Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan has admitted he considers one of the band's own songs, "4°" from their 1993 debut album Undertow, a lyrical failure, despite praising the music behind it. Speaking on Steve-O's Wild Ride podcast in 2026, Keenan explained that while the melody and instrumentation are strong, he now views the words as an ill-judged and juvenile attempt at humour that hasn't aged well for him.

Keenan said he has struggled with several older Tool songs where he feels his lyrics let the band down, describing "4°" specifically as built around a crude joke referencing anatomical temperature that he now regrets writing. He contrasted this with later tracks such as "Stinkfist", suggesting he eventually learned to channel similar themes more skilfully. Keenan fronts three bands—Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer—and has long acknowledged his lyricism as the connecting thread across all of them.