"FILM THE POLICE," has quickly become an anthem for the #Occupy generation, and shows no signs of slowing it's spread.
B. Dolan began performing in 1999 in the heart of the spoken word scene; New York City's famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe, where he developed his chops quickly. An 18 year old Dolan arrived for the first time as part of HBO's Def Poetry Series in 2002, and the respect earned with numerous performance poetry championships in the two years that followed.
2003 also saw the first release of "The Failure," [at the time] a two-disc, homegrown demo full of Dolan's earliest work.
After this self-release, Dolan disappeared from the poetry scene to pursue more overtly musical projects, as well as his own contribution to the struggle against social injustice.
In the midst of inventing the ragged, breakdown aesthetic of his later work, Dolan also dug in his activist roots by creating and co-founding the Knowmore.org website with former slam teammate and friend Sage Francis.
B. Dolan joined Francis on The Knowmore.org Tour in support of the project, which is when Francis expressed interest in releasing a revised version of "The Failure" on Strange Famous Records.
2008 brought about the official re-release of "The Failure" lp, which was trimmed down by a disc, and was critically acclaimed as a genre-defying, unheralded classic. It also earned a legion of die hard fans for Dolan's spoken word pieces, who've stuck around since to watch this unique artist's continual reinvention.
In 2009 he released House of Bees vol. 1, a full length mixtape that served to build momentum toward his 2010 release. Then, in 2010, "Fallen House, Sunken City" hit. Dolan's decidedly hip-hop sophomore lp was hailed by rap legends, critics and fans as a massive success. Alternative Press called the album "proof that underground hip hop still has bite," and The Onion's A.V. Club named it "One of the best albums of 2010." "Earthmovers," the album's first video, also became an MTVu Freshman of the Week and was entered into rotation on MTV2.
Since his signing to SFR, Dolan has toured exhaustively and internationally, most notably as part of the Paid Dues, SXSW 09, Soundset, and Rock the Bells festivals.
In addition to his partner and frequent collaborator Sage Francis, Dolan has also toured with the likes of Buck 65, Alias, Sole, Solilaquests of Sound, Prolyphic, Dan le sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Grand Buffet and others.
Body of Work
B. Dolan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a night with no company
Stood up by the door
so uncomfortably
Gnawing at her thumb til it bleeds
She's in the way
Bent out of shape
the money makes her wait
Staring at the empty plate
Drift away...
Shifty and agitated
Frustration and despair
Silent phone and lonely rage
Why isn't he here
We had a date...
For chrissake...
The corner's colder than the tomb
The city air is empty
I live in god's country
I let the devil tempt me
Drowing in the wishing well
Surrounded in this living hell
These people think they're better than me
But I've got bellies to feed
That dress is too expensive
and that movie's been made
I do for you
you do for me
it's a mutual exchange
it fills a desperate need
3 hours late he finally texted me
Lost his nerve, maybe next week
Another deadbeat.
Another drop of poison on my tongue
Another cloud of smoke filling my lungs
Rough kisses smudge the paint on my lips
Hungry stomachs and tight fists
Broken bones and bruised nerves
Sounding the alert
In a body of work.
in a body of work.
They promise her to the dirt
in her body.
The city is a blister
Splitting open wide
The rotted shell of an insect
Laid out on its side
A little death
The hot white spotlight
Paints the darkness
With our silhouttes
I haven't met the numbers in my head
and can't go home yet
Instead I'm slouched against a post on a fence
Posing for them that pose a threat and hold me by the neck
Approaching next the slack jaws and fat rolls
Who get what they ask for
The dashboard glows
I tug at my clothes
Try to act casual
Tell them what it costs to rob me
They look me up and down and then we
bargain over parts of my
body and mind... seperate
The hour is getting late
The lost time
Dividing dollar signs before my eyes
I should've sized them up better
but it's a long drive at the end of an off-night
and they seemed alright
I never ask too many questions
Get in at the intersection to slip from the city's memory
and what do you get...
Another drop of poison on my tongue
Another cloud of smoke filling my lungs
Rough kisses smudge the paint on my lips
Hungry stomachs and tight fists
Broken bones and bruised nerves
Sounding the alert
In a body of work.
in a body of work.
They promise her to the dirt
in her body.
The lyrics to "Body of Work" by B. Dolan tell the story of a woman who leads a life of desperation and sadness. She is stood up for a date and spends the night alone, feeling shifty, agitated, frustrated, and in despair. She is surrounded by people who judge her and believe they are better than her, not knowing the hardships she faces to feed herself and her dependents. She is forced to exchange money for services and sell parts of her body and mind to survive. The city is a harsh and unforgiving place, leaving her feeling trapped and exploited.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the lives of those who are struggling to survive in a society that values money and power above all else. The woman in the song represents the countless people who lead bleak and difficult lives, often unnoticed and unappreciated. The lyrics show the true cost of poverty and the daily struggles that go along with it.
Overall, "Body of Work" is a powerful indictment of a society that neglects its most vulnerable members and a poignant reminder of the human cost of inequality and poverty.
