Sober (Tool song)

"Sober"
Single by Tool
from the album Undertow
Released	1993
Format	Compact Disc, vinyl
Recorded	1992
Genre	Alternative metal, progressive metal
Length	5:05
Label	Zoo Entertainment
Producer	Sylvia Massy, Tool
Tool singles chronology
"Hush" (1993) "Sober" (1993) "Prison Sex" (1994)
Alternative cover Cover for the promotional single.

Sober is a song by American rock band Tool. The song was released as the second single from their debut album, Undertow.

Tool guitarist Adam Jones has stated in an interview that the song is about a friend of the band whose artistic expression only comes out when he is under the influence. "A lot of people give him shit for that," Jones explains. "If you become addicted and a junkie, well, that's your fault."

Writing

"Sober" is one of the earliest songs composed by Maynard James Keenan, with roots dating back to a 1987 live performance (released as Peace Day with his first band, Children of the Anachronistic Dynasty) in which the song was called "Burn About Out". The song contains some lyrics from the first verse of "Sober", with the same basic melody, although the melody is considerably faster and has an instrumental chorus.

The song was recorded by Keenan with Tool for the first time in mid-1991 on a demo tape titled 72826.

Music video

Screenshot of the Sober music video depicting the humanoid being.

A video for "Sober" was made in 1993. It debuted in May of that same year and was directed by Fred Stuhr. It was filmed using stop-motion animation, with the characters' models designed by Adam Jones. The video bears a strong resemblance to the work of the Brothers Quay, however they were not involved with its creation. It was the first of Tool's videos to be made in stop motion, the earlier promo video for "Hush" being live action and featuring all four band members. However, brief flashes of the musicians can be seen near the beginning, as well as a live-action figure twitching and vibrating violently.

The video's protagonist is a small, humanoid being, who lives and sleeps in a rusty room sparsely decorated with a bed, table and chair inside an abandoned mansion. He happens upon a wooden box, which he opens near the beginning. Its contents are kept hidden for the majority of the video's duration, but it seems whatever it is has had adverse effects - there are repeated shots of the humanoid levitating in his chair, and his head and arm vibrating wildly. While experiencing these effects, he ventures through his living quarters and its many corridors.

The climax provides a barrage of imagery and revelations: a figure attached to a wall behind a translucent screen, a sentry of sorts wielding a mobile, robotic cannon and an organic substance flowing through a pipe found in the house. At the end, the box is empty, leaving the viewer to determine its meaning.

Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, during a rare critique of music videos, called it a rip off of the Brothers Quay and stated Tool should be sued for this.

Track listing

Australian and German versions

1. "Sober (album version)"
2. "Bottom (original version live)"
3. "Intolerance (live)"

UK version

1. "Sober (album version)"
2. "Prison Sex"
3. "Intolerance"

Dutch version (Tales from the Darkside)

1. "Sober (album version)"
2. "Undertow (live)"
3. "Sober (live)"
4. "Opiate (live)"
5. "Flood (live)"
6. "Prison Sex (live)"
7. "Jerk-Off (live)"
8. "Prison Sex (live)"
9. "Bottom (live)"

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
Germany	1993	Zoo Entertainment	CD	74321-21849-2
Australia			CD	74321-21849-2
UK			Vinyl picture disc	74321-22043-1
			Promo vinyl	TOOL 001
Netherlands			CD	74321 22604 2

Notable performances and covers

• In August 2006 Kirk Hammett, lead guitarist of Metallica, joined Tool on stage while performing and jammed together with the band at a show in Hawaii.
• In January 2007, at the Big Day Out music festival in Auckland, New Zealand, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian collaborated with Tool for an improvisational version of the song.
• Staind released a live acoustic cover version of the song on their 2006 compilation The Singles: 1996-2006. Another version, from the 2001 Family Values Tour, has also surfaced on YouTube.
• String Quartet Tribute did a classical cover of the song for the album String Quartet Tribute to Tool.
• Breaking Benjamin has performed the song many times live.

References in popular culture

• In an episode of Beavis and Butt-head, the eponymous duo provide commentary on the video. They mock the band's name, but give an otherwise positive review of the video.
• British electronica duo Orbital sampled the song in "Tootled", from their DVD album The Altogether.

Personnel

Tool

• Maynard James Keenan – vocals
• Adam Jones – guitar
• Paul D'Amour – bass
• Danny Carey – drums

Production

• Produced by Sylvia Massy