10,000 Days (Wings, Pt. 2)
by Tool

Album: 10,000 Days (2006)
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Songfacts®:

  • As lead singer Maynard James Keenan explains in commentary on aMOTION, his mother Judith Marie suffered a stroke in 1976 that left her partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound. The length of time between her paralysis and her death was 27 years, or approximately 10,000 days. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Ethan - St. Louis, MO
  • 10,000 days is also the amount of time it takes Saturn to revolve around the sun, Keenan noted in an interview with Loudwire. "That's the time in your twenty eighth, twenty ninth year when you are presented the opportunity to transform from whatever your hang-ups were before to let the light of knowledge and experience lighten your load, so to speak and let go of old patterns and embrace a new life. It's kind of the story of Noah, and the belly of the whale [Noah built the Ark; Jonah was swallowed by the whale]. You sink or swim at that point. And a lot of people don't make it. Hendrix didn't, Janis Joplin didn't, John Bonham. Kurt Cobain didn't quite make it past his Saturn Return. For me, starting to recognize those patterns, it was very important to start constructing songs that chronicled that process, hoping that my gift back would be to share that path and hope that I could help somebody get past that spot."
  • In retrospect, Keenan regrets pouring his private pain into the album. "I think probably the stupidest thing I could have done on 10,000 Days was put myself out there as much as I did with the tracks 'Wings for Marie (Part 1)' and '10,000 Days (Wings Part 2),'" he explained. "I'll never make that mistake again. It just took too much out of me – too much emotionally, mentally, physically – all those manifestations. Those songs were exploited and misconstrued, people were flippant and dismissive. I won't be doing that anymore. And technically, 'Wings' is very difficult to pull off. If any one of us is off, it falls apart and makes that thing tragic, and that's not a good song for me to have fall apart. It's just too personal."

Comments: 36

  • Brucey Boi from UtahWe all know that the song is about Maynard's mother, but me and my friend joke about it being related to the BOTW champions, Revali and Mipha. And we are not shipping anything. But all my Zelda fans out there, think about it. When you are headed to Zora's domain, it is raining a lot, which could turn into a flood. And Maynard says : "what are they gonna do when the RIVERS OVERRUN? Other than tremble incessantly?" Also, he says "Give me my WINGS" Which could also be related to Link asking Revali for Revali's Gale, or Zelda players replaying the game and saying this as "GIVE ME MY PARAGLIDER ALREADY!" Also, you know how Vah Medoh is up high? " HIGH IS THE WAY, but all eyes are upon the ground." Saying that high is the way to the divine beast to destroy windblight. That line could be Teba giving Link advice on the divine beast. Also, here is a BOTW reference that is about Primcess Zelda.

    Okay so the song, in reality, is about Judith Marie Keenan, Maynard's mother who unfortunately passed after 27 years of parilyzation (A.K.A, 10,000 days) and who else's mother passed in the game?? ZELDA'S! And Maynard says this "This little LIGHT of mine a GIFT you PASSED ON TO ME..." Meaning Zelda's sealing power, which in unlocked in the process of saving Link.

    Okay I'm done being an idiot now, this is not what the song is about, Maynard has probably never played Zelda in his LlFE. But what I just talked about is a joke, me and my friend just overthought it, and I wanted to share it with all of you. Okay that is alI I have for now, or is it?

    Early in the song, Maynard says this "How WE follow the path of a HERO" Which could be talking about Revali stating how Link is the hero, and WE, can be him and Mipha, as they are the weaker champions. He wants to be the hero, so he has to follow Link's path, even though he doesn't want to.