Line by Line Meaning
Her story is getting old
She's tired of repeating the same story over and over again
In a night with no company
She's all alone without anyone to talk to
Stood up by the door so uncomfortably
She's waiting for someone who never showed up and feels awkward
Gnawing at her thumb til it bleeds
She's nervous and anxious, biting her thumb until it bleeds
She's in the way Bent out of shape the money makes her wait
She feels like a nuisance and is upset that money is the reason why she's waiting
The waitress looks her way and makes a face
The waitress judges her and makes a mean expression
Staring at the empty plate
She's hungry and has no food to eat
Drift away... Shifty and agitated Frustration and despair Silent phone and lonely rage Why isn't he here We had a date... For chrissake...
Her mind is racing, feeling agitated and lonely. She's frustrated that he hasn't shown up and curses at the fact that they had a scheduled date
The corner's colder than the tomb
The surroundings are freezing and gloomier than a grave
The city air is empty
The city feels lifeless and without energy
I live in god's country I let the devil tempt me
She tries to live by good morals, but evil continually puts temptation in front of her
Drowing in the wishing well
She feels like she's drowning and stuck in a difficult position
Surrounded in this living hell
She feels trapped and miserable in her current situation
These people think they're better than me But I've got bellies to feed That dress is too expensive and that movie's been made I do for you you do for me it's a mutual exchange it fills a desperate need
She's frustrated that people look down on her, but she needs to provide for her family. She can't afford luxury items, and everything she does is for survival, rather than pleasure
3 hours late he finally texted me Lost his nerve, maybe next week Another deadbeat.
The person she was waiting for is finally texting back, and she's disappointed that he won't show up. She's also had a history of disappointing men around her
Another drop of poison on my tongue Another cloud of smoke filling my lungs Rough kisses smudge the paint on my lips Hungry stomachs and tight fists Broken bones and bruised nerves Sounding the alert In a body of work. in a body of work. They promise her to the dirt in her body.
She's engaging in unhealthy behavior to cope with her struggles, including smoking and kissing rough people. Her body is struggling to keep up with the abuse, and she feels like she's slowly dying
The city is a blister Splitting open wide The rotted shell of an insect Laid out on its side A little death The hot white spotlight Paints the darkness With our silhouttes I haven't met the numbers in my head and can't go home yet
The city feels like a wound that's slowly opening up. It's like the skin of an insect that's decayed, and it's creating a sense of decay within her. She's waiting for the right moment to leave, but she hasn't reached her goals yet
Instead I'm slouched against a post on a fence Posing for them that pose a threat and hold me by the neck Approaching next the slack jaws and fat rolls Who get what they ask for The dashboard glows I tug at my clothes Try to act casual Tell them what it costs to rob me They look me up and down and then we bargain over parts of my body and mind... seperate The hour is getting late The lost time Dividing dollar signs before my eyes I should've sized them up better but it's a long drive at the end of an off-night and they seemed alright I never ask too many questions Get in at the intersection to slip from the city's memory and what do you get...
She ends up being held by people who threaten her and negotiate how much of her body and mind they can use. She tries to act casual and tells them a price to leave her alone. She knows she should've been more cautious, but it's late at night and she was tired from work. She never asks too many questions and tries to escape into anonymity
Another drop of poison on my tongue Another cloud of smoke filling my lungs Rough kisses smudge the paint on my lips Hungry stomachs and tight fists Broken bones and bruised nerves Sounding the alert In a body of work. in a body of work. They promise her to the dirt in her body.
She continues to harm herself physically and emotionally to cope with the struggles she faces. Her body is suffering, and she feels like she's slowly dying. The people who use her don't care about her and will eventually harm her.
Contributed by Bailey Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
eddydbod
I listened to the entire album "The Failure" probably one hundred times. I was so in love with his spoken word, but I still wanted him to do more songs like "Heart Failure" on his next album(The one this song is from). Never in a million years did I think his musical progression would have moved soo fast in the right direction in one album. He did in one album what took Aesop Rock all the to "None Shall Pass" to attain.
TLERocker
First full track by B. Dolan I've heard... I'm really impressed... Thanks for posting this song. He's got a new fan.
astumpe80
Man, this guy is a fucking beast and Alias' production is outstanding on the whole album....
more beer
fuckin love this joint, beat is incredible and dolan murders per usual
Jere Vartiainen
My favorite album from 2010.
Pistoldick
I hope not, I like most of sage's songs. But some of mr B Dolans stuff just blow me away with its awesomeness. especially this song and "one breath left" let sage do his thing and dolan do his.
Machinelf
that'll move the chains, cause this is off the chains amazing
Max D
Better than I expected.
aCatFromEarth
def my fave track off that album
kaska522
@AbattoirDream The first time I saw B Dolan on his tour with Sage, he was just chillin at the merch table without his beard and nobody really knew him. My buddies and I were the first people to walk up and be like "you're B Dolan... we love you". We were rewarded with a 20 minute conversation with the man and some great autographs.