Role Model gives another preview of 'Chuck Timely & The Hourglass' with 'Joy'•
Erin LeCount is hosting a free songwriting and production masterclass at Abbey Road•
Nia Archives has recruited Jorja Smith for her new single 'Get Me Down'•
The Linda Lindas' next album is called 'GOTTA GET OUT', and Hayley Williams is on the new single
•
Nell Mescal has released new single 'Settles' ahead of an intimate London pop-up show•
Jacob Alon has announced 'Live From The Roundhouse' and shared a cover of Nirvana's 'All Apologies'•
Frost Children have released their new EP 'Tweaker Poem' and shared a video for 'Creep'•
The Last Dinner Party have shared 'Knocking At The Sky' and its Hollywood-inspired video•
Lucy Dacus celebrates Richmond in her self-directed ‘Planting Tomatoes’ video•
Alessi Rose has shared vulnerable new single 'Dependent' ahead of her summer festival run•
KATSEYE are bringing new film 'WILD HEARTS' to cinemas worldwide•
Little Grandad have shared new 1940s-inspired single ‘Babe, We’ve Run Out Of Time’ and announced their biggest London headline show yet•
Gilla Band have announced their new album ‘Pugnello’ and two intimate UK shows•
Violet Grohl has upgraded her Manchester show and added a new Brighton date•
Beyoncé is celebrating 'B'Day' with her first new song in two years, ‘Morning Dew (Donk)’•
Audrey Hobert has unveiled a new video for 'Sex and the City' as she begins her headline tour•
The Dork 2025 Readers' Poll nominations are in, featuring CMAT, Turnstile, Wolf Alice, Djo, Hayley Williams and loads more•
flowerovlove has released her first-ever first Christmas track, 'wishlist'•
Mighty Hoopla and Olly Alexander have announced Trans Mission, a concert for trans solidarity•
JADE has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album, 'THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE'•
Role Model gives another preview of 'Chuck Timely & The Hourglass' with 'Joy'•
Erin LeCount is hosting a free songwriting and production masterclass at Abbey Road•
Nia Archives has recruited Jorja Smith for her new single 'Get Me Down'•
The Linda Lindas' next album is called 'GOTTA GET OUT', and Hayley Williams is on the new single•
Nell Mescal has released new single 'Settles' ahead of an intimate London pop-up show•
Jacob Alon has announced 'Live From The Roundhouse' and shared a cover of Nirvana's 'All Apologies'•
Frost Children have released their new EP 'Tweaker Poem' and shared a video for 'Creep'•
The Last Dinner Party have shared 'Knocking At The Sky' and its Hollywood-inspired video•
Lucy Dacus celebrates Richmond in her self-directed ‘Planting Tomatoes’ video•
Alessi Rose has shared vulnerable new single 'Dependent' ahead of her summer festival run•
KATSEYE are bringing new film 'WILD HEARTS' to cinemas worldwide•
Little Grandad have shared new 1940s-inspired single ‘Babe, We’ve Run Out Of Time’ and announced their biggest London headline show yet•
Gilla Band have announced their new album ‘Pugnello’ and two intimate UK shows•
Violet Grohl has upgraded her Manchester show and added a new Brighton date•
Beyoncé is celebrating 'B'Day' with her first new song in two years, ‘Morning Dew (Donk)’•
Audrey Hobert has unveiled a new video for 'Sex and the City' as she begins her headline tour•
The Dork 2025 Readers' Poll nominations are in, featuring CMAT, Turnstile, Wolf Alice, Djo, Hayley Williams and loads more•
flowerovlove has released her first-ever first Christmas track, 'wishlist'•
Mighty Hoopla and Olly Alexander have announced Trans Mission, a concert for trans solidarity•
JADE has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album, 'THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE'•
Dork
News
Features
Reviews
Magazine
Shop
Listings
Directory
Festivals
Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST
Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD
Festival Guides-YOUR ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL COMPANION
Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST
Mixtape-DORK'S BEST NEW TRACKS
Play-DORK'S NEW MUSIC FRIDAY EDIT
Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD
Playlist Covers
Playlist Directory
Recommender
Before Doors-LIVE SESSIONS
Music Video Directory
Down With Boring-THE DORK PODCAST
Chart Attack-UK NUMBER ONES, DISSECTED
Dork Live
Dork Radio
Live
Live 24/7
Dork Radio
Dork
Down With Boring

Join thousands of music lovers getting the best new tracks, exclusive interviews, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

In print now

August 2026

Latest issue variants

View archive
Dork, August 2026 (Fat Dog cover)

Fat Dog

Dork, August 2026 (Ravyn Lenae cover)

Ravyn Lenae

Dork, August 2026 (Yard Act cover)

Yard Act

Advertise
|
Support|
About Dork|
Privacy Policy|
Genres|
Years|
Sitemap|
RSS|
Cookie settings
© 2026 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
Powered by PlaywireAdvertise on this site.
  1. Tracks
  2. A Perfect Circle
  3. Thirteenth Step
  4. Pet
Pet by A Perfect Circle

TRACK

A Perfect Circle

Pet

Release date: 14th September 2003

From Thirteenth Step
Track 10
4:34
Hard RockMusicRockMetal
Spotify Apple Music More on A Perfect Circle

About This Track

'Pet' frames addiction from the voice of the drug itself, a presence that poses as protector while systematically isolating its user from the world. The song moves through a series of reassurances and threats, each one tightening the grip: promises of safety, warnings against outside influence, a gradual erasure of autonomy. Maynard James Keenan sings with a parent's false tenderness, the kind that masks control. The album Thirteenth Step explores addiction and recovery from multiple angles, and 'Pet' occupies perhaps the most unsettling vantage point. It does not judge the user; it seduces them. The rhythm builds around war drums and a counting of bodies, images that suggest both numbness and complicity. What makes the song effective is its refusal to moralize. It simply shows how dependency rewrites the world, how the thing that harms you becomes the only thing that feels like love.

"Pet" is a track by A Perfect Circle, from the album Thirteenth Step, released 14th September 2003. The track is 4:34 long. It's filed under Hard Rock. Full lyrics are available below.

About the Artist

A Perfect Circle

A Perfect Circle

Lyrics

Pet

Don't fret precious I'm here, step away from the window
Go back to sleep

Lay your head down child
I won't let the boogeyman come

Counting bodies like sheep
To the rhythm of the war drums

Pay no mind to the rabble
Pay no mind to the rabble

Head down, go to sleep
To the rhythm of the war drums

Pay no mind what other voices say
They don't care about you, like I do, like I do
Safe from pain and truth and choice and other poison devils
See, they don't give a fuck about you, like I do

Just stay with me, safe and ignorant
Go back to sleep
Go back to sleep

Lay your head down child
I won't let the boogeyman come
Count the bodies like sheep
To the rhythm of the war drums

Pay no mind to the rabble
Pay no mind to the rabble

Head down, go to sleep to the rhythm of the war drums

I'll be the one to protect you from
Your enemies and all your demons

I'll be the one to protect you from
A will to survive and a voice of reason

I'll be the one to protect you from
Your enemies and your choices son
They're one in the same
I must isolate you
Isolate and save you from yourself

Swayin to the rhythm of the new world order and
Count the bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums

The boogeymen are coming
The boogeymen are coming

Keep your head down, go to sleep, to the rhythm of a war drums

Stay with me
Safe and ignorant
Just stay with me
Hold you and protect you from the other ones
The evil ones
Don't love you son
Go back to sleep

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From Thirteenth Step

4:342003
Listen
Album
Thirteenth Step
Thirteenth Step
A Perfect Circle
15th September 2003
Track number
10
Release year
2003
  1. 1The Package
    7:40
  2. 2Weak and Powerless
    3:15
  3. 3The Noose
    4:53
  4. 4Blue
    4:14

More from A Perfect Circle

Albums & EPs

Sessanta Live
2025
Eat the Elephant
Eat the Elephant
2018
Stone and Echo: Recorded Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Stone and Echo: Recorded Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
2013
Stone And Echo
2013
aMOTION
aMOTION
2004
eMOTIVe
eMOTIVe
2004

Explore

More tracks by A Perfect Circle

  1. Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War DrumsSessanta Live
  2. DisillusionedSessanta Live
  3. JudithSessanta Live
  4. KindredSessanta Live
  5. So Long And Thanks For All The FishSessanta Live
  6. The ContrarianSessanta Live
  7. The HollowSessanta Live
  8. The OutsiderSessanta Live
  9. The PackageSessanta Live
  10. Weak And PowerlessSessanta Live

Showing 10 of 50

If you like A Perfect Circle

Tool

Tool

Puscifer

Puscifer

ASHES dIVIDE

ASHES dIVIDE

Chevelle

Chevelle

Rishloo

Rishloo

Karnivool

  • 5Vanishing
    4:51
  • 6A Stranger
    3:12
  • 7The Outsider
    4:06
  • 8Crimes
    2:35
  • 9The Nurse Who Loved Me
    4:05
  • 10Pet
    4:34
  • 11Lullaby
    2:02
  • 12Gravity
    5:08
  • —The Package
    7:40
  • —The Noose
    4:53
  • —A Stranger
    3:12
  • —Blue
    4:14
  • —The Outsider
    4:06
  • —Pet
    4:34
  • —Weak And Powerless
    3:15

    • Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Billy Howerdel, Maynard James Keenan
    Producer
    Billy Howerdel, Danny Lohner
    Engineer
    Billy Howerdel
    Drums
    Josh Freese
    Guitar
    Billy Howerdel
    Assistant Engineer
    Steve Duda
    Background Vocals
    Devo Keenan, Jeordie White, Josh Freese
    Bass Guitar
    Jeordie White
    Lead Vocals
    Maynard James Keenan
    Mixing Engineer
    Andy Wallace
    READ MORE ABOUT A PERFECT CIRCLEREAD MORE ABOUT A PERFECT CIRCLEREAD MORE ABOUT A PERFECT CIRCLEREAD MORE ABOUT A PERFECT CIRCLE
    READ MORE ABOUT A PERFECT CIRCLEREAD MORE ABOUT A PERFECT CIRCLEREAD MORE ABOUT A PERFECT CIRCLEREAD MORE ABOUT A PERFECT CIRCLE
    A Perfect Circle: "The new album is a wake-up call"
    Features

    A Perfect Circle: "The new album is a wake-up call"

    A lot of things happened in 2004. Facebook launched with little fanfare, George W Bush was re-elected as US president for a second term, Friends came to...

    31 Dec 1969 • 11:00 pm