Thread: favorite song lyrics

The White Stripes - Hello Operator

Hello operator,
Can you give me number nine?
Can I see you later?
Can you give me back my dime?
Turn the oscillator,
Twist it with a dollar bill.
Mail man bring the paper,
Leave it on my window sill.

Find a canary,
A bird to bring my message home.
Carry my obituary,
My coffin doesn't have a phone.
How you gonna get the money?
Send papers to an empty home?
How you gonna get the money?
Nobody to answer the phone.

Dear God - XTC (1986)

Dear god,
Hope you got the letter,
And I pray you can make it better down here.
I don’t mean a big reduction in the price of beer,
But all the people that you made in your image,
See them starving on their feet,
’cause they don’t get enough to eat

From god,
I can’t believe in you.

Dear god,
Sorry to disturb you,
But I feel that I should be heard loud and clear.
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears,
And all the people that you made in your image,
See them fighting in the street,
’cause they can’t make opinions meet,
About god,
I can’t believe in you.

Did you make disease, and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too!

Dear god,
Don’t know if you noticed,
But your name is on a lot of quotes in this book.
Us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look,
And all the people that you made in your image,
Still believing that junk is true.
Well I know it ain’t and so do you,
Dear god,
I can’t believe in,
I don’t believe in,

I won’t believe in heaven and hell.
No saints, no sinners,
No devil as well.
No pearly gates, no thorny crown.
You’re always letting us humans down.
The wars you bring, the babes you drown.
Those lost at sea and never found,
And it’s the same the whole world ’round.
The hurt I see helps to compound,
That the father, son and holy ghost,
Is just somebody’s unholy hoax,
And if you’re up there you’ll perceive,
That my heart’s here upon my sleeve.
If there’s one thing I don’t believe in...

It’s you,
Dear god.

*the highlighted verses are my personal favorites

You make me feel like a sticky pistil...
leaning into a stamen
You make me feel like a mister sunshine...
Himself
You make me feel like splendor in the grass...
While we're rollin'
DAMN SKIPPY BABY
You make me feel like the Amazon's runnin' between...
my thighs

You make me feel like a candy apple
All red and horny
You make me feel like I wanna be a dumb blonde
In a centerfold, the girl next door
And I would open the door and...
I'd be all wet
With my tits soaking through this tiny little t-shirt...
That I'm wearing
And you would open the door and tie...
Me up to the bed

Lover, but I don't know who I am
Am I Barry White? Am I Isis?
Lover, I'm laced with your unconscious
Oh baby babe babe baby
I will be your Desdemona....

Thin lizzy-whiskey in the jar. It's not just the lyrics of the song its the actual music too. It's weird, when ever I hear it I feel very relaxed by it, never understood why though.

I have a many songs that define me. Here are a few:


Moody Blues – OM
The rain is on the roof
Hurry high butterfly
As clouds roll past my head
I know why the skys all cry
Om, om, heaven, om

The earth turns slowly round
Far away the distant sound
Is with us everyday
Can you hear what it say
Om, om, heaven, om

The rain is on the roof
Hurry high butterfly
As clouds roll past my head
I know why the skys all cry
Om, om, heaven, om

Moody Blues - Departure
Be it sight, sound, the smell, the touch.
There’s something,
Inside that we need so much,
The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an arquebus deep in the ground.

The wonder of flowers, to be covered, and then to burst up,
Thru tarmack, to the sun again,
Or to fly to the sun without burning a wing,
To lie in the meadow and hear the grass sing,
To have all these things in our memories hoard,
And to use them,
To help us,
To find...


