"Sober" was written about a guy the band knows who can only do great, inspired, stuff when he's high. The words "Jesus won't you F--king whistle, something but the past and gone" is actually referring to how this guy kept talking about the same old stuff over and over again, as in, "Christ almighty, can't we talk about something new???" Tool guitarist Adam Jones explained in an interview with Guitar School: "The song and video are based on a guy we know who is at his artistic best when he's loaded. A lot of people give him s--t for that. I don't tell people to do or not do drugs. You can do what you want, but you have to take responsibility for what happens. If you become addicted and a junkie, well, that's your fault."
For radio play, the line, "Jesus, won't f--king whistle" was changed to, "Jesus, won't you try and whistle."
On August 18, 2006, Kirk Hammett from Metallica played this with Tool at a show in Hawaii. Hammett said it was "One of the most profound jamming experiences I have ever encountered."
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