anonymous 2007-08-21 16:37:27    

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To me the song is about christianity. I think they are saying how everything in the bible and religion happened a long time ago. And how Maynard wants people to focus on things now. To me sober is being from christianity

anonymous 2007-08-26 02:13:09    

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To me this song is all about christianity. he's saying how jesus was 2000 years ago. and we need to forget about that and concentrate on the present. quot living in the past. Stop believing things from a long time ago and believe in something now. so to me sober is being free from christianity. maybe I'm way off????

anonymous 2007-09-03 20:37:53    

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To me this song has nothing to do with drinking or drug addiction. To me he is talking a stab at christianity. He's saying how jesus happened 2000 years ago and we still worship it. He wants something to happen now and believe in the present. I could be wrong, but to me sober is being free from all the christaianity

anonymous 2007-10-09 20:59:30    

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I think that Maynard leaves his songs with no certain interpretation. I think that he lets you interpret in your own way. So there is no right or wrong interpretation.

I honestly think that this song is about a bad acid trip. Because I had a bad trip the other day, and I found myself saying things like, "Dude, I need this to be over" "I need to go to sleep or something" "I want this to be over"

"Theres a shadow just behind me. Shrouding every step I take. Waiting like a stalking butler, who upon the finger rests."
This line reminds me of the the paranoia I had during my bad trip. I always would think that everyone would know that I was tripping.

"Why can't we not be sober? I just want to start this over.
Why can't we drink forever? I just want to start this over."
During my bad trip, I wanted to be sober. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up sober. I wanted to drink enough that it would put me to sleep.

"I am just a worthless liar. I am just an imbecile.
I will only complicate you. Trust in me and fall as well."
When I was having the bad trip, I was basically autistic for a couple of hours. I thought stupid thoughts. I started to think that everything was my own imagination.Therefore I was an idiot. I was asking complicated questions. If my friend ,that was also trippin', believed me, then he might have gone into a bad trip.

I didn't say all that stuff during my bad trip just because I like Tool. I said that stuff when I was "autistic." When I was "autistic", I couldnt comprehend anything. I couldnt hear my friends because the walls were louder than them. I couldnt comprehend that. I didn't comprehend what breathing was. All that I could say was, "Am I dead? I want this to be over. I need to sleep and wake up sober. I need alcohol to put me to sleep. Oh my God, is this the end? I want it to be over.

This interpretation doesn't apply to everyone. But it applies to me. There is no right or wrong interpretation.

anonymous 2007-11-13 12:09:37    

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The only reason I submitted this is because I'm making translations of the music of tool so my non-english speaking friends who love Tool should understand the lyrics better..

I agree with the alcoholic/druguser version of interpretation, regardless if it's just about Maynard or the archetype of The Ex-Alcoholist(if you've ever met one, you can tell this song is a perfect definition of the mental-parasyte that leeches off people wanting to help him/her.).On the other hand I'd have to be a total atheist to fully take in the anti-christian message which is there whatsoever.

The only line can't fully translate or don't understand is the: "who upon the finger rests". If somone'd help me by discussing this, i'd be grateful..

anonymous 2007-11-30 20:41:55    

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To all of those who think its Maynard singing about his past...no. You're an idiot. As many people know who he is now is basically the opposite of his past(he joined the army though now he hates authority, he grew up in an episcopal family though now he despises religion, etc) so I can see how you think it's about Maynard wishing to forget his past, however you forget forty-six and 2. Step into my shadow? The shadow being everything he has suppressed and hated, stepping into his shadow created who he is, and without his past, he wouldn't have that shadow and wouldn't be who he is. Therfore, your fundementally wrong. It's about religion. He hates religion in every way. Like the song 'The Pot' not only defends drugs but says those who created society must hav been high(more like crazy but it fit into the song) Sober points to being drunk while thinking up religion, and how religion is drunk with power while dictating many people's lives. This can be found in the song Third Eye. A lyric goes: So glad I'm sober. This means while opening his third eye(seeing people, society, religion, authority figures, and life for what they really are) he is able to think clearly, which shows that the 'sober' part of the song Sober is thinking clearly and disbaning religion.

anonymous 2007-12-12 16:44:42    

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People calling other people idiots because they haven't got the same opinion as you, you're the idiots, arrogant fucks, your opinion is no more important than anyone elses, are you Adam or Maynard? no...? exactly so shut the fuck up, only they know what the song is about for sure, and that's even if it does has one literal meaning which there's a good chance it doesn't it could mean a number of things.

I think all the people here have come up with good interpretations so stop insulting each other.

anonymous 2007-12-12 20:39:53    

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Adam Jones said during an interview this song is questioning why we can't drink or do drugs. Hence the lyric "why can't we not be sober".

anonymous 2008-01-03 01:18:19    

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I agree with the first interpertation up to this point..
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
And why can't we drink forever?
I just want to start this over

After this I believe the song takes on a different speaker. The new speaker in the song would be drugs, and these drugs are giving you the truth to them...

I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
I will work to elevate you
Just enough to bring you down

... They will definitely raise your spirits but in the end they will bring you down and destroy your mind and body.

T_REV 2008-01-16 08:25:24    

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Haha Maynard isn't even that literal in the most of the song. why can't we not be sober?... most of you are saying it's "yeah lets be drunk." Maynard isn't that literal with the whole drunk thing. yes he may mean drunk but not in the traditional sense. maybe being drunk on something else. like power. He could be saying that why can't we all have this power, this power to go back and right wrongs in the past

anonymous 2008-03-24 23:51:18    

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I think that this album seems like a concept album of someones life; with each song having a deeper meaning.

anonymous 2008-04-18 16:11:07    

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Has anyone else considered the possibility that this song is written through the eyes of a fallen angel? That is what I think of when I hear it... a demon who knows he has no way to redeem himself. He is a slave to his past decisions, and will bring as many souls down with him as he can.

anonymous 2008-04-27 00:11:32    

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Heres an interview with Adam Jones in which he talks about the meaning of the song from his point of view http://toolshed.down.net/articles/text/gsch.mar.94.html

He says "The song and video are based on a guy we know who is at his artistic
best when he's loaded. A lot of people give him shit for that. I don't tell
people to do or not do drugs. You can do what you want, but you have to
take responsibility for what happens. If you become addicted and a junkie,
well, that's your fault."

anonymous 2008-05-10 18:37:42    

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The only one who can interpret the meaning of this song properly is Maynard himself, that's what has fueled my search is Maynard's own description of the song not others opinions.

anonymous 2008-05-11 18:59:44    

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I read about an interview with Maynard where he talked about the inspiration for sober. He knew a musician that was a drug addict and people always criticized his work because he was an addict. It wasn't about Maynard personally.

anonymous 2008-05-12 12:44:47    

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Hey Anonymous 2006-10-06 20:49:20, ever heard of these two great songs by Tool, AEnima and Hush? They're both very good, having little to nothing to do with religion, and, get this, are actually very literal in they're lyrics! I know, crazy right?
I'm tired of anti-religion fanatic dickholes like you assuming every word spoken from Maynard's mouth is naysaying religion, looking down on everyone else as those less intelligent. I am ashamed to know that someone of your caliber of stupidity and ignorance has even heard of the great band Tool.