Common Market

2005 Massline Media

RE-FRESH

Deep breath, I request a requiem for apathy
Momentarily lost hope, but now it’s back in me
Temporarily felt defeated by the game
Then the light came just after the nightingale sang
Thank whoever you wish for the gift received
I let it be the definition of me, the emcee
Share thoughts with the downtrodden – intent:
To tap into the wealth of knowledge my people gain upon the avenue
I keep that close to my heart, though it seems like we’re
Oceans apart, the feedback is my motive to start
The reconstruction of the original ark – you’re safe
Just let the waves carry you out the dark
Brighter days await, the nemesis has sealed his fate
Only the true will pass through this gate
And you are one of those chosen – proof is in the fact
You’re right here – soul wide open to rap

CHORUS:
Take a deep breath, release stress, please rest
Be blessed by the beat and the essence of these texts
Peace kept with what the deity left: respect
And let the breeze lead me in these steps, yo we set to reach the
Peak lest we meet death, terrestrial – at the
Sweet behest of the celestial decree – yes
Repeat “yes” we defeat weakness
Deep breath, feel the steez in effect, and let the breeze refresh…

Deep breath, I request a requiem for ignorance
Ever since the Chop got blessed, we less venomous
Call for the consensus here, with the rhythm we nod
Revitalized – spirit in ‘em recharched
I cite love as the impetus for change in the language the frame speaks
This is not ‘self-embraced’ – we
Interlaced through break beats, the sum of our parts
Is great, just like the summer you discovered the art
My heart beats quantized – synch up the SP (1200)
Life-vein tracks back to link-up with prestige
Hold the mic, I’m honored – type to write in a code
Disciple of ‘fiends,’ quoted in the ‘bible’ “by all means”
It’s ‘necessary’ I give, too – upon takin’
Atop the park bench start to sense the frustration of men
Respiration circulatin’ in the wind
Take it in and let the change begin – breathe with me…

PUSH

…Recognize your right to push back…

Suffocated by the pressure to perform
And the pressure to produce and the pressure to conform to the norms
Animated by the pressure to succeed
And the pressure to succumb and the pressure to believe in a cause
Predicated on the pressure to accept
And the pressure to explain and the pressure to perfect
What is inherently flawless, in all this
Recognize your right to push back…

I already told you – I am not deterred by fear
See accountability to me is a whole ‘nother theory
So my obedience is not to ever be mistaken
For faith in the creation, but in the fact I am conscious
Of my reliance on the inability of science
To justify sound on the grounds of profound silence
Why then is the molecular configuration labeled ‘secular’
When it’s relegated to a genre?
That which is from the mortal order’s not built to last
Irrespective of the measure of skilled craft
So what Jah bless let no one curse
I coerce the clergy, showin’ no mercy to the pontiff
Yes – and the muezzin’s understandably upset by the clamor
I climbed and tied the banner to the minaret
Don’t forget the pact, and
Recognize your right to push back…

Overwhelmed by the pressure to defer
And the pressure to concede and the pressure to concur with the words
Illustrated by the pressure to comply
And the pressure to appease and the pressure to apply more pressure to your
Peers ‘til the pressure puts them
Under pressure to defend why they choose not to amend
What is inherently gorgeous, in all this
Recognize your right to push back…

Lest ye judge and deem the position extremely biased
Identify me as ‘self righteous’ and ‘pious’
I assail even the stale efforts of the Baha’is
Endeavors have failed to make available Hiphop

To the youth at large, when in truth it’s hard to refute God
Music is conducive to producin’ art
Between you and me, I’m through with stringin’ beads
And singin’ of flowers and waves and leaves – it’s not
That I’m a separatist, my suggestion is: we address the risk
Of giving the impression we missed the point
To progress with the kids – not in spite of ‘em
By request, invited ‘em to bless this spot
So when it must be justice, we clutch this (mic)
Clingin’ to the cord – they cannot afford to ignore the value
And when they doubt you
Recognize your right to push back…

Aggravated by the pressure to mature
And the pressure to endow and the pressure to endure criticism
Generated by the pressure to be numb
To the pressure of the thumb of the one holdin’ you down, not allowin’ you to
Run from the pressure to be fine
With the pressure to align with the pressure to abide by the rules
Of the lawless, in all this
Recognize your right to push back…