    Okay I'm actually done now, Zelda/TOOL fans, reply to this comment and tell me if it makes sense or not ok bye XD
  • AnonymousSteve from Vancouver- 1st you should be a music reviewer !!! And the non capitalized 1st words did not go unnoticed ~ perfect !
    Ok for real when I met James back in 2014 He was so past his anger issues it was almost anticlimactic. And if anyone can follow this lyrical genius and NOT think he was believer in God you need to stop calling yourself a fan.
  • James Leveroni from Oregon As a poet and huge fan,I am deeply moved by this information. However, I am so glad that the artist chose to share. So amazing! Thank you for all the inspiration!
  • Steve Hebert from Norwich, Ct.As Maynard said in the interview 10,000 days is also about saturn and its orbit of 27 years. He is changing the anger that fueled most of his earlier albums. The death of his mother has inspired the song but I think hes changed his feeling towards her having her religion. The main thing that pissed off Maynard the parishioners at her church said that the reason she suffered the stroke was because of her sins. That's who his talking to in wings 1. He believes that she was devout in her religion and suffered a stroke and had to suffer and have the people that she prayed with would turn against her has made him bitter towards christianity. But he seems to have come to terms with her belief and believes that she should be demanding from her god. I'm sure if my mother was trapped as a hostage in her own body I'd be pretty angry at god as well. Especially with how much harder life got for him after the stroke.
  • SeapancakeTo me, the song is very straightforward. There really aren't any obscure interpretations to be had with it. It saddens me that Maynard claims the songs were "exploited and misconstrued"; I guess people thought they could do couch psychoanalysis on Maynard with the songs, which is a very tempting thing to do if the songs are as personal as Wings (1) and (2) are. I've read some fan theories and they sound just as plausible as any other, but out of respect for Maynard I don't really dwell on them or promote them. I just stick to how the song fulfills me personally and what I can take out of it, and what I take out of Wings (2) is that it is a song sung by a man that remains apathetic about religion but is adamant of the fact that, by his mother's religious standards, she was definitely deserving of the paradise that is promised to believers. She will be received by her God and no one can make an argument against that. Again, very straightforward and I think it's a sentiment we can empathize with when someone kind and good in our lives experiences hardship and is taken from us too soon.
  • Lane Huston from Phx,azI think too many of you people believe that you know Mr. Keenan on a much more personal level than what you do and are merely speculating your interpretation of what you in turn believe the songs are saying. Maynard is a much more private person that doesn't just throw all his s--t out on a table for vultures to pick about. He merely put out bits and pieces of life experiences his or others. Just enough to keep you intrigued and questioning why? Because the minute you knew everything there is to know about someone then maybe the less interesting they may become, unless they bear a direct impact on your life and make some meaningful lifelong imprint for the rest of it no matter how long or how short. So go ahead and make your assumptions known, but don't act like you know him personally because you like his music, which there is no better in my opinion, and leave it at that. Until the day MJK writes his memoirs or a auto biography he is only sharing a minute fraction with you I am sure. Religious people like religion and the rest don't. So let me leave you with this. For all you lost sheep that want to follow a guy that was sold out for stealing a couple fish by the same people he was said to have shared the said stinky fish with for 30 pieces of silver to be tried found guilty and hung on a cross not to die be resurrected and immortalized forever for being a convicted thief and allow terrible things in the world to happen such as a 3 yr old baby being anally raped to death and discarded in a trash can like they were nothing then you all need help and are delusional. Jesus was tried by a jury and put on the cross to be publicly humiliated for stealing and left to die and rot there. If this was a great god why can't he handle his flock and not let bad s--t happen? Why do they call them god-fearing Christians if he is such a good god you shouldn't have to be afraid of him. God was made up and is simply a acronym for good orderly direction. Most people know right from wrong and have been instilled with a basic set of good morals and can follow them with good conscience. It's not always and never will come down to it being a decision that was made by religious beliefs.
  • Joseph Trexler from Jensen Beach, FlIts a little ironic to see the comments start to veer toward Maynard's religious beliefs. Haha... But seriously... the debate about whether he believes in a God or a higher power should be apparent through his music. Have you never listened to Sober or Vicarious? Those should be your most profound clues. He believes, he just doesn't agree with the way "God" works. For instance, paralyzing his mother after years of devote faith. Its hard to accept or understand, I'm sure. Maynard questions people's faith in God, not whether He exists or not. There's a difference.
  • Jim from North Billerica, MaAlong with Wings for Marie, it is a very moving Requiem.
  • Beck from Kc, MoOk, check this out: Up until the 2nd time I heard this song, I only interpreted it as a tribute to his mom. Then while hearing him sing "give me my, give me my" I imagined his mother in her wheelchair, saying "give me my ___, give me my ___" all of the time. Then I thought, as a child with a paralyzed mother, how frustrating that could get, regardless of how much he loved her. I think there is further evidence of this, not only in "Judith", but in the song 'Momma Sed" by Puscifer: "So listen up son of mine. Momma’s got somethin’ to tell you…All about Growin pains.Life will pound away Where the light don’t shine, son. Take it like a man."
    It seems to me that those lyrics could based on her advice to him a child, regarding his sexual abuse. Therefore I believe he had a love/hate relationship with her, which I think is perfectly understandable given his situation
    . Conflicting emotions make for great & powerful lyrics. Combine that with Maynard's voice & you've got yourself a multi-million dollar baby, baby!
  • Dom from Denver, CoThis song was about his mother yes dead,and who suffered for approximately for 10000 days from paralysis! And yes suffering from a stroke!The 2 parts are 2 different things! 1 Her dying as he is understanding it and coping with it as far as going to her funeral and accepting her deatbead was willing to keep her faith .Hence the song Judith, and understands that she had faith in her "God". 2 his (Maynard of course) dealing with the fact that she is gone and he's burying her. Furthermore accepting the fact that he has to deal with the fact that his mother, whose trials and tribulations that she went thru and still kept her faith, he has to wonder why and question everything about her decisions to keep it. This song is saying that if there is a "GOD" or a "Heaven" that it should accept her for everything that she went thru and still kept faith!
  • Danny from Texas, TxIt's Almost An Apology For The Song Judith, For Basically Mocking Her Beliving In God Still After HE Made Her Paralyzed. "You're such an inspiration
    for the ways that I will never ever choose to be.
    Oh, so many ways for me to show you how your
    savior has abandoned you.
    f--k your God, your Lord, your Christ.
    He did this, took all you had, and
    left you this way still you pray never stray never
    taste of the fruit you never thought to question why." I Don't Think It Was So Much Anger As It Was Frustration. You See What I'm Saying?
  • Danny from Texas, TxThe Song Is About One Main Thing, His Mom being Paralyzed For Rougly 10,000 Days And Then Her Dying And Getting Her Wings, But I Think Alot Of It Is Left Open For Self-Interpretation, Like Many Tool Songs Are. Like The Verse "This little light of mine, The gift you passed onto me. I'll let it shine, To guide you safely on your way. Your way home." 'This Little Light Of Mine' The Beggining Of A Sunday School Song, I'm Sure, With His Mom Being As Religious As She Was, He Went To Church For A Good Part Of His Life, And We All Know That Maynard Is A very Spiritual Person. Thus Being The Gift She Passed On To Him, A Gift That He's Gonna Let Shine To Guide Her On Her Way Home, As He Does In This Song. "Fetch me the spirit. The son, and the father. Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended. It's time now, my time now. Give me my, give me my, wings." He Calls Her The Pilar Of Faith Because She Stayed So Devout In Her Beliefs Even Through The 27 Years Of Paralysis, And It Is Time For Her Wings Which She Would Be Almmost Demanding Them By Then. I Don't Really Want To Touch On Every Point Right Now, But It's An All Around Very Beautiful, Very Moving And Very Sad Song.
  • Steve from Vancouver, Wathe story is sad. but, i feel it is a tribute to magnanimity. being paralyzed really humbles a person, y'know? how much can you really posit your will, and, therefore, how do you believe in yourself, which is the faith of our capitalistic hell spawning s--tstorm country?
    Steven from Phoenix, "anger for god" seems religious. But I guess being angry feels a lot better when you have a "god" to be angry with, rather than blind and stupid "chance". If there was an egoistic conscience responsible for all bad things in my life, I would feed a lot better for my blaspheming!
    At the risk of sounding like an idiot: the song is a beautiful, sentimental ode to his mother who died yet endured through tragic circumstances: it merits a revaluation of Maynards stance on religion, as it evidently strikes personal, where most of his other songs have a general vibe of being semi-personal or general views of things...the entire song is littered in christian terms, be them analogies or whatever....
    On songwriting: THE BEST SONGS ARE THOSE THAT COME FROM THE HEART: his faith, his lyrical intelligence...all stand aside for a declarative love and support of where his mother would want to be. Such songwriters merit more attention than any other. TOOL IS THE BEST f--kING BAND ALIVE BAR NONE. they incessantly identify with the psyche, the soul, the human spirit. that is why they are the best. the music is organic, the lyrics chime in with the emotional flow of blood that we can only understand in intense moments of clarity of consciousness. like me right now, a bottle of wine and 6 beers LoL
  • Nathan from Old Bridge, Njboth parts to this song brought tears to my eyes as well.
  • James from San Clemente, CaWow, I never realized this song was about his mother

