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.
Kiss Me Back to Life
Busdriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We make love so you won't go to sleep
Cuz your face can inspire global peace
Or leave me dead in your arms
I need to be a mogul at least
And to get that Volvo leased
Keep these hoes off my scrotal crease
To keep you in my dreams don't set the alarm
Kiss me back to life
Cuz you killed it last night
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh) Let's live again
Kiss me back to life
Cuz you killed it last night
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh) Let's live again
I'm more than a boyfriend
I'm a mistake to learn from
I'm more than a boyfriend
I'm a mistake to live through
From the hurt we won't rebound fast
But hurt is what our dreams outlast
Your friends keep talking that greenhouse gas
Why won't they believe in us?
I'm a disintegrating mess
I'm a family Xmas
I'm a flag half-mast
You complete me
Let me take your hand
Yeah I'm a space program
Kiss me back to life
Cuz you killed it last night
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh) Let's live again
Kiss me back to life
Cuz you killed it last night
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh ooh) Let's live again
I'm more than a boyfriend
I'm a mistake to learn from
I'm more than a boyfriend
I'm a mistake to live through
In Busdriver's song "Kiss Me Back to Life," the artist portrays a complex and emotional relationship between himself and his partner. The song starts with a intimate moment where the singer kisses his partner on the cheeks, in an effort to inspire "global peace" and keep her from falling asleep. He then describes his desire to be successful, wanting to be a "mogul" and leasing a Volvo to show his worth. Furthermore, he expresses his need to keep other women away to ensure he can continue dreaming of his partner, without setting an alarm to wake up from his fantasy.
The chorus of the song, "Kiss me back to life, cuz you killed it last night," is a plea for his partner to revive him and their relationship. He acknowledges that he is not just a boyfriend but also a mistake to learn and live through. The hurt in their relationship is heavy, but Busdriver believes that it's worth pushing through if it means saving their dreams and their love.
As the song progresses, Busdriver explains how his partner completes him and how he needs her by his side. He compares himself to a "space program," which seems to suggest that he sees himself as an ambitious project with the potential for great achievements, provided he has the right support.
Line by Line Meaning
I plant a kiss on both your cheeks
I show affection to you by kissing both your cheeks
We make love so you won't go to sleep
We engage in sexual activity to keep you awake
Cuz your face can inspire global peace
Your face is so beautiful it can bring about world peace
Or leave me dead in your arms
Your beauty is so captivating it could cause my death
I need to be a mogul at least
I aspire to be a successful and powerful person
And to get that Volvo leased
I need to acquire a Volvo car for my success
Keep these hoes off my scrotal crease
Prevent other women from getting close to me
To keep you in my dreams don't set the alarm
I want you to remain in my thoughts and dreams without interruption
From the hurt we won't rebound fast
It will take time for us to recover from the pain we feel
But hurt is what our dreams outlast
Despite the pain, we will continue to hold on to our hopes and dreams
Your friends keep talking that greenhouse gas
Your friends keep criticizing our relationship
Why won't they believe in us?
Why can't they support and trust our relationship?
I'm a disintegrating mess
I am struggling and falling apart emotionally
I'm a family Xmas
I am like an event that brings joy and unity to my family
I'm a flag half-mast
I am like a flag symbolizing sadness or mourning
You complete me
You are the missing piece that makes me whole
Let me take your hand
Let me lead and guide you through life
Yeah I'm a space program
I am an ambitious and innovative project
I'm more than a boyfriend
I am more than just a romantic partner
I'm a mistake to learn from
I am a learning experience, even if I am not the right person for you
I'm a mistake to live through
I may cause you pain and heartache, but you will get through it and become stronger
Kiss me back to life
Bring me back to a state of happiness and vitality with your kiss
Cuz you killed it last night
Your performance in bed was amazing and left me feeling satisfied and exhausted
Let's live again
Let's continue to enjoy life and live it to the fullest
Contributed by Asher I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cory Fowler
definitely in my top three favorite bus driver songs
divan osoba
don't want to sound emotional, but i found this song one of the beautiful i have ever heard,. and i do nothing else but listen to music
Richard Roani
BEAUS$EROS is such an underrated Driver album.
Mark Mayhem
Just listened to the album... brilliant, reminds me of tv on the radio and more new wave than his earlier work
Ben Schmie.
So something really funny happened today. I had ordered Open Mike Eagle's 4NML HSPTL on CD a few weeks ago but once the package arrived it had both the OME CD as well as a Beaus$Eros CD. Probably a mistake bc OME and Busdriver's albums were released under the same label. After listening to it once I fell in love. What a funny but lucky mistake they made bc it's quite a lovely album.
hoppyKnitz
daaang, both super underrated but great albums, i love em both
Silvain Nordseal
That feels like it has 4 choruses and no verse!!! awesome
olearris
This is a new sound and its awesome, can't wait to hear the new album.
wryrose
This is already my favorite album and it isn't even stuck in my car's malfunctioning CD player yet.
Tomo
By far the best music video + song combo i've heard.