Possessing a hyper-literate, intellectual style of rapping augmented with d… Read Full Bio ↴Possessing a hyper-literate, intellectual style of rapping augmented with dizzying elocution that would tongue-tie even the fiercest auctioneer, Busdriver is eclectic and eccentric enough to cite vocalese jazz singer Jon Hendricks as a primary influence. Born Regan Farquhar, the Los Angeles MC was introduced to hip-hop culture early – his father wrote the screenplay to one of the earliest films focusing on hip-hop, Krush Groove. He began rapping at age nine, releasing his first record at age 13 with his group, 4/29, named after the 1992 L.A. riots. By the mid-'90s, Busdriver was a regular at the Project Blowed open mic, where he would meet future collaborators and underground luminaries like Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, and Freestyle Fellowship. And shortly after, the vinyl did flow.

Busdriver guested on upward of 20 singles, and by 2001 he could no longer be contained by guest spots, releasing his first full-length, Memoirs of the Elephant Man (1999). There were just as many detractors as supporters for his singular style, which was so densely packed it made his chosen name seem a reference for multiple-personality disorder, and the lo-fi production also left more listeners scratching heads than nodding them.

His next album, This Machine Kills Fashion Tips (2002), continued in a similar manner before being trumped by better production and more focused rhymes on Temporary Forever the same year. Joined by another West Coast avant-garde MC, Radioinactive, and the breezy, fractured pop of electronic producer Daedelus, Busdriver released yet another odd puzzle piece in 2003, The Weather. Fear of a Black Tangent followed on Mush in 2005. After moving to Anti-/Epitaph, the rapper issued RoadKillOvercoat, which featured production from Nobody and Boom Bip. His second Anti- release, Jhelli Beam, appeared in 2009. In 2010 he put out a full-length mixtape of unreleased gems and illegal remixes called Computer Cooties. It was released as a free album. 2010 saw Bus toiling over a new album that will shock fans and confuse the unconverted into unwilling servitude. It is called Beaus$Eros and was released on February 21, 2012 on Fake Four. Beaus$Eros forgoes the lightening-speed rhyming that defined his style in favor of a diverse, off-kilter brand of pop and post-hip-hop.

Along Came a Biter
Busdriver Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"(Everything's great up until you show up...)

Force-fit murders and corporate mergers
Are so... "New World"
Horseshit burgers keep force and click cursors
Make you so...user-friendly
Compassionate Conservatives who get maximum superlatives
Is so... "Neo-Reaganomics"

Claiming ownership of this Pangaea puzzle-piece
Is so... "English settler"
Slighting me on my out-of-body body-builder's muscle beach
Is so... out of character for you
Seeing you underestimate how government officials ???? and decimate
Is so... up your alley
And other-world variety packs with apocalyptic anxiety attacks
Is so... 1999
So typical!

Now this is for obscene language and loud music
Which are now news clips of social unrest
But it's a crowd-shooing mix
'Cause I rended all the rubber flesh, I'm hunted by Boba Fett's
And these are the minimals of substance
I'm the political pundit, I'm cynical and unfit
For day-to-day life, I've got a pitiful pun-kick
But at least I'm not on that criminal thug shit
Then they hide the doors that rape states' rights

And it was great... and it was cool
But then along came this biter
And he was so out of touch
So completely self-indulgent
Just so out to lunch
So in desperate need of a style consultant and some school enrollment...
People need help

Now those recorded-on toaster-ovens doing their over-dubbin'
Is so... 20th century
Giving sell-buyers harsh pile-drivers
Is so... me
This machine kills Fascists and other unwanted guests
Now when I improvise, showers risk the skies from brain-storm rain-clouds
I'm Coltrane and Kurt Cobain's brain-child
And you're soaking wet, wanting to use these rap sounds for your bath towels
My moods for a chin-check, I'll give you this crank valve
So you can smoke it in a platinum album and feel at home
TV's sprout seedlings that cheer bling-bling, and also force-feed
Footage of bombs over Baghdad to distract from my palms over scratch pads

And it was cool... hunky-dory... I wasn't hungry or horny...
But then along came this biter
And he was so out of touch
So completely self-indulgent

Just so out to lunch
So in desperate need of a style consultant and some school enrollment..."

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Busdriver's "Along Came a Biter" seem to be a commentary on the current state of society and the various ways that people are manipulated and exploited. The first verse talks about how things like murder and corporate mergers are normalized in the "New World," and how even fast food is designed to be easy to consume, making us all more user-friendly. The next part talks about the way that politicians use compassionate language to justify actions that benefit the wealthy (i.e., "Neo-Reaganomics") and how people claim ownership over things like land in ways that marginalize others (i.e., "English settler"). And finally, the verse touches on how people underestimate the power of government officials and are distracted by things like pop culture, allowing bad things to happen right under their noses.

The chorus of the song seems to be a direct criticism of someone in Busdriver's life who he sees as being self-indulgent and out of touch with reality. He describes this person as needing a "style consultant" and school enrollment, suggesting that they are lacking in basic manners and culture. He also emphasizes the need for people to help each other (i.e., "People need help"), perhaps implying that this biter is someone who only cares about their own success and doesn't have any interest in helping others.

Overall, "Along Came a Biter" is a complex and thought-provoking piece of music that touches on a variety of themes related to society, politics, and human nature. It challenges listeners to think critically about the world around them and to consider how their own actions and attitudes may be contributing to larger issues.

Line by Line Meaning

Force-fit murders and corporate mergers Are so... "New World"
I see how violent killings and the consolidation of companies are connected to the vision of a so-called "New World."

Horseshit burgers keep force and click cursors Make you so...user-friendly
Fast food and mindless clicking on screens are making us obedient and easy to control.

Compassionate Conservatives who get maximum superlatives Is so... "Neo-Reaganomics"
Politicians who claim to care about people but still follow policies that benefit the wealthy are just promoting a new form of Reaganomics.

Claiming ownership of this Pangaea puzzle-piece Is so... "English settler"
Trying to own and control the land just because we can is reminiscent of the colonial mindset of English settlers.

Slighting me on my out-of-body body-builder's muscle beach Is so... out of character for you
It's surprising and disappointing to see you belittle my efforts to better myself by working out and striving for a healthy body.

Seeing you underestimate how government officials ???? and decimate Is so... up your alley
It's not surprising that you would downplay the harm caused by government officials and their destructive policies, because it fits with your own interests and beliefs.

And other-world variety packs with apocalyptic anxiety attacks Is so... 1999
The obsession with doomsday scenarios and end-of-the-world prophecies is something that reminds me of the cultural zeitgeist of the late 1990s.

Now this is for obscene language and loud music Which are now news clips of social unrest But it's a crowd-shooing mix 'Cause I rended all the rubber flesh, I'm hunted by Boba Fett's And these are the minimals of substance
My music is meant to be provocative and rebellious, but now it seems like it's just used as background noise for reports on protests and riots. Even though I'm pushing boundaries, I'm also aware that I'm just scraping the surface of what's really important.

I'm the political pundit, I'm cynical and unfit For day-to-day life, I've got a pitiful pun-kick But at least I'm not on that criminal thug shit Then they hide the doors that rape states' rights
I'm not cut out for normal everyday life; I'm too depressed and sarcastic for that. But even though I don't fit in, I know I'm not doing anything truly harmful or criminal, unlike those in power who try to strip away our rights and freedoms.

Now those recorded-on toaster-ovens doing their over-dubbin' Is so... 20th century Giving sell-buyers harsh pile-drivers Is so... me
The way I record my music, using whatever tools are available and layering sounds on top of each other, is reminiscent of earlier times. But at the same time, I know that my lyrics can be intense and hard-hitting, which puts me in a category all my own.

This machine kills Fascists and other unwanted guests Now when I improvise, showers risk the skies from brain-storm rain-clouds I'm Coltrane and Kurt Cobain's brain-child And you're soaking wet, wanting to use these rap sounds for your bath towels My moods for a chin-check, I'll give you this crank valve So you can smoke it in a platinum album and feel at home TV's sprout seedlings that cheer bling-bling, and also force-feed Footage of bombs over Baghdad to distract from my palms over scratch pads
My music is a weapon against tyranny and oppression, but also reflects my own inner turmoil and creative spirit. I see others trying to use my art for their own purposes, whether to sell records or to distract from the real issues at hand. But even with all these obstacles, I still have an outlet for my emotions and can make something valuable out of them.

But then along came this biter And he was so out of touch So completely self-indulgent Just so out to lunch So in desperate need of a style consultant and some school enrollment...
Everything was going okay until this imitator came along. He doesn't understand what makes my music special and is just trying to copy me for his own gain. He needs some guidance and education to really know what he's doing.

Contributed by Madison N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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