This entire album is perfection.

I love the mental imagery of the halo being your noose. Like not to allow the highs to cloud your judgement..the potential for the fall is always there. Don't be too quick to tell me how great you are doing..or when you aren't maintaining that state it steepens the fall. When I got clean I never told anyone "how long I've been clean." Because I thought it didn't matter..as long as I was clean that day.

I think the point of the song is “yeah, you got better, but that doesn’t mean what you’ve done is erased, or that I forgive you”. You can’t expect forgiveness. You’re not “holy” just because you improved yourself. As a recovering addict myself, there are people who don’t forgive me for the BS I put them through, and I don’t blame them. Edit: Your music volume is peaking and distorting. You might wanna turn it down a bit on the input, then boost it to taste afterward.

This was the very first song i ever heard from A Perfect Circle when i was 14. I listened to it for at least a year while also discovering Tool before I realized it was both Maynard writing and singing. Great nostalgia for me and the ambience of this song absolutely helps to manifest that nostalgia.

It came out in 2003. I know because I had just graduated high school a few months earlier. I drove across town to Best Buy to buy this album when it dropped and I listened to it start to finish in my car right there in parking lot in the rain. One of the most significant moments of my entire life. Next fall (2023) will be the 20th anniversary. “The Noose” became my favorite song and “Thirteenth Step” became me favorite album that day, and it’s still my favorite almost 20 years later. This album tells a story in the most beautiful way. Anyone who’s struggled with the lure and excitement of drugs and then falls into addiction and then into dependence… you feel this album in a way no one else can. From the first song “The Package” when you have that excitement of scoring to the last song when you know you have to take the leap… this album isn’t just a collection of songs. It’s a fkn lifetime of experiences.

This is one of my all time favorite albums! You can play from beginning to end! Just Beautiful!!

This is one of those "shivers" songs. A song about how the road to recovery is longer than just giving up your vice. You can be proud that you're a better person but you can't completely move on until you to confront the "dead" that you hurt along the way and atone as best you can. The family, the friends and everyone else whom you have burned on the way are still there and likely are still hurting even if you're not

Layne finished rehab 2 or 3 times and stayed clean 6 months to a year each time. Then fall hard back into secluded addiction. MJK was struggling with his mother slipping into coma! So much rehabilitation went into and comes out in this album!

Love this song, definitely in my top 3 fav apc songs. So beautiful

Thisis maybe my fav song on this album... It's hard to pick a fav but this song is amazing

I always took this literally. You can't make amends or seek reconciliation with the dead. Your ability to reform or be reborn has physical limits. One of my all time favorites.

Sebs these are CONCEPT ALBUMS. Continue reacting to the entire album in chronological order. ✌️

Walk if you want to, dont if you dont. Nothing has to be set in stone lol great reaction!

I am a massive Tool fan and have been since seeing Sober on Headbangers Ball..... but this is by far my favorite album of all time. It's perfect no matter what mood I am in. It can be hopeful and energizing or soothing and ambient. It is always what I need to hear

Good Lord, one of my favorite songs. I enjoyed this very much!

This was my favorite song to see them play live.

The lyrics to this song were inspired by a line Maynard heard in a 12 step meeting 'Don't let that halo slip down around your neck and choke you...'. Maynard interpreted it as a cautionary comment towards someone in recovery allowing their ego to take over in life and in sobriety, I guess. This was coupled with a sober reminder to not lose sight of the harm and destruction that addiction causes, hence the line about making amends to the dead. Maynard has not had drug or alcohol addiction issues, but he has, of course, had friends who have - This is mostly gathered from his commentary on this song on the 13th Step DVD, so facts. The rumour is that he was accompanying Layne Staley to a meeting at the time. Certainly Maynard stated that this song was an ode of sorts to friends who are or were struggling with addiction, especially those who unfortunately succumbed to the illness. The whole album is lyrically reflecting on addiction from perspectives of the addict, family and friends affected, the drug/ substance even (Pet), or more simply for 'The Outsider' looking in and watching an addict self destruct - Again this is all from Maynard's own comments on the overall concept of the album lyrically and how it reflects his attempting to understand.

Two points: 1. I feel like you missed that “..curious how you’re planning to go about making your amends” was followed by “to the dead” - maybe it was how they were written wherever you were referencing the lyrics, so it doesn’t read as a single sentence - I interpret that as meaning it is too late to make amends. 2. l’m not sure you made the connection on your first listen between the name of the song “The Noose” and the lyrics “your halo slipping down to choke you now”. I very much enjoy how Maynard is adept at titling a song very appropriately without explicitly using the title of the song within the lyrics

I listen to this song at least once a day..

Wtf man? Are viewers complaining abt you walking while you react? And you honored that silly shit? Brother don't listen to trolls. Speaking for myself, I thought it unique, inspiring and impressive you could pay close attention to musical nuance, commenting abt the nuances and not miss a step 😆 You do you and don't mind the lazy people triggered by seeing a healthy person getting healthier. Tool for the mind, treadmill for the glutes.

13th Step has songs from the perspective of people IN recovery, people out of recovery, people who KNOW people in recovery, from the DRUGS themselves, from victims, victimizers, it's very comprehensive.

Ok I found you already did it 😃 . You have best reactions on yt . Smart guy who listen to smart music . Thank you !

This is the song that inspired my tattoo Sebs! I thought you had done this one for some reason! Great song 🎵

Hey man, I just had the random idea to search up reactions to this song. Came across your channel, and I had to subscribe

to each their own, enjoy the art, enjoy the wonder, enjoy the music, follow us down the rabbit hole..............

