Prison Sex

For the prison phenomenon, see Prison sexuality.

"Prison Sex"
File:Prisonsex.jpg
Single by Tool
from the album Undertow
Released	1993
Format	Compact Disc, vinyl
Recorded	1993
Genre	Alternative metal, progressive metal
Length	4:55
Label	Zoo Entertainment
Producer(s)	Tool and Sylvia Massy
Tool singles chronology
"Sober" (1993) "Prison Sex" (1993) "4°" (1993)
Music sample "Prison Sex" noicon The intro to "Prison Sex".

"Prison Sex" is a song by American Progressive rock band Tool. The song was released as their first single from their debut album Undertow. The song uses a modified drop-B tuning. The track features an "anti-climax" coda, in which memorable verses and choruses dissolve into an unrelated, quiet final section.

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 1995's MTV Music Video Awards' Best Special Effects category.

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 via a paintbrush, fondling parts of the doll, and then some. 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 1994 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, 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 a symbolic dealing with the sensitive subject of child abuse. Maynard James Keenan, who wrote the lyrics, has been quite clear about his antipathy towards his stepfather during early interviews about the song.

Before a live performance of Prison Sex on November 29, 1996 in Montreal, QC, Keenan had this to say:

"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."

Track listing

UK version

1. "Prison Sex (Album Version)"
2. "Undertow (Live)"
3. "Opiate (Live)"
4. "Prison Sex (Radio Edit)"

German version

1. "Prison Sex (Album Version)"
2. "Intolerance (Live)"
3. "Undertow (Live)"
4. "Opiate (Live)"

Australian

1. "Prison Sex (Album Version)"
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 (Album Version)"

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
Germany	1993	Zoo Entertainment	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

External links

• The unofficial Tool FAQ