TOOL ‘Crawl Away’ EXPLAINED | Song Meaning & Hidden Story Behind the Lyrics

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Tool “Crawl Away” — Song Meaning & Hidden Story Behind the Lyrics 🩹🐍

Ever felt so betrayed that one moment you're trying to save someone… and the next, they're slipping through your fingers? “Crawl Away” delivers that emotional gut-punch—a dark pulse of betrayal, aggression, and residual love. 


What’s “Crawl Away” Really About?

This track from Undertow (1993) is an angry confrontation. The lyrics speak to someone who’s quietly pulling away—slipping “crawling away” despite the narrator’s desperate attempt to keep them close. But instead of reconciliation, there's fierce resentment:

“What you want and what you need doesn’t mean f**k to me… If I could I’d stick the knife in. This is my love for you.”
— Tool Wiki transcription of the lyrics Tool Wiki


How It Hits So Damn Hard

  • Sonic Evolution — Fans on Reddit call the intro a “sonic onslaught” that evolves into “pure grunge riffage,” with the song morphing into speed-prog intensity by the end. Reddit

  • Jungian Shadows — One fan ties it to Carl Jung’s concept of the shadow, envisioning the song as a spotlight on our darker inner impulses—the parts we fear and deny. Powerful stuff. Reddit


Why Crawl Away Still Resonates

This isn’t just a breakup song—it’s a ritual in musical form, where betrayal meets raw confession, and aggression bleeds into love. It’s that moment where hurt becomes unapologetic, and every riff feels like a spiteful exhale.

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