    I figured it was about lucifer comming back to the gates demanding retribution.

    but the time his mother was debilitated (adding to 10,000 days about) is pretty overwhelming

    Deep song though, you can really feel Maynard through his voice, it's a little scary sometimes.
  • Ben from Andover, Ksthis song brought tears to my eyes the first time i ever listened to it maynard is a lyrical genius and this almost tops them all
  • Emily from Memphis, TnThis song reminds me of my grandfather. He's a preacher.
    "10,000 days in the fire is long enough. You're going home... You're the only one who can hold your head up high, shake your fist at the gates saying, I have come home now! Fetch me the spirit, the son and the father, Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended. It's time now! My time now! Give me my, Give me my wings!"

    That part especially.
  • James from Victoria, Bcand Steven, you put it in the exact way I interpreted this song, I can tell when someone is starting to believe in God in some form, even when they may deny it.
  • James from Victoria, BcTheCyndicate, having a kid is obviously not a sin, otherwise Christians would have been extinct by now (Original sin was when Eve was tempted by Satan to take the apple). I myself are a Christian and contrary to what many people think (that Christians hate Tool) I actually find listening to Maynard's lyrics intriguing.
  • Michelle from Dallas, TxI agree with the majority of your comments but I have some things to say of my own:
    Maynard obviously is not a Christian. There is surely more than one reason no one really knows the whole story to but this is certainly a big one. Judith, Wings for Marie and 10,000 Days are all connected. Judith would be Maynard questioning his mother on why she stayed faithful to Him. He put her in that wheelchair. Maynard believes He did this to her and that should be the ultimate betrayal and she should turn against him, like Maynard has (not that we know if he ever did believe in God) and move on with life. But Judith didn't she stayed loyal to His word til the end.
    So it seems Wings and 10,000 Days is him kind of answering the questions from Judith himself. His mother was Christian always, God obviously isn't for him, Maynard believes God exists though an dhe hopes his mother will get to Heaven because she deserves it.
  • Jack from Strabane, IrelandThis is a song about when Maynards mother died, and is now "going home" and is now "getting her wings". Hes more or less saying that she shoukd be a saint and God should accept her openly beacause she remained faithful even after her stroke and even after been paralyzed. I think a part of it is what Maynard thinks Judith Marie should say when she gets to heaven saying "give me my .... give me my .... give me my wings" and "Fetch me the spirt the son and the father tell them there pilar of faith has accended"
  • Jon from West Bend, IaBenji, I've always though the "but surely saved one [a life]" part was about her effect on Maynard. This is just the idea I've gotten from listening to the song.
  • Steven from Pheonix, AzIt's obvious hes talking about his mother so I'll spare everyone the proof of that, one must understand what Maynard really went through with that whole ordeal (not that I know apart from things hes said in interviews, quotes, etc..). Maynard said how she stuck with her faith untill she died and how people that she knew who had the same faith would tell her face-to-face "it's good that your sticking by your faith,blah blah" and then the next minute when they were alone they said things like "man shes doomed". Maynard was disgusted with this because its true, a lot of Christians nowadays are hypocrites and fake but I think what Maynard finally realized is that there are real people out there who follow what Christianity is really all about and thats love. I think its more a general statement for those who actually are like his mother in a sense that they are true Christians (im not under minding the fact that this song is directly addressed to Judith but I just feel that Maynard has realized that true examples exist... his mother being one). I'd hate to think that Maynard believes his mom was the ONLY one who wasnt so I understand a lot of this song is somewhat generalized for those who were like his mom (kinda redundant but its a point I want to stress). As far as Maynard addmitting a conversion directly I think were a few albums away from it (catch the pun) but I do feel like hes starting to remove some of his anger for God. Maybe for this song its more about learning how to make of the faith he has (in whateveR) the way his mom did and thats full heartedly and truthfully but I, personally think, Maynard has been set back since his mom died in a sense that he was starting to believe more towards her beliefs but now its hard because theres not many who actually show "Christ". "The most single important cause of atheism today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips but deny him by their lifestyles.... that is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable" - Not a direct quote but its not mine (dont feel like putting the name) but u could look it up. Bottom line, Maynard has somewhat of understanding that christianity is the only way things dont contradict and crumple on itself but its harder to see it because his biggest example of a true christian is gone.
  • Benji from Vernon, CanadaI find the lines "never lived a lie, never took a life, but surely saved one" very fascinating. I dont know but i think maybe a hidden meaning behind it is that, she did not save a life as in like pulling someone out of the way of a moving bus, but instead she saved a life as in she never got to have her own, (because she was wheelchair bound for most of her life) so instead of living and using her life, she was forced to save it, perhaps even for her next life after death, but i donno, hard to explain but think about it..
  • Elaine from Spokane, WaI have to agree with some of the previous comments. In "Judith," by A Perfect Circle, the lyrics suggest that Maynard simply can't understand why his mother is still so loyal to God after she had her stroke, which is believed to be caused by God.

    However, in "10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)," Maynard seems to have come to accept his mother's utter belief in Christianity. I think now that she has died, he wants her faith to be true for her. Even if he doesn't believe in the same thing, he doesn't want her devotion to go unrewarded. In other words, he doesn't want her life to have been in vain.

    I love this song. My favorite part is, "You're the only one who could hold your head up high. Shake your fist at the gates saying, 'I have come home now!'" Beautiful imagery.

    I just recently saw Tool in concert and they performed this song live. I wasn't sure how they were going to do it because it is so, for lack of a better word, intense. It was amazing live though. Everyone in the audience joined in on, "Give me my wings!" So awesome.
  • Benevolant Son from Cullman, AlFrom my observation, this song refers to his mother, Judith Marie, she suffered a stroke which damned her to a wheelchair for 27 years (about 10,000 Days) until she passed a way in 2003. And you can play Wings For Marie and viginti tres back to back while playing 10,000 days, it seems to syncronize. Viginti Tres is Latin for the number 23 which symbolizes syncronization.
  • Joshua from Ocean City, NjThis song to me has nothing to do with his faith but he is questioning the faith of his mother and excepting her death but also by saying you are the light and the way they'll only read about he is questioning faith altogether but who am i to say what his art means
  • Thecyndicate from Las Vegas, NvI think that Judith shows the exact same feelings.
    He is simply angry at God for doing this to his mother, because she was so good to God.

    A few things that he might be forgetting.

    A:) She obviously had to sin, because she had a kid. Thats the Original Sin.

    B:) What if God DID do this to her, and took her off of this crappy planet? Shouldn't he be thankful?
  • Zach from Okc, OkI think you guys are forgetting Maynard's beliefs when you interpret it. He is accepting her death, but he is also talking about how she will face God after years of worshiping him, even though Maynard sees it as what God did to her. He is telling her to "look him in the eye and tell him, I never lived a lie, never took a life, but surely saved one"...like she is finally done. It goes back to Judith and how he is upset that she still had faith after so much pain. In 10,000 Days, he is just a little more accepting than his whole "(deleted) your God" stance on it. I am glad to see him getting better with it. I can't even imagine.
  • Aleksey from Los Gatos, CaHere are some "decryptions" of the lyrics

    "This little light of mine,
    The gift you passed onto me.
    I'll let it shine,
    To guide you safely on your way.
    Your way home."

    He is saying that a part of her will always be within him and he will treasure it and never take it for granted

    "You're the only one who can hold your head up high.

    Shake your fist at the gates saying:
    'I have come home now.
    Fetch me the spirit.
    The son, and the father.
    Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended.
    It's time now, my time now.
    Give me my, give me my, wings. '"

    I love this part, Maynard states that his mother was such a good person, that only she can stand strong in front of the gates of heaven beating on them and calling God (father) and Jesus (son) to come out. The pillar of faith refers to her who was a devote believe, "ascended" meaning she has finally come to them. She then asks them its my time, give me my wings into heaven.

  • Holt from Heber Springs, ArHe loves his mother! We all know that. So this songs pretty much says that she is perfect, and god is unfair!! He doesn't understand how much people can change another, all he follows is the ten commandments. LIke he said the lied, that was her only sin. So god held that against her. Now she suffers for 10,000 days just for somthing simple. He is also saying is she has the right to walk up to god and say "Give me my wings!" bcause he made a mistake.
  • Bbb from Brook Park, United Statesfrom what i understand 3 of the songs are about his mother

    this song
    jambo(it's about him wishing away his fame from tool to have her back)

    and wings for marie
  • Chris from Monticello, KyYou love your mother no matter what, and in Judith, I do not see him as angry. Just questioning her, asking "Why?". And the anger in the song I think is more directed at those who's God feels it is alright to ridicule and talk about someone behind their back. (roughly stated on aMotion DVD)
  • Yasas from Colombo, OtherDid you know that this song synchs with viginti tres and wings for marie played back to back?
  • Amitai from Staten Island, Nyit's also very interesting to see the difference in Maynard's views of his mother's faith in this song and A Perfect Circle's "Judith"
  • Brian from Mayfield Heights, OhExcellent song. Sends chills up your spine at the "I have come home now..." section.
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