Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)
by Tool

Album: 10,000 Days (2006)
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Songfacts®:

  • An April 7, 2006 post on toolband.com specifically mentions Dr. Albert Hofmann, the "father" of LSD, stating that on that date he synthesized LSD. In this song, it is meant to be the first time anyone used LSD - this is the reason why he is so freaked out and no one knows what is wrong with him. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Ethan - St.Louis, MO

Comments: 19

  • Man from NowhereJoe from El Paso already nailed it.
    The writing on the Rosetta Stone unlocked our ability to understand Egyptian (*who incidentally had their pyramids built by aliens so the conspiracy theory goes) hieroglyphs. Today the term Rosetta Stone is popularly used to regard anything that is the key to understanding a larger concept. Our song is Rosetta StoneD because our protagonist is tripping balls and was too fkd up to remember or *write down* the all-important “details of our ending” the aliens chose him to relay to mankind. He Lost the Key. If Albert Hoffman hadn’t discovered LSD our storyteller wouldn’t have been high on the stuff and theoretically would have retained and delivered the message. So blame Hoffman. In reality our boy has hallucinated this whole close encounter, of course, so he’s also lost his marbles so to speak, which “Lost Keys” also alludes to in a secondary sense.
    That’s it. That’s the whole thing.
  • Jonas from FloridaI believe the Hoffman is a reference to lsd, as rosetta stoned mentions lsd blotter. The lost keys is a triple meaning. Lost keys as in lost in translation, keys as in music keys, but also as a joke: lost my keys, blame lsd. Cant keep track of anything on acid
  • Darren from CaliforniaI believe the "lost keys" are in reference to the lost keys to all life. Blame Hofman is a high school student who did either psychedelic's or is really high and is experiencing the lost knowledge that he is learning. He got abducted and got experimented on. Tied to the bed and seeing E.T. in front of him. He then starts to learn. He is learning the "lost keys" and is given the warning to send to the world. He saw something greater than himself and is explaining it to the doctor. He is the man in the room. The chosen one.
  • Fekfek from Fekforgot the pen...
  • Mike from St Petersburg, FlAlbert Hofman is not the same person as Abbie Hoffman.
    Albert Hofman was the first to synthesize LSD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hofmann)
    Abbie Hoffman was a social activist. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbie_Hoffman)
  • Chris from Manchester, KyJust awesome!
  • Drew from Scottsdale, AzI believe the "Lost Keys" reference refers to the keys to life or the keys to existence and knowledge.
  • Melissa from Tacoma, WaIf this song is about Albert Hoffman, why did they spell it Hofmann on the CD? The only reason I noticed this is because I'm a Hofmann, and it pisses me off when everyone spells it Hoffman.
  • Joe from El Paso, TxLost Keys and Rosetta Stoned are like two sides of a coin. Since most of you already know the meanings of both songs, I'll just describe the names of the songs and how they relate. First off, the Rosetta Stone was the first "lost key" to be found, it opened up a door to a new frontier; a frontier of translations. Since in Lost Keys, the doctor and nurse are trying to translate what the patient is trying to say; looking for a key. I also think that the name "Lost Keys" was intended to be related to "lost marbles", since the doctor and nurse think that the patient is crazy, not knowing that he is acctually high...
  • Tiger from Amsterdam, NetherlandsI think the title lost keys came to be berceuse the person who is brought in has no reference to himself whatsoever, A key is not only a object to open other objects with, its also a term used to reference to a entity. And since its the intro to Rosetta Stoned and the title of this song symbolizes the reference to the tripping person translating his dream, the lost keys translate to the fact that the person tripping in the hospital bed has no reference to the the same reality that the doctor is currently in.
  • Eric from Red Hook, NyJust to clarify the first post, Albert Hoffman and Abbie Hoffman are COMPLETELY different people. Albert was the scientist who discovered LSD, but Abbie was the 60's counter culture revolutionary who wrote the book "Steal this Book". Abbie may have taken acid (an obvious understatement), but he did not invent it.
  • Nik from Nf, NyOk, so as some have said, it is an intro 2 rosetta stoned. The doctor thing is a bad experience with acid maynard had.At the end the doctor says he can only help if he tells them what happened. Then rosetta stoned comes on and he says "alright then". The rest of the song is a confesion to the doctor about this trip. He talks to aliens about how he's the chosen one and so forth. u get the idea.
  • Victoria from Memphis, TnYes it does, Arnie:) When I had my Boyfrend hear the 10,000 days cd for the 1st time I made him listen to lost keys 1st. Its a must:)
  • Dan from Anchorage, AkI'm surprised nobody has mentioned it here, but as the Doctor introduces himself to our protagonist he declares "Good morning, I'm Doctor Wasson." R. Gordon Wasson is a man on the same level as any Aldous Huxley, Ken Kesey or Albert Hoffman. Dr. Wasson was known to research wild mushrooms as well as the ethnobotany and associated rituals surrounding the consumption of mushrooms as a sacrament.
  • Erik from Cincinnati, OhCould "Lost Keyes" have anything to do with Blake/Huxley's "doors of perception"? just a thought
  • Dave from Ft. Lauderdale, FlI'm glad someone figure out the "Blame Hoffman" part... But doesn't anyone care about the "Lost Keys"? The first think it brought to mind was a certain scene in Fire In The Sky (Based on the 'true' story of Travis Walton") In which Travis was trying to get out of the ship and frantically clamouring for his motorcycle keys. Then there's that whole little bit in Track 69 (Disgustipated) "You got to your car and tried all the doors. They were locked" Nothing about lost keys, but its easy to conclude that they've been misplaced.

    Just my take on it. Either way, this track is a great setup for Rosetta Stoned!
  • Ben from Lincoln, EnglandThis track inspired me to make a mini movie about LSD with just this track as sound
  • Chris from Monticello, KyIt is a perfect intro and it fits in with Rosetta Stoned so well.
  • Amie from Fort Worth, TxHehe, great intro to Rosetta Stoned.
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