Pink Floyd - Cymbaline
The path you tread is narrow
And the drop is shear and very high
The ravens all are watching
From a vantage point nearby
Apprehension creeping
Like a tube-train up your spine
Will the tightrope reach the end
Will the final couplet rhyme

And it's high time
Cymbaline
It's high time
Cymbaline
Please wake me

A butterfly with broken wings
Is falling by your side
The ravens all are closing in
And there's nowhere you can hide
Your manager and agent
Are both busy on the phone
Selling coloured photographs
To magazines back home

And it's high time
Cymbaline
It's high time
Cymbaline
Please wake me

The lines converging where you stand
They must have moved the picture plane
The leaves are heavy around your feet
You hear the thunder of the train
And suddenly it strikes you
That they're moving into range
Doctor Strange is always changing size

And it's high time
Cymbaline
It's high time
Cymbaline
Please wake me

And it's high time
Cymbaline
It's high time
Cymbaline
Please wake me

Favourite lyrics, eh.....
ok, here's a few short ones
Gotta love the hard hitting one-liners, as well

"I keep poor.
So don't expect me to buy things.
Each hand don't need 5 rings.
We all expect to die kings
or queens not really knowing what it means.
Living off of dreams
Must not be enough caffiene in coffee beans."

"No chicken not even fish
Im a real underground rapper
My tape quality sucks,
my records are warped and my CD skips"

"vic a big supporter
a triple shot of yak with a chaser of bong water"

"My hip-hop status is C-section (Why?)
'Cause I'm a cut above you pussies"

"He went to go laugh and get some head by the side road,
She asked him to autograph her derriere, it read:
'To Wide Load,
This yardbird tastes like fried toad turd.
Love, Villain'
Take pride in code words"

"one for the money, two for the bed of green,
Three for the methylene-dioxy-methamphetamine."

I've always loved the lyrics to "Spies" by Coldplay...

I awake to find no peace of mind
I said, how do you live as a fugitive
Down here where I cannot see so clear
I said, what do I know
Show me the right way to go

And the spies came out of the water
But you're feeling so bad 'cause you know
That the spies hide out in every corner
But you can't touch them no
'Cause they're all spies

They're all spies

I awake to see that no one is free
We're all fugitives
Look at the way we live
Down here, I cannot sleep from fear, no
I said, which way do I turn
Oh, I forget everything I learn

That the spies came out of the water
But you're feeling so bad cause you know
Though spies hide out in every corner
But you can't touch them, no
'Cause they're all spies

They're all spies

And if we don't hide here
They're going to find us
If we don't hide now
They're gonna catch us where we sleep
And if we don't hide here
They're gonna find us

But the spies came out of the water
But you're feeling so good cause you know
Though spies hide out in every corner
That they can't touch you, no
'Cause they're just spies

They're just spies
They're just spies
They're just spies
They're just spies

Here are some of my fav, Translating them would mess up the meaning, hope some understand them :

Días y flores, por Silvio Rodríguez:

Si me levanto temprano,
fresco y curado,
claro y felíz,
y te digo: voy al bosque
para aliviarme de ti,
sabes que dentro tengo un tesoro
que me llega a la raíz.
Si luego vuelvo cargado,
con muchas flores,
mucho color
y te las pongo en la risa,
en la ternura, en la voz
es que he mojado en flor mi camisa
para teñir su sudor.

Pero si un día me demoro,
no te impacientes
yo volveré mas tarde,
será que a la más profunda alegría,
me habrá seguido la rabia ese día;
la rabia simple del hombre silvestre,
la rabia bomba, la rabia de muerte,
la rabia imperio asesino de niños,
la rabia se me ha podrido el cariño, la rabia madre, por Dios, tengo frío,
la rabia es mío, eso es mío, solo mío, la rabia bebo pero no me mojo,
la rabia miedo a perder el manojo, la rabia hijo, zapato de tierra,
la rabia dame o te hago la guerra, la rabia todo tiene su momento,
la rabia el grito se lo lleva el viento, la rabia el oro sobre la conciencia,
la rabia coño, paciencia, paciencia,
la rabia es... mi vocación.

Si hay días que vuelvo cansado,
sucio de tiempo sin para amor,
es que regreso del mundo
no del bosque, no del sol
en estos días, compañera,
ponte alma nueva
para mi más bella flor.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Te doy una canción, por Silvio Rodríguez:

Como gasto papeles recordandote,
como me haces hablar en el silencio,
como no te me quitas de las ganas,
aunque nadie me ve nunca contigo.
Y como pasa el tiempo que, de pronto,
son años; sin pasar tu por mi detenida.

