Off of Tool’s debut album Undertow, “Bottom” is about somebody who’s hit rock bottom from somebody or something that has tragically devastated them.
[Verse 1: Maynard James Keenan]
Compassion is broken now
My will is eroded now
Desire is broken now
It makes me feel ugly
[Chorus: Maynard James Keenan]
On my knees and burning
My piss and moans are fuelling
I set my head on fire
Smell my soul is burning
[Verse 2: Maynard James Keenan]
I'm broken, looking up to see the enemy
And I have swallowed the poison you feed me
But I survive on the poison you feed me, leaving me
Guilt-fed, hatred-fed, weakness-fed
It makes me feel ugly
[Chorus: Maynard James Keenan]
On my knees and burnin'
My piss and moans are fuelling
I set my head on fire
Dead inside
[Refrain: Maynard James Keenan]
Shit adds up, shit adds up, shit adds up
Shit adds up at the bottom
[Spoken interlude: Henry Rollins & Maynard]
If I let you, you would make me destroy myself
In order to survive you, I must first survive myself
And I can sink no further and I cannot forgive you
There's no choice but to confront you
To engage you
To erase you
I've gone to great lengths to expand my threshold of pain
I will use my mistakes against you
There's no other choice
Shameless now
Nameless now
Nothing now
No one now
But my soul must be iron
'Cause my fear is naked
I'm naked and fearless
And my fear is naked
[Outro]
Dead inside, dead inside
Dead inside, dead inside
Nameless now, shameless now
Nothing now, no one now
Shit adds up, shit adds up
Shit adds up, shit adds, as you see me
Naked now, fearless now
Naked now, fearless now
Shit adds, shit adds
Shit adds, shit adds up, it leaves me
Dead inside, dead inside
Dead inside, dead inside
[Outro]
Hatred keeps me alive
Ugliness keeps me alive
Weakness keeps me alive
Guilt keeps me alive at the bottom
Bottom was written by Henry Rollins & Adam Jones & Maynard James Keenan & Paul D’Amour & Danny Carey.
Bottom was produced by Sylvia Massy.