Troubled Waters
Aesop Rock Lyrics

You replicas overlooking the guidelines of acoustics
You imitators ignore the fundamental principles of sound

Miserable attempts result in miserable conclusions
Poorly executed endeavors lead to dismal outcomes

Paragon pen dragon tactician on freeform
A master wordsmith skilled in improvisation

Then a comfortable silence try to combat cliques
Seeking quietness to combat exclusionary groups

That unexpected Sephotus cyclone shifts
The sudden change, like a hurricane, alters the situation

Worked up you're shooken, jetted to the side
You become agitated and flee to the side

I stagger this vagabond wondering menstrual forms of phobia
As a wandering outcast, I contemplate irrational fears

Worst fear the terrace stricken muted
The worst fear is being silenced and helpless

The roots of all evil I've rooted pinnacle
I have discovered the pinnacle of the source of evil

Poised with pride pouncing to break your stride, forsaken
Confidently attacking to disrupt your progress, abandoned

Agony rides inside the heartache wretched condition
Suffering permeates through a miserable state

My intuition felt you slip up
I instinctively sensed your mistake

You tripped alone what are you aiming for?
You stumbled without support, unsure of your goals

Or do you sus tries to classify your genus, distorted fetus
Or are you attempting to define yourself, but doing so poorly

Evolve, type unsolved, you lack the malediction
You need to develop and grow, but can't seem to curse effectively

Malleable martyrs get molded, then folded under pressure
Easily influenced victims get shaped, then broken by external forces

Thou perceives a slaughter suspension
You sense a pause before a killing

Bridge over troubled water drown, sound study intensive
The solution to problems requires deep analysis

My square drops two erasing lines like tetris
I disappear two lines on the game board like the game Tetris

Relentless agent hush horrendous circles on my pavement
A persistent, secretive presence creates chaos around me

Two sticks to burn basics the lie adjacent to my placement
I have simple tools to reveal the falsehoods near me

On the game board, lunge forward and wind-up impaled by the same sword
Advancing in the game, only to be thwarted by my own mistakes

Choose your weapon, stains splattered upon your flag
Pick your strategy, but be aware of the stains on your reputation

Taturag shielding the exterior inferior
A shield covering up internal weaknesses

Stall face to face with a forms that force your downfall
A confrontation with something that leads to your defeat

Admittedly suspicious, a decadence, your network's on hiatus
Admitting to suspicion, a decay, and inactivity in your social group

Permanent, provoked and choked upon the potency
Permanently affected, angered, and overwhelmed by strength

The parrow be the penetrating agent pierce the insides
The arrow is the tool that penetrates and causes damage

Why the cold sweats at midnight? Why the dim light?
Why the intense anxiety at night? Why the weak illumination?

Why are we staring at a true from the inside?
Why are we focused on the truth from within?

Why the pen slide with vigor on a put down?
Why the urgency to write critical words with force?

Like while I put my foot down stomp your city
I will assert myself and crush your urban community

A-E-S-O-P scoping through the bur, opening minds behind the smirks
Aesop is exploring the hideaways, revealing the true thoughts behind the false laughter

I've seen misery, I've seen disgust dust ridden ruins
I witnessed despair and horror in deteriorated remains

Iron clad oracle test three COM unit disperse silently
A dependable prediction proven by three layers of command communication in silence

Over confidence leads to irony
Excessively certain behavior leads to unexpected consequences

Plot twist full hardy Icarus shifted in facets of my form
A sudden change in plans like when Icarus flew too close to the sun

Forbidden aspects of the swarm a thorn upon your side
The prohibited aspects of the group are painful and problematic

A storm upon the rise, Adam, I or crush come brush upon the red zone
A confrontation is imminent and inevitable

Crook you're shook you started poorly
You're a coward who began the situation poorly

Your powers parted pace uncharted territory
You're unable to maintain control in unfamiliar terrain

Disoriented malicious god you'll burn your bridges
A confused, malevolent deity will ruin their relationships

This craft requires first drafts
This art form needs initial attempts to improve

Graphs, gritted blueprints of nemesis perimeter
Detailed plans to address enemies within a specified area

Hunting by night compute, twenty one mic salute
A search at night, calculating the next move, acknowledging fellow emcees

One life polluted, concerned muffle moans
A single life tainted, filled with muted complaints

From the nine rings of Donnie's hell burn you in your slumber
From the depths of a terrible underworld, you're punished while asleep

Sleepwalk then pulled under now
Unaware and helpless, quickly overcome

Whipping through the willows is the warden of this garden
The guardian of this space moves swiftly through the trees

Slipping through the silhouetted skylines Aesop sidewinds jaded
Aesop moves between the shadows of the city, cynical

Don't wind up war painted into the jungle the solution's not intrusion
Don't approach the situation aggressively, the answer is not force

The starving institution broke your main frame
The failing organization caused damage to your key structure

I pose the question, are these waiting games worth it or worthless?
I ask, is the time spent waiting valuable or pointless?

While I comb the crowd for clues your nyebony hands be my purpose
While searching for answers in the audience, your helpful hands guide me

Our planet is the pivotal point
The earth is a crucial factor

In which this network slowly turns to filter kicks
Where this culture evolves to sift through what is important

We out-box the berserk bewildered by the wilderness
We expertly handle the wildness that confounds others

My clench is frantic clutch manners falling through underbrush
My grip is tight, grabbing onto etiquette as we move through the brush

Touch fools that duel with a dominant
Interact with those who challenge and compete with authority

The evil-minded tried to triple six me but he missed me
Evil forces attempted to harm me, but failed

Intervene; emcees appear as red blips on my color radar screen
I step in, monitoring other emcees on my radar