Te doy una canción si abro una puerta
y de la sombra sales tu,
Te doy una canción de madrugada,
cuando más quiero tu luz.
Te doy una canción cuando apareces,
el misterio del amor,
y si no lo apareces, no me importa:
yo te doy una canción.

Si miro un poco afuera, me detengo:
la ciudad se derrumba y yo cantando.
La gente que me odia y que me quiere
no me va a perdonar que me distraiga.
Creen que lo digo todo, que me juego la vida,
porque no te conocen, ni te sienten.
Te doy una canción y hago un discurso,
sobre mi derecho a hablar
te doy una canción con mis dos manos
con las mismas de matar.
Te doy una canción y digo patria
y sigo hablando para ti.
Te doy una canción como un disparo
como un libro, una palabra, una guerrilla
como doy el amor.

Sometimes in the morning I am petrified and can't move
Awake but cannot open my eyes
And the weight is crushing down on my lungs
I know I can't breathe
And hope someone will save me this time
And your mother's still calling you insane and high
Swearing it's different this time
And you tell her to give in to the demons that possess her
And that god never blessed her insides
Then you hang up the phone and feel badly for upsetting things
And crawl back into bed to dream of a time
When your heart was open wide and you love things just because
Like the sick and dying

And sometimes when you're on
You're really fucking on
And your friends they sing along
And they love you
But the lows are so extreme
That the good seems fucking cheap
And it teases you for weeks in its absence
But you'll fight and you'll make it through
You'll fake it if you have to
And you'll show up for work with a smile
And you'll be better
You'll be smarter
More grown up and a better daughter or son
And a real good friend
And you'll be awake
You'll be alert
You'll be positive though it hurts
And you'll laugh and embrace all of your friends
And you'll be a real good listener
You'll be honest
You'll be brave
You'll be handsome and you'll be beautiful
You'll be happy

Your ship may be coming in
You're weak but not giving in
To the cries and the wails of the valley below
Your ship may be coming in
You're weak but not giving in
And you'll fight it you'll go out fighting all of them

Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy Jr. <--- the most haunting song you'll ever hear.

His father was a drinker,
And his mother cried in bed.
Folding John Wayne's t-shirts,
When the swing set hit his head.

The neighbors they adored him,
For his humor and his conversation.
Look underneath the house there,
Find the few living things, rotting fast,
In their sleep, oh the dead.

Twenty-seven people, even more,
They were boys, with their cars,
Summer jobs, oh my God.
Are you one of them?

He dressed up like a clown for them,
With his face paint white and red.
And on his best behavior,
In a dark room, on the bed, he kissed them all.
He'd kill ten thousand people,
With the slight of his hand, running far,
Running fast, to the dead.

He took off all their clothes for them,
He put a cloth on their lips, quiet hands,
Quiet kiss on the mouth.

And in my best behavior,
I am really just like him.
Look beneath the floor boards,
For the secrets I have hid.
-----------------------
It sounds messed up I know, but it's a great, great song about the fragile human condition.

System of a down, BYOB. The main part that hits me is this.

Why don't presidents fight the war, why do they always send the poor?

Beth Gibbons 'Glory Box'

'Give me a reason to love you; give me a reason to be a woman'

It's like she's saying 'come over here and show me what you got'
It's a great track for really late night chilling out with someone who means something monumental to you...i should know. I've done it.
An after 11pm track....

The chorus of Aesop Rock - No Regrets

1-2-3
That's the speed of the seed
A-B-C
That's the speed of the need
You can dream a little dream
Or you can live a little dream
I'd rather live it
Cuz dreamers always chase
But never get it

Originally posted by Ynot
The chorus of Aesop Rock - No Regrets

1-2-3
That's the speed of the seed
A-B-C
That's the speed of the need
You can dream a little dream
Or you can live a little dream
I'd rather live it
Cuz dreamers always chase
But never get it

this is righteous Ynot. i already have 'float' by aesop copied to paste here, and this is the post above aesop rock is the only hip-hop i listen to. the man's a lyrical genius.

