It was the first song that helped establish the band's reputation.[1] The lyrics protest Tipper Gore and censorship, which is a recurring theme in Tool songs.[1][2][3]
The song was first recorded on a self-titled demo tape variously known as Toolshed and 72826, recorded in mid-1991. This demo version is not the same as the studio recording that appears on Opiate.
Music video
The music video for "Hush" was Tool's first ever music video. The video is shown in black-and-white-style, the band members appear nude in a white room,[4] with black tape over their mouths. Toward the end of the video the band members are seen to be foaming at the mouth through the tape and eventually remove the tape itself.[1] Signs shown over their genitalia read "Parental Advisory: Explicit Parts", a parody of the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" sticker.[5]
There is a misconception that Ken Andrews was the director,[4][7] but the concept was entirely provided by vocalist Maynard James Keenan.[8]
It is the only Tool music video other than "Sober" in which the band members appear, and the only one in which they appear in a prominent fashion.
^ abc"Tool Biography"(excerpt; fee required). Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Muze. 2007-02-01. Retrieved 2007-05-13. ..."Hush" helping establish a buzz for the band; the accompanying video graphically displayed the song's anti-censorship slant... as the band appeared naked with their mouths taped shut.
^Craig Joyce (1999-10-01). "Tool". Rough Guides. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-05-13. The first release from OPIATE, "Hush", was a condemnation of censorship, something the band have repeatedly run into.
^ abRoman Sokal (February 2000). "Tool: Stepping Out From the Shadows". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 2011-10-29. Retrieved 2007-05-13. The video for "Hush," directed by Failure's Ken Andrews, portrays the band naked walking across a white room with Parental Advisory signs over their buttocks.
^ abGreg Kot (2001-02-15). "Tool: Salival : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-13. As a hidden bonus, there's "Hush," ...accompanied by an early, grainy black-and-white film of the guys in the band, nude, with parental-advisory stickers over their crotches and asses.
^David Jenison (December 1994). "Tool". HYPNO, transcribed by K[elly] and archived at the Tool Page. p. 37. Retrieved 2007-05-13. The idea for the video, which was completely thought up by Maynard...
