Stinkfist

Infobox Single
Name = Stinkfist


Artist = Tool
from Album = Ænima
Format = Promo CD
Genre = Progressive metal
Length = 5:09
Label = Volcano Records
Writer = Tool
Producer = David Bottrill
Chart position = * #17 (U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks)
* #19 (U.S. Modern Rock Tracks)
Last single = "Sober"
(1993)
This single = "Stinkfist"
(1996)
Next single = "H."
(1997)

"Stinkfist" is a 1996 song by American rock band Tool. It was the first single and music video from their second full-length album, "Ænima". Due to its name and perceived subject, the song had its lyrics altered and its title changed by TV [cite book
title = Nu-Metal: The Next Generation of Rock and Punk
author = Joel McIver
publisher = Omnibus Press
date = 2002-05-01
isbn = 978-0711992092
pages = 137
accessdate = 2007-04-08] and radio programmers, who also shortened the track.

Interpretation

During an interview, Keenan stated that the song is titled after a friend of drummer Danny Carey who "isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty." He also stated that it can be interpreted as being about "fist-fucking" but "if [you] really look at it and really look at us and who we are, [you'll] understand that we go a little deeper than some write-off song about fist-fucking." [cite web | last =Makin | first =Robert | title =Tool: Things Are Going to Work Out | work =Aquarian (NJ) | date = 1996 | url =http://toolshed.down.net/articles/text/aquarian.xxx.96.html | accessdate =2007-06-09 ] Fisting is in actuality a metaphor for the real cause of ailment. [cite journal
url = http://toolshed.down.net/articles/index.php?action=view-article&id=February_1997--Livewire.html
title = Angry Jung Men!
author = Loraine Gennaro
journal = Livewire
volume = 7
issue = 3
date = February/March 1997
accessdate = 2008-01-30
format = transcription]

Keenan would introduce the song during the "Ænima" tour as "about choosing compassion over fear."

Music video

The music video for "Stinkfist" was created with stop-motion animation techniques, and was directed by the band's guitarist Adam Jones (who had previous experience in art direction and animation). It focuses on a race of sand people who suck on tubes and swallow nails and wires that apparently hurt them and are ejected from their bodies, after which they are put in jars and treasured. Another race of mutants has entrails that are plugged into a wall. At least one reviewer compared the visuals to the works of H. R. Giger. ["The Right Tool for a Video Job" from the New York Daily News January 19, 1997. Accessed from [http://toolshed.down.net/articles/index.php?action=view-article&id=January_1997--New_York_Daily_News.html] ]

The video achieved heavy rotation on MTV, although it was shown only with the title "Track #1" instead of "Stinkfist". MTV reasoned that "Stinkfist" is too offensive for public consumption.cite web | url=http://toolshed.down.net/video/stinkfist/track1.html | title=The "Track #1" Fiasco | accessdate=2006-03-06 | author=Kabir Akhtar | format=TXT] Matt Pinfield, the host of "120 Minutes", responded on air to the lot of email complaints from fans by saying there was nothing he could do about it. While he said "if you don't know the name of the song, go out and buy the album," he was waving his fist in front of his face. When introducing the video, VJ Kennedy would also sniff her clenched fist dramatically before saying "Track #1". The video has been placed at number 6 in a recent feature on Scuzz of viewer's top 50 music videos of all time, and number 1 in its list of the "Top 10 Most F*ckedUp Videos".Fact|date=June 2008

Live performance

Throughout 2001–2002, the band played an extended version of the song, adding lyrics from "Suspicious Minds" from Elvis Presley. Maynard sings, "Caught in a trap, Can't walk out. Because I need you too much baby. Why can't you see, what you're doing to me? Because you love me too much baby." [ [http://toolshed.down.net/faq/faq.html The Tool FAQ ] ] Since 1997 the band has extended the song when played live with an additional breakdown and guitar solo; however, during recent tours, the band has omitted the mid-song extension from some of their performances.

References

External links

* [http://toolshed.down.net/faq/faq.html The unofficial Tool FAQ]
* [http://www.lyricinterpretations.com/lookat.php/bands/tool/e1a7bec6a3e403f Stinkfist interpretations]