Float- Aesop Rock

so I heard y'all wanna float...

yo, this fallen angel could stitch a wing with a shoestring
prime directive selects reflective aviation bathed in mood swing
I'm broke; I know a walking corpse that spit icicle dagger to slit throat
quicker than you can prove there's four letters in hope (h...o...p...e)
I paint a portrait of myself, bored life inside the tortoise shell
tortured, orbiting Hell's orchid, intrigued but not compelled
I smell a hint of charred child flesh sweeping through my corridor
more than one canteen, a liquid caffeine and eclipse the slaughters
now ? is the villain of my Kabuki hologram
as I hobble with hollow hands, please pin the nozzle
we see intent to reinvent dream application with homage to ancients
but honor modern replacements circling now basics, fresh
I'm Bilbo Baggins, with stilts tippin' the peatree dish
beached fish on the shores with a feast of wits eats the corpse
divy the servings and study the traits that deemed killer breed credible
that's a harp of a different color, yeah, but the song remains identical
I am not a crook (crook)
I cook the wick at both ends just to blend that element of chance with my
tight rope leaf
life, sight beyond, I reign where hunger pain got begone
elong to something civil saint 'cause this Rembrandt paints on
and it's a tall canvas, lodged in the gut of Atlantis
I'm pretend(?), impressive lungs, some truly learn what a death chant is
I alone personify man kinds collective soul
as the result of one angry Zeus fist blistering pulp cult evoked
face it, place it on the shelf next to the portrait Mommy gave you
and the day it rains but y'all pose by the slave ship anyway (how sweet)
make it rain 'till the lead be grain
my face is a combine of Father Tom and his sweetest concubine
whine, and it saddens me like televised casualties
I'll be hung in the village square in exactly five minutes
you don't want to miss it
I've been soaking up my discontent regarding the equation
I'm officially closed for consultation

I float
when everyone around me's busy drowning, I float
when everyone around me's busy drowning, I float
when everyone around me's busy drowning, I float

moody blues is awesome! glad they're covered in this thread.


any song off of the "deloused in the comatorium" album by The Mars Volta.

"Televators"

Just as he hit
The ground
They lowered a tow that
Stuck in his neck to the gills
Fragments of sobriquets
riddle me this...
three half eaten corneas
who hit the aureole
Stalk the ground
Stalk the ground
You should have seen
The curse that flew right by you
Page of concrete
Stained walks crutch in hobbled sway
Auto-da-fé
A capillary hint of red
Only this manupod
Crescent in shape has escaped
The house half the way
Fell empty with teeth
That split both his lips
Mark these words
One day this chalk outline will circle this city
Was he robbed of the asphalt that cushioned his face
A room colored charlatan
Hid in a safe
Stalk the ground
Stalk the ground
You should have seen
The curse that flew right by you
Page of concrete
Stain walks crutch in hobbled sway
Auto-da-fé
A capillary hint of red
Only this manupod
Crescent in shape has escaped

Pull the pins
Save your grace
Mark these words
On his grave
[x3]

You should have seen
The curse that flew right by you
Page of concrete
Stain walks crutch in hobbled sway
Auto-da-fé
A capillary hint of red
Everyone knows the last toes are
Always the coldest to go

Originally posted by iwonderwhy
[b]

11 am (next verse)

should I push rewind? THE CREDITS TRAVERSE SIGNIFYING THE END we please go back to start?
great song, tremendous band <3

I am sorry to be one of those people, but I have a friend that would kill me if I let this atrocity alone.

Oh btw, I'm not sorry at all...


but kudos on enjoying incubus...you guys got good taste

my favorite pink floyd song - grantchester meadows

Sia- Breathe Me

Help, I have done it again
I have been here many times before
Hurt myself again today
And, the worst part is there's no-one else to blame

Be my friend
Hold me, wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small
I'm needy
Warm me up
And breathe me

Ouch
I have lost myself again
Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found,
Yeah I think that I might break
I've lost myself again and I feel unsafe

Be my friend
Hold me, wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small
I'm needy
Warm me up
And breathe me
---------------------------------

Wolf Parade - I'll Believe In Anything

Give me your eyes,
I need sunshine.
Give me your eyes,
I need sunshine.
Your blood.
Your bones.
Your voice.
And your ghost.

