Success
Aesop Rock / Haynes J. Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Success

[Mr. Lif]
This is rock bottom why yall, I never expected it
In order to be businesslike you must meet the prerequisite
Leave your culture at home, smile, don't be too proud, too wild
You may suffer, just don't cry out loud
This notion of professionalism is like an exorcism
Forced to give your life away while you're earnin' a livin'
These thoughts had stopped me from rejoinin' the work force
But now the situation I'm in, just seems to hurt more
Maybe it won't be bad, maybe it'll be good
I could use a little structure in my life, maybe I should
Take my suit and tie out of the closet
Try shinin' my shoes and brush the fuckin' dust off of my wallet
Let's consider the prospects, make a couple phone calls
Now so many interviews you know I got next week
I'm strictly goin' from the bottom to the peak
I'm ready focused and determined to get back on my feet

[Chorus: Aesop Rock]
Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy Working"
Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing Person"
John had a new baseball glove, with nobody to learn with
That's oil and water trying to mix on the same surface

[Mr. Lif]
I got a job at a business place I chose not to name
Ask me how did I achieve this so quick? Yes you may
Back when I was compiled a stunning resume
I didn't value way back then, but boy it helped today
I'm pushin' every single thought of rebellin' away
I'm workin' real hard, and my pockets are swellin', and hey
Can you believe I met the girl of my dreams, I swear she's meant for me
We've been together over 2 years, goin' on 3
We married on our 4th anniversary
Bought a house and turned a room into a nursery
For the bouncin' baby that we're expecting in June
I sat in that delivery room from noon, to noon
24 hours of labour then the nurse asked me his title for the paper
You know, so the government can chase ya'
First name: John, Last name: Insignificant
I'm smiling like a proud dad; I got the birth certificate
Go to the house and here's my
And I looked around and nothing's good enough for her or him
So my 8 hour days became 9; 9 slid up to 10; a subtle slip up to 11 and then
And after a 12 hour day, I too little energy to say 'I love you' to my baby
Or play daddy to J, and I thought this was the way
O be a husband and a father
I guess I could've looked in her eyes, and seen I lost her
But it wasn't my fault, I'm workin' hard, it couldn't be
I've been successfully existing as a member of this family
I was so convinced the household had to always be complete
I didn't realize the only thing that's missing is me

[Chorus]

[Mr. Lif]
There was never any talk of divorce
I can't believe how focused I was in the face of such a huge potential loss
Thought I signed a grievance with the boss
In fact, I was mad at my wife, as if she's trying to knock me off course
But I still visited the florist, to get her flowers
(When the last time I did this?) Hmm, not since our wedding shower
I got home and I was greeted by the fact we'd been deleted
I was someone that my wife and child thought they no longer needed
And before I could say, 'Where's John?'
I looked down and he was clingin' to her arm
I realized-ed that I'm wrong
I blacked out and by the time I came to, they were gone
But somehow I sat and shook my head, and then I carried on
And I still completed 3 weeks of work, before my breakdown
The ambulances came and I got medicine to take now
And it's hard to get a job when you been treated and released
So both my relationship and my career had deceased
It took years to put myself together, piece by piece
And thank God I found a woman that's propitiate with me
And I'll never let this happen again, it's not to be
I'm ready focused and determined to get back on my feet

[Aesop Rock]
Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy Working"
Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing Person"




John had a new baseball glove, with nobody to learn with
The oil left the water and the water kept searchin'

Overall Meaning

The song Success by Aesop Rock/J. Haynes is about the cultural norm of sacrificing one's personal life for the sake of success at work. It starts with Mr. Lif talking about the pressure to conform to professionalism but finding it forced him to give his life away while still having to suffer in the process. He then goes on to talk about how he finds a job and even gets married and has a child. But the pressure of the job and the desire to provide for his family means he spends more and more time at work, eventually leading to him missing out on his child's growth and being absent from his family's life. In the end, he loses everything and has to piece his life back together.


The chorus serves to emphasize the impact of this kind of lifestyle on a family. Daddy has a name tag that says "Busy Working," while Mommy is a "Missing Person." Meanwhile, John has a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with, highlighting the loneliness and disconnection that comes with parents who are not present in their children's lives.


