The Lyrics for Slipknot’s “The Negative One” Might be About Joey Jordison

Yesterday, Slipknot released the lyrics for their new single, “The Negative One,” and the internet, which was designed for porn, kitties, and reading into things, decided that the song is about ousted drummer Joey Jordison. The theory seems to be based on the following facts:

• Every member of Slipknot (in case you didn’t know) has a number, and Jordison’s number was one. Which is the same number in the song’s title!
• “You had to be set free” sounds like a nice way of saying “You had to be let go” which would be a nice way of saying “You’re fired,” and Jordison was, in fact, fired from the band!
• There are a lot of references to drama, manipulation, etc., and even though we know absolutely nothing about why Jordison was kicked out of the band, we might be able to possibly assume that it could have involved drama and manipulation!
• Corey Taylor is really mad at someone! He even wishes death upon them! (“I Hope You Live/To See The Day/When Your World Goes Up In Flames/And As You Die/See My Face”)
• The letters “J,” “O,” “E,” “Y,” “R,” “D,” “I,” “S,” and “N” are all utilized in the lyrics, and those are the same letters you need to spell “Joey Jordison”!!!

Of course, as convincing as this evidence happens to be, people aren’t considering some kind of obvious counter-arguments, such as:

• The entire reference to the number one is “Your choices are/The negative one and me.” Assuming Jordison is “The Negative One,” it doesn’t make much sense that he’d be given an option between himself and not himself.
• Lucifer is the Anglicized version of the Hebrew word  הֵילֵל, which means… drumroll please… “The Morning Star.” (In fact, many translations of The Bible never even use the name “Lucifer” — they just say “the morning star.”) Could the band possibly be SO ANGRY at Jordison that they’re comparing him to The Devil? Short of somehow being responsible for the death of Paul Gray, what could he possibly have done to earn such severe hatred?
• At least 75% of all Slipknot songs are about how Corey Taylor is really mad at someone and he wants them to die. Just a few examples off the top of my head include “(sic)” (“You’re goin’ down/ this is a war!”), “Spit it Out” (“All you wanna do is drag me down/ All I wanna do is stamp you out”), “The Blister Exists” (“The ultimate way is the way you control/but can you stay if you detach your soul?”), and every song on Iowa. At this point, I think it’s safe to assume that Corey Taylor just hates everyone. “The Negative One” could just as easily be about his dry cleaner who failed to get a wine stain out of Taylor’s favorite pants.

Read the lyrics below, then debate their meaning in the comments section. Slipknot’s new album will be out later this year on Roadrunner.

Fire And Caffeine
A Lot Of Nicotine
I’m Going To Burn So I Better Tell You Everything
The Competition
The Superstition
Never Mind ‘Cause You’re Never Going To Give In
It’s A Crisis, Just How You Like It
The Same Drama In A Different Disguise
I’m Bound To Walk With A Target On My Back
At Least I’m Ready For Another Attack

The Lord Of Lies
The Morning Star
You Had To Be Set Free
Opposing Sides
Your Choices Are
The Negative One And Me

Svengali
Why Are We The Enemies?
I Never Follow And I Never Make Apologies
Your Dementias Are Gonna Getcha
Because Your Walls Can’t Support Each Other
Settle For The Cynical
You’re So Political
You’re Getting Ready ‘Cause The First Move Is Critical
Reciprocity
Somebody’s Listening
What Did We Learn From Our Time In Captivity?

The Lord Of Lies
The Morning Star
You Had To Be Set Free
Opposing Sides
Your Choices Are
The Negative One And Me
The Negative One And Me

I Hope You Live
To See The Day
When Your World Goes Up In Flames
And As You Die
You See My Face
You’re The Only One To Blame

The Prescient
The Nascent
The Quotient (They All Will Fall)
The Cystic
Symbolic
Condition (Systemic)
Egregious
Replete With
These Lesions (Contaminate)
Succumb To
The Selfish
Creation (Your Failure)

No Accountability
Divisibility
I Point A Finger But It’s Always Looking Back At Me
The Centipede’s Pulling On The Mechanism
Unearthing Scars Of The Cataclysm
When The Innocent
Begin To Circumvent
The Color Fades But The Picture Is Vibrant
What Do You Believe?
Does It Matter Now?
Turn Away
The Killer Is Disavowed

The Lord Of Lies
The Morning Star
You Had To Be Set Free
Opposing Sides
Your Choices Are
The Negative One And Me
The Negative One And Me

I Hope You Live
To See The Day
When Your World Goes Up In Flames
And As You Die
You See My Face
You’re The Only One To Blame

The Lord Of Lies
The Morning Star
You Had To Be Set Free
Opposing Sides
Your Choices Are
The Negative One
The Negative One
The Negative One
The Negative One And Me

[via Metal Injection]