TOOL, Prison Sex | Controversial Tunes 😈🎶

On the 1^st edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, “Prison Sex” by TOOL. 

Bring on the controversy, won’t you? Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows and totally stirred the pot.  The records that grace Controversial Tunes are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  On the 1^st edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, 🎵 “Prison Sex” by 🎙 TOOL. 

“I have found some kind of temporary sanity in this / Shit, blood, and cum on my hands / I’ve come ‘round full circle.” Welp, the excerpted lyrics from the TOOL classic, “Prison Sex,” are chocked-full of controversy for sure. Just take some time to break down these isolated lyrics by the genius 🎙 Maynard James Keenan.  “Temporary sanity” suggests that the character in the song has transformed something insane into sane, which is an inappropriate rationalization.  Furthermore, if you heard no other portion of “Prison Sex,” the following lyric, “Shit, blood, and cum on my hands” suggests a rough and sketchy sexual experience, likely forced.  YIKES!   Then, the confirmation comes as Kennan sings, “I’ve come ‘round full circle,” showing that the abused has now become the ABUSER – a vicious cycle.  Obviously, break down a few select lyrics, and it becomes crystal clear why the 🏆 Grammy-winning metal band had a doozy on their hands with “Prison Sex.”

Of course, look no further than the name: “Prison Sex.” ‘Prison’ itself opens up a can of worms, and then add the sex to it, and a flurry of filthy, troubling thoughts come to mind.  The abuse that happens while inmates are incarcerated is truly unspeakable.  Even if you take literal prison out of it, what about the metaphorical imprisonment from sexual abuse?  For good reason, the 💿 Undertow gem raised eyebrows in 1993 and still raises them today.

“My lamb and martyr, you look so precious
Won’t you, won’t you come on a bit closer
Close enough so I can smell you
I need you to feel this
I can’t stand to burn too long
Release in sodomy
For one sweet moment I am whole.”

As I previously penned about “Prison Sex,” What the actual ‘fizzuck?’ If it still isn’t clear, “Prison Sex” encompasses sexual abuse, specifically child sexual abuse. YUCK! Besides the disturbing tone of the song, the music video, which uses stop motion, proves to be more disturbing than the song itself.  Even with the video not being live action (which I don’t believe would go in the 2020s), what TOOL creates is disturbing, even if it is with good intentions to speak against abuse.  Of course, censorship definitely reared its ugly head. The vicious cycle is masterfully captured in the aforementioned lyrics, as well as the chilling closing lyrics, “My lamb and martyr, this will be over soon / You look so precious, you look so precious.” Anytime you tackle tough subject matter, be prepared for backlash, controversy, and of course, censor-shit… I meant censorship.

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 13 Totally Locked Up, Prison Songs

🎙 TOOL • 💿 Undertow • 🏷 Tool Dissectional / Volcano Entertainment II • 📅 1993

TOOL, “Prison Sex”: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 No. 1 [📷: Aidan Feddersen on Unsplash, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Tool Dissectional / Volcano Entertainment II]