Tool - Forty Six & 2 (Lyrics and Meaning)

[MrJARHEAD1996]

so if 46 and 2 chromosomes makes an advanced human, does the 47 chromosomes in someone with down syndrome mean they are more advanced? lol

[XA55A55INX]

@MrJARHEAD1996 Down syndrome is the addition of one chromosome. So 45 and 2. It plays with the way the mind thinks. Which is why people who say that adding two chromosomes won't change anything about the way we think are complete morons.

[MrJARHEAD1996]

@XA55A55INX i dont see what your getting at...

[BriHawk67]

Loved what you did with this. Terrific work. I think a lot of people who don't like Tool simply don't get it. It's just too deep for them. Give them the sex, drugs, and rock and roll and they're happy. Always loved Tool and always will. Keep up the great work. Now if we could just get you to like a better baseball team. ;)

[Ms89er]

i love how you did the lyrics to this, the effects and timing add to it

[iseeu1980]

I know perfectly well what I define as my "shadow". They are those things in my mind that lurks in the background that I can only sense the contours of and never have the guts to face.

[TheodorMorell]

to slow with lyrics....thumbs .........down

[DominicRocksStudios]

wow i never new this song meant t6hat much.thanks man!

[GoongalaGoongala]

I remember being young in the early 90's and believe it or not during those days MTV actually played a wide variety of music videos and that is how I was introduced to TOOL. "Undertow" along with Greenday's "Dookie", Offspring's "Smash", and Soundgarden's "Superunknown" were the first CD's I ever owned.

TOOL remains a favorite today. Their music is deep on every level.

[BWN81394]

when it comes to speaking about the unorthadox TOOL takes the cake

[silverburst79]

i appreciate what your trying to do with these videos , but how do you know your right , the whole point of tool is to interpret it how you like ........ i remember adam jones saying people used to come up to him and talk about opiate and say that song saved their lives praise god , and hes like " ok cool ".............i just think by you doing these vids your robbing people of their own chance to sit down and make up their own mind what its about .good job though

[Catarouxx]

@silverburst79 Well, hes not robbing anyone of anything. You and I both have free will. We don't have to listen to what he says as 100% truth. We could just say "No, you're an asshole. I'm gonna go think up my own meaning."

[silverburst79]

@Catarouxx yeah true , but the way the net is these days , some people will come on here and check tool out before they buy an album , your dead right you dont have to listen to this video , but i just found it special listening to tool and slowly over the years getting my head around certain songs .. i didnt mean offense to him 

[METALhead3773]

I was going to make an arrow to the knee joke but then I grew a pair.

[9rmetal]

tool defines a new concept in music

[gringochucha]

Insert sarcastic troll comment here.

[SliderBlackrose]

"Muscle Memory" refers to the patterning of our muscles to react in the same way every time an event occurs. The same reason that martial artists repeat the same drills over and over, so that in a real conflict they don't think...they react.

[33centpanties]

I gotta say man, if anyone out there is planning on making a lyrical video then THIS is the man you want to emulate. No stupid ass frilly shit, no "funny" remarks in a gotdamn bubble; just an extremely clean recording with a black screen which follows the rhythm as it displays READABLE TEXT. Wow, what a difficult formula for success... Cardfan? Well done, sir, on your artistic creation as well as the insightful, CONCISE interpretation of the lyrics. You win the internet.

[lithium2370]

this song needs to be in an art museum

[YewTube2025]

Two people are too afraid to confront their Shadow..

[painkilla64]

46 chromosomes and the next stage of evolution adds 2 thts freaking awesome

[TheBillynasty]

@painkilla64 Adding to 2 more chromosomes to our DNA will pratically make us superhuman... Listen to the ending verse, that's what he talks about

[goodtobefree11]

Thanks for breakin that down for me bro. GO CARDS!!!

[ThePlanetHorizon]

Love it!

[justin20111000]

fucking love this song and band

[mingalomars]

Music with substance...what a concept!

[WeSkate4food]

I can`t get enough of your tool post hope to see even more you sir are a talented person!

[zerocoolerrr]

i dont care about the lyrics..just listen the sound in harmony..

[thatsonofourgod]

@zerocoolerrr wow

[1115WOLF]

I feel like this has a very atheistic theme, but I have actually had times when I have prayed to God, listening to this song... It, to me, reminds me that I am not everything that I could be, and that I need to strive to improve myself, and everything I try to do. My exercise, running and stretching; all push me to newer physics. I study art, in college and work everyday to try new ways of expressing myself. And I discipline my body away from drugs and alcohol, to keep focused on reality.

[poop53413]

1 person doesn't want Forty Six & 2 moluculie thingys

[HeavyMetalPedal]

Maynard Rules!!!

[ubernoob6]

This is great lyrics video and it needs more veiws than it has, but anyway you did a great job.

[belicki]

the main idea means we should become apes ;-) (since they have 48 chrom). Anyhow, typical Tool song - AMAZING :-) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BusinessButterfly]

Carl Sagan mentioned this as well

[xSxExJordanxWolfex]

Wow that is beyond an amazing video and song, much congrats

[AmethystiaBloodraven]

@cardinalbaseballer5 Thank you so much for this video. I've never been able to properly explain to people the depth of meaning behind the song. And here I find this and you've done it for me. Your explanation was short, to the point, and in layman's terms so anyone can understand it. Much respect.

[lig33t]

amazing. a song with meaning

[DanRooster]

Dude, I really enjoy your insights. I just keep coming back to the individual evolving ... to a personal revolution. Is this song about looking at your "muscle memory" for clues on what needs to be left behind, what needs to be over come to, metaphorically, "step through"--to move on and evolve as a person, to heal, to become a new person. So well done ... it's a breath of fresh air to read an intelligent post on Youtube. Best.

[fineolchinaman]

@DanRooster

Not sure if im statin the obvious,apologies if I am but "stepping through my shadow" refers to the Jungian theory that everyone has a side to their personality that contains all of their negative traits. This is called the shadow. Jung said only by confronting ones shadow - a battle which can end in abolition of the shadow, or consumption by it - can a person hope 2 become spiritually whole. So the stepping through is not so much metaphorical as it is psychological. Hope this helps!

[focusracer30]

I find it pretty cool that you are a fairly young guy and you are able to have an understanding as you do of some very complex lyrics by a very complex man. I've only been a tool fan for about 5 yrs, I'd heard it growing up but didn't pay much attention to it until my friend slid the cd in my car stereo. 130db makes this song even more incredible. I decided to explore the lyrics because I didn't understand them at first. That's when I realized just how much more complex and absolute fucking gen

[CreepyBacon]

@focusracer30 Hes young enough to know what a google search is. Clearly you are not.

[Sirtku99]

I've been listening to Tool since i was 13..i'm 30 now, and I've never read such a comprehensive definitive of any of Maynard's ideologies...Thank you for helping me understand that which was formally incomprehensible.

[cardinalbaseballer5]

youtube[dot]com/watch?v=FYFmta­cJSDM

:)

[kocaelwe88]

@cardinalbaseballer5 I can't see the video, there's some sort of a error, I don't know. Don't worry, I noticed to change 'dot', and I'm interested to see the video, so, ummm, message me, ok? xD

[lithium2370]

@cardinalbaseballer5 wat is the link supposed to go to

[1033killer]

i love how you got 46 & 2 when i have no idea what it is its good to that you make the videos to its great to know what the FUCK he is saying

[Bizibizidis]

Yes,of course,I have the extra 2 chromosomes.

I'm Greek

lol

[BASSxACE]

@Bizibizidis You would be either mentally retarded or just completely fucked up if you didn't have 23 pairs.

[Bizibizidis]

@BASSxACE thanx doctor!

[thuggedwhiteboy]

i love how u set up the lyrics. Great job

[mysticalisland]

i have a question. not to you though, but to the retard that pressed the dislike button. ARE YOU FUCKING CROSSEYED?

[koldkustard]

1 person can't read english...

[302Chevelle]

Dude, that just makes this song so much more understandable now, that was genius you should definetly do more tool songs, thanks man!

[mousey451]

1 dislike. Obviously he/she has no fucking idea who tool is!!!!

[TheDragonluvmusic]

what retard pushed the dislike button?

[raysetiger285]

now i understand why this song is being used in captian america

[Flyfar420]

I listen to the lyrics. and all I can think is that this is about meth haha

[iloveguitar338]

this song would kick ass at the begging of a badass movie.

[yesitsmecraig]

One person is still picking scabs.

[ttooooll24]

Yall are wrong. Maynard was in his high school band, and when he marched on the football field he took 46 steps forward, and 2 to the right to help spell "Lions". He's reflecting on high school. Tool is so simple!!

[deathguy66]

@ttooooll24 ok, whatever dude

[newmetalnow]

Between 2 possibilites, one is right:

- I'm an Idiot.

- I'm really stupid.

I don't understand a shit you all say, but the song is insanely awesome, and that's what matters.

[MichelleLeffert]

Amazing job with the layout of the lyrics and song interpretation. One of the many reasons Tool is one of my favorite bands is because their songs are very in depth and hold a lot of double meaning in them. To me, the "picking scabs" part refers to the subconscious mind going back and torturing a person over the choices and mistakes he or she has made in the past, making a person question whether or not that individual has actually learned from past mistakes and tried to rectify them, or did th

[Goldenn16]

Someone must have 46 -2... Retards...

[metaguru]

the missing whispered intro into the second verse is perhaps this:

JOIN IN MY, JOIN IN MY CHILD, MY

SHADOW MOVES, CLOSER TO MEANING

[23cornchip]

@RADBSC2 i belive i may have done that during chemistry class today... It saddened me deeply

[infoassassin84]

Beautiful interpretation my friend, is time for the zombies to wake up.

[mrbsellers72]

last time i saw tool, maynard asked the crowd "do you believe in time travel? well i do, and heres a song about it." so i take it that the song is about time travel, thats right from the artists mouth. i like your interpretations, keep up the good work! :)

[Digityus]

1 dislike...1? now i'm convinced there are people that go to every video JUST to click the dislike button. They don't watch the vid, or listen to the music..they just click and move to the next one..what a sad existence.

[Stand4Liberty]

Wow. Simply ... wow!

[1986wumpscut]

Wow, I never knew I'd watch an epic lyrics video. XD Great work dude.

[ZombieLiquid]

Probably the most well constructed 'lyric video' I've seen. <3

[duality13x]

love your style for all your lyrics :))

[gmacorp]

1 person did not understand the lyrics even after watching this video.

[pyroberserker]

And as for the Jonas bros thing I'm pretty sure this song came out first so learn the facts

[pyroberserker]

Picking scabs is like you learn from what had happen yet we repeatedly make the same mistake

[99yomomma]

now that you tell me the meaning this song is so deep i can barely comprehend it now. thanks for the desc. (:

[Anonymarine]

See here is what I want to know. Does the character make it through and get above his shadow, or does his shadow swallow him?

[Horticultureric]

Also just a neat little addition to your description, There are 46 Chromosome and each chromosome contains 2 chromatids

[614audiophile]

 Buddha.

[SerafinaP86]

I agree with the majority of your explanation, but muscle memory is actually referring to the memories our bodies hold. As a bodyworker and holistic health practitioner I strive to help people release and process the trauma and memories that are trapped in the tissues of the body. It is truly amazing what the body remembers that the mind does not :)

Thank you for the video :D

[mustangrobert]

....COME DOWN? GET OFF YOUR FUCKIN CROSS? I KNOW THATS ANOTHER SONG BUT DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[mustangrobert]

GET A CLUE!.......This fuckin guy is a PUNK! If i see him on the street, ima bust him in his head! Lol jk.....OR AM I? See i am a tool fan when it counts. These cats are straight going to hell! Why do i say that?........LISTEN TO THE LYRICS IN THEIR SONGS! OMFG man get a CLUE!..DIE DIE DIE!....I really am a nice person............FUCKIN NOT!

[MrLegalizeweed]

@mustangrobert fail troll. You exaggerated too much to fool anyone.

[pbuttandjam]

Nice job, dude or dudette. Everyone should thumbs up this video so more people will see it!

[confiscablesociety]

I love this whole song but my favorite part is between 5:41 and 6:08.

[thepagliaccio]

thanks so much

[RossettaStoned91]

it makes me happy that not a single person has disliked this. bravo people.

[Chesenips980]

@RossettaStoned91 Funny that you mentioned that, now there's one dislike. How ironic.

[RossettaStoned91]

@Chesenips980

i'll kill the bastard haha

[LittleC1991]

Great job on the video and thank you for the desription on what the song mean's...You should do more of these videos there are soo many songs of TooL that i wish i knew the story behind the song lol..I'v been a TooL fan for awhile now and im just starting to see into the lryics and it amazes me...when i first found out the meaning and story of the Lateralus cd and the song i lost my mind....TooL are one of the most creative bands out there and it's so worth the wate of there cd's PLZ more videos

[bjsheafan]

i always thought it was about 46 muscles in your face to smile and 2 to frown....simplistic .. i know... i must be wrong... and uneducated.. great depth to your video.. keep it up !!

[SOADSfetus]

@bjsheafan i think it's actually the other way around (the muscle thing). Tool songs are all about keeping an open mind and having your own opinion. So you're not wrong, but you're also not right.

[RachelMetallica1]

@bjsheafan I though it was two to smile, and 46 to frown, cuz I remember people saying that to get people to smile, saying it was easier to be happy then sad. But hey, I could be wrong.

[RADBSC2]

I believe Maynard may have had and experience similar to one I once had with my own subconscious when he wrote this song. I've only been able to do it once in many many tries but there is a point just between consciousness and sleep or unconsciousness that you can step through the shadow into your own subconscious. It was one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me but I had no idea what to do with it. I still wouldn't but I still try to get back there every night.

[MetalChilli]

@RADBSC2 thats called being high dude, you probably deprived your brain of oxygen for a short amount of time and then passed out, you can do it to yourself anytime but its nothing compared to getting stoned

[Mikahel1142264]

I've took a look on the Carl Jung's «Shadow Theory» for be pleased and care to learn a little more about. I still think than sometime, we need to get some help in the deeper of our shadow... in the deeper of mine too ...

[Damianblazed]

awesome song and awesome defination of the concept, theory, and meaning my understanding was exactly the same as yours and when i explained it to family and friends they looked at me like i was on crack, oh and you do a good job at making your lyrics fun.

[Orficedestroyer]

eh? that statement makes absolutely no sense

[MrLegalizeweed]

This is a blatant ripoff of the jonas brothers

[sayhi87]

@MrLegalizeweed hahahaha! you're kidding right?

[4602max]

@maverickX54 how you did this

[4602max]

truly...and you have more chance to obtain this cromosoms when you born when your mother have advanced age(it s when happs a cromosomic disorder for good or bad fortune)and if is acumuled when you re the 7th. son you should be a different kind of person...but a great bless is a great curse to...

[MrOnline021]

Perfect explanation ;) thnx dude ;)

keep it up

[StoopidGinger]

you know what is awesome? In AP english we read Siddhartha and I had to come up with an essay topic...and I was listening to this song and remembered that it was about Carl Jung's "shadow theory", and then also remembered that one of the topics was the how Carl Jung's theories related to the novel...so this song basically gave me my idea on writing about the process of individuation and how one must overcome the anima and shadow to integrate conscious with unconscious to finding the true self =)

[StoopidGinger]

@StoopidGinger

fuck typos. haha

[itslikesexinyoears]

@StoopidGinger A month ago, I graduated from high school thanks to an A I got at my english essay inspired by Tool's Vicarious and Reflection. I totally feel you.

[wingsforangelamarie]

THIS VIDEO IS ONE OF THE ONLY ONES I HAVE SEEN ON YOUTUBE THAT HAD NO ONE DISLIKE IT! :D NICE WORK!

[themejestic]

ohhh my god this song rapes ass...i replayed the begining over and over and i like what you did with the song and title name,,,well placed editing

[themejestic]

ohhh my god this song rapes ass

[WoodRatGirl]

cardinalbaseballer5 + Tool = AWESOME! ;)

[hillbilly8757]

Thanks for breaking this down completely for me. I had a feeling it was about something like that. I'm not a die hard fan of Tool in the aspect of my walls aren't littered with their posters, I don't knew all of their songs and albums, and if you pop quizzed me on the band, I would surely fail. But this song resonated with me, and I was looking for definitive proof of the song meaning.

[imrightandwrong]

Now this is a song worth interpretation. Well done!

[WoodRatGirl]

Philosophical + Progressive = Tool.

[TheLivirus]

@WoodRatGirl I'd say: Philosophical + Progressive + Artistic

...as they are known to combine their music with a whole lot of art.

[WoodRatGirl]

@TheLivirus

You're better at math than me lol.

[TheLivirus]

@WoodRatGirl Haha im the mathematical equivalent of GrammarNazi! :D

[WoodRatGirl]

@TheLivirus

Haha awesome xD

[zzzonezz]

All good but...

"Opiate" best tool album.

[lovergirl1971]

Thank you cardinalbaseballer5 for all the awesome video lyrics and explanations. I was a casual listener to Tool until a few days ago - boy was I missing out.

[saalo]

simply great..

[Derby2009city]

Awesome love the way u do the Tool songs

[MrDodonas]

first day i hear tool and i am really amazed. unique band. and all your videos cardinalbaseballer5 are rocking!!!

[TheRaisedFist29]

@maverickX54 That of which we are afraid of is what thrills us the most (; Any idea how you did this?

[LordSetsuke]

@TheRaisedFist29 druggss. xD

tool rocks hard. there is so much meaning behind their songs.

[JohnTightlips]

The creation of a new pair of chromosomes would be very complicated and evolution does not necessarily happen that way. Also more chromosomes does not mean advancement. I think you need to focus on the and 2 part and not the 46.

[ZeroOdyssey]

@maverickX54 shut up danny your stupid

[xxhatealllovenone]

3:10 - 4:10 i belive it all refer's to the hunger of our understanding and also the secrects and wonders to behold about what our muscles and shadow , the theorys of carl jungs and also the theory of 48 chromo. that all has been explained by looking through our muscles memory and also through our own shadow it self.

but then again thats my opinion on the subject hahaha keep up the good work and understanding of tool songs , some of it is kinda hard to decifer at times and understand. :P

[SnowMidgit]

you do good work my friend love it keep on with it ;)

[party6panda]

Been my favorite song since i was 4

and I still love it at 17:)

[MrRaychris]

dude ur awesome i luv tool!!

[ThePyrohazard953]

The fact that the words are all in small segments and in sync with the song make it real easy to remember :D TOOL! ¡LOOT

[MrBlindymcgee]

I love these. Tool's song are hella confusing. This clears up a lot, thanks.

[Blickstead]

Love TOOL. =)

[1500DF]

just throwing out there, but there's prob notmuch to say about it, but if ur bored someday you should see what u can do with "sober", one of my faves man

[1500DF]

also schism prob has some deep meaning to it, i have some good memories of listening to that song in me pa's garage when i was little

[DeviantStudios]

that's great, i never knew what he whispered at the beginning..Thanks!

[3283gieni]

where the hell are the ratings for the videos?? cant seem to find them

[RVDX54]

Since I know your working on Parabola cause of all the comments, afterward can you do Jambi?

[MeteoraCyst]

Oh, okay thanks I'll try it out some time!

[MeteoraCyst]

What program are you using? I'm using iMovieHD but it's my school's laptop..

[cardinalbaseballer5]

@MeteoraCyst

iMovie :D

[Orficedestroyer]

@cardinalbaseballer5 what is the meaning behind picking at scabs? if you know

[Fourteen88SoCal]

@cardinalbaseballer5 lol love your videos....at least you make READING lyrics fun and entertaining lol

[garrett200000]

@MeteoraCyst some humans do have 48 chromosomes, its called down syndrome

[664bb]

@garrett200000 They have 47 chromosomes...

[garrett200000]

@664bb i asked my science teacher and he said they have 48 chromosomes

[Braedzzz]

@garrett200000 well i guess your teacher is an idiot... downs is also called Trisomy 21, because there is three chromosomes instead of two in the 21st pair, giving the person 47 chromosomes. I feel bad for you and whoever else had your teacher.... because he/she obviously doesnt know anything.

[garrett200000]

@Braedzzz that might be true

[MrChecker789]

@garrett200000 Gorrillas have 48 chromosomes my friend.

[garrett200000]

@MrChecker789 i already knew that

[tlazur]

@garrett200000 47 is right they only have an extra chromosome and 48 would be our next step in our long history of evolution. Which is why, I think, how those that suffer from down's syndrome have semi-psychic abilities. Rain on rain man

[stinsteren]

@garrett200000 47

[ford371j2]

I have a different understanding of the meaning of the title, "46 and 2". Humans have 44 autosomes and 2 sex chromosomes...44 and 2. Adding 2 more autosomes to our dna for the next stage. Making it 46 and 2. Just an opinion.

[Aiirotsuki]

Thnx dude, your awesome ^.^

[Vorhias]

Are you planning to do one on Parabola? I'd love to see your take on that song.

[xXReaper106Xx]

Awesome! Thanks I didn't understand this song at all. :D

[Aiirotsuki]

you have got to make a video with parabola...

[mizzoufanatic5]

good point good sir ;)

[mizzoufanatic5]

3:19-3:32= \mm/

:)

[mizzoufanatic5]

that was sexy ;)

[TheAwesome1208]

Not as sexy as your sister.