Tool - The Pot (Lyrics and Meaning)

The idea of this song is not marijuana. Anyone could figure that out if they looked even an inch past the title.

This song is about hypocrisy, specifically in Kangaroo Courts. Also the government and lawmakers in general. Kangaroo Courts are just referred to in the song specifically.

Kangaroo Courts were much more popular in older times, but we still have them today. It's a court case in which the accused is considered guilty before he really gets a fair trial. Now, who is the government and the court system to say that person is guilty of a crime while they are committing a crime themselves (Who are you to wave your finger)? Hypocrites.

Kangaroo courts in the older days typically dealt with pot dealers and smokers.

All the references to eyes ("Eyehole deep in muddy waters", "Got lemon juice up in your eye", "Weeping shades of indigo") all refer to the hypocrite being blinded by something or another and not being able to see the obvious: he's a "fuckin' hypocrite".

Lemon juice makes you shut your eyes

Indigo is known to represent intuition and spiritual knowledge. The hypocrite is weeping away their intuition and knowledge, until they don't even realize their own hypocrisy.

"When you pissed all over my black kettle, you must've been high"

You're the pot calling the kettle black and putting him down for it, or "pissing" on him. And it's obviously not with straight thinking or intuition that you did this. The lyrics here could either mean literally high, or maybe "you must've been high" just means "you were being crazy and unreasonable". Or both. Hell, I don't know. Ask Maynard.

By the way, here's the definition of "cozen" ("You're weeping shades of cozened indigo"):

1. To mislead by means of a petty trick or fraud; deceive.
2. To persuade or induce to do something by cajoling or wheedling.
3. To obtain by deceit or persuasion.

Sorry this explanation is scattered, random, and hard to follow. It's because these lyrics are very vague in some areas, and they can be interpreted differently. I did my best in giving the obvious meaning of the song, and some of the probable meanings to certain lyrics. Feel free to share anything else you're thinking that I don't have :)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• tool
• pot
• 10000
• days
• stinkfist
• lateralus
• schism
• vicarious
• sober

[BFMVHeadbanger]

Best songwriter ever

[Javo2357]

The pot in the song is the judicial kangaroo courts/lawyers mentioned "looking in the mirror" and the accusing "the kettle" (other ppl that may not necessarily be guilty) of what they themselves are actually guilty of :P

[TheKaustiq]

wat he mean by kangaroo?

[69Acolyte69]

Brilliant interpretation of the song, this guy knows his shit!

[juliekatona1]

I listen to this at least once a day. It reminds me of all the HYPOCRITS out there!!!!!!!!!!

[juliekatona1]

I wonder why ratings have been disabled? I was giving a good one!!!!!!

[Albunctious]

I think instead of head it's hair. Listen really closely

[tickedoffnow]

This song has more than 1 Meaning.

Maynard's Song-Writing Style is based around more than person/subject.

[JobForaBlackDahlia]

@JellayToasT o.O you fucking kidding me?



[JellayToasT]

@demonzrock666 when you go from schism to this, u notice the difference, i like it a lot, it just sounded weird at first compared to his other style of singing

[Javo2357]

@CamelotFitzpatrick Basically. Not all lawyers and judges abide the law completely..and that is the way it seems in the song, except that they're in charge of putting others in jail, which wouldn't be right if they happened to be the same or worse

[CamelotFitzpatrick]

@Javo2357 So.. basically, they're being hypocritical?