We've both been very brave,
Walk around with both legs.
Fight the scary day,
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves.

But I'll believe in anything.
And you'll believe in anything.
Said, I'll believe in anything.
And you'll believe in anything.

If I could take the fire out from the wire,
I'd share a life and you'd share a life.
If I could take the fire out from the wire,
I'd share a life and you'd share a life.
If I could take the fire out from the wire,
I'd take you where nobody knows you,
And nobody gives a damn.
Said nobody knows you,
And nobody gives a damn.

And I could take another hit for you,
And I could take away your trips from you,
And I could take away the salt from your eyes,
And take away the spitting salt in you,
And I could give you my apologies,
By handing over my neologies,
And I could take away the shaking knees,
And I could give you all the olive trees,
Oh look at the trees and look at my face and look at a place far away from here.

Give me your eyes,
I need sunshine.
Give me your eyes,
I need sunshine.
Your blood.
Your bones.
Your voice.
And your ghost.

We've both been very brave,
Walk around with both legs.
Fight the scary day,
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves.

But I'll believe in anything,
And you'll believe in anything.

If I could take the fire out from the wire,
I'd share a life and you'd share a life.
If I could take the fire out from the wire,
I'd share a life and you'd share a life.
If I could take the fire out from the wire,
I'd take you where nobody knows you,
And nobody gives a damn.
I said nobody knows you,
and nobody gives a damn.
I said nobody knows you,
and nobody gives a damn either way.
About your blood.
Your bones.
Your voice.
And your ghost.
Because nobody knows you,
And nobody gives a damn either way.

And now I'll believe in anything.
And you'll believe in anything.
Because nobody knows you,
And nobody gives a damn either way.

Hmm...top two on my iTunes count are Song 2 (Blur) and Space Truckin' (Deep Purple). But lyricswise, either Metallica's "Where ever I may roam", Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" and Pink Floyd's "High Hopes" have to be my favourites:

High Hopes -

Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our troughts strayed constandly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begin

Along the long road and on down the causeway
Do they still meet there by the cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The night of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide

At a higher altitude with flag unfuried
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world

Eneumbered forever by desire and ambition
There’s a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we’ve been so many time

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river

Forever and ever


Born to be Wild -

Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin' with the wind
And the feelin' that I'm under
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Like a true nature's child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

Born to be wild
Born to be wild

Wherever I may roam -

(...And the road becomes my bride)
...And the road becomes my bride
I have stripped of all but pride
So in her I do confide
And she keeps me satisfied
Gives me all I need

...And with dust in throat I crave
Only knowledge will I save
To the game you stay a slave
Rover wanderer
Nomad vagabond
Call me what you will

But I'll take my time anywhere
Free to speak my mind anywhere
And I'll redefine anywhere
Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home…Yeah!!

...And the earth becomes my throne
I adapt to the unknown
Under wanderering stars I've grown
By myself but not alone
I ask no one

...And my ties are severed clean
The less I have the more I gain
Off the beaten path I reign
Rover wanderer
Nomad vagabond
Call me what you will... yeah you will

But I'll take my time anywhere
Free to speak my mind anywhere
And I'll never mind anywhere
Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home.. yeah! yeah!!

But I'll take my time anywhere
I'm free to speak my mind
And I'll take my find anywhere
Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home

But I'll take my time anywhere
I'm free to speak my mind
And I'll redefine anywhere
Anywhere I roam
Where I lay my head is home

Carved upon my stone
My body lie, but still I roam yeah yeah!!

Wherever I may roam
Wherever I may roam Ohhh
Wherever I may roam
Wherever I may roam Yeah!!
Wherever I may wonder wonder wonder
Wherever I may roam
Yeah yeah wherever I may roam
Yeah yeah wherever I may roam
Wherever I may roam
Wherever I may roam

...And on that note the S&M version rocks!

