The Substance
Aesop Rock Lyrics

Four rooms, a ceiling and a floor but there's more (close to insanity)
The four walls of this space are restrictive, causing the singer to feel crazy.

A desk with a subtle light, a window and a door
The basic furnishings of the room, including a desk, a window and a door.

One bottle of the bluest inks your iris ever saw
A bottle of blue ink that is particularly vibrant and stands out.

One child prodigy with a vision in his core (yeah, yo)
The artist is a talented individual with a clear sense of purpose.

I'm frost bitten, slippin' away titanic burden nurses
The artist feels cold and isolated, weighed down by his responsibilities.

Where the anti-hero clergy purge their value burning service
The setting is a place where people are disillusioned with traditional societal structures.

And warped was I huddled beneath the influenza fresh
The singer feels trapped and sick in this environment.

Meshed with impressions that appear to shrink before my very breath
The artist's experiences seem to be diminishing before his eyes.

These tides of woe and malice and mirth initiate a wave crash Splashing my offspring graves prior to birth it's looking bleak
Negative emotions and events are causing the artist's future to look dismal.

Malarky farce sergeant crooked and sleek emerald eyes glow I'm shook in a freak side show
The artist is disturbed by the intense, manipulative behavior of those around him.

OK I strobe effects projective when I blink So I resign this chorus line
The singer's vision is distorted, causing him to back away from the situation.

When linked we let our eyelids fall and pilots stall
When we disconnect and shut down, we lose control of our lives.

With what I sing I'll open lash light and dark clash to dim the wattage Then see the wide eyed dry grays and supplied fiery colossus
The singer's words can be both harsh and compassionate, revealing both the beauty and ugliness of the world.

Well I am a hostage guiding yet pushed beneath the crazes climate Hiding behind the levy while the stubborn rivers rise and feel this
The singer feels trapped in his circumstances, unable to escape or change things.

I wish heavenly brevity centered hate pedigrees instead of dead serenity God damn must have remembered me
The singer would prefer to feel anger and passion, rather than be numb.

It clinched me, it wrenched me, tempted me to employ it Apprehended me and rendered me suspended in its voyage
The artist was drawn to something dangerous, but ultimately resisted it.

How these tables have turned Hand to the bottle with the skull and cross bones scribbled off the label
The artist has turned to alcohol, specifically something that appears potent and potentially deadly.

Sip the ladle drank the burn begging for dead Concerns off with a zephyr tread and leg in a web
The singer's alcohol use is causing him to feel numb and disconnected from the world around him.

Caught triple-six couriers beckon they fled
The singer is being tempted or pursued by something represented by 'triple-six'.

OK OK I get it Let 'em shake a little then release 'em Like as if ghostly hysterics would leash on banded completion
The artist is taking a detached, passive approach to a situation, hoping it will resolve itself without his intervention.

Odium, patience ran his anti-death commando Just a litigant stretchin' to touch tranquil but couldn't quite catch the angle
The artist feels like he is fighting against death or negative forces in his life, but is struggling to find peace.

I'm trained as corner stone famine troopers So my tray within a heart of hearts still belly up and parched, come on (yeah, yeah, check it)
The artist is someone who has been through difficult times and has developed survival skills, but is still struggling to find fulfillment and nourishment.

I'm a sideline observer alerted not yet retreating The climate stubbornly hovered slightly above freezing
The singer is watching a situation from the sidelines, but is not yet ready to walk away from it. The environment around him is tense and cold.

Now everybody in the populis awaited my reply I spit a billion tiny brilliant white lights into the sky
The artist is expected to respond to something, and instead gives an impressive yet vague performance.

Undeniably amused by the way the fuse burn By the way the clues churn in front of my eyes
The singer is entertained by watching events unfold, as he uncovers more information.

To fertilize germination of concern for me for we For he who's sucked into the trench fully dug
The things happening are causing the singer to worry, for both himself and those around him who are trapped in a difficult situation.

