Prison Sex


"Prison Sex" is a song by American rock band Tool. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Maynard James Keenan, it was released as the first single from their debut studio album, Undertow. The song uses a modified drop-D 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 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 1994's MTV [Music Video Awards]' MTV [Video Music Award for Best Special Effects|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 with a paintbrush. In the beginning of the video, the black figure severs the doll's legs 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 1993 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 its symbolism depicting the sensitive subject of child abuse. Maynard James Keenan, who wrote the lyrics, has been quite clear in concerts about his dislike for his stepfather.

Track listing

UK version

  1. "Prison Sex"
  2. "Undertow"
  3. "Opiate"
  4. "Prison Sex"

    German version

  5. "Prison Sex"
  6. "Intolerance"
  7. "Undertow"
  8. "Opiate"

    Australian

  9. "Prison Sex"
  10. "Intolerance"
  11. "Undertow"
  12. "Opiate"
  13. "Prison Sex"

    Promotional radio version

  14. "Prison Sex"
  15. "Prison Sex"

    Charts

Chart Peak
position