# For those that have never heard the song "10000 Days" (Tool) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770 "2010-06-19T12:35:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/1 "2010-06-19T12:35:43Z")
I’ve long been a fan of this song, but last night was the first time I took a quality pair of headphones, turned off the lights, and lost myself in the song. I was inspired enough to listen to it again this morning and write this. I hope, even if the music isn’t your preferred genre, that it’ll give you an appreciate for this amazing song. The music demands your complete attention, and also a fair amount of patience, as the song is a little over 11 minutes long. It’s meticulously engineered, with layered vocals harmonizing from several angles. When the drums finally pick up you can hear them wrap around your head. **Background:** This song is composed by a man who has spent his career hating many (if not most) aspects of religion, especially evangelists and people like L Ron Hubbard. 1992’s “Opiate,” began with this: > [@](#): > > Choices always were a problem for you. > What you need is someone strong to guide you. > Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow, > what you need is someone strong to guide you.. 8 years later you realize in the song Judith the source of his angst. When he was 11 years old, his mother’s brain aneurysm caused her to become paralyzed, confining her to a wheelchair for the final 27 years of her life (approximately 10,000 days). In Judith (named after his mother, Judith Marie) he releases his anger: > [@](#): > > Fuck your God > Your Lord and your Christ > He did this > Took all you had and > Left you this way > Still you pray, you never stray > Never taste of the fruit > You never thought to question why **10,000 Days:** This song is actually the second half of the composition Wings for Marie. The previous song ended with MJK at his mother’s funeral, asking her what he’s supposed to say in his eulogy: > [@](#): > > Please forgive this selfish question, but > What am I to say to all these ghouls tonight? > … 10000 days begins with him cynically listening to the religious people in the church: > [@](#): > > 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. > … He tells his mother “None of them can even hold a candle up to you.” He then changes the subject, and tells his mother that she gave him a gift: He now compares his mother to those have ascended to sainthood: He then concludes the song, and reconciles his past beliefs: > [@](#): > > Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescence. > Difficult to see you in this light. > Please forgive this bold suggestion, but > 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.” The song ends with a faint sound of wings alternating left and right. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/2 "2010-06-19T13:15:13Z")
Mods - I realized I’m most likely in violation of the board’s song lyrics quoting policy - I did quote a whole lot of the song. If you want to delete some of the quotations please feel free to pick & choose. Here’s a link to the full version I posted on my facebook page: > **[Design โลโก้ นามบัตร](https://www.facebook.com/iamgoth#!/notes/jason-crispell/appreciating-the-song-10000-days-by-tool/130538683633471)** > > Design โลโก้ นามบัตร. 20 likes. Local business ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/3 "2010-06-19T17:04:05Z")
I don’t have a facebook account and I wasn’t about to register and all that shit. But I found a link to [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frd9tjA1qCs). I’m pretty certain a mod will find this thread and chop the hell out of your [lyrics.](http://toolshed.down.net/lyrics/10kdayslyrics.php) ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/4 "2010-06-19T17:42:10Z")
Thanks, **PetW**. I will have to do this later tonight. I love Maynard, and Tool is one of my favorite bands. I saw them live at Bonnaroo in 2007, and the experience was transcendent. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/5 "2010-06-19T20:10:31Z")
Please feel free to report my original post so a moderator can fix it. **Aesiron** , I’m glad that you liked it. I realized today that I have had an epiphany, and I’ve posted about it [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=567784) ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/6 "2010-06-19T21:07:00Z")
I got tickets to Tool for July 16 here in Vegas. Looking forward to it, because the two greatest concert experiences of my life were Tool and A Perfect Circle. Something unexplainable happens to Maynard when you hear him live, and songs that didn’t even register on my radar before become powerful and moving. I had to catch my breath after “Blue”, and “Lateralus” left me completely stunned. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/7 "2010-06-19T21:13:22Z")
I used to listen to TOOL a lot back in the 90s when I was but a **Slit** of a girl. I always loved them and got so into some of their songs, so I plan to check this one out later when I can give it my full attention. I haven’t listened to a huge range of stuff (mostly when I think of them I think of AENima), but this is inspiring me to give them more of a listen again. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/8 "2010-06-19T21:56:09Z")
PetW, I just realized my post may have come off a bit glib. I actually read and appreciated your entire OP. Then, I thought the mods might get at it and that others may not be able to see your facebook page like I can’t. So I linked to video and lyrics. Wanted to clarify that. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/9 "2010-06-20T00:29:28Z")
**Nzinga,** I took it as you intended, don’t worry. In case you guys missed my other thread, later today I posted a thread about an “epiphany” I had after listening to this music and playing volleyball. Turns out I was having an adverse reaction to a medication, and had an episode of mania/euphoria. I wrote this OP when I was just starting to go into the episode. 6 hours later I thought that I had started a new religion. Pretty crazy, huh? Anyways, I’m glad you guys enjoyed the product of my strange reaction. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/10 "2010-06-20T01:04:29Z")
I’ve edited down the lyrics in the OP. As it turned out, no one reported the post – please, folks, when you see that people are quoting excessive chunks of copyrighted material, could you please hit the little exclamation-point-in-a-triangle and report the post? Thanks, **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/11 "2010-06-20T01:04:42Z")
I wonder how many religions were started because someone was having a strange reaction to some berry or herb they ate? I for one love to hear people express themselves when they are…not themselves. Fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/12 "2010-06-20T01:59:55Z")
The reaction didn’t seem so adverse to me, and I wasn’t quite myself when I saw them in 2007, as well. It adds to the experience. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/13 "2010-06-20T20:25:18Z")
Love Tool, and they are definitely my favourite band to see in concert. It really is a whole other world created with the music and stage lights; I sometimes wish I could recreate that at home! I’m not sure why, but I always took 10 000 days to be much more cynical and sarcastic than how you seem to have experienced it. I guess I’ll have to give it another listen and try and hear it the way you did. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-that-have-never-heard-the-song-10000-days-tool/543770/14 "2010-06-21T15:09:42Z")
I’ve been going to concerts for about 25 years. I’ve seen Tool five times. Last time I saw them was the first time I’d gotten a chance to hear 10,000 Days live. I have never in my life been moved to tears at a metal show, or even at any previous Tool shows. By the time the band got to Part II, there I was, crying like a little bitch, tears _streaming_ down my face. That right there is some powerful music.