The White Stripes - Black Math

Don't you think that I'm bound to react now?
Well, my fingers definitely turning to black now.
Yeah, Maybe I'll put my love on ice,
And teach myself, maybe that'll be nice, yeah.

My books are sitting at the top of the stack now,
Well, the longer words are really breaking my back now.
Yeah, maybe I'll learn to understand,
Drawing a square with a pencil in hand, yeah.

Mathematically turning the page,
Unequivocally showing my age,
I'm practically at center stage,
Undeniably earning your wage.
Well maybe I'll put my love on ice,
Teach myself, maybe that'll be nice, yeah.

Listen master can you answer a question?
Is it the fingers or the brain that you're teaching the lesson?
I can't tell you how proud I am,
Writing down things that I don't understand.
Well, maybe I'll put my love on ice,
And teach myself, maybe that'll be nice, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.

anything from josh groban...

i can understand the english and french songs... but i can't understand anything of the others (spanish maybe?)... and they STILL rock, how cool is that?

Talib Kweli f/ Mos Def and Common - Respiration
(To me, some of the best lyrics ever written. I recommend getting this song any way you can, because just reading the lyrics doesn't do it a bit of justice.)


Intro:
"What'd you do last night?"
"We did umm, two whole cars
It was me, Dez, and Main Three right?
And on the first car in small letters it said
'All you see is..' and then you know
big, big, you know some block silver letters
that said '..crime in the city' right?"
"It just took up the whole car?"
"Yeah yeah, it was a whole car and shit..."

[spanish speaking woman] Escuchela.. la ciudad respirando
(translation of spanish: Listen to it.. the city breathing)

* woman repeats 3X *

[spanish speaking woman] Escuchela..

[Mos Def]
The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis
Shinin, like who on top of this?
People was tusslin, arguin and bustlin
Gangstaz of Gotham hardcore hustlin
I'm wrestlin with words and ideas
My ears is picky, seekin what will transmit
the scribes can apply to transcript, yo
This ain't no time where the usual is suitable
Tonight alive, let's describe the inscrutable
The indisputable, we New York the narcotic
Strength in metal and fiber optics
where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
for profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Hard knuckles on the second hands of workin class watches
Skyscrapers is collosus, the cost of living
is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options
No Batman and Robin, can't tell between
the cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless
With no conscience, back streets stay darkened
Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened
My eagle talons STAY sharpened, like city lights stay throbbin
You either make a way or stay sobbin, the Shiny Apple
is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat
You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat
Nightly news repeat, who got shot down and locked down
Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages
My narrative, rose to explain this existance
Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance

So much on my mind that I can't recline
Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin
Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving

[Talib Kweli]
Breathin in deep city breaths, sittin on shitty steps
we stoop to new lows, hell froze the night the city slept
The beast crept through concrete jungles
communicatin with one another
And ghetto birds where waters fall
from the hydrants to the gutters
The beast walk the beats, but the beats we be makin
You on the wrong side of the track, lookin visibly shaken
Taken them plungers, plungin to death that's painted by the numbers
with crime unapplied pressure, cats is playin God
but havin children by a lesser baby mother but fuck it
we played against each other like puppets, swearin you got pull
when the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes
Gettin knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise
Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog
is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene
Thoughts that people put in the air
Places where you could get murdered over a glare
But everything is fair
It's a paradox we call reality
So keepin it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality
Killers Born Naturally like, Mickey and Mallory
Not knowing the ways'll get you capped like an NBA salary
Some cats be emceeing to illustrate what we be seeing
Hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shakin what you believe in
For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted
I'm asking if y'all feel me AND THE CROWD LEFT ME STRANDED
My blood pressure boiled and rose, cause New York niggaz
actin spoiled at shows, to the winners the spoils go
I take the L, transfer to the 2, head to the gates
New York life type trife the Roman Empire state

[Mos Def and crew]
So much on my mind I just can't recline
Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
Yo don't the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin
Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving

[spanish speaking woman] Escuchela.. respirando ??

[Common]
Yo...on The Amen, Corner I stood lookin at my former hood
Felt the spirit in the wind, knew my friend was gone for good
Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn't mask it
Mixin down emotions, struggle I hadn't mastered
I coreograph seven steps to heaven
And hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leavened
Veteran of a cold war It's Chica-I-go for
What I know or, what's known
So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home
From the crib I spend months gone
Sat by the window with a clutched dome listenin to shorties cuss long
Young girls with weak minds, but they butt strong
Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord, but didn't have a touch-tone
It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on
Some of this land I must own
Outta the city, they want us gone
Tearin down the 'jects creatin plush homes
My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones
Surrounded by hate, yet I love home
Ask my God how he thought travellin the world sound
Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown
It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep
Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep
Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep

[Mos Def and crew]
So much on my mind I just can't recline
Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
Yo how the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing
Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening
Kiss the Ide's goodbye, I'm on the last train leaving

Read it again, if you have to.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And since I think it's good to plug some of my own work:
Archetype (me ) - Ghost in the Microphone

Feeling abused and neglected. Been Eons since someone's properly 'checked' me.
Nowadays I'm just a tool. These fools could never respect me.
Can they not see the power that I hold beneath the surface?
My ability to reach the world now seems suddenly worthless,
and I'm nervous, actually I'm Scared, there's truth behind the notion
that I'm damned to represent these Flakes that show me no emotion.
What am I, some Fucking Concubine, to vocalize your ego?
Give you voice around the globe so you can rape my dignity? No.
There was a time when I was loved like friend or family,
cats with souls as bright as stars spoke through with truth and understanding.
Whether poetry, battles of wit, or rhymin over slow-jams,
emcees gave me their Heart, and Every Line was like a romance.
Its like the crowds would simply fade off into the background.
It was my Passion, havin emcees come and lay the smack down.
...Now all I get, is cats who half-ass and split,
and crowds so brainwashed by a tight beat, talent doesn't mean Shit.
Its sick, what people let these rappers dash away with.
Chargin' a fee to preach violence and materialism, and masses Pay It.
Still seems I can't convey it properly. How do I say it?
Are your favorite rap songs Art, or Propaganda, nigga? Weight It.
But I don't want your answer. SAVE IT. Pray it marinates within,
and turns out to be truth, and not just the wool your face is hidden in.
And you know what wool I'm talking 'bout, so let's not play it dumb.
The one that makes you scream; "That niggaz tight!!" but when asked "why?" your answer's:
"Uhhmmmm..."
Well? Is it their lyricism? Originality? Content?
Their difficult technique? Their Flow? Or do you just welcome nonsense,
as long-as-its got a beat that you can bump up in the club to,
or play to fake you relate to life like all these so-called 'thugs' do?
Come on, America. I try, but I can't do your thinking For you.
I'm just a microphone, and mics alone can't lead, but we support you.
So treat us with the passion we deserve, cause now, our chemistry lacks.
Its tit-for-tat, get-wit-that, or get-Smacked up with the feedback.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945

2.
1, 2, 3, 4.

The only girl I've ever loved,
Was born with roses in her eyes,
But then they buried her alive,
One evening 1945,
With just her sister at her side,
And only weeks before the guns,
All came and rained on everyone.

Now she's a little boy in Spain,
Playing in pianos filled with with flames,
On empty rings around the sun,
All sing to say my dream has come.

But now we must pick up every piece,
Of the life we used to love,
Just to keep ourselves at least enough to carry on,

And now we ride the circus wheel,
With your dark brother wrapped in white.
Says it was good to be alive,
But now he rides a comet's flame,
And won't be coming back again,
The Earth looks better from a star,
That's right above from where you are.
He didn''t mean to make you cry,
With sparks that ring and bullets fly,
On empty rings around your heart,
The world just screams and falls apart.

But now we must must pick up every piece,
Of the life we used to love,
Just to keep ourselves at least enough to carry on.

And here's where your mother sleep's,
And here' is the room where your brother's were born.
Indentions in the sheets,
Where they're bodies once moved but don't move anymore.

And it's so sad to see,
The world agree,
That they'd rather see their faces filled with flies,
Oh and I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes.