Pete Miser currently lives in NYC and has produced tracks for Half Pint, Chuck D, Imani Coppola, Melanie Fiona, Jin, Dres (from Black Sheep) and others. His film credits include contributions to The Night Listener, Everything Is Illuminated and Planet B-Boy. Pete has also released albums Here I Be , Radio Free Brooklyn and Camouflage is Relative. For the latest on Mr Miser check www.petemiser.com .
DJ Chill has continued to entertain audiences across the country with his amazing turntable skills and Deft rapping ability. He is currently Djing for acclaimed rapper Tech Nine and has recorded numerous albums.
Five of the former members of F3 currently make up Tezeta Band and play Ethiopiques inspired Soul Music in Portland, OR. They can be seen regularly at the Sengatera Restaurant on the 2nd Thursday of every month. For more info they can be found at www.tezetaband.com .
Posters
Five Fingers of Funk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Passing cheap hotels toward home to get dreaming
The city sky is starless on foot because I'm carless
But the thirty block walk from the spot is not the farthest
That I've gone I move on kept company by neon
Lights 3 a.m. tonight the air is like freon
Fifty in my pocket not much but I can't knock it
Flip the switch tonight I saw it in their eyes
The Fingers kept it live the energy never died
It wouldn't be denied 214 Burnside
We kept their heads moving even kids outside
You can see them on the street through the stage door gate
Ten o'clock even when it gets late
Pass the mic at the end of the night to Dave Queen
Then come back on Tuesday check out Sid the Tennesseans Tony
Green and Stella yeah I remember Tuesdays
No bad things now bring me back to hear the new play
I'll stay late with D.J. Sass until the next day
Fuck Key Largo take me back to the X-Ray
Take me back to the X-Ray
My fingers are frozen my coat is soaked through
My toes are past numb we've got a hundred more to do
They're only getting wetter got to get another up
Luke loads the stapler then he slaps the hammer shut
Tack tack tack down the right then the left side
If you see Five-O then you'd better step hide
Wait until they pass and come around the block again
Time to go back to work before this late night ends
Over on my left he's holding up another poster
Pushing up the corner as the staple falls close to
His index finger as his breath lingers in the air
Water trickles up his arm he doesn't seem to care
He doesn't wear gloves they make it hard to grab the paper
On a late night caper with a state of the art stapler
Damn it's getting cold but still we've got to pass the word
Plastering the poles from Hawthorne to twenty third
But not in front of Fred's or Crocodile they'll tear them down
And never cover the X-Ray's 'cause they support the sound
Luke will tack it back if it belongs to a friend
But if you cover his you'll never see your shit again so watch your
Posters...
Here we go again after the show again I've got to hit the
Streets work my feet and get my flow again
All alone and then I feel the pavement on my aching feet
Dawn will come before this trip's complete
Concrete and light rain stain the city I was born in
I hardly feel alive as the horizon whispers morning
Walking on train tracks from halls where the name's at
I wanted to clear my head but once again all of the pain's back
I'm torn between the place I'm in and where I want to be
Faith won't wait kid so what's it gonna be
Forget it and let it go take no as the answer
Or if you choose to do it better get serious as cancer
But see I took a peek and looked deep into it
And after what I saw I'm not so sure I should pursue it
Still I know a half-step is likely to be my last step
And playing live beats nine to fives so thrive or hit the casket
In Five Fingers of Funk's song "Posters," the lyrics describe the experience of a member of the group after a performance. The first verse discusses walking home after a show and observing the empty city streets. The next verse details the work required to promote upcoming shows by putting up posters around town. The final verse contrasts the fatigue of the late-night work with the drive to pursue music rather than settling for a more traditional job.
Throughout the song, the lyrics convey the sense of dedication required to pursue music as a career. The imagery of walking through the empty streets conveys a sense of isolation felt by artists who are driven to create even when the rest of the world is asleep. The work of putting up posters is a reminder of the grassroots work that can be necessary to build an audience. The final verse speaks to the tension between knowing a life in music might not be financially secure and the attempt to pursue it anyway.
Overall, "Posters" is a reflection on the experiences and challenges that come with being a musician. The lyrics capture the passion, fatigue, and uncertainty that can be part of the journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Post flow flow my dome is still steaming
After the show, my mind is still racing with ideas.
Passing cheap hotels toward home to get dreaming
Heading back to my place, hoping to unwind and relax.
The city sky is starless on foot because I'm carless
Walking through the city without a car, noticing the lack of stars in the sky.
But the thirty block walk from the spot is not the farthest
Although it seems like a long walk, I've traveled farther distances before.
That I've gone I move on kept company by neon
I keep moving forward, guided by the bright lights of neon signs.
Lights 3 a.m. tonight the air is like freon
It's late at night, the air is chilly, and the energy is electric.
Fifty in my pocket not much but I can't knock it
I don't have a lot of money, but I'm grateful for what I do have.
Getting paid to light the mic up like a bulb in a socket
I'm earning a living by performing and entertaining the crowd.
Flip the switch tonight I saw it in their eyes
During the performance, I could see the excitement and energy in the crowd's eyes.
The Fingers kept it live the energy never died
The band kept the energy high throughout the entire show.
It wouldn't be denied 214 Burnside
The energy of the show couldn't be contained, even at the venue located at 214 Burnside.
We kept their heads moving even kids outside
We even had kids dancing outside of the venue.
You can see them on the street through the stage door gate
Through the gate of the venue, you can see people dancing on the street.
Ten o'clock even when it gets late
Even when it's getting late, the dancing and energy on the street continue.
Pass the mic at the end of the night to Dave Queen
During the end of the night, the microphone is passed to Dave Queen.
Then come back on Tuesday check out Sid the Tennesseans Tony
We'll be back on Tuesday to watch Sid and Tony play.
Green and Stella yeah I remember Tuesdays
I have fond memories of watching Green and Stella play on Tuesdays.
No bad things now bring me back to hear the new play
I want to hear the new music and enjoy myself, without any negativity.
I'll stay late with D.J. Sass until the next day
I'll hang out with D.J. Sass until morning.
Fuck Key Largo take me back to the X-Ray
I don't care about Key Largo, I just want to go back to the X-Ray venue.
My fingers are frozen my coat is soaked through
I'm cold and wet from putting up posters all night.
My toes are past numb we've got a hundred more to do
I have many more posters to hang up, and my toes are numb from the cold.
They're only getting wetter got to get another up
The posters are becoming even more wet, but I have to keep putting them up.
Luke loads the stapler then he slaps the hammer shut
My friend Luke loads the stapler and secures the posters in place.
Tack tack tack down the right then the left side
We quickly tack up the posters on the right and left sides of the street.
If you see Five-O then you'd better step hide
If the police show up, it's best to hide and wait for them to leave.
Wait until they pass and come around the block again
We wait for the police to leave and then continue putting up posters.
Time to go back to work before this late night ends
We need to continue to work before the night is over.
Over on my left he's holding up another poster
To my left, someone is holding up another poster to be put up.
Pushing up the corner as the staple falls close to
They are pushing up the corner of the poster as the staple falls close to their finger.
His index finger as his breath lingers in the air
I can see his breath in the air as he holds the poster with his index finger.
Water trickles up his arm he doesn't seem to care
Rainwater is trickling up his arm, but he doesn't seem to mind.
He doesn't wear gloves they make it hard to grab the paper
He doesn't wear gloves because they make it difficult to hold the posters.
On a late night caper with a state of the art stapler
We're on a mission to put up posters, armed with state of the art staplers.
Damn it's getting cold but still we've got to pass the word
Despite the cold weather, we need to get the message out there by putting up posters.
Plastering the poles from Hawthorne to twenty third
We're putting up posters all the way from Hawthorne to twenty third street.
But not in front of Fred's or Crocodile they'll tear them down
We know not to put up posters in front of Fred's or Crocodile because they'll be taken down.
And never cover the X-Ray's 'cause they support the sound
We never cover up the X-Ray venue's posters because they support the local music scene.
Luke will tack it back if it belongs to a friend
If we accidentally cover up someone's poster, Luke will fix it if it belongs to a friend of ours.
But if you cover his you'll never see your shit again so watch your
But if you cover up one of Luke's posters, he won't be happy and may retaliate by tearing down your posters.
Posters...
The importance of spreading the message through posters.
Here we go again after the show again I've got to hit the
After the show, it's time to hit the streets and spread the message.
Streets work my feet and get my flow again
I need to walk around, use my feet, and get my creative flow going again.
All alone and then I feel the pavement on my aching feet
I'm walking alone and can feel the hard pavement beneath my aching feet.
Dawn will come before this trip's complete
I have a lot of work to do, and it will take until dawn to complete it all.
Concrete and light rain stain the city I was born in
The concrete and light rain make a mark on the city that I grew up in.
I hardly feel alive as the horizon whispers morning
I'm exhausted from the night's work, and the horizon signals that morning is coming soon.
Walking on train tracks from halls where the name's at
I'm walking along train tracks that lead to concert halls where local bands play.
I wanted to clear my head but once again all of the pain's back
Even though I tried to clear my head, the stress and pain of the job return.
I'm torn between the place I'm in and where I want to be
I'm conflicted about where I am and where I want to go in life.
Faith won't wait kid so what's it gonna be
I need to make a decision and have faith in it.
Forget it and let it go take no as the answer
I could give up and accept defeat, but that's not the answer.
Or if you choose to do it better get serious as cancer
If I choose to pursue my dreams, I need to be serious and committed to them like cancer.
But see I took a peek and looked deep into it
After considering my options, I took a closer look at what I really want to do.
And after what I saw I'm not so sure I should pursue it
After reflecting on it further, I'm not entirely sure if pursuing my dreams is the right choice for me.
Still I know a half-step is likely to be my last step
I understand that not fully committing to my dreams will likely lead to failure.
And playing live beats nine to fives so thrive or hit the casket
Even though the music industry is difficult, playing live shows is better than working a mundane nine to five job. Either succeed or risk failure.
Contributed by Maria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.