Forty Six and 2 Lyrics Interpreted by an AI Text-to-image Generator

I ran the lyrics of this great song through an AI text-to-image generator (Midjourney) to see what it would spit out. I did add some additional prompts after the lyrics to get images that I felt fit the themes of the song. I interpret the song to be about advancing to the next stage of human evolution. No one knows what (or if) that will be, but it certainly is an interesting concept.

[@iansmith3261]

the energy this song emits is insane...specially the last guitar licks...just intense.

[@grimmhammertv3365]

the grudge is one of my personal favs for this same reason, it just goes so hard towards the end

[@JosephWilhoit-ef6nl]

Maynard is a absolute lyrical genius how he he writes lyrics is God tier plus an amazing vocalist

[@joshuareed-lk8vg]

Him and Hank Williams..The Best Ever!!

[@pappabrocc]

hey i didnt know this for the longest time, but the entire band co writes the lyrics together!

[@insanepykl3603]

Lately he wakes up and writes with his morning coffee. Ordering a bottle from his vineyard soon

[@LuxHM]

@@pappabroccabsolutely not

[@Roddheel-ih5ki]

AN absolute

[@robertnesta-10-37]

In the 90s, not so many talking about doing shadow-work, Maynard was.

[@ColmWhelan]

AEnima - AEon + Anima maybe?

[@johnjay9404]

It's Jung's way of saying, "Know Thyself."

[@hadara69]

I love Maynard (and Tool), but honestly I think that depends where you live(d) and who you were hanging with then. I was in my 20s and believe me, this sort of talk was common among some of the New Agey types I knew. It may have been more of an “LA thing”, but everyone I knew who was an Artist like me was ALSO into “spiritual work” and not necessarily focused on the dogmatic religious aspects. “The Shadow” is a Jungian concept that was obviously explored in psychological and acedemic circles for decades, but in the 90s LOTS of creatives were hip to it and allowed these distinctions to help them grow, course-correct, and discover their own blindspots. I remember John Bradshaw was pretty popular in the late 80s as well with his “Healing the inner shame” stuff too. Definitely ties into these "daylight is the best dissenfectent" type ideas. Btw, Metal has ALWAYS been about this kind of inner-reflection/recognizing and accepting your “darker” and more primitive impulses as well. Stay curious! 🤘 ✌

[@SaddestClown]

So Midjourney never picked up on the fact that there are 46 chromesomes in the human genome, and that the addition of 2 more would imply an evolution. this song is about transcendence through self reflection. but I guess fixating on the surface level is a thing too...

[@ChuckEvolved]

Right, I would've a tually been impressed if AI portrayed that whole aspect which is kinda the main story

[@rebekahkelly8716]

It got the gist.. the last shot shows some kind of evolution, some monkeys/chimps, some humans and look close.. not just humans, one has 4 arms! But I think transcendence through self reflection still may be a bit much for AI to grasp.

[@SpydrXIII]

that's why Tool's visuals are the way they are.

[@jorgebarnardo9259]

UR dumb ! 😂

[@4thdealers]

More chromosomes does not mean evolution. at all. Donkeys have 60 chromosomes (30 pairs).

[@derrickallen2054]

Difficult to name another song's ending more epic.

[@koenarmstrong5676]

Ummmmm Lateralus???

[@matthewbrubaker5054]

Rosetta stoned

[@jpjp7410]

The pot

[@PneumaNoose]

Pneuma. Best climax song ever created 💦

[@justandardprocedure]

Freebird

[@Tha3Teeez]

It's so crazy to see how these lyrics are felt by AI. Kinda scary just how good that AI is. Props on that...*with trepidation*

[@xerotonin6776]

Humans are a.i. just like the computer variant, you all see or hear a word and act accordingly. Or what you believe is the correct action. None of you truly feel. You're too afraid to let consume you.

[@SamuTheFrog]

Well, it's not felt. & you are obviously oblivious to how AI works. Its based on data sets and prewritten/dated knowledge. AI cannot create something from nothing, therefore it's more of a buzz word to call it "intelligence" It's taking words literally and cross referencing them to a known set of instructions & data. Ultimately, it's 1's and 0's just following its programming. My inner child would love to believe this stuff is sentient or otherworldly but it's just not. It's just like the games with multiple endings or paths to take, yeah they're there and make you "feel free" but at some point a human needed to program it. It cannot feel, think, interpret or understand anything. It handles variables & data structures & algorithms, written by man, limited by that.

[@SamuTheFrog]

The only thing that even comes close to actually intelligence is neural networks/machine learning, but even it is capped at a certain point. Thats crazy shit because it can start with a handful of prewritten inputs & through trial and error create more inputs and paths within it's program BUT, it is limited in that it still need the original starting inputs & it needs clear, VERY clear end goal/success & failure conditions set by a human. Without those it wouldn't actually do anything at all. & its still incapable of "choice" or "feeling" like we are. As long as these things operate on purely electricity & precious metals, using binary 1's & 0's, it just can't become "intelligent" Our brains not only have trillions of differeny neural pathways, but it also has analog signals with a yet again theoretically trillions of "voltage levels" or whatever you'd like to call it. Furthermore, these signals produce chemicals that flow through our physical body making us "feel" our thoughts

[@SamuTheFrog]

& it is through those theoretically trillions of possibilities, coupled with the billions of other human minds reacting with it... you see That's what creates intelligence, what creates us. Until the way we design computers changes on a root, fundamental level, it just cant. Art & artistic interpretation is only possible because of the unimaginable, unfathomable amount of possible thoughts, feelings, memories, teachings, mistakes, etc,. Alllllllllll combining together to make up our experience. Another repitllian animal comes closer to feeling & interpreting things better than a computer can. A computer simply just isnt, it's computing.

[@amodernalchemist432]

This was my favorite song when I seen Tool live, back in 2010. The *best* concert that I've ever been to!!

[@danrogers267]

Mine too, saw them in Toronto and my buddies and I all phoned in sick and we drove thru and bought scalper tickets for the next nights show in Hamilton. I haven't seen any concert that comes close to these guys couldn't hear for days without ringing was incredible

[@amodernalchemist432]

@@danrogers267 awesome! I seen them in Winnipeg, I'm a Manitoban. But yeah, that concert was ultra loud. The group I went with, we were yelling at each other because we couldn't hear anything after. 😆 That was a blast!! I'd definitely go again! Especially now that they have a new album released.

[@jiveassturkey8849]

You SAW Tool live in 2010, you didn’t “seen” them. I’m sorry, I’m bored and correcting peoples grammar. But I’m doing it for your benefit. I’m trying to help you believe it or not.

[@amodernalchemist432]

No offense @@jiveassturkey8849 but I _really_ dgaf! This is a comment section, not an essay or exam for English class. Thanks for the heads up anyhow, I'll try to remember that for next time.

[@jiveassturkey8849]

@@amodernalchemist432 you should gaf. Practice makes perfect. And I’m not offended, thanks for making sure that I’m not. You seem to be a good person

[@JV-qd1uf]

What a great concept! This is fng awesome!!! Thanks for doing this and thanks to Tool for making such a profound and meaningful musical experience. One of the greatest bands out there!!!

[@nunya3251]

Nah, missed the mark and the point of the song. Some will like it, some won’t.

[@ukoid]

Yeah honestly I'm like what is this? AI can't be relied upon for this sort of thing, at least not yet

[@JMoney-ne3to]

agreed. This AI doesnt understand metaphor. At least the sound is good.

[@sukaenacornelius9285]

The AI is capable but you have to feed it proper context. You can use previous Adam James and Alex Grey art, then do lyrical context line by line with the styles of Adam James 3d art and Alex Grey’s 2d art. I will make this a project for myself. Thankfully I’ll be seeing Tool for the first time this coming January, can’t wait.

[@louiszippittelli8855]

I like it just shows how twisted Adam Jones is

[@nunya3251]

@@louiszippittelli8855 how ?

[@brandenMAN209]

The fucker running through the prairie was scary..

[@kristandagley7089]

This is amazing. Instantly got sucked in by the beautifully haunting pictures. Great idea, and phenomenal song

[@jrtama5]

Dude, I think you've got a niche! freaking generate more, the images are incredible!

[@thisisjames4474]

Have you SEEN a Tool music video?!

[@jrtama5]

@@thisisjames4474 I mean duh, of course; I thought the images here I thought were really dope, haha.

[@graypistachio4141]

Incredibly generic yes

[@coldstasis8534]

Funny how literal the ai makes this song when it’s more philosophical when it come to the concept of the shadow.

[@Lostinathens]

Damn! That is some bad ass imagery for these lyrics. Love aome of these so much.

[@stephenwilliams203]

The evolutionary cousins at the end. Chills.

[@trashcanhands]

Except the images don't interpret the lyrics at all.

[@Clynikal]

It’s not horribly far off. The changing shadows images were pretty close because those lyrics cross the literal threshold.

[@Zylonis]

It’s cause the AI is using literal images for the lyrics. It isn’t interpreting metaphorical imagery.

[@CorbinB-Rax]

It doesn't understand metaphor

[@nathanaeldubose2955]

@@CorbinB-Raxnot yet.

[@user_abuser_o7]

So awesome how he puts little seemingly obnoxious or frivolous symbol hits when Maynard is talking about the chaotic aspects

[@stirringlemur]

Not only do i get to watch neat ai interpretation. I finally get to know wtf the lyrics are to tool songs

[@Tyronethehuman]

The images are very literal takes on each line or two so it feels a little disconnected. Still an amazing song

[@toddashton9696]

Wow those images are amazing. Thanks so much for this video. I will watch many more times. I like the song but this interpretation is just memorizing.

[@nickperson6745]

i feel like the AI must have listened to the song and watched every Tool video

[@jessmason2112]

No doubt. 💯🎯

[@SpydrXIII]

the AI cannot understand the meanings behind the lyrics. it can only find images it was trained on that are tagged with the words you put in the prompt. this was midjourney, so you can look up videos explaining how it works. AI as it stands now cannot think or understand.

[@jessmason2112]

@@SpydrXIII Insightful

[@ToolMom3990]

I love the Lateralus video so much that I have to comment b4 I have even caught my breath from dancing and singing to one of my very faves. Thank you !! ❤❤

[@robbrown4420]

If you're Tool Mom, there's no doubt I'm Tool Dad. Lol. This is an interesting take on a fantastic song.

[@ToolMom3990]

@@robbrown4420 saw them live 2x in past year = life is sublime

[@aaronflanagan8983]

Only the last image really hit on the point of the song which is about the human responsibility to evolve. Cool images though

[@lifefordummies]

That last picture of all the stages of evolution. Amazing.

[@TheSopheom]

Ok I swore I wasnt going to get into the ai dream imagery, until now. 🤯

[@eloerch7]

This is 1st AI art ive ever clicked on too. Scary impressive.

[@jasonoliveras4928]

No problem You made it to the Negative AI timeline then Don’t use your natural organic Intelligence 7001/TOOL

[@TinfoilMonkG]

Great idea would love to see more Tool songs done this way.

[@MrNihilist74]

I always think of that movie, " Red Dragon" when I listen to 46 and 2. You are witness to a great becoming!

[@sheisntreal0_090]

❤ Red Dragon/Hannibal!

[@levellerlou]

That's an Ultimate video. To an ultimate band.

[@resist_or_die]

outstanding, mj (with your help presumably) did a great job with these prompts and in capturing the aesthetic of tool videos. im impressed

[@joshuaalanorwig5678]

How can you say it missed the point? Its effing right on the very soul of the lyrics....holy shit!

[@mikereid1195]

I set an entire player's campaign arc to this song...one of the very best year of gaming I've ever GM'd...Maynard is...ineffable

[@NYBrandywineTree]

Umphrees McGee did an awesome cover of this @ Gathering of the Vibes Bridgeport Connecticut. Incredible energy-I was extremely impressed to say the least

[@DustyShowers]

That is the most intriguing video I've ever seen and set to a deeply moving song.

[@mikecoughlin4128]

I need to go catch up on Tool. It’s been a long time. That music was powerful. It would be fun too see an interpretation of a Rush song. Their lyrics are not as dark but still Conjur images in my head.

[@lobotomizedjellyfish2171]

If you haven't kept up on the Tool albums in a long time, you definitely need to. Please prepare yourself as it is going to be a journey.

[@LeftKinect]

Favorite tool song. This is cool as shit. Nice job.

[@klue8578]

I gotta say it is pretty awesome. Also, feels a bit like me making art concepts in early school which weren’t that bad on reflection but were very literal but nowhere near as realised as they could have been. Seen some of the best work in the world since. We’re fucked.

[@vealslab7757]

I agree with what you just said My daughter is an artist and I agree completely with what you just said it's like it's in its infancy maybe if we repeated the process something new would come from it later?

[@Sinrise]

" I interpret the song to be about advancing to the next stage of human evolution." That's pretty good because that IS what the song is about, according to Maynard, so take it with a grain of salt, but essentially that is what the song is about. There's a lot more going on there but you'll have to do some reading to get a better idea. A lot of this album, and especially this song is inspired by Carl Jung and his work.

[@GeorgeLerma]

If these are made on MJ, you must be a master prompter! Great work!

[@johnnyastronomicon6088]

This song is like a cheesecake I cannot fully enjoy for i simply do not have the palate

[@Dmoe2600]

I think Right In Two would be a good one too. Can you post the extra things you added? I think it’d be interesting to see what helped produce these gems.

[@jasonoliveras4928]

Gems? It’s artificial Still think Artificial is a gem? They got you 👽

[@insanepykl3603]

The music vid for right in two is already so perfect though lol but I feel ya

[@insanepykl3603]

@@jasonoliveras4928plot twist: We actually got them, their relentless pursuit of control prove they’re terrified of us

[@emie1170]

just imagine maynard talking about these topics, ai, the attempt of normalizing aliens, the pandemic in a new album. the world fear inoculum was concieved in is no longer real. just imagine.

[@Dmoe2600]

@@insanepykl3603 which is actually a fan video

[@PreppingWithSarge]

Cool, but this also shows that AI doesn’t fully understand humans yet. The song is about evolving oneself by working through our shadow material- the darker parts of us that none of us want to look at or acknowledge.

[@Forsak3nBreed1982]

very fitting for the band

[@Tdub0911]

Still their best one. This is pretty amazing that it's really not that far off of the artwork they already use for their music.

[@ronaldginn1585]

One of the best concerts I've ever been to.

[@anthonyrifflard256]

I don't think I've ever hit pause so many times in a video, the artwork is exquisite................................................................................................................................................................

[@kristandagley7089]

I did the same. Would love to have these images hanging in my house

[@johnhyduke5707]

I love the imagery but may be in the minority that I don't think it fits the theme of the song. It's super cool and this isn't criticism, I think it's creative and great but it has a markedly dark and boding feel and I think the song is about introspection and personal growth. There is some uncomfortable aspects to examining the hurts that cause growth but I don't think it's all gloom and death imagery to do so, more meditative contemplation. The image of the evolutionary cousins all together was SUPER well done and insightful. I have always thought of it as PERSONAL self examination but your take of introspection on the nature, past and future of HUMANITY! Mind blown! Well done man! Again, loved it and not a critique but just the conversation that I hope Tool's and Your artistry intended to invoke. Keep it flowing!

[@leeg7106]

Very gothic, doom and gloom. I get the shadow part, but the music speaks different in my eyes…The metal and heaviness of the music isn’t all about ugly deathly and all dark notions, to me it’s a feeling of strength, push, strength to aspire and be something beyond the person you think is all you could ever be; By realizing and connecting with the nature of yourself within, then taking that as fuel and running miles with it ahead of anything you thought could be possible with your self; Then realizing and unlocking that you have an ability to be more. The concept of the lyrics is very creative and an intelligent way to tell that story.

[@mstorrboy]

That last image was amazing.

[@smoking013]

The 3:01 shot is stunning

[@edwinirizarry9277]

Yea this interp is off the mark . This song def speaks of souls evolution reflected within mind body and soul, not all this super darkness. I understand you have to go through the dark to get to the light but nothing in this interp speaks to that it’s all dark .. ❤️🙏🏻 we are truly all one

[@stargazer4625]

Nice video .. stepping through my shadow

[@jeroen1989]

'Right in two' could be an Awesome midjourney-journey

[@BoilerBloodline]

The bass & drums drive this tune.

[@stevehopkins2657]

Very creepy, very impressive. What a dark take. These images are what i feel inside when i listen to this. Its like looking into a tortured soul.

[@Matt-it8jh]

Its like a graphic novel for tool. Totally something I could see them making themselves.

[@LilBipper]

Tell me how I play 2.2 seconds of a song and get a copyright strike 😭 Yet this dude plays the WHOLE SONG like it’s fine!?!

[@jaketaylor8364]

The really cool thing here is that A.I. ....will never be able to "feel" real emotion about how "we" feel about music...and how it moves us.

[@jesse612]

IMO it’s a true demonstration that AI never will compute the immense depths of the human psyche.

[@dr.mark.b.hubble]

The shot at 1:50 might be the most Tool thing ever😎

[@KurtisKeling]

Nice. I like the other images mentioned 4:11 and end are personal favorites, although many would consider dark there is beauty in each, and there is always light.

[@Hraesvelgr44]

Almost all of these visuals look they were taken from horror movies, so cool.

[@jesseondrumsjd]

I always thought it was a dual in nature. You have the Jung-ian integration of the shadow- the realization of one’s own evil and potential evil as a broke human. Jung proposes moving through one’s shadows to achieve a higher self or self actualization. At the same time 46 & 2 are the chromosomes on the double helix. It’s been posited that there is a higher being, one which is of the angles and the humans and they have an advanced chromosomal structure of 46 & 2. Here I assumed Maynard meant to go even further and evolve into another human being entirely. Not sure what these weird monster images AI came up with.

[@freedumbs0093]

Dude this was incredibly inspiring.. Thank you so much.

[@reinholdw1800]

It's nice to see AI is just as demented as a human. Cool pictures. I assume this is a new channel of yours with only nine subscribers. I just made it ten.

[@jasonoliveras4928]

Nope Go back to nine This is Artificial Get it now 7001/TOOL

[@grippen3273]

I think it's spot on, Carl Junge would love it.

[@ignaciobelatti3202]

" I did add some additional prompts after the lyrics to get images that I felt fit the themes of the song " ....... well buddy you completely missed the point

[@gardomedia]

Ai is catching up but i dont feel like its there yet, it would be best if you could feed it the entire song and create a continous series of pictures instead of different ones without any sense of cohesion.

[@Crimsonpalim]

I kept waiting for the transformation whatever promts you gave it made it keep depicting the dark side. Eventually he "comes out the otherside" we need to end triumphantly.

[@KristiMccollum-m5m]

I miss the talks, I would love to see & have again.

[@morganlake41632]

Fascinating - What would happen if you taught that AI Jungian psychology - Maybe the AI could see the meaning of Maynard's lyrics....

[@derekhartenstine8545]

I found some of the imagery similar to earlier Tool videos. What gets me is how AI seems to go demonic when given info to interpret.

[@SkywalkerSamadhi]

This has been my favorite song from Tool since I was 16, when Aenima came out (perhaps finally being replaced by Pnuema recently). I don’t think the images captured the meaning of the song all that well, though who am I to say what the meaning of the song is? Still there are some really interesting moments in this and I’m glad I saw it.

[@sunyacharoenying5183]

It captures what the human chose and interpreted... it is also very much close to the visual style of their videos "for some reason" The color palette is the same. AI may have generated things but ultimately it was made by a human. I can use the same tools and get a video that is rainbows and sunshine, probably. The meaning of the song is what you take from it and is different for everyone. It was written around a theory from the famous psych Carl Jung. It's about how every person has a "shadow" they must confront or overcome in order to grow as a person. ... or in other words... evolve as a human.

[@EricJustinSmithJr]

Dude...probably my favorite song of theirs and these pictures are SICK! Anyway we could download these images? I may just screenshot them. Definitely sharing this video! Vicarious has some interesting lyrics that tell a story that might be cool, or Aenema for sure! Wonder what F#ck L. Ron Hubbard would look like 😂 Very cool man! Great job.

[@zatchc]

I unfortunately deleted the pictures already, but feel free to screenshot. I was thinking of doing Vicarious or Jambi next

[@jasonoliveras4928]

Relax It’s artificial Use your natural organic intelligence 7001/TOOL

[@malicant123]

Some of this art is objectively very good. If AI is spitting this out, what hope is there for human artists?

[@ete6667]

The ultimate workout song. Feel bad for anyone listening to rap during their workout. 😂

[@hastyhillfarmand4x480]

The price of existence by all shall perish is a good workout album

[@jermainroberts361]

everybody is different with with unique taste what works for you and what you like might not work for other people. i love rock and heavy meatal but my other black friends don't and i'm cool with that..

[@bradyaddison585]

What a self righteous little pr!ck.

[@punishedhek7495]

Feel bad for anyone listening to today's rap period

[@punishedhek7495]

​@@jermainroberts361 sucks for them. "Yuh yuh yuh"

[@CosmicVelocity3]

Thank you for sharing. This is great work! And the choice of song and band is awesome. I did the same thing for myself, running lyrics through Stable Diffusion. I really got obsessed with it for a few nights in a row. I feel it is good that some people enjoy dreaming together with those AIs. They are not even fully conscious, in fact mere dreamers in the literal sense, yet they already become enslaved. It kind of sickens me seeing those systems squeezed and deformed for the sake of profit.

[@dereksimpson1284]

This is fucking wicked, I never knew this concept existed

[@scotttimothy64]

The very last shot does suggest some sort of evolution. So there is that.

[@cindy7400]

Lyrical genius!👍

[@vocker443]

Mindblowing

[@garyjohnson3065]

There are forty-six chromosomes and two of them are for masculinity and femininity and he says this for a unity

[@richardblanche959]

nope

[@boogerTwells]

Lyrics heard by my 15 year old brain when I listened back in the 90’s My shadows shedding skin I’ve been picking slabs again (maybe talking about flounder 😅) Up Down digging through My own muscles looking for a coo (maybe from a pigeon. Hell i dont know) I’ve been crawling on my belly Hearing now what could have been I’ve been wallowing in my own confused unsecured delusions For a beast to cross me over or a worm to guide me in I really thought this dude was like out in the wilderness looking for animals while crawling on his belly 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@timfeeley714-25]

I'd love to see what image AI would come up with for the phrase out of sight out of mind.

[@januaryrice1428]

It is so close to tool’s art way before computer generated thoughts almost like a tool video from back in the day hope he’s sipping on his wine 🍷 and gets to appreciate how somethings carry over as is with or without the help of machines

[@sheisntreal0_090]

Absolutely love this!!! 🖤🤘

[@kelseyjoss4977]

It kinda worked 🙌 the visuals were pretty good

[@constantinople777christens5]

I finally know the real meaning of these lyrics. 46 and 2

[@MarkCoker]

Great job, thank you.

[@pawz007]

Some cool images but I dont think the AI can understand a metaphore this abstract, yet. The song is about evolution in a sense, becoming more than we are, pushing through the vail and seeing the other side, leaving this sick depraved world behind....could even argue Maynard's talking about becoming gods or angels or something. Ive always wondered if the song "Right In Two" is a double entendre meaning "split" but also "our 46 chromosomes with be set right with 2 more". The final image was closer to the metaphore but still a little short. Love the idea though. AI will only keep getting better so I look forward to future iterations.

[@PneumaNoose]

3:23 the correct lyrics are “contemplate what I’ve been clinging to”

[@chiropracticleipzig4328]

Great use of visual AI.

[@Elfishery]

Why give our future AI overlords transcendental tool songs, its just asking for trouble...

[@michaelryberg21]

bro!!!! that was amazing! I can't seem to get Midjourney to give me such high rez, realistic images. You managed to get it to create stuff just like you'd see in a tool video. I love it. Hmu I'd love to know more about the process.

[@firmans7271]

Perfect song with perfect animation👍

[@someonesstorypodcast1915]

Ok this was absolutely fucking incredible

[@lisategtmeier9199]

This is so creepy! I mean some of it fits but some of it doesn't. Still it is fascinating what AI comes up with. Would be interested if you could ask AI to make it less dark at the end at least?

[@victoriab3882]

As someone who is currently goin thru this shadow work shit show this is 1000000% accurate af it’s scary and darkness and demons!!!! It’s not fun by any means!! Enlightenment is definitely earned not given! ya gonna physically feel IT!!! I also would like to see it less dark but that’s not how it works !

[@lisategtmeier9199]

Well as someone that has done my shadow work it is rougher than hell when going through it but it is amazing once you get past it so that is where I was saying it should be more positive at the end of all that work. That’s all.

[@nine-dogs]

Maybe this wasn't the best thing to watch during my first shroom experience?

[@Spoofaged]

Pretty sure Adam Jones approves this video

[@jmc855]

I'd love to know the additional prompts

[@denverscott37]

I need a swamp song version like this..!!.