"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.
The Hunter
B. Dolan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The room is such a mess
Keep it darker than the crypt
Rumble in my stomach
Wreak of garlic and incense
Stumble from the bed
I dreamed of monsters again
Sharpen my instruments
Polishing springs and pins
Hardens the killer instinct
Darkness slips in.
I stalk them in the mist.
And walk the empty city
looking for my nemesis
I'm a vampire hunter. A bounty killer
I know my way around and I'm bound to deliver
I've lived among the parasites for more than half my life
Studied their evil habits, patterns and appetites
I'm a Hunter.
Land in the city with a caravan of gypsies
Who hand me crucifixes and whisper their superstition
I keep it moving in tune with the moon's position
Setup with a smooth precision,
Every night's a new mission.
I lift the lids of these stale boxes of dirt
because I put stake in heart
and faith in hard work
Now watch their snake eyes
Awake in surprise as they die
Cut out the heart and burn it at the graveside
Say goodbye.
I'm saving lives and the pay is fine, besides
The truth is I get a thrill
When it comes to the killing time
I'm a vampire hunter. A bounty killer
I know my way around and I'm bound to deliver
I've lived among the parasites for more than half my life
Studied their evil patterns, habits and appetites
I'm a Hunter.
They're not human
Not the people you remember
They are the undead, The beast, The cannibal, The predator
They are disease, They feed off death
But there's a sacred mutilation
that will lay them to rest
You need a vampire hunter, a bounty killer
who knows his way around and is bound to deliver
who's lived among the parasites for more than half his life
studied their evil patterns, habits and appetites.
"I wear my sunglasses at night,"
I don't know why
I'm just sensitive to the light
When I was young I had
such a strong sense of wrong and right
Them days are gone
Life is long, not forever
right? (right.)
These silver bullets pack a helluva bite
But I ain't never been the sucka type
(still i get bloody like)
The incident that happened down in Exeter town
Where the daughter of George Brown
wouldn't rest in the ground.
We had a posse of men,
Even the Providence Press
dug up the body
and cut out the black heart from her chest.
Less than a month later
her older brother was dead
and I was wanted by the court
to explain what I did.
So,
I ran away and hid in the next city
but something of the strange events must've stayed with me
Made me face the mirror for a moment to question
Imagine my surprise when I saw
no reflection.
The opening verse of B. Dolan's "The Hunter" sets the stage for a tale of supernatural danger and vigilantism. The singer wakes up after sunset ("when the sun sets") in a messy, crypt-like room. He senses a disturbance in his stomach, possibly due to the garlic and incense that surround him. He then sharpens his instruments, taking care to polish springs and pins. He sees this preparation as a part of his diligence, which "hardens the killer instinct." Darkness creeps in as he heads out, hunting his nemeses in the misty, empty city.
The singer then identifies himself as a "vampire hunter," a "bounty killer" who knows how to track and deliver the bloodsuckers to their doom. He has spent more than half his life among the "parasites," studying their "evil habits, patterns, and appetites." He lands in the city with a group of gypsies who offer him crucifixes and express their superstitions. He proceeds with smooth precision, working his way through every mission with care. He lifts the lids on "stale boxes of dirt" to put a stake in a heart, which takes care of his prey. He gets paid well for his work, but he admits that he gets a thrill when the time comes to kill.
In the final verse, the singer shares a story of a past event that seems to have shaken him to his core. In Exeter town, the daughter of George Brown wouldn't rest in the ground. The singer and some people formed a posse, dug up her body and cut out the black heart from her chest. Less than a month later, her older brother was dead, and the singer became a wanted man. He ran away and hid in the next city but saw something strange in the mirror - he had no reflection. This verse adds another layer to the singer's character: he has a past, he's not invincible, and he's possibly dealing with something supernatural in himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting up in bed when the sun sets
I sleep during the day and stay up at night like a vampire hunter would.
The room is such a mess
I'm too focused on killing vampires to care about tidying up.
Keep it darker than the crypt
I prefer to work in darkness and secrecy.
Rumble in my stomach
I feel hunger, but it's not for food; it's the adrenaline from the hunt.
Wreak of garlic and incense
I carry these scents to repel vampires and protect myself.
Stumble from the bed
I'm always tired from staying up all night fighting monsters.
I dreamed of monsters again
Even when I sleep, thoughts of vampires haunt me.
Sharpen my instruments
as part of my diligence
Keeping my tools sharp and in good condition is an important part of my job.
Polishing springs and pins
Hardens the killer instinct
Maintaining my equipment helps me keep my focus and readiness to kill vampires.
Darkness slips in.
I stalk them in the mist.
The night always brings darkness and mist, which provide cover for me to hunt vampires.
And walk the empty city
looking for my nemesis
I roam the deserted city streets, searching for the vampires I've been tasked to destroy.
I'm a vampire hunter. A bounty killer
My profession is to hunt and kill vampires, for which I receive payment (bounty).
I know my way around and I'm bound to deliver
I am experienced and skilled at my job and always come through.
I've lived among the parasites for more than half my life
Studied their evil habits, patterns and appetites
I've been doing this job all my life and have extensive knowledge of vampires and their behavior.
Land in the city with a caravan of gypsies
Who hand me crucifixes and whisper their superstition
I work with a group of people who support and assist me in my vampire hunting, including gifted items and offering their superstitious beliefs.
I keep it moving in tune with the moon's position
Setup with a smooth precision,Every night's a new mission.
I work in sync with the phases of the moon and plan my vampire hunts carefully, each night being a new challenge for me.
I lift the lids of these stale boxes of dirt
because I put stake in heart
and faith in hard work
I dig up the graves of suspected vampires and perform the ritual of driving a stake through their hearts, using my belief and hard work to achieve success.
Now watch their snake eyes
Awake in surprise as they die
Cut out the heart and burn it at the graveside
Say goodbye.
During the vampire-killing process, I witness their eyes open in shock at their defeat, then I proceed to dispose of their heart so they cannot be resurrected.
I'm saving lives and the pay is fine, besides
The truth is I get a thrill
When it comes to the killing time
Not only do I save people from these dangerous and murderous creatures, but I also take pleasure in the act of killing them.
They're not human
Not the people you remember
They are the undead, The beast, The cannibal, The predator
They are disease, They feed off death
Vampires are not human but rather evil and vicious predators that subsist on death and blood.
But there's a sacred mutilation
that will lay them to rest
You need a vampire hunter, a bounty killer
who knows his way around and is bound to deliver
who's lived among the parasites for more than half his life
studied their evil patterns, habits and appetites.
Killing a vampire requires a particular and sacred technique, and only a dedicated and experienced hunter such as myself can effectively carry out such an act.
"I wear my sunglasses at night,"
I don't know why
I'm just sensitive to the light
I wear sunglasses at night, not for any specific reason other than being sensitive to light (and potentially having a cool look).
When I was young I had
such a strong sense of wrong and right
Them days are gone
Life is long, not forever
right? (right.)
As a youth, I had a clear idea of morality, but as an adult, life is more complex and sometimes requires compromise.
These silver bullets pack a helluva bite
But I ain't never been the sucka type
(still i get bloody like)
My weapon of choice, silver bullets, are effective against vampires, and despite the danger, I've never backed down from a fight.
The incident that happened down in Exeter town
Where the daughter of George Brown
wouldn't rest in the ground.
I recall a particular case in Exeter in which a dead girl could not stay buried.
We had a posse of men,
Even the Providence Press
dug up the body
and cut out the black heart from her chest.
A group of individuals, including even the local press, helped in the gruesome process of retrieving the girl's body and removing her black heart.
Less than a month later
her older brother was dead
and I was wanted by the court
to explain what I did.
The death of the girl's brother after less than a month raised suspicion, and I was investigated for my actions.
So,
I ran away and hid in the next city
but something of the strange events must've stayed with me
Made me face the mirror for a moment to question
Imagine my surprise when I saw
no reflection.
I fled to the next city and went into hiding as the investigation continued but was still haunted by the strange happenings. Upon reflection of what I have done, I see myself in a supernatural light, which could mean so many possible outcomes for my fate.
Contributed by Isaac H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nate Tandon
I work for a moving company and today I moved a sweet old lady out of her house, she showed me a picture of her grandson and said he was a rapper I couldn't believe it but I was moving B. DOLANS grandmother! Shes the best!!!!!
Jess Hart
This track is deeper than it first appears, referencing real-world incidents that have become part of vampire lore. The story of Exeter, in particular, is interesting.
Prahduhgee
Great album, if you like B Dolan and haven't already checked out Sage Francis do it immediately.
beeetleborg
I too have been touched by the devilish one
コルビーeCSTatic
But did you see the face of God?
Barış Kurtyılmaz
Best part
salaryman kintaro
only 6000, this is unjust!
Joe B
salaryman kintaro 4 years after you posted this comments it's only at 13,000 :/