G’DANG DIGGY

Home is where the hatred is – break bread
But never offer them a taste until they pay for this
Somebody said this place was rid of hospitality – gotcha
I aint hungry anyway – I had pasta
A full box to share with brothers if they’re proper
Starvin’ artists – leavin’ leftovers to rot?
That’s preposterous – your squad licks the posterior
I don’t know how to make it any clearer
Yeah, I got desires, but above those are standards
So I aint always trynna do exactly what the next man does
They say I come across a little self-righteous
But when it’s said and done, I’ll be the first one to step up in the cipher
For real – talk of “let’s build,” but materials are concrete
Ideals are ethereal
I process thoughts outside the ‘cattle run’
To provide you with a ride when the battlins’ done
But some reply “no thanks” and attempt to use against me
My proximity to the city
Devout by choice, but providentially Baha’I by chance
I make the most of an unusual circumstance
For a Cause I discovered in another land
I don’t expect y’all to fully understand (say what?)
I serve a Cause I discovered in another land
Yo I don’t expect y’all to fully understand…

Home is where the hatred is – appreciate your fake smile
But it’s wild here trynna raise kids
Under the pretense that these friends are for show
And I don’t mean ‘fo sho homie,’ I mean “for show.”
For display, for street credibility, for status
For you to gas up, force laughs and act bad with
For you to bum tactics from to pass as yours, lord
Some of you emcees would make better actors
Trust is a must for me – beyond dollars
See friends like Brotha Thomas are a luxury
Learn to never take ‘em for granted – love overcomes
A grudge is heavier than granite – I hold some
Just to increase muscle tone, ‘cause doin’ these shows alone
Builds character but it’s hell on the bones – I ask:
“Who’s gonna take the weight?” And y’all shrugged like:
“Wednesdays are bad for me – I gotta study.”

Carryin’ a ton while them kids keep carryin’ on
About their newfound liberation
And Hiphop provides an opportunity for you and yours
To manifest your destiny doin’ tours
I’m sure it was because of the thunderous applause [that]
You failed to hear me offer my support to your cause
In the form of doin’ shows for no cost
Now you wanna talk? I’mma have to cut you off…

Home is where the hatred is – gray skies play tricks on minds
That try to escape from this
Dirty shades of monochrome – 30 days since the sun last shone
When seeds leave, they come back grown
Stiflin’ is rife – signs of early life abound
Then it’s – “cut ‘em down, cut ‘em cut’em down!!”
Your whole tribe subscribe to that Weyerhauser mentality
Where one tree replaced by three is mathematically sound
And while you’re busy diggin’ holes in the ground
They’re back at the factory makin’ paper
I’m hip to the game and it’s a shame y’all recyclin’ goods
Since childhood I’ve been lightin’ the woods aflame
Rid the ‘old growth’ and let the ash fertilize it – naturally
Such a beautiful catastrophe
Ask me and I’mma tell you ‘burn ‘em all’ then graft me
To the last free-standin’ piece of charred, black tree
I’mma refurbish the earth with the majesty
Cause home is where the heart has to be (say what?)
I’mma refurbish the earth with the majesty
Cause home is where the heart has to be…

CONNECT FOR:

Connect For: The sake of my beloved mentor
Connect For: Those exposed to rain when it pours
Connect For: The benefit of every last fan
Who raised a hand on your command, let’s
Connect For: The chance to support the amateur
Connect For: Revival of the vibe of ‘The Score’
Connect For: The sake of the kids, if nothing more
They can’t afford to face another closed door, let’s

Connect For: The prospect of steps uncharted
Pioneers in the context of “let’s start it”
To be certain the efforts of the martyrs are applauded
I’mma share Specs’ burden to resurrect the artist
Usher in the Renaissance – a plea to Medici
To commission each and every emcee in the CD [Central District]
Meet me on the Hill [Capitol] with your catalog of styles
We’re collabin’ with the crowd congregatin’ ‘round Sal’s
And be loud enough [that] sound travels upstairs
And beyond to the ears of the once debonair
‘Til the idea clicks: put a little more Blue [Scholars] in the mix
With the Grey [Skull] – it’s your Word to Say [Wordsayer]
So brother speak – ‘cause some stand with both feet in your opinion
And would happily embrace a ‘New Dominion’
If you’re ready to build, I’ll be standin’ at Denny and Olive waitin’
To break ground and form a foundation, let’s

Connect For: The promise to provide for the poor
Connect For: The prosperity of you and yours
Connect For: The simple fact size brings strength
Resources will reinforce our ‘weak links,’ let’s
Connect For: The possibility of Cold War
Connect For: The probability of that law
Connect For: The opportunity to ensure the force
Of our community’s rapport, let’s

Connect For: The proprietorship of something greater than a label
Bring the rain – we remain faithful
And though we’re able to stay tied through gray skies
We never ‘weather the storm’ together – we stay dry
And that’s surprisin’ – here where life thrives, we’re barely survivin’
We the stamina to keep the sign of Cancer Rising
A bit of organizing for the sake of [Project] Mayhem
Make them the gate keepers of the next way in

I extend and supply a hand to the Silent Lambs [Project]
Tryin’ to ally the fam, I’ll not stop for one defiant man
Play the role of David to the giant and cock the shot
To drop the opposition right where they stand
Victory is ours for sure if we’re determined to win
Firm in the covenant concerning the tenets of
Kinship throughout the Sound’s people
There’s room for every one of us to be Under the Needle, let’s

Connect For: Enhancement of our repertoire
Connect For: The advancement of the art form
Connect For: The chance for us to prove to the critics
Hiphop is not dividin’ this district, let’s
Connect For: The call for an eternal encore
Connect For: The making of a new supreme corps
Connect For: The breakdown of the last wall
That keeps the mass from that reward, let’s

Connect For: DV and Soul One, let’s
Connect For: Jerm and Asun, let’s
Connect For: Dirty Byrdy and Scene, Bishop I and Karim
And the Team [Boom Bap] and plus Bean [One], let’s
Connect For: B-Mello and Skin, let’s
Connect For: Sam [Chesneau] and Mark Sense, let’s
Connect For: Sonny B [Bonoho] and O Deez, Black Swan
H Bomb, Roc’phella and Piece, yo let’s
Connect For: The New Improved Dirty Dev, let’s
Connect For: All of Mad Krew’s heads, let’s
Connect For: Bad Luk, Phreewil, Gabriel and Khalil
It’s time for all us to build…

CROSSBLOW

It goes…
(Hey) The interjection interrupts the status-quo
Grab the staff – holdin’ back the stratus off the plateau
Cold settle in, elders talkin’ “long winters evident”
Seal it closed; deal another dose of medicine, they say
(Hey) Things could always be worse – the church is waterproof
Impermeable to the blood the slaughter produces
We’ll wait it out here and summon the saints to oversee us
Pastor chaperone, lead us in a prayer for non-believers sayin’
(Hey) Lord they strayed from the fold
Gave ‘em the knowledge of Solomon and they made the choice to trade it for gold
Grant us victory against the victims Satan takes in
Paused to end – the room in unison repeated “amen,” and then
(Hey) A solitary echo through the sanctuary set it off
“How can we be leaders if the rest are lost?”
Quelled quick – cleric rose and spoke, addressed him ‘heretic’
He drew heat from the manuscript in Hebrew, Greek and Arabic
“Many are called, but few are chosen” he quoted
To which the team ratified and all but one seemed satisfied
Same cat: “Explain that please – where’s the balance?”
The panel seized – no man of reason ever dared to challenge the
Infallible – Priest deferred to Bishop, the Bishop to the Cardinal
Cardinal to the Pope – Pope to Oracle
And She suggested possibly the meaning was implied
That the ‘chosen one’ was he the others chose to cast aside sayin’
(Hey) You cannot be worthy with your dirty garb
Fuck your thirty-odd-year ministry; you’re finished leadin’
People down a narrow path, complicatin’ Pharaoh’s Math
Castigate the cat for trynna harrow with the parallax
(Hey) Who you think you’re foolin’ with your nobleness and globalism
When your pearl of wisdom lack the opalescent sheen
We’re accustomed to carats in high teens
By the King we demand you answer to a higher being sayin’
(Hey) Hey – all the way to your beheading
You’re gon’ pay for letting broken etiquette affect the wedding ceremony
Pony up and put your pumpkin in the guillotine
Storefront watch and score one for the Philistines
(Hey) Pay attention, son – here’s where the plot twists
Bloody moon debauchery and talk of the apocalypse is
Taken outta context, Pagans tout a contest
The knight was a sacrifice to let the pawn check

(Hey) Now they’re makin’ moves in self defense
Trynna piece together strategies from clues shelved since
The Orthodoxy had interpretation liberties exclusively
Stone-throwin’ finger-pointin’ bitches – you aint new to me
(Hey) See we are not the Puritans or Lutherans
Or Calvinists or any other Protestantic pseudonym
Ironically they persecute us, too – to turn ‘em all against
The truth – mental funnel out the fundamental tolerance
(Hey) We’re callin’ from the wall around your compound
Reclaim our stomping grounds – common bond’ll be the God Sound
Pump it – speakers stay conveyin’ translations of the message
By virtue of the words it’s evidence of the
Vestige of the lesser prophets – make it a point
Through acknowledgement the successor drop it over the joint
Touch greatness – how long you gonna play us to the side
See the pauper you condemned is now him that takes the bride sayin’
(Hey) Today we celebrate the revolution
The cycle is complete and each has made a contribution
From this day forward we’re gon’ work allied in concert
Faith applied in service – not concerned with makin’ converts
(Hey) A single inquisition from the gathering
A smattering of “what about’s?” and heads started scattering
Typical – folks a prone to dodge the one to search
And I said “pardon me for probin’ but I used to go to church…”

Every Last One

I’ve been deceived by the likes of thieves who breathe bluffs, tell me: who can I trust? Every Last One of Us!
Calumny surrounds me on all sides – who wanna see injustice crushed?
Every Last One of Us!
If I get sent up for sayin’ too much – who’s gonna break me off the back of the bus?
Every Last One of Us!
My stamina’s diminished – if I can’t finish – who’s comin’ through in the clutch?
Every Last One of Us!

Warn from the struggle – startin’ to show fatigue, son
Blast on the horn of Gabriel to tell the legion
I’mma hold the line until the time that my relief comes
Divine infantry supply the energy to feed from
Empowered, endowed with the ability to reason
Allowed the opportunity to choose or disbelieve some
Seek to find the truth and you possess the key to freedom
Then understand it’s your responsibility to teach one
Exponentially increase the delegates
We politic with activists not asses and elephants
Rectify and edify a new central intelligence
Based upon dissemination of knowledge and evidence
Imagine the impact and prevalence
Of regiments designed to change questions to definites
The resonance is risin’ up in every residence, yo
My brethren will be the testatment

When the clock strikes twelve and the heads rebel – who’s gonna usher the rush?
Every Last One of Us!
When the state of things change and the truth is explained, who’s gon’ be ready to adjust?
Every Last One of Us!
When the streets are overtaken by fleets of green jeeps – who’s facin’ the influx?
Every Last One of Us!
And when the last shot’s fired at the empire – who shall emerge from the dust?
Every Last One of Us!

The vision of our mission intimidates theocracy
Apostles of Revelations whose station is a mockery
Self-proclaimed authoritative vein of the prophecy
They strain when they struggle to explain the anomaly
It’s our intent to re-implement modesty
Demandin’ self-respect be the market’s hottest commodity
Regulate the wealth and decimate extreme poverty
And educate the kids with every dollar from the lottery

We ‘bout to change the mentality
Of old world savagery into a new reality
One where teachers and lawyers will trade salaries
And liquor stores are razed to make way for art galleries
With one common thread we weave a global tapestry
Peace will be your motto when you follow the analogy
Down from the mountains to echo throughout the valley
It’s the shouts of the soldiers in my cavalry

When the system finally falls – who people gon’ call on to show conduct?
Every Last One of Us!
When the new sun rises and we’ve all survived – who knows it’s not just luck?
Every Last One of Us!
It’s a kingdom that we gotta construct – who’s ready to build from the ground up?
Every Last One of Us!
Who’s ready to commit? This is it, y’all – people unite and say what?
Every Last One of Us!

Trinity

Chorus:
From the start of my heartbeat when art was deep in the fold
To the time of my first rhyme when I was 12 years old
I heard the voice of reason speakin’ from the beacon of hope – it said:
“I represent with mind, body and soul”
And ever since then I’m questionin’ what I’m told
Explore the options when I’m stoppin’ at the fork in the road
The effect of my actions left a crack in the mold
I represent with mind, body and soul

Somatic maggots inhabit the trappings of the tyrant
They bag, flag it, drag it back inside the cave
I’m trackin’ the pattern of havoc to stab it with the trident
The class of pragmatic shack up in the enclave
Rumor has it it’s a war outside no man is safe from
I prefer the grave to the fate of desolation
Sling blade, slice it into eighths – it’s a miracle
Properties of these are three-dimensional – spherical
Tropic of discussion – Capricorn will rival Cancer
Polyglot address me in the manner of a stammerer
Hold the title manager – author of the document
Sworn to secrecy the morning he performed the sacrament
Duty to the derelict – I’m six generations of rap
Savin’ the tape for the day I came back
Words preserved – testimony to the tournament
Clock wins again – hold my spot up in the firmament
Virgin turned vanguard – the rod draws the line in the sand
Serpentine along Medina’s floor plan
Hard to follow – death will free the swallow from the cage
Bury feathers and collect the treasures with the Jack of Spades
Steel pierce the epidermis of the earth
Heart pump concrete – from beneath the skirt she bleeds
Streaks of streets, we traverse the first cycle
Network connect net-worth – thirst is primal
Scream for the sake of sound to force the barrier back
Hurdle up and over the verbal torch carrier
Sharp turns, muscles in the lower calf burn
The last to finish has his position affirmed
Track’s run simulcast – lapse syndication
Tell the magnate hell can wait – practice patience
Majors always wanna push the up-tempo game pace
I favor simple – evaluate the info
Screen print matter – coat the data in emulsion
Teen Clint Eastwood – heard your childhood was troublesome
Watch the way the sharks play the cards they’re dealt
Overcoming the odds, well that’s a way to create wealth
Stay healthy – balance out your diet with some labor
Make a difference in the system with the wisdom that I gave ya
Save for my dominion all the planets vanish instantly
The key to infinite existence is within the trinity

Chorus

Pop press a plate-a-day: mass distribution
Lack of proper standards contributes to pollution
Who depends on agency protection from the acid rain?
Through the trinity your alkalinity is ascertained
I got digital minerals by the gram
Shots vary, but my apothecary stocks jams
Hot damn – push the cart around the town square peddlin’ wares
Observin’ how the merchants meddle in affairs
It’s pointless – keepin’ your finger on the pulse of a dead horse
That trend ends, “that’s when ya lost”
Nine-trinity to Infinity – bless faith kept
Son I got methods I aint even played yet
Put the record on – straight flush, weight crush peppercorn
Snort a line – forge across the borderline of Thessalon
Campin’ out in Corinth, passin’ through Estonia
Remnants of the message echo back to Macedonia
Homer’s had that spot blown for two millennia
Is it possible this ‘odyssey’ is not linear?
Gravitate to logic – talk about a waste
Writin in my ‘launch’ pad, I’m like a rock in outer space
Blast to orbit – first to volunteer, last to forfeit
All I need is one mic mounted in the cockpit
Static interferes with my communiqué to Houston
Steeped in the syrup makes it hard for me to move them
Sublime clientele – only time’ll tell if more are with us
Though the core, itself, is serendipitous
Cin cin – to the fam a toast to prosperity
Even in my absence I’mma oversee the legacy
Dedicate one to Bambataa if it’s not too much to ask
Fashion the future to refract the past
Luminosity – ultra-violent rays graze the temple
We play the tympani to save the trinity…

Chours

LOVE ONE

…And if you got one, love one…
You’re lucky just to have just one…

One mother, one sister, one daughter, one wife
Once lost in the darkness; blessed by sunlight
Once blind to the bounties of livin’ – Lord, surround me with four women
To symbolize life; I’m born twice
For forty days and nights weathered the storm’s tug
My mother’s fear of the water taught me how to swim above
I fought waves as she prayed and never gave up
Her faith saved me, and I just wanna say “thank you for your love…”