I don't understand your position on not walking. Heck it made you unique, inspires others to multitask with health benefits. Walking and growing at the same time just conveys the be better message

You can "make a call out" to yourself. "check your head" and all that. Even in recovery (which I'm more than familiar with) it's a battle of trying to get help and check yourself at the same time. Been dealing with various forms of recovery and relapse for 30 years now. Been clean from hard stuff for over 10 years since my kids were born.

Not only is he telling whoever in the song that it’s gonna be a forever uphill battle, but the lines “go about making your amends, to the dead.” Is his way of saying now that your well, how are you going to atone for all the horrible deeds you’ve done and they go on just pretending all the deeds are someone else’s horrible actions

Yes, it was a call-out, yes it was a personal friend of Maynard's. He's talked about it, but it's been 20 years on now.

Bro , I would love to have conversations about music with you...MAJOR compliment to you!

I recommended this song in a comment section awhile ago. I put a link to the video that Maynard tells what this song is about. 👍

This song started my Maynard journey. I was aware of Tool as a kid, but of the few songs I had heard, they just weren't what I was into at the time. Later in life I got in the World of Warcraft craze when it was real popular. There was this boss kill video that someone made with The Noose in it and I rewatched it 100 times just for the song. Ultimately I did some digging to find more and down the rabbit hole I went. All 3 bands consumed me, still here. Even Carina Round's solo stuff hits hard.

Such a gorgeous song.

Definitely in my top APC songs…..

Keep walking Bro. It's your channel. ✌️

The drum groove in this song just hits different! So good.

I talk to my great grandmother even though I never met her. She died in early 50s at about 45yrs old. I look at a picture of her with my infant grandfather on her lap and it's mind blowing shiite.

It's just soooooooo deep.

It's about someone who finished rehab after they killed someone while drunk driving. Basically, the singer is saying "Yeah, it's great that you're sober now, but don't forget that someone died because of you and pretending it didn't happen doesn't make you a better person." There are some things that can't be fixed, and the only way to make things right is to stay sober. "Your halo is slipping down" refers to a relapse.

My interpretation… Sometimes it is impossible to say we are sorry, or make amends to those we’ve hurt and wronged. So don’t be fooled into thinking that making amends to everyone else shores up that halo you think you’re wearing by completing this Step. Some of the people we need to make amends to the most are literally dead and gone. This is when, no matter how hard you try, saying you are sorry is impossible. I feel like it’s a warning that if you physically cannot make amends, the halo can become a noose that chokes if you because you cannot complete the Step. This noose will always be around your neck and hold you back from recovery unless you can forgive yourself. To quote Blue Oyster Cult’s, line from The Revenge of Vera Gemini, “Hell’s built on regret”. Hope this makes sense.

Definitely keep going through the album

All time favourite. Haunting. Beautiful.

This song makes me want to be a drummer!

Love it

How i interpreted the song is, someone went to AA and did there steps to get clean. But afterwards denied they ever had an issue from the ketgo and thought they were better then those with addictions. And that persons halo needed to be pulled down to remind them they are not better then those who are struggling the same issues.

i dont know how true it is but i have heard this album and the concept behind it was to tell the story from 3 separate points of view. 1 from the addicts perspective. 2 the perspective of a loved one dealing with the addicted person. 3 from the perspective of a friend doing the same. in fact MJK was a very close friend of layne staily former singer of alice in chains. the album is kind of his expression of the loss of a close friend that he was helpless to save. i would not doubt that it could be true. great album for sure

Watch EVERY TOOL FAN from Kmac2021 on your next livstream.. 🤞

You may have missed out on a lot back then but you’re here now brother…. Welcome! Love the videos man.

One thing I think you might have misinterpreted is that he may not be singing about someone else. He could be talking to himself. But yeah, beautiful effing song.

Being in recovery for 4 yrs now, when I hear these words I think of the drug dealers who are trying to make amends for all the people their heroin and FENTANYL have killed. Sure the addicts made their choices, but that disease has fingers pointed in many directions to blame for the epidemic.

check out the live version of it

You cut @ the drum solo....🤬 Anyway - I'm over it 🤨 I love that their music is still alive today 😌 Thank ya sir

I think you can make amends to the dead if you get in the right mindset and are truly, and sincerely repentant.

Garth Brooks. The Dance

Why can't we not be somber?

Song is more about how when people get to the amends step all it is, is a way for the wrong doer to feel better.. Like how he says making amends to the dead

What can you say to the dead? Just cause one person died and you did not. A woman killed my sister no court wanting anything done about it. So this woman gets to walk free…for a short time that is, her halo is around her neck, and hooked to my chain.

I’m just a little curious on how you make a mends to the dead too, simply you can not. Just like the person who killed my sister because as a caregiver she didn’t want the job anymore.

I think its fine if you walk ❤😊

Man, You look like Peter Loeffler from Chevelle 👀

Which step has a huge yellow worm in it?

Yessir, this is a great album, thanks for the reaction.... recently I've been listening to a band called SOEN, their song FRACCIONS is awesome, their drummer is similar to Danny Carey... check them out if you haven't 🤘🔥

I can promise this has nothing to do with AA... Judith should tell you what Maynard thinks about anything religious...

don't skip Weak and Powerless

A drug dealer who is now clean and does no longer deal, there's your story, "to the dead"

Tool Tuesday Lateralus right?!!!!!!?????!!!!!!????!!!!!????!!!!????!!!!???!!!!???!!!??!!!

To be honest, it’s kind of weird seeing you NOT walking.

Sebs, would you still think the same of Maynard James Keenan, if his political views didn't align with yours ?

2003 !😒

Meh 🤷‍♂️...I don't just blindly fall all over myself for everything Maynard does. As a TOOL zealot, APC & Pucifer just don't do it for me musically. They have a few songs I listen to.