I don't wanna pull the plug Hug on my canteen like in a dream
The singer is hesitant to take action or end a situation that he is invested in. He clings to something small and safe, like a canteen.

Centipede leader speedin' through a meaty greed league I can tell by the way the needs bleed from a seed
The artist is observing someone who is driven by their own greed and ambition, and can see the negative impact it's having on others.

If the breed should have ever been bread 'nuff said Whether compared to caterpillar and cocoon To emerge or a spark's soon a bloom to a surge
The artist is pondering the nature of humanity and how we develop and grow as individuals.

All I need is the nourishment, the courage and the burn To ascend from a number to grave blade runner Hunter, cleric, swordsman, king
The singer knows what he needs to succeed in life, and wants to rise above his current status to become a successful and respected figure.

More like I'm walking with a broken mood ring Mood swingin' from the mezzanine level
Despite his aspirations, the singer is still feeling unstable and uncertain about his emotions and life path.

Here to bevel the edge My team's settled on the ledge to pledge
The artist is trying to carve out his own path, and has a group of like-minded individuals who have pledged to support him.

In the summer it rains buckets of hunger pains In the winter it's the same with an added climate change
The artist experiences emotional pain year-round, with added stressors in different seasons.

The remaining two quadrants balance the polar values equally for midrange Yet the songs of thirst remain the same
Despite the balancing forces in his life, the artist is still feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled.

You could turn the whole cold reservoir to liquor Hell, split the ocean on its seams if it boosts your esteem
The singer perceives that some people will do anything to boost their own self-worth, even if it causes harm or is unrealistic.

I never lend span of attention lest my brethren signal fresh So do your magic miracle worker I'll remain unimpressed
The artist is careful about who he pays attention to, and is unimpressed by people who claim to have the ability to perform miracles.

For the flux, the fix, the famine For the fact that little Billy up the block obtained a lovely hand cannon
The singer is concerned with the instability and violence in his community, including a young boy who has acquired a dangerous weapon.

I'd examined auto pilot (right) when filibuster won (yeah) Concluded the few we're tuned with were now targets of his movement (oh shit)
The singer has been studying the behavior of someone who is trying to control a group of people, and realizes that those who are most attuned to the situation are in danger.

It's intriguing, yet I guess I knew somewhere something was leaking Now I honor instinct delinquent
The singer is fascinated by what's happening, but also knows that something is wrong and his intuition is telling him to be cautious.

Bring settler runaways frayed boogie bastard clicks To bypass glass stature walking graph characters
The artist is trying to bring together a group of people who are marginalized or ignored, in order to bypass the mainstream structures that oppress them.

Militant dance split the sun and sip the filament Tracer, vivisection is to lab rat primes They try to grace these sacred lips with his maze or a dirty wine
The artist describes a scene where people are dancing and trying to find enlightenment or meaning, but feels that they are being used or manipulated by powerful forces.

He knew, he brewed the substance just to mock the lesser budgets Then sought off all trickery bought off the public and screamed victory
Someone has created a substance that is meant to exploit those who are poor or have less power, and is using deception to make themselves appear successful.

Tunnel through the might infested grillage and the rig As fast a Aesop and his ten little fatigued fingers could dig trigger revenge
The singer wants to uncover the truth and fight back against the powerful people or forces that are exploiting others.

Tip the goblet in the dirt review my words spit in the puddle Peace to faint struggle the fuck out and duck out (yeah, check, huh, uh)
The artist is feeling frustrated and defeated, but still wants to make his mark on the world and escape the difficult situation he's in.

Now, all hail defenders of the trash talk I was hidden, yet I slid in just to rip the mask off
The artist is calling out people who make empty promises or engage in hollow rhetoric, and wants to reveal their true colors.

I'm seventy-six inches of all the purest sounds So y'all could dig me six feet deep my eyes would still be over ground (It's like that)
The artist is confident in his own abilities and talents, and believes he will always find a way to rise above any obstacles in his life.