Winners Take All
Aesop Rock Lyrics

Parachute ratty. One bunk chord, now the air is scooped badly.
The parachute is old and falling apart. One of the cords is broken and now the descent is unstable.

Dripping out the sticks like a twig tweed hammock.
Falling out of the trees like a flimsy twig hammock.

Miter cut the cables for that quick, clean transit.
Cutting the cables with precision for a fast and efficient trip.

Miser tuck the big screen panic near the business card.
Hiding the panic of losing everything next to a business card to appear professional and calm.

Ankle out of wack. Painkiller debacle.
The ankle is injured and taking painkillers is causing problems.

Scrappy navigate the yellow corn height for the barn when the spot light swivel hard right over the farm.
Navigating through the corn to get to the barn when suddenly a spotlight turns toward the farm.

Post up. 3 cheers for the gimp sprint, thank you.
Stopping and cheering for someone who is injured but still trying to run.

Limp to the door, splint what he mangled.
Walking to the door while holding something that was injured and needs to be splinted.

Oh yeah, I knew the percentages but the numbers were unaware of the grand finale's emphasis.
Knowing the chances of success but not realizing the importance of the final result.

And over the scent of a thousand dead dogs Agent Zip Zooka swore to pull it off.
Despite the horrible smell of death, Agent Zip Zooka is determined to succeed.

Game face. Walkie-talkie squawking off his hip regarding paratrooper's 20. Tug a noise box trigger, reporting for hunting.
Putting on a serious face and using a walkie-talkie to communicate about the location of the paratroopers. Pulling a trigger to begin the mission.

I have landed safely. I have not received my papers. I have zero natural enemies. I don't know my location. I have no training in reconnaissance, combat or colluding. I'm calling for my orders, over. 'Strap on a helmet and start shooting.'
Despite being unsure and unprepared, the artist is ready to follow orders and begin shooting.

Clonopin to kill a horse, numb and blood thirsty 'til the 'uncle' spitter beg a jungle pig to hug mercy.
Using a strong medication to feel numb and violent until someone else begs for mercy.

Two 40-below shitkickers tickle the corpses. Duck, the widow maker also manufactures orphans.
Two very cold boots are kicking dead bodies. The Widow Maker causes more death and orphans.

Manufactures ornaments, if it moves stick a fork in it.
The Widow Maker causes destruction and creates meaningless things from it.

Winners take all, killers rap all coordinates.
The successful ones get everything, including the ability to share locations of targets.

Unfortunately courted by the most tenacious guardians whose aimless nature bait a harlequin to taste the martyr skin.
Unfortunately, the most persistent protectors are encouraging someone to become a martyr.

No semper fi. No saluter unit, soldier, the fire is more flesh than sulfur.
No loyalty or respect for the unit, the fire is real and dangerous.

And when the automatic jitters wiggle the ribs, I feel so alive it don't matter which bitches litter is clipped.
Feeling energized and alive when firing an automatic weapon. Not caring what gets hit.

Sun down, goggle up. Canteen, gobble juice. Tear gas, nozzle up. Brain buff, hostile youth.
Preparing for nighttime by putting on goggles and drinking from a canteen. Getting ready to use tear gas and attack aggressively.

Chop it up. Lock a noose upon it.
Destroying something and putting an end to it completely.

You will die for the glory of... shit I can't put my finger on it but it's big. Big and legitimate, justify women and kiddy killer shit; iller it builds.
Being motivated to fight for a big cause even though the specifics are unclear. Justifying violence against women and children to build up the cause.

So he is not a natural predator but could dismantle an AK-47, clean and rebuild before you could mayday brethren.
Not being naturally violent but being able to quickly take apart and rebuild a weapon with expertise.

Muddy gut, snake eyes. He approaches cobras with an ugly muck and bloody bowie knife clamped in the canines.
Being dirty and disheveled, the artist approaches dangerous snakes with a grimy knife in his mouth.

Wake 'em with that blind military mechanism set to bludgeon. What is your major malfunction
Attacking people with a violent military weapon. Asking why they have issues with it.

I shimmy up out of the foxhole, disorderly, only after having logged every cadaver accordingly.
Clumsily leaving the hiding spot after recording the location and condition of all dead bodies.

High scores keep automatons enthralled. There is no cause at all.
Winning points keep robotic soldiers entertained even though there is no reason behind the violence.

If his perspective is merked, sneaky detective work is aborted and it's no longer whisper mode on the red alert.
If someone's point of view becomes confused, the sneaky tactics and whispering stops and they become fully alert.

No bed of dirt sniper rifle peaking out the bunker. Now I'm center city looking for something to puncture.
No longer hiding in dirt, the sniper is now searching for something to attack in the middle of a city.

Help me up the numbers or the hero status suffers, treat the public like a tin can riddled before it plummets, but adrenaline could lead to lazy eye hassles so be missed the little boy inch the pin out the pineapple.
Needing help to increase the kill count in order to look like a hero. Treating people like disposable objects. Becoming overexcited and missing important details.

Bumps into the steel toe. That's lovely. Sum it up in 'hell no'.
Running into a steel-toed boot is painful. It's a terrible situation that deserves to be called 'hell no'.

And just as quick as the parachute cable snipped, I was rag doll horizontal 2 limbs short of fixed.
After the parachute broke, the artist fell uncontrollably and landed with injuries.

Leak a baby pool around the standard issue weaponry while fading as a blemish in civility's memory, they will step over the body for the looting... strap on a helmet and start shooting.
Lying injured near weapons, knowing that people will not care and loot instead. Getting ready to fight despite the danger.