Tool: The Pot Meaning

Song Released: 2006

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The Pot Lyrics

Who are you to wave your finger?
You must have been out your head.
Eye hole deep in muddy waters,
You practically raise the dead.

Rob the grave to snow the cradle,
And burn the evidence down.
Soapbox house of cards and glass,
So don't go...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Aug 22nd 2014 report

   Jimmy Page made mention of Tool ripping off Led Zeppelin's MO in the use of sacred symbolism (see Zep IV). So here we have a lashing out at Page's hypocrisy as it is well know that Zeppelin ripped off (cozened meaning stolen) the blues (weeping Shades of cozened indigo) of Muddy Waters. Lemon Juice is mentioned in more than one Zeppelin song. It's evident if one follows through on this train of thought who the Kettle is, and who The Pot is. A scathing indictment of Page, and an admission by Tool that there is truly nothing new under the sun, only variations on a theme.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   boobah

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   Jul 24th 2009 report

   okay this is a pretty straightforward one but there is just one major element I want to add.
   The Pot is a three way reference, Everyone knows the Pot calling the kettle black, and of course Cannabis,
   This song is directed at someone who criticized M.'s past illegal drug use but they themselves drink Yage. (or Ayahuasca, google it) This is the easiest and most legal way to go about experiencing the effects of DMT.
   It's a tea, that you spend ten hours brewing in a *POT*, occasionally squeezing fresh lemons into the brew for the right ph level, hence "you got lemon juice up in your eye"
   When it's finished, it is opaque brown and looks like mud. "eyehole deep in muddy waters"
   It is .. if made potent enough, Very hallucinogenic. WAY more than marijuana. Well, it's DMT, Tool fans ought know what that is. "Ganja, P-LEASE, you MUST have been out OF your mind!"
   
   The thing is that may people who choose this way to take DMT excuse it because's "natural" and "healing" and "spiritual" and tribes have been doing it for hundreds of years so they come off very pretentious.
   But it's still drugs.
   
   (my experience with it: Everything I imagined I saw covered in green and purple stripes, PRECISELY like the Alex Grey painting of yellow striped skulls in the 10000 days packaging [except different colors]. This was a few weeks BEFORE I even saw that painting. I was QUITE shocked.)
   

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Oct 26th 2007 report

   Generally speaking it is about hypocrisy.
   "Pissed all over my black kettle" and "The Pot" Referring to the saying; "pot calling the kettle black".
   
   More specifically it's about the hypocrisy of patronizing of marijuana users in the media leading towards unfair prosecution and misconceptions.
   
   "Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent," refers to to a 'Kangaroo Court'.
   
   "Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo,
   Got lemon juice up in your...EYE!" Might mean falsely criticizing and getting away with by "hiding" behind some sort of moral symbolism (e.g.; The Bible, religion, etc).
   
   The Pot might also be a play-on-words, also meaning pot or marijuana
4. anonymous

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   Feb 24th report

   Did you know pointing is rude? Well it is. And you should own up to your mistakes, you shouldn't go around putting blame onto other people. It is just wrong, and in a world where everyone points the blame on someone one else, you're just as guilty as everyone.
   
   So owning up to your mistakes proves you're willing to make up for what you did wrong, if it truly was a mistake and you own up to it, who is really at fault? It was a mistake that you now learned from. Nobody is at fault when someone learns from their mistakes.
   
   What does this song have to do with Marijuana? I don't see it, or governmental stuff. This is just a plain and simple, own up to your mistakes before you're eyehole deep in muddy water. You'll be practically raising the dead.
5. anonymous

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   Dec 11th report

   Tool rocks. I've been all over the lyrics, still I am puzzled. I do not think black kettle is the pot calling the kettle black. I'm still trying to figure that out.This song has so many different alternatives, read into it what you want.
6. anonymous

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   Sep 13th 2020 report

   I think...
   
   It doesn’t matter what I think because ONLY the writer of the song knows what the hell he is saying and meaning with his chosen words.
   
   That’s my two cents, regarding the non-sense, of those sniffing incense. Since my thoughts regarding the song are worthless, anything else I say is useless.
   
7. anonymous

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   Feb 21st 2020 report

   Whatever you think this song is about one thing is made clear above everything else... It's a song about hypocrisy, whether that be democratic or Republic government, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, rich, poor, junkie, teetotalers, innocent or guilty we are all part of the kangaroo Court and all Point fingers, I believe the pot is the hypocritical world in which we live
8. overdrive

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   Sep 9th 2019 report

   When I read these lyrics, I always think of the Salem Witch Trials. The Pot is a witch's symbol. Since no one really was a witch, if you were accused it was nearly impossible to prove you were not one, hence the kangaroo court hung the guilty and the innocent.
   
   The witch trials were not stopped until the governor of the colony's wife was accused. Then the leaders of the colonial government put a stop to it. The government looked the other way until it affected them- eyeballs deep in muddy waters means they refused to see what was happening until then.
   
9. anonymous

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   May 26th 2019 report

   Many of you are right. It can relate to multiple situations but certain words or phrases act as code that reveal the meaning. Tool uses symbolism in words, if that makes sense. Cozened indigo. Cozened= deceitful. Indigo= A plant used to make a dye. The dye can be artificially reproduced using the colors red and blue then adding white. Deceitful red white blue (American flag). The government punishrd those for minor things such as smoking pot. Play on words because it's much deeper than that.The pot calling the kettle black.... They punish while being guilty themselves, in much worse ways than the people they punish. This correlates with kangaroo as in kangaroo court in which when a clear verdict could not be agreed upon they would hang the accused, guilty or innocent. Much more to this song but it would take too long to explain. I'm just trying to clarify on the more complex lyrics people have trouble understanding.
10. anonymous

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    Aug 16th 2018 report

    First of all, just to keep it simple, it's Glaceau, the creators of "Vitamin Water".
    House of cards and Glaceau.
    That's the simplest thing, and no one's gotten that. Not even ONE of the lyric sites! Pathetic! It's sad that I believe we should go no further than that. 1 Put your phone's down 2 Read, preferably the Bible, the Word of God, you know, BASIC INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE LEAVING EARTH!!!!! BIBLE, but WHATEVER, JUST READ!!!!!! 3 Turn the tv off 4 LOVE EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR FLAWS
    My question is, Maynard, beautiful, except, though He loves you, and I see Him trying to show you His grace, you won't see it. I wonder why. You know quotes from the gospel's, but I can tell you don't understand them. You may not realize this, but you are doing his work for Him. LET me give you just One example...
    You've given Him much more glory then most Christians, ha, ha, and lol.
    Just the number of times you say "JESUS" on lol.....eat the elephant, brings folks to Him.....gives Him glory.
    Jesus did say when we believe in Him, we will do greater things then He...John 14:12
    check it out!
    Keep up the good work!
    Faithful servant!
    You'll get the grace, but keep reading. It's nothing you or I could do to find it, like salvation, but if you don't keep reading, you'll never get it. Unfortunately.
    LOVE your creativity.
    Just pray it was Focused on His grace.
    LOVE you, for what it's worth, thanks.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
11. anonymous

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    May 22nd 2018 report

    Who ever wrote the following post possesses the frightening combination of self confidence and stupidity.... Never underestimate the power of a large group of stupid people...
    
    
    convolution,( a user) are you a stupid idiot??? you’re saying tool apposes the democratic party because its built of hypocrisy??? First thing, you’re a brain washed idiot, Second: You do know tool is a democratic band right? Every single one of the members! Before you go out making you idiotic assumptions I suggest you get your facts in line.
12. anonymous

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    Apr 11th 2017 report

    I thought I read somewhere that they were speaking about another coumtry soewhrre in Africa where the government locks a lot people up for weed. And it the soldiers who go out and arrest them. And all the soldiers smoke weed. It was years ago when I read this
13. anonymous

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    Jul 28th 2016 report

    I'm completely perplexed that nobody has mentioned New Orleans and hurricane Katrina. The song has allways screamed the hypocrisys of all the authority figures who neglectfully stood trading accusations and placing blame on each other instead of helping the victims. The Pot being the Lower 9th ward.
14. anonymous

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    Jun 14th 2016 report

    I believe tool are talking about a person in a mosh pit at one of there concerts. That was high on acid (lemon juice up in your eye) that was oblivious to message of tool and caused a ruckus. Going there to be cool and caused problems. Kangaroo juror with the innocent. As simple as that. Difficult to dance to this one till you pull it out, boy. You must of been high.
15. anonymous

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    Dec 23rd 2015 report

    Rob the Grave to Snow the Cradle... Anyone think he may be talking about Rob Graves from Cradle of Filth?
16. anonymous

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    Sep 21st 2014 report

    Love music that makes people THINK!
17. anonymous

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    Jun 29th 2014 report

    I think it's a double entendre, like they said before. Hypocrisy, drugs (weed), the government, mass misleading (media), etc.
18. anonymous

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    Mar 2nd 2014 report

    This song is not about marijuana use nor prosecution of marijuana users. It is about the hypocrisy of New Agers or possibly a particular New Ager. Helena Blavatsky used the phrase "the muddy waters of materialism" or "materiality" multiple times in her writings.
    
    
    “…An ark destined, in a future
    not too distant, to transport the humanity of a new cycle beyond
    the vast muddy waters of the deluge of hopeless materialism.” - “The Beacon of the Unknown”
    
    "When the artificial chilly flame of modern materialism is extinguished for lack of fuel, those for whom the great hope of existence beyond the grave is a vexation, should prepare for the greatest disappointment they could possible have. For out of the deep muddy waters of materiality, a mystic force is rising. It is but the first rustling, but it is a superhuman rustling - it is supernatural only for the superstitious and ignorant! The Spirit of truth is passing now over the face of dark waters; and, in parting them, is compelling them to reveal their spiritual treasures,. and this spirit is aforce that cannot be hindered, and can never, never, be stopped."
    
    I am uncertain of the source of this quote, so I cannot say with certainty that it is authentic.
    
    
    The "weeping shades of cozened indigo" is a reference to the ancient Egyptian udjat eye, with its blue tear running downward.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway