"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.
Marvin
B. Dolan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who said his son was a slave to the flesh
When the spectacle ended, The charges were dropped.
Marvin was left with a hole in his chest.
He could've brought down a mountain
when he pounded on a table
or made the world collapse
The pastor never spared the rod
but taught the wrath and fear of God
to stop this, godless
passion from burning
Barking from the throne while the castle falls...
He had a hand to smash the balance,
A voice like a vortex,
A temper like a terror threat,
A head like a hornet's nest
Every day the levee breaks
The flood gates, the bloody face
The black eye, baptized in shame
He brought home the battlefield
Sealed off the exits
Crawling up the walls
Absorbing the aggression
The source of his depression
The hurricane raging,
The awful tension sent his hands to the piano
forged a heaven in his heart,
but dragged him back to hell
when the arguments would start
Because his father was a man of the cross,
Who said his son was a slave to the flesh
When the argument ended, The music would stop.
Marvin was left with a hole in his chest.
He mapped the length of his son's back
with a leather belt
Sapped his strength with tongue lashings
and heavy guilt
Attacked his legs with such savage
and deadly skill
The cracks left in the punched plaster
were never filled
Patched together from fragments
a sense of himself
Advocate for compassion
and the sensual
As parents sent the young packing
to the depths of hell
The tattoo of guns clapping;
the end of the world
A marriage bed unraveling
& a wedding bell
cracked. He fell into drug habits
the empty shell
The tragic end of love's passion
a temple that fell
The collapse of such a fragile
and sensitive will
Relapsed to ugly patterns
of kill or be killed.
To combat the drunken shadow
and wrestle the swell.
Came back to the blood he battled
Where the devil dwelled
To smash the glass;
and shatter himself.
After the sudden blast
A heavy quiet fell
He asked his father "Why?"
The silence wouldn't tell.
After the gun blast
A heavy quiet fell
He asked his father "Why?"
Because his father was a man of the cross,
Who said his son was a slave to the flesh
When the argument ended, The music would stop.
Marvin was left with a hole in his chest.
The lyrics of B. Dolan's "Marvin" tell the story of a man who is deeply affected by his upbringing and his relationship with his father, who is a religious man. The song describes the sense of conflict that Marvin experiences between the expectations of his father and his own desires and passions, which are at odds with each other. This conflict ultimately leads to a sense of despair and a feeling of having a "hole" in his chest.
The song begins by referencing how Marvin's father sees him as a "slave to the flesh," which is a clear indication of the father's religious beliefs - he sees his son's natural desires as sinful and wrong. As the song continues, we see how Marvin's father punishes him for his behavior, using physical abuse as well as verbal attacks on his character. This leads Marvin to feel deeply depressed and drives him towards drugs and self-destructive behavior.
Despite all of this, Marvin finds solace in the piano, where he is able to express himself and create something positive out of his pain. However, this too is ultimately ruined by his father, who ends his playing and leaves him with nothing but a feeling of emptiness. The song ends with Marvin confronting his father after a traumatic experience, but finding no answers to his questions.
Overall, "Marvin" is a powerful and moving meditation on the conflicts that can exist between the desires of the individual and the expectations of society and family. It is a sobering reminder of the importance of finding our own paths in life, even when they might not align with the wishes of those who love us.
Line by Line Meaning
Because his father was a man of the cross,
Marvin's father was a devout Christian.
Who said his son was a slave to the flesh
Marvin's father believed that his son was weak and controlled by his desires.
When the spectacle ended, The charges were dropped.
Marvin was once in legal trouble but the charges were eventually dismissed.
Marvin was left with a hole in his chest.
Marvin was emotionally wounded by his father's strict and abusive treatment.
He could've brought down a mountain
Marvin had a powerful presence and could make a significant impact.
when he pounded on a table
Marvin was forceful and commanding in his actions.
or made the world collapse
Marvin had the ability to cause chaos and destruction.
for a lapse in behavior.
Marvin could be punished severely for minor mistakes.
The pastor never spared the rod
Marvin's father was physically abusive towards him.
but taught the wrath and fear of God
Marvin's father used religion to instill fear and obedience in his son.
to stop this, godless
Marvin's father saw anything that wasn't religious as sinful or immoral.
passion from burning
Marvin was discouraged from pursuing his interests and passions.
Barking from the throne while the castle falls...
Marvin's father was domineering and authoritarian.
He had a hand to smash the balance,
Marvin's father had the power to disrupt the stability of Marvin's life.
A voice like a vortex,
Marvin's father's words were overwhelming and all-consuming.
A temper like a terror threat,
Marvin's father was prone to anger and could be frightening.
A head like a hornet's nest
Marvin's father's thoughts were chaotic and confusing.
Every day the levee breaks
Marvin felt like he was on the verge of a breakdown at all times.
The flood gates, the bloody face
Marvin experienced intense emotional turmoil and physical abuse.
The black eye, baptized in shame
Marvin felt humiliated and degraded by his father's treatment.
He brought home the battlefield
Marvin's home was full of tension and conflict.
Sealed off the exits
Marvin felt trapped and unable to escape his father's abuse.
Crawling up the walls
Marvin felt like he was going insane.
Absorbing the aggression
Marvin internalized his father's anger and violence.
The source of his depression
Marvin's father was a major contributor to Marvin's mental health struggles.
The hurricane raging,
Marvin's emotions were intense and overwhelming.
The awful tension sent his hands to the piano
Marvin used music as an outlet for his emotions.
forged a heaven in his heart,
Creating music brought Marvin joy and peace.
but dragged him back to hell
Marvin's father's abuse was always looming and could easily trigger negative emotions.
when the arguments would start
Even something as simple as an argument could bring Marvin back to a place of pain.
He mapped the length of his son's back
Marvin's father physically abused him with a belt.
with a leather belt
Marvin was beaten by his father as a form of punishment.
Sapped his strength with tongue lashings
Marvin's father also emotionally abused him through verbal attacks.
and heavy guilt
Marvin was made to feel responsible for his father's anger and mistreatment.
Attacked his legs with such savage
Marvin's father was extremely violent towards him.
and deadly skill
Marvin was in danger of serious harm from his father's abuse.
The cracks left in the punched plaster
Marvin's father's violence had lasting physical effects on their home.
were never filled
The damage from Marvin's father's abuse was never repaired or addressed.
Patched together from fragments
Marvin struggled to form a coherent sense of self after years of abuse.
a sense of himself
Marvin had to work hard to develop a healthy sense of identity.
Advocate for compassion
Marvin believed in treating others with kindness and empathy.
and the sensual
Marvin believed in embracing physical sensations and experiences.
As parents sent the young packing
Marvin's father may have kicked him out of the house when he was younger.
to the depths of hell
Marvin may have experienced extreme hardship or trauma in his life.
The tattoo of guns clapping;
Marvin was surrounded by violence and danger.
the end of the world
Marvin may have felt like everything was falling apart.
A marriage bed unraveling
Marvin's romantic relationships were strained and difficult.
& a wedding bell
Marvin may have been married but it didn't bring him happiness.
cracked. He fell into drug habits
Marvin turned to drugs as a coping mechanism.
the empty shell
Marvin felt like he was a hollow, broken person.
The tragic end of love's passion
Marvin experienced heartbreak and disappointment in his romantic life.
a temple that fell
Marvin's sense of self and identity was shattered.
The collapse of such a fragile
Marvin was emotionally vulnerable and fragile.
and sensitive will
Marvin had a gentle, tender soul that was easily wounded.
Relapsed to ugly patterns
Marvin fell back into unhealthy behaviors and coping mechanisms.
of kill or be killed.
Marvin may have felt like he had to be aggressive and violent in order to survive.
To combat the drunken shadow
Marvin tried to fight his addiction and unhealthy habits.
and wrestle the swell.
Marvin struggled to overcome his demons and inner turmoil.
Came back to the blood he battled
Marvin returned to the place where he had experienced the most pain and trauma.
Where the devil dwelled
Marvin's home was a place of darkness and danger.
To smash the glass;
Marvin may have resorted to violence and destruction in order to deal with his pain.
and shatter himself.
Marvin's struggles had a profound impact on his sense of self and his mental health.
After the sudden blast
Something traumatic and unexpected happened.
A heavy quiet fell
There was a sense of stillness and calm after the chaos.
He asked his father "Why?"
Marvin may have asked his father why he treated him so poorly.
The silence wouldn't tell.
Marvin's father didn't give him a satisfying answer to his question.
Contributed by Kylie H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.