"Opiate" is a song by American rock band Tool and the title track from their debut EP recorded by producer Sylvia Massy at Sound City Studios in 1991. "Opiate" serves as the final track of the Opiate EP and contains the hidden track, "The Gaping Lotus Experience". The song plays as one continuous track with a runtime of 8:32
Live performances
"Opiate" has held a regular position on Tool's concert setlist since 1992. In 1994, it was often played back-to-back with "Flood", transitioning smoothly between songs and skipping the lengthy "Flood" intro. By 1996, "Opiate" would often serve as the penultimate song of concerts, preceding "Ænema". Maynard James Keenan has dedicated the song to psychologist and author Timothy Leary on multiple occasions and to former Tool bassistPaul D'Amour on others, referring to him as "Paul of Love".[2]
"Opiate" was re-recorded and released as "Opiate2" on March 1, 2022. It's four and a half minutes longer than the original and includes the same lyrics as the original version (with a few changes), plus a new bass intro, an extended instrumental midsection, and a new instrumental outro. A Blu-ray short film directed by Dominic Hailstone was released on March 18 to commemorate the EP's 30th anniversary. The commentary is provided by BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon of RuPaul's Drag Race.[8]
