Bavitz was born in Syosset, New York and grew up in Northport, New York. While attending college, Bavitz initially recorded and released two self-financed efforts, Music for Earthworms (1997), a full-length featuring underground artist Percee P on two tracks. Bavitz also released a music video to "Abandon All Hope", which was one of the tracks on the CD. The album sold over 300 copies, largely from a grassroots internet-based promotion at his website AesopRock.com and then-popular web portal, MP3.Com. It was a success. With the money he made from his previous release, he then released his Appleseed EP in 1999 which received critical acclaim in the underground hip hop circuit.[citation needed] Both of his early records were produced by long-time friend Blockhead, and underground producer Dub-L. He completed these albums while also working as a waiter.
After his breakthrough success in the underground hip hop and indie rap community, he was eventually noticed by the Mush label and obtained his first record deal in 1999, just a year after he graduated from college. Aesop released his first major album, Float (2000), with guest appearances from Vast Aire, Slug, and Dose One. Production was split between Blockhead and Aesop himself, with one track by Omega One. During this time, Aesop worked at a photography gallery. In August 2001 tragedy struck when Bavitz had a nervous breakdown. The song "One of Four" on his Daylight EP documents his struggles.
Shortly after releasing Float, Aesop Rock signed to Manhattan-based label Definitive Jux (commonly shortened to Def Jux), where he released Labor Days (2001), an album dedicated to the discussion of labor in American society and the concept of "wage slaves". This album was most well known for its single "Daylight". Because of its popularity, Daylight was re-released in 2002 as a seven-track EP, including an "alternative" new version of the song "Night Light", whose paraphrased lyrics simultaneously refer back to, and stand in stark opposition to, the original's. The song "Labor" (from Labor Days) was featured in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4; it also was the first album in his catalog to break through the Billboard charts, peaking at number 15 at the United States Independent Charts, giving Aesop Rock more recognition.
Labor Days was followed by Bazooka Tooth in 2003. For the first time, production was mostly handled by Rock himself, with three tracks from longtime collaborator Blockhead and one from close friend and Definitive Jux label CEO El-P. Guest appearances include Party Fun Action Committee, El-P, and Mr. Lif (all Definitive Jux labelmates) and Camp Lo. With this release Aesop hit a higher level of recognition, releasing "No Jumper Cables" as a single and music video, then another single, "Freeze", shortly after. A remix of "No Jumper Cables" was featured on Tony Hawk's Underground 2, furthering Aesop's recognition. In 2004, He released Build Your Own Bazooka Tooth and created a contest in which you had to create a remix of an Aesop Rock song using the a cappellas and instrumentals.
In February 2005, Aesop Rock released a new EP, Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives. The first pressing of the EP included an 88-page booklet with lyrics from every release from Float until this EP (the lyric booklet is titled The Living Human Curiosity Sideshow); later pressings of the album come without the booklet, but with an additional bonus track, "Facemelter". In addition, a limited number of albums were available direct from Def Jux with Aesop Rock's graffiti tag on them. In response to demands from his fans, Rock did less production on the EP: three songs are produced by Blockhead, three produced by Aesop, and one by Rob Sonic. During this time he was asked to join The Weathermen to replace Vast Aire.
Aesop Rock was commissioned to create a 45-minute instrumental track for the Nike+iPod running system, entitled All Day. It was released in February 2007. Distributed via the iTunes Music Store and featuring his wife Allyson Baker on guitar and scratches from DJ Big Wiz, Aesop has described the release as "something that evolved enough that the sound was constantly fresh and attractive, as though the runner were moving through a set of differing cities or landscapes."
All Day was followed in August of the same year by Bavitz's fifth full-length album, None Shall Pass released in 2007. The album also contained original artwork by Jeremy Fish. About Jeremy Fish, Aesop Rock said: "Man that guy is my hero. We have a friend in common who hit me up a while back saying that this guy Jeremy Fish had an opportunity to pitch a cartoon to Disney and wanted me to be involved in the music side. I flipped out cuz I was also a fan of his, and owned some of his work." Aesop Rock also teamed up with Jeremy Fish again in a project called Ghosts of the Barbary Coast. Aesop Rock made a song called "Tomorrow Morning", to go along with a slideshow of drawings that Jeremy Fish drew. This was displayed in San Francisco, but was also made available for download online. None Shall Pass had positive reviews from critics and fans, applauding Aesop for his change in sound.
In 2011, Rhymesayers released "Are You Going to Eat That?", the debut album from Hail Mary Mallon, a collaboration between Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, and DJ Big Wiz.
On July 10, 2012, Rhymesayers released Aesop Rock's sixth studio album, "Skelethon". Its first single, "Zero Dark Thirty", was released four months earlier on April 10. A second single, "ZZZ Top", was released on June 29.
In 2011, Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson of The Moldy Peaches formed the duo The Uncluded. The duo's debut album, "Hokey Fright" was released on May 7, 2013.
In 2018, Aesop Rock teamed up with TOBACCO to form Malibu Ken
No Regrets
Aesop Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
City born, into this world with no knowledge and no regrets
Had a piece of yellow chalk with which she'd draw upon the street
The many faces of the various locals that she would meet
There was joshua, age 10
Bully of the block
Who always took her milk money at the morning bus stop
There was Mrs. Crabtree, and her poodle
parlor
And she drew
Men, women, kids, sunsets, clouds
And she drew
Skyscrapers, fruit stands, cities, towns
Always said hello to passers-by
They'd ask her why she passed her time
Attachin lines to concrete
But she would only smile
Now all the other children living in or near her building
Ran around like tyrants, soaking up the open fire hydrants
They would say
"Hey little Lucy, want to come jump double dutch?"
Lucy would pause, look, grin and say
"I'm busy, thank you much"
Well, well, one year passed
And believe it or not
She covered every last inch of the entire sidewalk,
And she stopped-
"Lucy, after all this, you're just giving in today??"
She said:
"I'm not giving in, I'm finished," and walked away
(Chorus: x2)
1 2 3
That's the speed of the seed
A be see
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
'cause dreamers always chase
But never get it
Now Lucy was 37, and introverted somewhat
Basement apartment in the same building she grew up in
She traded in her blue barettes for long locks held up with a clip
Traded in her yellow chalk for charcoal sticks
And she drew
Little bobby who would come to sweep the porch
And she drew
The mailman, delivered everyday at 4
Lucy had very little contact with the folks outside her cubicle day
But she found it suitable, and she liked it that way
She had a man now: Rico, similar, hermit
They would only see each other once or twice a week on purpose
They appreciated space and Rico was an artist too
So they'd connect on saturdays to share the pictures that they drew
(Look!)
Now every month or so, she'd get a knock upon the front door
Just one of the neighbors,
Actin nice, although she was a strange girl, really
Say, "Lucy, want to join me for some lunch??"
Lucy would smile and say "I'm busy, thank you much"
And they would make a weird face the second the door shut
And run and tell their friends how truly crazy Lucy was
And lucy knew what people thought but didn't care
'cause while they spread their rumors through the street
She'd paint another masterpiece
(Chorus x2)
Lucy was 87, upon her death bed
At the senior home, where she had previously checked in
Traded in the locks and clips for a head rest
Traded in the charcoal sticks for arthritis, it had to happen
And she drew no more, just sat and watched the dawn
Had a television in the room that she'd never turned on
Lucy pinned up a life worth's of pictures on the wall
And sat and smiled, looked each one over, just to laugh at it all
No Rico, he had passed, 'bout 5 years back
So the visiting hours pulled in a big flock o' nothin
She'd never spoken once throughout the spanning of her life
Until the day she leaned forward, grinned and pulled the nurse aside
And she said:
"Look, I've never had a dream in my life
Because a dream is what you want to do, but still haven't pursued
I knew what I wanted and did it till it was done
So i've been the dream that I wanted to be since day one!"
Well!
The nurse jumped back,
She'd never heard Lucy even talk,
'Specially words like that
She walked over to the door, and pulled it closed behind
Then Lucy blew a kiss to each one of her pictures
And she died.
(Chorus x2)
1 2 3...
A be C...
The song "No Regrets" by Aesop Rock tells the story of Lucy from a young child to an old woman. When Lucy was seven, she drew on the sidewalk with yellow chalk and sketched the faces of the people she met. However, as she grew up, Lucy developed an introverted personality, started drawing with charcoal sticks, and traded in her blue barettes for long locks. Her life revolved around her apartment, and she rarely went out in public. Lucy found everything she needed in her tiny world, including her boyfriend Rico, who was an artist too. Despite society's criticism and odd behavior, Lucy was content with her life. She continued to draw, creating a life's worth of work, until she passed away, fulfilling her dream of living an artistic and satisfied life.
