Tool - Sober Lyrics Meaning

Look i admit that i only started listening to tool recently, but even i know that Tool applies interpretations to their songs because they want each fan to take away a different resulting meaning to apply to the lyrics. Anyone above who said the songs is about either A) alcohol/drug addiction or b) about religion is correct. This song has a double meaning the obvious one being an addiction to alcohol, with the underlying message of how religion is used to control us.

"Theres a shadow just behind me"
"Shrouding every step I take"
"Making every promise empty"
"Pointing every finger at me"
"waiting like a stalking butler"
"who upon the finger rests"
"Murder now the path called must we"
"just because the son has come"

The verse if applying alcoholism means his obsessive drinking is catching up with him and ruining his future, his reputation, and his sanity. If you factor in the religous meaning it loosely translated means- Religion is all around him, dictating others judgements of him. Because those with religion tend to wield it, and tend to be disdainful to non-believers of their religion. Murder is committed in the name of religion all the time by zealots who either a) are criminally insane and seek to use it as an excuse for their crimes or b) have been brain washed to the point where they think they're actually doing the right thing.

"Jesus won't you fucking whistle"
"something but the past and done?" x2

Alcoholism: Seeking religions as a means to either free him from his guilt or blaming god for his mistakes, denial in it's most blatant form.
Religion: it could be translated to meaning there is no god or he would make some signs of announcing himself. All there is for a certainty is what has happened in the past.

"Why can't we not be sober?"
"I just want to start this over"
"why can't we dream forever?"
"I just want to start things over"

Alcoholism: Wishing he had never picked the vice up in the first place or that he could quit. Wishing he could drink without consequences. Then asking why he can't just permeneantly escape his problems that the addiction caused, and finally wanting to just start with a clean slate as if it had never happened.
Religion: Why can't people wake up and see the lies that religion has sewn in our society. Could we go back and make it so religion never exists. Let people use their own minds to decide how to live their lives instead of having religion choose it for them.

'I am just a worthless liar"
"I am just an imbecile"
"I will only complicate you"
"Trust in me and fail as well"
"I will find a center in you"
"I will chew it up and leave"
"I will work to elevate you"
"Just enough to bring you down"

This verse is the most debatable part of all the lyrics because it applies to both meanings so well and only gives vague hints at what it is referred to.

Alcoholism: The effects of the disease, it will give you false happiness for a short while, it will leave you witless, it will make your demons stronger and failures more obvious. Believe that it is not a problem and over time it will prove otherwise, it will find what makes you content with life and then it will strip you of it and break you. Again it will make you happy temporarily in the beginning just enough to make the resulting failure that much more painful.

Religion:Speaks what gods message from the words of men truthfully, they are bigots, hypocrites, liars who wish to force their truths into the minds of those who don't wish to hear it, until either they believe or are dead. That they are only after what they want and if it causes you to fail they won't protect you.

"Mother Mary won't you whisper"
"Something but the past and done?"

Same meanings as "Jesus won't you fucking whistle."

"Why can't we not be sober?"
"I just want to start this over"
"why can't we dream forever?"
"I just want to start things over"

Same meaning as above.

'I am just a worthless liar"
"I am just an imbecile"
"I will only complicate you"
"Trust in me and fail as well"
"I will find a center in you"
"I will chew it up and leave"

Again same meaning as above.

"Trust me, Trust me, Trust me, Trust me, Trust me."

Alcoholism: The addiction will cause you to allow yourself to deny the problems your vice is causing in your everyday life.

Religion: Speaks what religion tries to demand of us, to mindlessly worship an absent father figure.

"Why can't we not be sober?"
"I just want to start this over"
"why can't we dream forever?"
"I just want to start things over"

Same meaning as above.

"I want what I want"
"I want what I want"
"I want what I want"
"I want what I want"

Alcoholism: In the end if you do not abandon your addiction, it'll cause you to become selfish and not care for what anyone else wants or hopes for you, even those closest to you.
Religion: They wish only gain followers and could care less what their mind numbing influence causes, they don't care if you can no longer think for yourself because it's what they want, as long as you follow them they control you.