Slipknot’s “Duality” Lyrics Meaning
The chorus of “Duality”, which begins the song, may give the impression that this piece revolves around the vocalist suffering literal, as in physical, pain. And that would also be the simplest way of interpreting these lyrics overall.
But based on the explanation provided by Corey Taylor, the lead vocalist and sole writer of this piece, whereas he may be literally referring to a headache, more to the point would be the source of this malady.
That is to say that it serves as a physical manifestation or representation of the vocalist’s need to effect a holistic, transformative change in his life. Or put more simply, as inferred by Taylor via the abovenoted explanation, this migraine would be the result of some aspect(s) of the subject’s lifestyle.
Or as Corey put in his own words, the character at hand has to make a decision he doesn’t want to confront but is forced to anyway. So when in the chorus the singer states that “the ache” is ‘made of all the things he has to take’, the clear implication would be this pressing health problem is stress related, though in a way that isn’t specified by the lyrics.
“I push my fingers into my eyes
It’s the only thing that slowly stops the ache
But it’s made of all the things I have to take
Jesus, it never ends, it works its way inside
If the pain goes on”
That said, the chorus can be considered one of the easier parts of this song to understand. But the verses, of which there are three, are highly poetic.
Verse 1
The beginning of the first verse relays a sense of resignation on the part of the vocalist. Corey proceeds to come off as someone who has been dealt a bad hand by “fate” itself and therefore cannot avoid what he has to face.
The middle of this passage also features one of the most-compelling lines of this song, whereas the singer puts forth that he “wished for this” and “bitched for that”. In context, that observation is probably meant to allude to an idea akin to him feening for the wrong things – so much so that now he has bitten off more than he can chew.
But the problem with that interpretation is that then the verse ends sorta as it began, with Corey insinuating that the problems he’s facing aren’t of his own creation, and therefore he is powerless to resolve them.
Verse 2
The second verse is equally pessimistic, though in this instance another party who is associated with the vocalist is brought into the equation. It reads as if this person is close to Taylor, enough that s/he is directly affected by his issues.
Corey also implies that this individual may be the source of his problems, i.e. him being stuck with this person since they ‘left him no choice’. There’s also a line in the verse that has been interpreted as alluding to the vocalist being caught up in some type of unfavorable cycle, akin to addiction. Or put otherwise, his established modus operandi doesn’t provide him with any optimism for the future.
Verse 3
After another rendering of the chorus, then comes the third verse, which is arguably the most poetic/metaphorical passage found in “Duality”.
One accepted explanation of its first line argues that what Corey is getting at is a desire to either be free from his suffering or perish altogether. But that understanding isn’t necessarily in congruence with what’s being put forth throughout the rest of the passage.
“Put me back together or separate the skin from bone
Leave me all the pieces, then you can leave me alone
Tell me the reality is better than the dream
But I found out the hard way, nothing is what it seems!”
The simplest way of interpreting this segment, without potentially opening a can of worms, is as being indicative of the vocalist suffering from a serious case of disillusionment.
Bridge and Outro
And that notion is sorta buttressed by the bridge and outro, both of which consist of the phrase “all I’ve got is insane” being repeated. Or let’s say that even though that sentence can be interpreted in a couple of different ways, all things considered it can be taken as perhaps the clearest statement in this entire piece, i.e. Taylor verifying that his problems are primarily psychological in nature.
It may be that stress or even chronic pain is what got him to this point, i.e. suffering so consistently that he’s stricken with a mental breakdown. But again, the most logical explanation would be that the true source of his issues is not of a physical variety, even though they may manifest themselves in palpable pain at times.
But what actually is the meaning of “Duality” (the song’s title)?
All of that said, none of the above actually explains or alludes to why this track is titled “Duality”. The term “duality” would imply that the vocalist is suffering from a split personality, which may well be the source of his insanity.
Indeed the reason these lyrics are so confusing, if you will, may be because the writer/vocalist intentionally set out to portray a character who cannot think straight. And with that in mind, our closing argument/theory is that the term “duality”, within the context of this piece, might be meant to point to the vocalist being unable to definitively pin down the source of his problems
In other words, at times he comes off as if they are the result of his own actions, and at others he rather depicts himself as a victim of more-powerful external forces. He is seemingly confused as to why he’s suffering to begin with.
And it may be that said confusion is the result of dealing with both serious internal and external issues simultaneously. So that’s perhaps why, going back to Taylor’s explanation of “Duality”, that the only remedy for this individual is to make some type of a pressing power-move, one that he’s been avoiding, in the name of changing his life for the better.
Or based on another Corey he offered of this piece, what the title is meant to represent, most simply put, is the ongoing struggle between a person’s good and bad sides. So with that understanding in mind, it would be this person’s good side, if you will, that is compelling him to make a definitive change, despite him wanting to, and it is his bad side that is encouraging him to remain the same, even at the cost of his own sanity.
The Rowdy Music Video
Directors Tony Petrossian and Mark Klasfeld set out to make an energetic, albeit civil music video for this song, featuring a few hundred Slipknot fans. One of such fans allowed the clip to be filmed at his house in Des Moines, which was set to be renovated, but again, the participants were advised to exercise caution on a number of different levels.
However, they did not effectively heed said warnings, with their actions resulting in a couple of injuries that required professional attention, a few arrests, and Roadrunner Records, the label that put this song out on 4 May 2004, having to pay the owners of the aforementioned house $50,000 for damages incurred during the shoot.
But that said, the clip did go on to be singled out by Blabbermouth as being ‘the greatest music video in Roadrunner history’.
The Team Behind “Duality”
Roadrunner has been responsible for all of Slipknot’s studio albums thus far. And that would include 2004’s “Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)”, of which this song served as the lead single.
The track’s producer is Rick Rubin, who may be best known as a hip-hop pioneer but has also made notable contributions to other genres, including rock. Also interesting to note is that in writing this, Corey Taylor made a conscientious effort not to include any profanity in “Duality”, a standard that was utilized throughout the entirety of “Vol. 3”.
The Performance of “Duality”
“Duality” proved to be a solid hit. It topped the UK Rock & Metal Chart and also scored within the top 10 of three Billboard charts stateside (Alternative Airplay, Mainstream Rock and Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles). Additionally, it went on to earn itself platinum certification in the United Kingdom and Portugal.
“We’d love to hear your thoughts on Slipknot’s “Duality”!
I am the Craziest Slipknot Fan
“This might sound funny. My buddies and I had an unforgettable time at a Slipknot concert in March 2022 in North Dakota. We got so drunk that we ended up screaming the lyrics to “Duality,” a total of five times. The volume was so intense, and our intoxication levels were so high that it felt like they played the song multiple times, even though they actually performed it only once. It was an amazing night. I recommend any Slipknot fan to try this combination, alcohol and ‘Duality’.”
– A Crazy Slipknot Fan from Denver (:
“Duality” made me fall in love with Slipknot instantly!
“Back in 2015, while on a road trip with my family, ‘Duality’ randomly came on my playlist. It was strange because I’m not typically a fan of metal music and I don’t know how it made the list. I vividly remember the song started before a short downhill and continued through an intense small uphill, the feeling was out of this world.
It had an incredible impact on us all, we had to repeat it several times and that was how Slipknot won me over as a fan. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t call myself a die hard Slipknot fan today since I don’t think they make good songs anymore. In my opinion, their first three albums – ‘Slipknot’ (1999), ‘Iowa’ (2001), and ‘Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)’ (2004) – were their best works.”
– Martin K. Perkins
Duality’s Insane Music Video
“Whenever I hear ‘Duality’ play, I can’t help but think of the infamous story behind its music video shoot.The video had a production cost of between $300,000 and $500,000 and was shot in March 2004 at a house in Des Moines, Iowa, owned by one of the band’s fans.
Despite the production team’s instructions to the crowd to act wild but avoid damaging anything in the house, this request was ignored, and the fans ended up causing significant damage to property in the house.
During the shoot, Slipknot and their fans were warned to avoid jumping around too excessively due to the risk of the floor caving in and the entire house collapsing. I guess that’s the power of metal music. After the shoot, the family who owned the house requested the band to replace a long list of damaged objects and fittings.
Slipknot’s management, ended up paying around several thousands of Dollars as compensation for damages caused. It’s an unforgettable and costly episode that adds to the song’s lore.”
– Patrick Carter