The song is critical of the work culture that prioritizes success and productivity over personal fulfillment and family life. It challenges the idea that to be successful, one must put in more and more time at work, even if it means sacrificing everything else.


Line by Line Meaning

This is rock bottom why yall, I never expected it
Mr. Lif never thought he would hit rock bottom in life.


In order to be businesslike you must meet the prerequisite
To be professional, you must conform to societal norms.


Leave your culture at home, smile, don't be too proud, too wild
To be professional, you must suppress your true self and adopt a more acceptable persona.


You may suffer, just don't cry out loud
Even if you face hardships in your professional life, you cannot let it show.


This notion of professionalism is like an exorcism
Suppressing one's true self can be likened to getting rid of a demon possessing their body.


Forced to give your life away while you're earnin' a livin'
Working to make a living often requires sacrificing one's personal life.


Maybe it won't be bad, maybe it'll be good
There is a chance that conforming to societal norms and working a professional job might be beneficial.


I could use a little structure in my life, maybe I should
Mr. Lif thinks that having a professional job might bring some structure to his life.


I'm ready focused and determined to get back on my feet
Mr. Lif is motivated to get his life back on track.


Daddy had a name tag that said, 'Busy Working'
The father, like many others, is defined by his work.


Mommy had a milk carton that said, 'Missing Person'
The mother is absent for reasons unknown to the listener.


John had a new baseball glove, with nobody to learn with
The child, John, is deprived of the opportunity to play with a friend or family member.


That's oil and water trying to mix on the same surface
The father's dedication to work and lack of presence at home creates an imbalance in the family dynamic.


I got a job at a business place I chose not to name
Mr. Lif got a job at a business he does not want to disclose.


Ask me how did I achieve this so quick? Yes you may
Mr. Lif is willing to disclose the steps he took to get a job quickly.


Back when I was compiled a stunning resume
Mr. Lif had previously compiled an impressive resume.


I'm pushin' every single thought of rebellin' away
Mr. Lif is suppressing any thoughts of rebelling against the societal norms of professionalism.


Can you believe I met the girl of my dreams, I swear she's meant for me
Mr. Lif is grateful for meeting his soulmate.


For the bouncin' baby that we're expecting in June
Mr. Lif and his wife are expecting a baby soon.


First name: John, Last name: Insignificant
Mr. Lif belatedly realizes the negative impact his absence had on his child, John.


My 8 hour days became 9; 9 slid up to 10; a subtle slip up to 11 and then
Mr. Lif's work hours gradually increased until he was working 12 hour days.


I guess I could've looked in her eyes, and seen I lost her
Mr. Lif could have saved his marriage had he paid more attention to his wife's needs and feelings.


But it wasn't my fault, I'm workin' hard, it couldn't be
Mr. Lif fails to take responsibility for his role in his failed marriage.


I was so convinced the household had to always be complete
Mr. Lif thought that being a workaholic and providing materially for his family would be enough to create a happy home.


I realized-ed that I'm wrong
Mr. Lif finally understands that he was wrong to prioritize work over his family.


There was never any talk of divorce
Despite their issues, Mr. Lif and his wife never discussed getting a divorce.


I can't believe how focused I was in the face of such a huge potential loss
Mr. Lif is surprised at how he was able to maintain such a narrow focus on work despite the possibility of losing his family.


And before I could say, 'Where's John?'
Mr. Lif was so consumed with work that he did not realize his family had left.


And it's hard to get a job when you been treated and released
Mr. Lif struggles to find work after suffering from a breakdown.


So both my relationship and my career had deceased
The death of Mr. Lif's relationship coincided with the end of his career.


Thank God I found a woman that's propitiate with me
Mr. Lif is grateful to have found a woman who is content with his work-life balance.


"I'll never let this happen again, it's not to be"
Mr. Lif is determined to never let work interfere with his personal life again.


The oil left the water and the water kept searchin'
The imbalance created by Mr. Lif's work habits caused his family to suffer until they left, but they eventually found happiness without him.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN CHARLES FLAHERTY, LYNN AHRENS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions