Maynard James Keenan recently discussed his songwriting process and his feelings about some of his past work with Tool. The comments were made during an appearance on the Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast.
Keenan reflected on the seriousness of his lyrical endeavors across his various projects.
“All of the projects are for me lyrically, they are absolutely serious play. All of it is serious play. It’s all balance. It’s all, there’s something being accomplished,” Keenan said. “I think I failed miserably multiple times on putting some songs together and then you build, you go, ‘Okay that that was stupid. I’m going to I’m going to do better on that next time. And you get caught up in the wrong thing.’”
He went on to explain that some popular Tool songs are difficult for him to perform due to his current perception of their lyrical content.
“There’s some old Tool songs that I don’t like playing them because I just I feel like I failed them. They’re popular songs, but I just feel like I was trying to make a joke and it was a dumb joke. I should have moved on.”
Keenan specifically identified the song “4°” as one he regrets.
“I don’t feel like the lyrics hold up under scrutiny. ‘4°‘ is a stupid song, okay? It’s the way I wrote it. Like it’s just I was trying to f*cking make a butt sex joke and it was just a f*cking… It was dumb,” he stated. “The song’s beautiful. What those guys did, you know, musically is great and I think maybe the melody’s a good melody, but the words are just dumb [laughs.] I don’t know what the f*ck I was thinking. So don’t do that again. Like, you know, fix it and make a song like ‘Stinkfist‘ [laughs].” Keenan’s candid self-criticism highlights a common artistic struggle: reconciling past creative choices with present perspectives. This sentiment has been echoed by many musicians and artists who look back on their early work.
The song “4°” is featured on Tool’s 1996 album, “Aenima.” The album itself is known for its complex themes and intricate musical arrangements.
Tool’s lyrical content often delves into esoteric, philosophical, and critical subjects. This approach has contributed to their dedicated fanbase and their reputation for thoughtful songwriting.
Keenan’s reference to “Stinkfist” suggests a comparison between different lyrical approaches within Tool’s discography. “Stinkfist” is a well-known track from the same album, “Aenima.”
The practice of artists revisiting or reinterpreting older material is not uncommon. Some artists choose to evolve their performances, while others, like Keenan, express a desire to move beyond certain past works.
