The world as it is now has been a result of man relying on his “intellectual” devices to lead his life instead of leading a life of spirit as intended by God.
The price of this action in hindsight wasn’t worth all the material amenities accumulated, as spiritual actualization and development was the goal.
This also ties to the previous line referring to “Haram” (forbiddance) and “falling from quite a height”.
Houthi
Billy Woods Lyrics
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Cut my shadow off with a dull knife
Whispered in its ear, then sent it off into the night
Set the trap for the mice
The rats, whatever's in the pipes
Corner of ya eye, the edge of the white
That's where I live, I'm set for life
Braise the tripe, never stir the rice twice
Your wife said, "Haram, but we already fell from quite a height"
This what happened, left to his own device
You'd be embarrassed to know the price (Wasn't much)
The bag was light, the rags was still tied tight
There was no particular gripe, I seent a dark crescendo
Stepped over some when it was my turn at the window
Backwoodz single, change on plexiglass
Yeah, that's my jingle
Careful what you ask for, you just might get it
Moms showed us where she kept our passports hidden
Careful what you ask for, you might just get it
Better yet, he keep a couple passports wit' him
Told my ex-wife where I stashed it, just in case
She paused, then she said, "Okay"
Couldn't think of much else to say, a labyrinth is not a maze
That's okay but that's not the haze
J.D. Salinger, just stay away
Miss Havishim at the drapes
Naked to the waist, aged like grapes
Gutterin' candles, throw shade while we ate
All you heard was knife and fork on the plate
Grainy home movies of him home rollin' doobies
Pagliacci, how they piled in the fuckin' hoopty
Loopy smile, I ran through the town like Houthi
Wave cap under the kufi, the tea was loose leaf
Listen, it's all news to me, I'm new in these parts
Pardon to God, I'm just visitin' my niece
Somewhere in the buildin', someone, somewhere makin' beats Muffle
Cover the mouths of children where you hear the beast
Shuffle to another door, somethin' scuttled along the floor
Belt buckle whip you raw, stood up all night
Every plan had a floor
Pried every board from the floor
Pride before fall but he fell short
Both hands wrapped in gauze, stole five from God, your Lord
And I'm just wonderin' what she was thinkin' when she paused
What she was thinkin' when she paused
Careful what you ask for, you just might get it
Moms showed us where she kept our passports hidden
Careful what you ask for (Ask for, ask for)
The lyrics of Billy Woods & Kenny Segal's song "Houthi" begin with a description of a moment of solitude and contemplation for the singer. He has cut his shadow off with a dull knife and whispered in its ear before sending it off into the night. The imagery suggests a sense of detachment from oneself, an attempt to shed a part of oneself that might be holding him back or causing him pain. We then hear vague references to trapping mice and rats, and an allusion to a dark, ominous presence at the edge of one's vision. The singer declares that "that's where I live," suggesting that he resides in a space of uncertainty and paranoia.
The second verse of the song seems to shift focus to a conversation with an ex-wife about passports hidden away for safekeeping. The singer offers her the location of his own stash "just in case," and the exchange ends with a somewhat cryptic reference to a labyrinth that is not a maze. The allusion to J.D. Salinger and Miss Havishim suggests a literary association with isolation and disillusionment. The verse ends with a description of an evening meal that is tinged with darkness, with guttering candles throwing shadows and the sound of knife and fork on the plate dominating the soundscape.
The third verse returns to a more fragmented and abstract imagery, with allusions to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, loose-leaf tea, and a sense of being lost or disoriented in unfamiliar surroundings. The verse ends with a sense of violence and desperation, with the singer having "stole[n] five from God, your Lord." The song ends with a final reminder to be careful what you ask for, invoking the specter of hidden passports once again.
Line by Line Meaning
Stood pooled in porch light
I was standing still under a porch light
Cut my shadow off with a dull knife
I tried to get rid of my shadow with a blunt knife
Whispered in its ear, then sent it off into the night
Before I got rid of my shadow, I whispered something to it and let it disappear into the night
Set the trap for the mice
I prepared a trap to catch the mice
The rats, whatever's in the pipes
I was ready to catch any rats or other animals that might be in the pipes
Corner of ya eye, the edge of the white
I live in the corner of your eyesight, barely perceptible
That's where I live, I'm set for life
I'm content living in my hidden corner for the rest of my life
Braise the tripe, never stir the rice twice
When cooking, I only braise the tripe and never stir the rice more than once
Barely roasted pancetta on a fine dice
I cooked some pancetta just enough and diced it properly
Your wife said, "Haram, but we already fell from quite a height"
Your wife said it's forbidden, but we've already done something bad
This what happened, left to his own device
This is what happened when he was left alone to his own device
You'd be embarrassed to know the price (Wasn't much)
You wouldn't be proud of how little I paid
The bag was light, the rags was still tied tight
The bag was not heavy, and everything inside was still tied up tightly
There was no particular gripe, I seent a dark crescendo
I had no specific problem, but I saw a dark situation develop gradually
Stepped over some when it was my turn at the window
I avoided some obstacles when it was my turn to act
Backwoodz single, change on plexiglass
I have a cheap Backwoodz cigar and some change on plexiglass
Yeah, that's my jingle
That's my song or my thing
Careful what you ask for, you just might get it
Be aware of what you ask for, because it might become a reality
Moms showed us where she kept our passports hidden
My mom showed us where she kept our passports in a secret place
Better yet, he keep a couple passports wit' him
He should keep a few passports with him just to be safe
Told my ex-wife where I stashed it, just in case
I revealed the secret location to my ex-wife just in case something happens to me
She paused, then she said, "Okay"
My ex-wife was silent for a moment and then agreed to my request
Couldn't think of much else to say, a labyrinth is not a maze
I had nothing else to add and just commented on the difference between a labyrinth and a maze
That's okay but that's not the haze
That's a valid point, but it's not relevant to the current situation
J.D. Salinger, just stay away
I don't want to be like J.D. Salinger, who isolated himself from society
Miss Havishim at the drapes
I see a resemblance between someone and Miss Havishim from Great Expectations, particularly at the curtains
Naked to the waist, aged like grapes
Someone is almost naked and old, just like a grape that has ripened for too long
Gutterin' candles, throw shade while we ate
The flickering candles create shadows while we are eating, adding an ominous atmosphere to the situation
All you heard was knife and fork on the plate
The only sounds that could be heard were that of the knife and fork on the plate
Grainy home movies of him home rollin' doobies
I saw some old, low-quality videos of someone rolling joints at home
Pagliacci, how they piled in the fuckin' hoopty
They resembled a crowd from Pagliacci's opera, all fitted into a small car
Loopy smile, I ran through the town like Houthi
I had a crazy grin on my face as I ran through town, feeling like a member of the Houthi movement in Yemen
Wave cap under the kufi, the tea was loose leaf
I wore a wave cap under my kufi and drank loose tea leaves
Listen, it's all news to me, I'm new in these parts
I'm a newcomer to this place, so everything I'm seeing and hearing is new to me
Pardon to God, I'm just visitin' my niece
I'm not doing anything wrong, I'm just visiting my niece
Somewhere in the buildin', someone, somewhere makin' beats Muffle
In the building, someone is making beats, but the sound is muffled or quiet
Cover the mouths of children where you hear the beast
When you hear the beast, you should cover the mouths of children to protect them
Shuffle to another door, somethin' scuttled along the floor
I walked quickly to another door, as I heard something moving rapidly on the floor
Belt buckle whip you raw, stood up all night
I've been standing all night, and my belt buckle is chafing my skin
Every plan had a floor
Every plan has a weakness or a flaw that can be exploited
Pried every board from the floor
I removed all the panels from the floor to look for something
Pride before fall but he fell short
He was too proud of himself, but in the end, he didn't succeed
Both hands wrapped in gauze, stole five from God, your Lord
My hands are wrapped in gauze, and I stole some money that belonged to God or the Lord
And I'm just wonderin' what she was thinkin' when she paused
I wonder what was going through her mind when she didn't respond right away
Ask for, ask for
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Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Billy Woods, Kenny Adam Segal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind