, which onset later on in her life. I believe I read that "10,000 days" is close to the time between when she was diagnosed and when she died.

unlike most Tool songs, a look at the lyrics shows that its pretty obviously about the death of someone. I've heard a couple people talk about how the lyrics are a sign that Maynard had a bit of a christian transformation, but I'm certainly not going to make that bold of an assumption.

when I first bought the album, the sinister tone of this song made me think almost certain that the song was maybe mocking the death of someone, or something like that. but when you really look at the lyrics, its really a rejoicing eulogy about the goodness of the loved one.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-10-17 01:27:39     Rating:

I don't think that he is turning Xian or whatever has been suggested before me, but I think that he is more so respecting what she believed in because she was a good person and if there actually is an afterlife that she of all people deserves to go to a good place for suffering and staying strong for so long.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2007-12-26 23:43:23     Rating:

Did you know that this album has a secreat song? play 10,000 days and wings for marie at the same time. at the end of wings for marie play viginty tres.

Submitted by: anonymous
Added: 2008-02-10 19:54:43     Rating:

Anonymous you've got it backwards; Viginti Tres then Wings pt1

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