This song seems to be about aging and facing the end of one's life. "Long in tooth" means old, and the allusion to Ponce de Leon's fountain of youth suggests chasing immortality (a false hope). Maynard is in his 50s now, and I suspect many at that age really start to consider their own mortality.

The "warrior" the song references is still proud, but his armor is "wearing thin." He is now looking backwards to past victories and hoping for just one more victory to remain relevant. The truth (he is growing old) never got in his way before, but it is now, thus the "tear in my eye" (this is what I hear instead of "apple of my eye).

As in the case of many other Tool's lyrics, it is possibe to find many interpretations of these words.

In my opinion, however, these words are intimately related to their career and the struggle to create a new album. You need to imagine yourself in their shoes: an almost revered (at least by their fans) band, tremendously creative and original. Probably, you were aware of this, and thus you were also "bold and proud". Now you have to produce a new album, after 13 years. when you are 50 years old, with the weight of enormous expectations. But your boldness, your proudness and your (creative) strength are definitely more nuanced than before.

Well, if you accept this perspective, these words seems the confession of a band once "invincibile", now fighting again, but definitely less confident in its weapons than before. And indeed, the whole album seems a fight to remain "relevant" and "consequential" with their career.

This is clearly my opinion, probably influenced by a global judgement of their new creation. But I feel these words much more genuine if interpreted like this, rather than looking for "abstract" meanings, that of course are legit and can be found in their words.

And, in the end, I think that these words show one of many the red lines that you can find in Tool's career, that is that behind the sophistication of their music, there has always been the commitment to convey genuine ideas and thoughts. And for sure, in this, they've remained "relevant and consequential".

Feeling time bearing down. Bearing down.

I feel there is a reason this is repeated. The Warrior has been struggling against Time, longing for another Win, coming to face his Mortality, and wondering if he will obtain any more similar memories he is revisiting, or if he is at the End of the Road, those memories being all he should have made for himself in his Life.

I like what the user above posted, that he imagines the Third part of the song to be the Warrior in this Final Battle he has been longing for, and his Sword crushing his enemies. This is where the Warrior, instead of resisting Time, has entered into its mechanism of operation, and become One with it. Thus He is now Bearing Down upon his Enemies, the way Time, which is truly Invincible, was bearing down upon him and closing the gap between he and his mortality.

Now the Warrior has Become the Arbiter of Mortality. He has now Become as well, Truly Invincible by entering into, and operating within that which is Invincible & Eternal: Time.

I love this song, this part especially. Time is Inescapable, slow plodding and heavy operation that is under the Domain of Saturn, who holds the Sickle, whom None can Resist. Thus, again, the Warrior has Become this Arbiter of Mortality.

The proper understanding of this song is Truly an Inoculation against Fear: the Fear of Old Age and Death of the Self (which is actually Eternal). A Great Warrior may do Deeds of which shall be Spoken of for Ages after he departs the physical shell which he was Incarnated into.

Consider how we still discuss the deeds of Great Warriors like Cyrus the Great, Geronimo, Others. Yet you must heed the advice - you cannot resist true Power that is Greater than You - you must Enter into It.

By Becoming One with It, only then can you gain some sense of its Operation, and control it in such a way as to Overcome It.

Just my 2 cents.

A BEAUTIFUL song about getting old, and wanting to still fight the fight. Absolutely AMAZING. There are songs on all of TOOL's Albums that I relate to and feel the internal "struggle". So far, Pneuma and Invincible have BLOWN ME AWAY.

Anyone else hear sexual undertones with the lyrics 'Weapon out and belly in'?

I think one of the key themes is grappling with a sense of inadequacy and losing the sense of invincibility of young adulthood.

There’s two meanings to this song:

1: Is referred to above. It’s an overall feeling of the band after near 30 years. That expectation to produce on worn out bodies and bones.

2: The feeling of one who’s gone through the motions, oh so many times. We all live out our lives in what seems like a never ending daily routine. We’re tired. We’re old. Yearning to be what we once were yet time is bearing down. We fight a losing battle to maintain our youth of which disappears every passing day..

Ego Death

Dude. It's about getting older and not being ready to give up on being young.

As a combat wounded veteran, this song has great meaning. In my youth at 19 years of age, I felt invincible even after being wounded. Now I am 51, and this song hits home. I know other veterans must feel the same way, especially after a couple of Jamesons and listening to this song.

When I listen to this song a direct literal meaning seems to be about going to battle once again. I see the song has 3 separate pieces; getting ready for battle, traveling to battle and the battle itself. I picture a warrior from sometime in the middle ages, once again gearing up for battle and attempting to pump himself up. He's been to battle many times before and he questions his abilities now to accomplish what must be. When the song changes the first I envision a man on a horse along with his men charging to battle, first slow, but then faster and faster until the reach the battle. The 3rd piece is the actual battle and when I hear Maynard screaming I imagine a wielding sword striking his foes. I feel that Maynard feels that even in victory comes further thoughts about our mortality.

Of course the way Maynard writes for a broader interpretation. The song is perfect for this new album, an album where the critics are asking 'do they still have at?" A perfect song to answer that question because not only is it such a monumental song, a Tool song through and through, but it charges directly toward that point. This battle will be won, the album will live up to the hype & life will go on...until next time. I believe Tool fans will be very pleased with what's to come and this song, along with "Descending", is the perfect into to what comes next. We all must realize that at some point every band finds the end of the road, but I believe Tool & Maynard has a ways to go.