Prison Sex

"Prison Sex" is a song by American rock band Tool. Frontman Maynard James Keenan wrote the lyrics.[1] The song was released as their second single from their debut studio album Undertow. The song uses a modified drop-B tuning. The track features an "anti-climax" coda,[2] in which memorable verses and choruses dissolve into an unrelated, quiet final section.

For the prison phenomenon, see Prison sexuality.

"Prison Sex"
Single by Tool
from the album Undertow
Released1993
Recorded1992
GenreAlternative metal
Length4:56
LabelZoo
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Tool singles chronology
"Sober"
(1993)		 "Prison Sex"
(1993)		 "Stinkfist"
(1996)
Audio sample
The intro to "Prison Sex".
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Music video

The video for "Prison Sex" was created with stop-motion animation techniques, and was directed by the band's guitarist Adam Jones (who had previous experience in art direction and animation, including work on the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park) and was edited by Ken Andrews. The video was removed from the MTV playlist due to its disturbing content. "Prison Sex" was also nominated for 1994's MTV Music Video Awards' Best Special Effects category.[3] The music video later showed on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head.

The video primarily revolves around a battered white humanoid, robotic-like doll figure trapped in a room full of cabinets that contain other humanoids, such as a caterpillar with the main humanoid's face, a jar with a wasp inside, a robotic character with a little child's face that twists and turns, and a being made out of what looks like meat and feces. During various points in the video the main character is confronted by a larger black humanoid who causes the doll to go catatonic. While catatonic, the black figure molests the doll with a paintbrush. In the beginning of the video, the black figure severs the doll's legs (even though they still move by themselves) and hangs them out of reach of the doll. By the end of the video, the doll subjects itself to the abuse by painting itself. In the final shot, it is revealed that the doll was in its own cabinet the whole time when the black figure closes the cabinet door.

Controversy

With the release of the 1993 single "Prison Sex" and its music video, directed and created by Adam Jones, MuchMusic called the band into question by deeming the video too graphic and offensive,[4] later running an episode of its Too Much 4 Much series to discuss the video.

MTV stopped airing the "Prison Sex" video after a few viewings due to its symbolism depicting the sensitive subject of child abuse.[5] Maynard James Keenan, who wrote the lyrics, has been quite clear in concerts about his dislike for his stepfather.[6]

Before a live performance of "Prison Sex" on November 29, 1996 in Montreal, Quebec, Keenan stated:

"This song is about recognizing, identifying, the cycle of abuse within yourself. That's the first step of the process: realization; identifying. The next step is to work through it. But, this song is about the first step in the process, which is recognizing."[7]

Track listing

UK version
  1. "Prison Sex"
  2. "Undertow" (live)
  3. "Opiate" (live)
  4. "Prison Sex" (radio edit)

German version
  1. "Prison Sex"
  2. "Intolerance" (live)
  3. "Undertow" (live)
  4. "Opiate" (live)

Australian
  1. "Prison Sex"
  2. "Intolerance" (live)
  3. "Undertow" (live)
  4. "Opiate" (live)
  5. "Prison Sex" (radio edit)

Promotional radio version
  1. "Prison Sex" (radio edit)
  2. "Prison Sex"

Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalog
Germany 1993 Zoo CD 74321-19049-2
UK Vinyl 74321-19432-1
UK CD 74321-19432-2
Australia 1994 CD 74321-19049-2
UK Promo vinyl TOOL-002

Chart performance
Chart (1994) Peak
position
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[8] 32

References
  1. Wiederhorn, Jon (July 10, 2020). "The Story Behind The Song: Tool's Prison Sex". Metal Hammer Magazine (published in Metal Hammer #326). Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  2. Osborn, Brad (2013). "Subverting the Verse–Chorus Paradigm: Terminally Climactic Song Forms in Recent Rock Music". Music Theory Spectrum. 35 (1): 24. doi:10.1525/mts.2013.35.1.23. hdl:1808/19147.
  3. Toolshed article by Adam Morrison — publication: Circus magazine
  4. Roman Sokal (2001). "Stepping Out From the Shadows". Retrieved March 6, 2006.
  5. "A Tool for the Truly Cool - Big hit of Lollapalooza tour gears up for second album". San Francisco Chronicle. 1994. Retrieved March 2, 2006.
  6. Kabir Akhtar. "F10" (TXT). The Tool FAQ. Retrieved March 2, 2006.
  7. "Tool - Prison Sex (Live In Montreal, QC - 11-29-'96)". youtube.com. 1996. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  8. "Tool Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
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