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.
Kill Your Employer
Busdriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sticking out like a sore thumb, smelling like dinosaur dung
These hippies are holier than thou at poorly attended peace marches holding cold veggie dogs
I'm not your homie or pen pal though I unload ink cartridges as Red State demigods
Cause smearing a salad on a SUV can't
Save the black faces at the refugee camp
There is your sterling Sputnik
To compliment your unfurling drug fix
Branded buttocks
Now he's an action-pose doll
Clad in the latest fashion faux-pas
Just another rapping know-it-all trying to de-politicize those big business ties
Let me guess, you're a macrobiotic cuisine prep-cook
With a text book liberal outlook in an oppressed nook
Couch surfing, but your dad's got employment history at Halliburton
While you dress like wild mermen
Cuz recreational paranoia
Is the sport of now, so
Kill your employer
Cuz recreational paranoia
Is the sport of now, so
Kill your employer
Riddled with neo-expressionism omitted words and arty erasure
You pass out your Green Party favor
Smoking on cush-hash algae at the Bush-bash rally
Mocking army brigade verve
Bar-b-qing sorts of meat substitutes
Arguing at your bleak study group
Shunning pop art in your turtle-neck
Shopping carts with turbo jets
Write Red Cross personal checks
Yet no relief monies are en route
You exchange wistful ki-bi-bos while they prep the missile silos
And Ill fortify the Left's patron saint
With anti-war cries and face paint
When the GOP appoints a man in tights to read protestors their Miranda rights
This is an anger pact, a teen scratch post
That boast a paperback zine pathos
'Unsheathe the saber' says thee blasphemer's acting coach
And torment the Scientologist at the Cineplex
They are bonafide clansmen in dinner dress
Giving your art loft undertows the thumb and nose
Cuz recreational paranoia
Is the sport of now, so
Kill your employer
Cuz recreational paranoia
Is the sport of now, so
Kill your employer
I don't join the ranks of ordinary men, uh-huh
I burn flags not oil reserves, uh-huh
I'm no ex-football player Iraqi combatant, uh-huh
Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, uh-huh
I don't join the ranks of ordinary men, uh-huh
I burn flags not oil reserves, uh-huh
I'm no ex-football player Iraqi combatant, uh-huh
Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, uh-huh
It's me fucker, uh-huh
It's me
The lyrics to Busdriver's "Kill Your Employer" are a scathing critique of the hypocrisy and empty activism of the privileged upper-middle class. The opening lines describe the appearance of the "hippies" who attend "poorly attended peace marches," criticizing their holier-than-thou attitudes and performative activism. The singer, who dismisses the hippies as his "homie or pen pal," sneers at their attempts at political action, mocking their belief that "smearing a salad on a SUV" can save the refugees in the camp.
The song continues to attack various forms of empty activism, such as "writing Red Cross personal checks" without actually delivering any relief, and "shunning pop art in your turtle-neck" while shopping for luxury goods. The singer's anger builds as he describes the deep hypocrisy of those who claim to be fighting against war and oppression but are still benefiting from the same systems they claim to be fighting against. In the final verses, he declares that he is not an "ordinary man" but someone who burns flags and refuses to be complicit in the military-industrial complex.
Overall, the song's central message is that true activism cannot be limited to performative or symbolic gestures, but must involve tangible action and genuine commitment to social change.
Line by Line Meaning
With long armpit hair
Being different and unconventional
Sticking out like a sore thumb, smelling like dinosaur dung
Being perceived as unusual or strange
These hippies are holier than thou at poorly attended peace marches holding cold veggie dogs
Hippies are self-righteous and pretentious, attending protests without making any real change
I'm not your homie or pen pal though I unload ink cartridges as Red State demigods
Refusing to be associated with a particular group
Cause smearing a salad on a SUV can't
Protesting in ineffective ways
Save the black faces at the refugee camp
Ignoring more pressing issues while focusing on superficial problems
There is your sterling Sputnik
Pointing out hypocrisy and misplaced priorities
To compliment your unfurling drug fix
Mocking the use of drugs for recreational purposes
You've been hoodwinked the secret brotherhood winks as your heroes push it with a
People have been manipulated and deceived by those in power
Branded buttocks
People blindly follow celebrities and other popular figures
Now he's an action-pose doll
People are reduced to objects to be marketed and sold
Clad in the latest fashion faux-pas
People are shallow and focus on superficial things
Just another rapping know-it-all trying to de-politicize those big business ties
People who try to ignore the political implications of their actions and decisions
Let me guess, you're a macrobiotic cuisine prep-cook
Mocking those who are overly concerned with their diet
With a text book liberal outlook in an oppressed nook
Those who claim to be liberal but ignore the struggles of marginalized groups
Couch surfing, but your dad's got employment history at Halliburton
Mocking those who are hypocritical and benefit from the very system they claim to oppose
While you dress like wild mermen
People who try to be different just for the sake of being different
Cuz recreational paranoia
People who are becoming increasingly paranoid about the state of the world
Is the sport of now, so
Paranoia is becoming the norm
Kill your employer
Taking drastic measures to fight against the system
Riddled with neo-expressionism omitted words and arty erasure
The art world is becoming increasingly pretentious and obscure
You pass out your Green Party favor
People who are overly enthusiastic about a political party without making any real change
Smoking on cush-hash algae at the Bush-bash rally
People who attend protests without understanding the real issues at hand
Mocking army brigade verve
People who are disrespectful towards those who serve in the military
Bar-b-qing sorts of meat substitutes
People who pretend to be vegetarian but still crave meat
Arguing at your bleak study group
Intellectual discourse that leads nowhere
Shunning pop art in your turtle-neck
People who are pretentious and dismissive of popular culture
Shopping carts with turbo jets
Consumerism and capitalism run rampant
Write Red Cross personal checks
People who donate money to charities without understanding the real issues
Yet no relief monies are en route
Charities are not always effective or transparent
You exchange wistful ki-bi-bos while they prep the missile silos
People who are ignorant of the real issues facing the world
And Ill fortify the Left's patron saint
People who blindly follow a political ideology without really understanding its implications
With anti-war cries and face paint
Protesting as a form of performance art
When the GOP appoints a man in tights to read protestors their Miranda rights
Satirizing the government's response to protests
This is an anger pact, a teen scratch post
The frustration and anger of young people who feel powerless in the face of injustice
That boast a paperback zine pathos
The underground punk scene that rebels against mainstream culture
'Unsheathe the saber' says thee blasphemer's acting coach
Ridiculing those who try to be rebellious but are really just following a script
And torment the Scientologist at the Cineplex
Pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable behavior
They are bonafide clansmen in dinner dress
The hidden prejudices and biases of seemingly respectable people
Giving your art loft undertows the thumb and nose
The art world is becoming increasingly exclusive and dismissive of outsiders
I don't join the ranks of ordinary men, uh-huh
Refusing to conform to societal norms or expectations
I burn flags not oil reserves, uh-huh
Taking a bold stance against nationalism and patriotism
I'm no ex-football player Iraqi combatant, uh-huh
Rejecting the glorification of violence and war
Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, uh-huh
Challenging the listener and asserting oneself
It's me fucker, uh-huh
Asserting one's identity and individuality
Writer(s): Regan Farquhar, Bryan Charles Hollon
Contributed by Lillian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
GRD
on Jazz Fingers
What's the sample sax he uses on Jazz Fingers? Can't find it anywhere!