Aesop Rock has dedicated this song to his mentor, a Hip-Hop Artist named Camu Tao, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005. The song has some shocking lines that wonder about the usefulness of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Lucy was 7 and wore a head of blue barettes
Lucy, at the age of 7, had a head full of blue barettes.
City born, into this world with no knowledge and no regrets
She was born in the city with no prior knowledge or regrets.
Had a piece of yellow chalk with which she'd draw upon the street
She possessed a yellow chalk which she used to draw on the street.
The many faces of the various locals that she would meet
She drew the different faces of the locals she encountered.
There was joshua, age 10
One of the locals she depicted was Joshua, who was 10 years old.
Bully of the block
Joshua was known as the bully in the neighborhood.
Who always took her milk money at the morning bus stop
Every morning at the bus stop, Joshua would take her milk money.
There was Mrs. Crabtree, and her poodle
Mrs. Crabtree and her poodle were also among the locals she drew.
She always gave a wave and holler on her weekly trip down to the bingo parlor
Mrs. Crabtree would always wave and greet everyone when she went to the bingo parlor.
And she drew
Lucy continued to draw.
Men, women, kids, sunsets, clouds
She drew various people, sunsets, and clouds.
And she drew
She also drew other objects like skyscrapers, fruit stands, and cities.
Towns
She even drew towns in her artwork.
Always said hello to passers-by
Lucy would always greet people she passed by.
They'd ask her why she passed her time Attachin lines to concrete But she would only smile
People would question why she spent her time drawing on the concrete, but she would simply smile in response.
Now all the other children living in or near her building
The other children in her building and the surrounding area
Ran around like tyrants, soaking up the open fire hydrants
Would run around like wild rulers, enjoying the open fire hydrants.
They would say Hey little Lucy, want to come jump double dutch?
These children would invite Lucy to join them in jumping rope.
Lucy would pause, look, grin and say I'm busy, thank you much
Lucy would pause, look at them with a smile, and politely decline as she was occupied with her art.
Well, well, one year passed And believe it or not She covered every last inch of the entire sidewalk, And she stopped-
After a year, she managed to cover the entire sidewalk with her drawings, and then she stopped.
Lucy, after all this, you're just giving in today??
Someone questioned Lucy about her decision to stop drawing after achieving so much.
She said: I'm not giving in, I'm finished, and walked away
Lucy clarified that she wasn't giving up, but rather, she had completed what she set out to do.
(Chorus: x2) 1 2 3 That's the speed of the seed
The chorus emphasizes the importance of taking action and not just dreaming.
A be see That's the speed of the need
It emphasizes the urgency and desire to fulfill one's aspirations and desires.
You can dream a little dream Or you can live a little dream
You have the choice either to only dream without taking action or to actively pursue your dreams.
I'd rather live it 'cause dreamers always chase But never get it
The singer expresses a preference for living and taking action, as dreamers are often left chasing their dreams without ever achieving them.
Now Lucy was 37, and introverted somewhat
Lucy, at the age of 37, became more introverted.
Basement apartment in the same building she grew up in
She lived in a basement apartment in the building she grew up in.
She traded in her blue barettes for long locks held up with a clip
Lucy swapped her blue barettes for long hair held in place with a clip.
Traded in her yellow chalk for charcoal sticks
She replaced her yellow chalk with charcoal sticks for drawing.
And she drew
Lucy continued to draw.
Little bobby who would come to sweep the porch
She drew Little Bobby, who regularly came to sweep the porch.
And she drew
She also drew the mailman who delivered every day at 4.
Lucy had very little contact with the folks outside her cubicle day
Lucy had minimal interaction with people outside of her daily routine.
But she found it suitable, and she liked it that way
She was content with her isolated lifestyle and preferred it that way.
She had a man now: Rico, similar, hermit
She entered a relationship with Rico, who shared her reclusive lifestyle.
They would only see each other once or twice a week on purpose
They intentionally limited their interactions to once or twice a week.
They appreciated space and Rico was an artist too
Both Lucy and Rico valued personal space, and Rico was also an artist.
So they'd connect on saturdays to share the pictures that they drew (Look!)
They would meet on Saturdays to share and appreciate each other's artwork.
Now every month or so, she'd get a knock upon the front door
Every once in a while, someone would knock on her door.
Just one of the neighbors, Actin nice, although she was a strange girl, really
One of the neighbors, while considering her strange, would still act friendly towards her.
Say, Lucy, want to join me for some lunch??
These neighbors would invite Lucy to join them for a meal.
Lucy would smile and say I'm busy, thank you much
Lucy would politely decline the invitation with a smile, stating that she was occupied.
And they would make a weird face the second the door shut
As soon as the door closed, they would make odd expressions.
And run and tell their friends how truly crazy Lucy was
They would go and spread rumors about how crazy they thought Lucy was.
And lucy knew what people thought but didn't care
Lucy was aware of the opinions people held about her but was indifferent towards them.
'cause while they spread their rumors through the street
While people gossiped about her in the neighborhood,
She'd paint another masterpiece
Lucy would continue to create exceptional artwork.
(Chorus x2) 1 2 3 That's the speed of the seed
The chorus repeats, emphasizing the importance of taking action and not just dreaming.
A be see That's the speed of the need
It reiterates the urgency and desire to fulfill one's aspirations and desires.
You can dream a little dream Or you can live a little dream
You have the choice either to only dream without taking action or to actively pursue your dreams.
I'd rather live it 'cause dreamers always chase But never get it
The artist expresses a preference for living and taking action, as dreamers are often left chasing their dreams without ever achieving them.
Now Lucy was 87, upon her death bed
At the age of 87, Lucy was lying on her death bed.
At the senior home, where she had previously checked in
She was in a senior home where she had previously stayed.
Traded in the locks and clips for a headrest
She no longer needed hair accessories as she now used a headrest on her bed.
Traded in the charcoal sticks for arthritis, it had to happen
Because of her arthritis, she had to give up charcoal sticks for drawing.
And she drew no more, just sat and watched the dawn
Lucy stopped drawing and simply spent her time observing the sunrise.
Had a television in the room that she'd never turned on
Although there was a television in her room, she never bothered to switch it on.
Lucy pinned up a life worth's of pictures on the wall
She proudly displayed a collection of pictures from her entire life on the wall.
And sat and smiled, looked each one over, just to laugh at it all
Lucy sat and smiled as she reminisced, finding amusement in each picture.
No Rico, he had passed, 'bout 5 years back
Rico had passed away approximately five years ago.
So the visiting hours pulled in a big flock o' nothin
With Rico gone, there was no one to visit Lucy during the designated visiting hours.
She'd never spoken once throughout the spanning of her life
In her entire life, Lucy had not uttered a single word.
Until the day she leaned forward, grinned and pulled the nurse aside
However, on her last day, she leaned forward with a smile and whispered something to the nurse.
And she said: Look, I've never had a dream in my life
Lucy confessed that she had never had any dreams or aspirations in her life.
Because a dream is what you want to do, but still haven't pursued
She explained that a dream is something one desires to achieve but never takes the necessary steps to pursue.
I knew what I wanted and did it till it was done
Instead, Lucy knew what she wanted and took action to accomplish it.
So I've been the dream that I wanted to be since day one!
She proudly declared that she had become the person she wanted to be since the beginning of her journey.
Well! The nurse jumped back, She'd never heard Lucy even talk, 'Specially words like that
The nurse was taken aback as she had never heard Lucy speak before, especially using such powerful words.
She walked over to the door, and pulled it closed behind
The nurse walked to the door and closed it behind her.
Then Lucy blew a kiss to each one of her pictures
Lucy blew a kiss to each of her pictures on the wall as a gesture of affection.
And she died
Afterwards, Lucy passed away.
(Chorus x2) 1 2 3 That's the speed of the seed
The chorus is repeated again, reinforcing the message of taking action and not just dreaming.
A be see That's the speed of the need
It reminds us of the urgency and desire to fulfill our aspirations and desires.
You can dream a little dream Or you can live a little dream
We have the choice either to only dream without taking action or to actively pursue our dreams.
I'd rather live it 'cause dreamers always chase But never get it
The artist expresses a preference for living and taking action, as dreamers are often left chasing their dreams without ever achieving them.
Lyrics © HARRY TOBIAS MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: HARRY TOBIAS, ROY INGRAHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind