Asylum
Billy Woods Lyrics

I think Mengistu Haile Mariam is my neighbor
The singer believes his neighbor is a notorious Ethiopian dictator.

Whoever it is moved in and put an automated gate up
The neighbor has high-end home security and is likely paranoid.

Repainted brick walls atop which now cameras rotated
The neighbor has installed surveillance cameras on the property.

By eight, the place dark, one light burn later
The neighbor keeps his home mostly dark, except for one burning light.

Razor wire like a slinky
The neighbor has razor wire fencing around the property.

Rumor is parcel bomb took the secretary right eye and pinky
The neighbor's secretary may have lost body parts due to a package bomb.

Evenings, he take a snifter of whisky on the veranda
The neighbor enjoys drinking whiskey on his balcony.

I wonder what he's thinking
The artist is curious about what their neighbor is thinking about.

In the morning, the maid brings coffee from the kitchen
The neighbor has a maid who brings him coffee in the morning.

Some nights strange music plays, I lay in bed and listen
The artist hears strange music coming from the neighbor's house at night.

Downstairs I hear my mother breaking dishes, my father trippin'
The singer can hear their parents fighting downstairs.

It's been quite bad lately, high tension
There has been a lot of tension in the artist's household recently.

Galvanized steel security fencin'
The singer's home also has security fencing.

To get through the day, give myself a mission
To distract themselves, the singer sets themselves goals for the day.

Anything what get me out the house a blessin'
The singer appreciates anything that gets them out of the house.

His bodyguard chews khat, spits black in the rhododendron
The neighbor's bodyguard chews a stimulant plant and spits on the bushes.

Blacked out Range rumble when he start the engine
The neighbor owns a luxury SUV that makes a loud noise when started.

Avocado tree hang over the property line
An avocado tree leans over from the singer's property to the neighbor's property.

I watch from as high as I can climb
The singer observes the neighbor's property from a high point.

The dog looks up and whines, the hills are alive with land mines
The dog senses something dangerous in the area.

I live in my mind (live in my mind)
The artist spends a lot of time in their imagination.

Not sure what I'm looking for, but I'll know when I find
The artist is searching for something, but doesn't know what it is yet.

My mother sent the gardener to look for me
The singer's mother is trying to locate them.

But the sky is a great place to hide
The artist is hiding and cannot be found, but is looking up at the sky.

Never told the truth in your life? Can't start now
The singer is asking if the listener has a history of lying.

Ever so slowly, slowly locked up in your own house
The singer feels trapped in their own home.

The guests start having doubts, the host nowhere to be found
The guests are questioning the host's whereabouts.

It's ghosts in the building's bones, so many skeletons in the ground
The property has a dark past with many secrets.

When everything collapse, he just melt into the crowd
When things go wrong, the neighbor disappears and blends into the crowd.

Suitcase packed, melted down the crown
The neighbor is ready to leave at a moment's notice.

But a haven's only safe as long as they want you around
The neighbor's safety is not guaranteed and depends on those around them.

Tomorrow it's no tellin'
The future is uncertain.

Hollow when you done sellin'
The artist implies that the neighbor's success maybe empty.

You see how well they treat me?
The neighbor seems to be treated very well.

My own courtyard for private strolls
The neighbor has a personal courtyard for walking privately.

And in my chalet, every possible amenity
The neighbor's chalet has every possible luxury.

Not to mention the occasional night visitors
The neighbor has visitors at night, which adds to speculation about their lifestyle.

I must confess Kabiyesi, this detention seems to look well on you
The singer detains someone and says it suits them.

But, so does captivity look well on a lamb
Captivity is not good for anyone.

We are fattening up for the feast
The artist and those detaining someone may be planning to use them for their own gain.

Or, perhaps as you say, on a wife we treat with special favor
The group may be treating one of their own with special treatment.

Because she is going to bear us a child
The woman being treated well may be pregnant.

What happens when the great day comes
The singer references a future event.

And there is only a calabash under the wrapper?
The artist questions what will happen if something goes wrong in the plan.