What was it like to see
The face of your own stability
Suddenly look away
Leaving you with the dead and hopeless?
Eleven and she was gone
Eleven is when we waved good-bye
Eleven is standing still (waiting for me)
Waiting for me to free him
By coming home

Moving me with a sound
Opening me within a gesture
Drawing me down and in (showing me where it all began)
Showing me where it all began
Eleven

He was too scarred to realize
You were the voice that's been calling me back home

Under a dead Ohio sky
Eleven has been and will be waiting
Defending his light and wondering
Where the hell have I been?
Sleeping, lost and numb, I'm
So glad that I have found you
I am wide awake and heading home

I wish that I could see you
Turn and run to play
Dreams are fading
Carry my ancient soul, carry me into the light

Aim your body heavenly
Enduring a memory
I'll come to your light
Hold your light
Hold your light where I can see it
High

Hold your light, eleven
Lead me through each gentle step by step
By inch by loaded memory
I'll move to heal
As soon as pain allows so we can
Reunite and both move on together
Hold your light, eleven
Lead me through each gentle step by step
By inch by loaded memory until
One and one are one, eleven
So glow, child, glow
I'm heading back home


Lyrics submitted by implode, edited by Kyralik, kcottle, Devpatchi, fo0bar

Jimmy Lyrics as written by Daniel Carey Adam Jones

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Jimmy song meanings
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  • +17
    General Comment

    Finally, 10 years later, some clarification from the band!

    If you listen to A Perfect Circle's "Judith" and more importantly, Tool's new "10,000 days (Wings for Marie Part 2)", most is explained.

    His mothers name was Judith Marie Keenan. in Judith, Maynard sings 'fuck your god, he's the one that left you broken down and paralyzed'. In 10,000 days, he sings '10,000 days in the fire is long enough, you're going home', 'Judith Marie, unconditional one'.

    Judith Marie suffered for 10,000 days, perhaps from a stroke that left her paralyzed? She died on 18 June 2003. Maynard was born on 17 April 1964, so he was 39.2. 10,000 days is 27.4 years. 39.2 - 27.4 = 11.8. He was 11 years old when it happened.

    Like Jimmy, the track 10,000 days also refers to "holding the light" and the light leading you home. In this track, the light is her gift of guidance and faith in him. Home is heaven.

    Therefore I think Jimmy is about Maynard losing his mother as he knew her. He was young and depended on her. "The face of your own stability". He talks to/of himself (jimmy, eleven) in third person as he is no longer the innocent child he was prior to this event. Half way through the song, "So glad that I have found you" is Jimmy realising that he himself is lost, not her. The person he knew is still with him in the form of the gift of guidance (the light or "loaded memory") she has instilled in him, and he goes on to use it to lead a successful life. "I am wide awake and headed home". There's an ongoing theme in Tool about pain being necessary to advance, and life being that step (best example is Parabol). "Heading home" means living his life, moving forward towards the afterlife. "as soon as pain allows" means as soon as he has learned the lessons of life. "So we can reunite, and both move on together". Maybe the song is about them reuniting back to the state of happy memories, when they become "one" in the afterlife. There's also an ongoing theme of collective consciousness through much of Tools work.

    Anyway, my main point being that Tool's new work surely confirms "he" is mjk and "she" is jmk.

    soakedinsoulon April 29, 2006   Link

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