My memories of childhood are like dreams
I’m a drifter – thinkin’ of my sister’s like scenes
Of a movie; me screamin’ “you’re not my mom,” set to swing
You holdin’ me yellin’ to me “I’m the next best thing”
Six years of separation’s damn near a generation
But you never stopped trying to understand my motivation
And you always had my back when push came to shove
We’re the same blood, through the rain’s floods – “thank you for your love”

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it to my death
I will never fully comprehend just why God left you
In my hands, when I could hardly stand, I guess
It was significant that you and I would take our first steps
In stride – me as a follower, you as a guide
Revealer of the way as you explain I play the scribe
Leader of the tribe – reason that Abeo came alive
My name, my pride, I take time to “thank you for your love”

Who would have ever thought we’d come this far?
Two renegades who finally made their way to the stars
Built a bridge over the river of doubt and made “sound”
The foundation on which we would build this house
And aint that what matrimony’s about; a shared vision?
We draw on the strengths of intellect and intuition
You’re the symbolism of liberated women, the definition of
What a companion does – “thank you for your love”

Thank you all for your support in my times of need
Your belief in me empowers me to lead
And they wonder how I stand this firm to transgressions
Y’all taught to me the lessons every man must learn
Mother showed me how to fold my hands and thank God
Through my sister’s eyes – compromise was not hard
My daughter teaches me honesty and honestly
My wife teaches love for my mother, now my cipher’s complete
(That’s one love…)

One mother, one sister, one daughter, one wife
Once lost in the darkness; blessed by sunlight
Once blind to the bounties of livin’ – Lord, surround me with four women
To symbolize life; I’m born twice
And lucky enough to have known a love like this
My dedication – the inspiration to write this
We’re consolidatin’ the family ties – we’re drawn tight
Knowin’ things are gonna be alright…

SUCCOR MC’S

…Yeah I see you got your “Game” face on
But deep down I know you wish they wasn’t playin’ that
Low-postin’ – got you goin’ through the motions
Full of gall, fumblin’ the ball to where the players’ at
Junior varsity’s no match for the bigs, son
Champion a cause – stop stressin’ that division
Titles are petty and already you display
Traits of greatness – take this vote of confidence
As a catalyst for armament
The strongest men win packin’ the consciousness
Of self-worth – developin’ personally to see the
Purpose is more than letters on a shirt
Silk-screened revolutionaries will come and go
Esteemed visionaries most’ll never know by name
Some came just to walk through
But if you wanna be a Tupac, too – son I got you…

Step to the side when they…
Push from behind
It’s a long road to travel – take time to look around
Some avoid the water and still manage to drown
Somethin’ tells me…
There’s a reason to believe in these kids
I feel a leader’s here in our midst
Don’t be afraid to raise your fist – like this…

But you’re all about the ‘real talk’
So verbose, what’s exposed when you peel the bark back?
Hard is the shell for the skeleton
When the mind roams it grinds bones into gelatin
So my weapon of choice is the power to choose
Use it like a knife slice strife in two
Standin’ over – sew the strands to the coat of many colors
Man you gon’ need it with this band of brothers
What’d they teach you ‘bout the discipline?
What’d they teach you ‘bout livin’ in
An era where the sentiment is rarer than a cent up in the tenement
Did they mention that or weren’t you listenin’?
It’s time you form your own opinion on life
And when you’re finished I’mma lend you the mic
Supply the insight, shed light, shine bright – that’s real talk, dukes
And when you wanna rock – I got you…

My Pathology

Aiyo – below the terra firma’s the murmur of many men
Resonatin’ the predication of RA’s eponym
It requires a higher degree of thought to transmit
Elevate above the base and retrace the semantics
Incommensurately we’ve been held incommunicado
From commoner to commodore – they breed bravado
I exercise authority over the lesser ranks
We rally and tally up at the shores of the West Bank
The shottie lick the body politic – feel the kickback, son
Pardon the warden to remit that one
Sinkin’ solemnly into the vein of my pathology
I maintain the etymology of “I” defy chronology
Copy me, cosmically I seek to be laconic and terse
The meek shall admonish the earth
While the merits of inheritance are gainfully pealed
They symbolism of nepotism is painfully real
The provisioners of policy are plottin’ my demise
In addition, the aristocracy’s blockin’ the uprise
The commandant’s callin’ for change by any means
I’ve seen heaven and hell; it feels strange in between
Never settle – the medal pacifies rebel troops
But truth is the honor in the eyes of the resolute
Press on – employ the pen to postulate upon it
Verily I perform the pass summarily – you wonder why?

They say that he was born that way
They can’t imagine havin’ to go on that way
Maybe if you pray for him he’ll be drawn from the fray
Or maybe – maybe he’s OK… (X2)

Sharin’ hymns with the seraphims – praise in polyphonic fashion
The action reanimates the catatonic
Aid the abject and abjure the apathetic
Positive polarity and the draw is magnetic
They lurch and reel trynna reverse the field but can’t manage
The pull of my sign aligns planets
Secrets comin’ out in the wash of the ebb tide
Those who sought found; those who fled died
To the sight deprived sound might provide solace
The scholars of applied sciences supply the knowledge
Upon the foundation we erect the edifice – make it known
We dedicate the corner stone to Aeschylus
Fortified with more than 45’s – master the art of war
You blast trouble, but the struggle endures
Emaciated, the contemplative will kill for a drink
If not methodically restrained by the chain link
From my solid form I liquefy to be absorbed by the river
Stand re-delivered to mi amour
Chant “freedom” in their face and abase my captors
With grace I placate and await the rapture
In this colony I’ve seen atrocities personified
Still unable to affect the sovereignty of the allied
It’s the balance – they’re challengin’ your will to achieve
Imprison my coalition but the vision’s still free…

He had to have been born that way
A great many show envy towards the Lord’s protégé
And maybe if you pay for it he’ll perform a display
Or maybe – maybe you’re too late… (X2)

Keep Track

Aiyo – in Jet City, it’s a whole lot happenin’
River City it’s a whole lot happenin’
Tampa Bay, it’s a whole lot happenin’
Up in Atlanta it’s a whole lot happenin’
In Cincinnati it’s a whole lot happenin’
In Portland it’s a whole lot happenin’
In every spot I’ve ever been I find
Men and women resigned to try and keep track of time…

Consumed by the flow of the flume, I ride rapids
Marooned, the map’s written in Rune – decipher this, kid
Impugned by the spirits entombed; the didactic of doom
If not for the black balloon I would’ve missed it
Interposed by secular droves demanding answers
Who chose the standards of rogues over the mystics?
Deposed – over the summit rose the grand banner of those
Who battled fate to escape the throes of physics
Amused by the glow of the fuse, the wick sparks
We choose to call conditions “improved” with no logistics
Unmoved by the chorus of “oohs” or the barks of the prudes
I follow the marks of Sioux’s tribal blitzes
Forewarned by the bugler’s horn – the cock crows
And swarms of fowl flock to the warmth of outer limits
Adorned with a diadem of thorns, now the clock’s got horns
Every last lock shorn – it’s too explicit, but yo

Up in Athena it’s a whole lot happenin’
Iraklio it’s a whole lot happenin’
Even Prassas got a whole lot happenin’
In Abdu it’s a whole lot happenin’
At Capsis it’s a whole lot happenin’
Knossos knows a whole lot’s happenin’
In every spot I’ve ever been I find
Men and women resigned to try and keep track of time…

Allayed by the shadow of shade – light’s oppressive
Afraid the test is only a grade – the sum of digits
Betrayed by the master of slaves; the antiseptic on blades
Teach ‘em a lesson; the maze – come and get it
Pronounced by the Duke and the Count to be the promise
Announced – I’m assigned to the house – repute’s illest
Surmount the opposition and bounce – a man of modest accounts
Hierarchy trounced when I shoot to kill it
Bereaved by the acts of thieves – my term’s served
Believe not words – those who grieve will be uplifted
Decreed in the books of the freed – you’d be unnerved to read
When the lines are blurred, your speed is shifted
Crossed by the albatross, I see the signs
The frost is climbin’ over the moss, I feel timid
I pause to collect my thoughts – how was this time lost?
Pray that I find the source of the remedy, yo

Up in Lusaka it’s a whole lot happenin’
Luanshya it’s a whole lot happenin’
In Kitwe it’s a whole lot happenin’
Mpongwe it’s a whole lot happenin’
Kulundu, it’s a whole lot happenin’
Lilanda it’s a whole lot happenin’
In every spot I’ve ever been I find
Men and women resigned to try and keep track of time…