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.
Utilitarian Uses of Love
Busdriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here's my room key and splayed limbs
When I do me I play to win - Yeah (...)
You'll need to go drink absinthe
Under trees that grow leaves of absence (I left your ass alone)
While nursing hearts like leaking gaskets
This freedom it tastes funny
Dealing with utilitarian uses of love
Because I'm streching my sea legs
Dipping my toe in the sleaziest cesspools above
My stage persona can be nude
Because the following day, it's renewed
And my subconscious is seafood - Yeah
When you invite me, I cross over
You'll smell burning and a waft sulfur
You've crashed along the soft shoulder
Yeah - This freedom it tastes funny
Dealing with utilitarian uses of love
To the ladies I'll be vague
Because I'm streching my sea legs
Dipping my toe in the sleaziest cesspools above
Value sets and other moral imperatives
And frankly we don't give a fuck about them
- Yes, you do - No, I don't
- You do - No, I don't
We don't give a fuck about them (3x)
The sex drive stupefies
Makes you feel like you're in Junior High
My impulses go unsupervised - Yeah
I prow on foot and spin a yarn
When the crowd looks like wind farms
My defense mechanism's been disarmed
Yeah - This freedom it tastes funny
Dealing with utilitarian uses of love
In Busdriver's "Utilitarian Uses of Love," the lyrics paint a picture of the artist's hedonistic lifestyle as he navigates the complexities of love and relationships. The opening line, "By chance are you free," is a suggestive invitation to engage in a casual sexual encounter. He hands over his room key and refers to his own sexual prowess, highlighting his confidence in his ability to satisfy his partners.
However, the song's title indicates a more utilitarian perspective on love, perhaps suggesting that love is used as a means to an end. The artist acknowledges the "sleaziest cesspools above" and his desire to explore them, further highlighting this utilitarian approach to love and relationships.
The chorus's repetition of "This freedom it tastes funny / Dealing with utilitarian uses of love / To the ladies, I'll be vague / Because I'm stretching my sea legs" contrasts the pleasure of freedom and sexual exploration with the detachment and ambiguity that can accompany it.
The verse following the chorus speaks to the artist's disregard for societal moral codes and norms, as he proclaims, "Value sets and other moral imperatives / And frankly, we don't give a fuck about them / - Yes, you do - No, I don't / - You do - No, I don't / We don't give a fuck about them." This rejection of societal expectations and norms fits well with the song's overall theme of utilitarianism and freedom.
Overall, "Utilitarian Uses of Love" presents a complex and nuanced exploration of love, desire, and hedonism, with the artist acknowledging the pleasure and freedom of sexual exploration while also critiquing the utilitarian approach to relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
By chance are you free
Do you happen to have some free time?
Here's my room key and splayed limbs
I'm offering you my hotel room and my body.
When I do me I play to win - Yeah (...)
I always try to succeed when doing what I want.
You'll need to go drink absinthe
You should go and do something to forget me.
Under trees that grow leaves of absence (I left your ass alone)
You'll find solace in a place where I am not present anymore.
While nursing hearts like leaking gaskets
I'm trying to repair broken hearts, but it's a difficult and constant task.
This freedom it tastes funny
Freedom doesn't feel as good as it's supposed to.
Dealing with utilitarian uses of love
Using love only for practical purposes.
To the ladies I'll be vague
I won't be completely honest with women.
Because I'm streching my sea legs
I'm trying something new and testing my limits.
Dipping my toe in the sleaziest cesspools above
Trying out the dirtiest and least respectable things.
My stage persona can be nude
I'm okay with being vulnerable and open on stage.
Because the following day, it's renewed
I refresh and start anew after each performance.
And my subconscious is seafood - Yeah
My unconscious mind is like the ocean.
When you invite me, I cross over
I come to you when you call me.
You'll smell burning and a waft sulfur
I bring chaos and destruction with me.
You've crashed along the soft shoulder
You've had an accident because of me.
Value sets and other moral imperatives
Moral guidelines and other sets of values.
And frankly we don't give a fuck about them
We don't care about moral guidelines.
- Yes, you do - No, I don't
I deny caring about them, but someone else insists I do.
The sex drive stupefies
Sexual desire can be overwhelming and confusing.
Makes you feel like you're in Junior High
It can make you feel inexperienced and young.
My impulses go unsupervised - Yeah
I don't always control myself.
I prow on foot and spin a yarn
I walk and talk in a way that's captivating and interesting.
When the crowd looks like wind farms
When the audience is numerous and lively.
My defense mechanism's been disarmed
I'm vulnerable and without protection.
Writer(s): Regan Farquhar Copyright: Just Isn'T Music Ltd.
Contributed by Audrey T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@michaeldouglas2712
when I'm old and Gray the Most important thing to me other than Family will be My Memories, and Busdriver is one of the Memories I want to hold on to. His work Has Been a Huge Influence on me and to me that's Worth cementing onto My body! :)
@seon3403
i absolutely stan. too relatable to what I believe in AND rap for. respect to driver I hope you still see these dude
@lakersk8er11
busdriver made my morning..
@migz2883
great video!!! really good jam. My favorite is Imaginary Places, love the beat on that one!!
@phillipfulleriii592
🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥🔥 Busdriver is out of this world!!!
@THE_CORNELIUS
wow he really improved his singing over the years
@Sedrick
This is stunning. I love it.
@benschmie.8975
This album was my first exposure to Driver and imo it gets too much hate. This album is so pretty :)
@algj
whaaat?? hate?? I didn't see any hate anywhere
@electricearth1101
PLEASE MAKE A PODCAST BUSDRIVER. I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT MUSIC AND PROJECT BLOWED AND CURRENT ARTISTS AND WHAT YOURE WORKING ON AND WHAT YOURE THINKING AND WHAT INSPIRES YOU. sorry for writing this in all caps.