Crack Pipes
Francis Sage Lyrics
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All the peeps said I wouldn't laugh
Don't make me laugh, don't make me laugh
[Sage Francis]
I'd give a twenty one gunshot salute
With a toy rifle you bought me but it won't shoot
And all is well because there's been one too many shots
Stop the presses, there's been an update
Delivered via 1:30 AM phone call
When an only half-informative sauce talks discretely
Meet me-- at the family room at the side of the Intensive Care Unit
Immediately, I'll carry a tune
The sirens so loud, can't hear my music
Keep free-- of negative thoughts, everything'll be fine
We all assume... That it would go back to the way things were
That it would go back to normal soon
Saw the moon in a way that I never seen it before
When I looked up that night into the sky wondering why
Lookin' for answers, guess I ain't ask right
I'm guessin most of y'all out there know exactly what that's like
What that's like, now tell me what's that like?
It's like a whirlwind of emotions occurs when moms and dads fight
It's like when a girl grins, an emotion of hers
That holds your arm, and grabs tight
Hurl him into the ocean, one of them cold sweat heat flash types
With extreme fluctuations and temperature changes
Have been known to crack pipes...
...crack pipes...crack pipes...
Meet me-- half way in a gold, extra length just to help your strength
Meet me-- at the AA meeting, needing to take more then 12 steps
Bring me to your hiding place, so I can face your vice grip
I'll chisel every single monkey off your back with this ice pick
Come meet up with me on the sidelines when the game is over
Just to say hello, then afterwards, backstage
To let me know that you enjoyed the show
And go to grandma's house for Sunday dinner
Sit at the table take away the fatal flaw
you made the day before, I seen you bleed
Meet me-- on Christmas Eve, we can fight but make up before you leave
Make peace with the rest of those that rest in pieces on my dreams
Meet me at the fork in the road where lost souls get decisive
Meet me at the crossroads so I can have someone to walk into the light with
"Crack Pipes" by Sage Francis is a poignant and emotionally charged song that deals with topics such as addiction, loss, and longing. The first verse relates to a soldier who has returned from war and has been given a toy rifle that won't shoot. The metaphor is that even though the soldier has physically returned home, he cannot escape the mental anguish that he has experienced on the front lines. The sterile robots represent those who try to push the soldiers into rehabilitation or detox.
The second verse delves into personal struggles and relationships that have gone awry. The catchy chorus repeats the words "crack pipes" in a haunting and repetitive manner, indicating that the human desire to escape and self-destruct can manifest in many forms, such as substance abuse or destructive behavior.
The third verse touches upon the reconciliations that we hope to find in times of distress. Francis sings about meeting someone halfway, whether it be at an AA meeting or on the sidelines of a sports game. The yearning for human connection and peace is palpable, as well as the somber acceptance that sometimes there is no going back to the way things were. The song ends with a call to meet at the fork in the road or at the crossroads, symbolizing the end of a journey or the beginning of a new one.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd give a twenty one gunshot salute
I'm willing to give you a gun salute
With a toy rifle you bought me but it won't shoot
But the gun doesn't work, so it's okay
And all is well because there's been one too many shots
I've taken one too many shots, but I'm okay
The sterile robots want to talk to me about Detox
The doctors want to talk to me about Detox
Stop the presses, there's been an update
Breaking news, there's an update
Delivered via 1:30 AM phone call
Received via phone call at 1:30 AM
When an only half-informative sauce talks discretely
When someone who only knows a little bit tells me something secretly
Meet me-- at the family room at the side of the Intensive Care Unit
Come meet me at the ICU family room
Immediately, I'll carry a tune
I'll be there right away
The sirens so loud, can't hear my music
The sirens are too loud to hear my music
Keep free-- of negative thoughts, everything'll be fine
Stay positive, everything will be okay
We all assume... That it would go back to the way things were
We all thought things would go back to normal
That it would go back to normal soon
That things would go back to normal quickly
Saw the moon in a way that I never seen it before
Saw the moon in a different way than I ever have before
When I looked up that night into the sky wondering why
I looked up at the sky and wondered why
Lookin' for answers, guess I ain't ask right
I was looking for answers, but I didn't ask the right questions
I'm guessin most of y'all out there know exactly what that's like
I'm sure most of you know what that feels like
What that's like, now tell me what's that like?
Can you tell me what it feels like?
It's like a whirlwind of emotions occurs when moms and dads fight
It's like a whirlwind of emotions when parents fight
It's like when a girl grins, an emotion of hers
It's like when a girl smiles and shows her emotions
That holds your arm, and grabs tight
And holds your arm tightly
Hurl him into the ocean, one of them cold sweat heat flash types
It's like being hit by cold sweats and hot flashes
With extreme fluctuations and temperature changes
There are extreme changes in temperature
Have been known to crack pipes...
It's known to cause pipes to crack
...crack pipes...crack pipes...
Pipes are cracking
Meet me-- half way in a gold, extra length just to help your strength
Meet me halfway, I'll bring a golden rod to help you
Meet me-- at the AA meeting, needing to take more then 12 steps
Meet me at the AA meeting, where more than 12 steps are needed
Bring me to your hiding place, so I can face your vice grip
Take me to where you hide, so I can help you face your addiction
I'll chisel every single monkey off your back with this ice pick
I'll help you get rid of your addiction
Come meet up with me on the sidelines when the game is over
Meet me at the sidelines after the game
Just to say hello, then afterwards, backstage
Just to say hi, then backstage
To let me know that you enjoyed the show
So you can tell me you enjoyed the show
And go to grandma's house for Sunday dinner
And we can go to grandma's house for dinner
Sit at the table take away the fatal flaw
Let's sit at the table and talk about our flaws
you made the day before, I seen you bleed
I saw you suffer from the mistake you made yesterday
Meet me-- on Christmas Eve, we can fight but make up before you leave
Let's meet on Christmas Eve, we can argue but make up before you leave
Make peace with the rest of those that rest in pieces on my dreams
Make peace with the people who have passed away in my dreams
Meet me at the fork in the road where lost souls get decisive
Meet me at the fork in the road where lost souls have to make a decision
Meet me at the crossroads so I can have someone to walk into the light with
Meet me at the crossroads, so we can walk into the light together
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jesse Rockwell
[Sample]
Too often people said I wouldn't last
Don't make me laugh, don't make me laugh
[Sage Francis]
I'd give a twenty one gunshot salute
With a toy rifle you bought me but it won't shoot
And all is well because there's been one too many shots
The sterile robots want to talk to me about Detox
Stop the presses, there's been an update
Delivered via 1:30 AM phone call
When an only half-informative source talks discretely
Meet me-- at the family room at the side of the Intensive Care Unit
Immediately, I'll carry a tune
The sirens so loud, can't hear my music
Keep free-- of negative thoughts, everything'll be fine
We all assume... That it would go back to the way things were
That it would go back to normal soon
Saw the moon in a way that I never seen it before
When I looked up that night into the sky wondering why
Lookin' for answers, guess I ain't ask right
I'm guessin most of yall out there know exactly what that's like
What that's like, now tell me what's that like?
It's like a whirlwind of emotions occurs when moms and dads fight
It's like when a girl grins, an emotion of hers
That holds your arm, and grabs tight
Hurl him into the ocean, one of them cold sweat heat flash types
With extreme fluctuations and temperature changes
Have been known to crack pipes...
...crack pipes...crack pipes...
Meet me-- half way and I'll go that extra length just to help your strength
Meet me-- at the AA meeting, needing to take more then 12 steps
Bring me to your hiding place, so I can face your vice grip
I'll chisel every single monkey off your back with this ice pick
Come meet up with me on the sidelines when the game is over
Just to say hello, then afterwards, backstage
To let me know that you enjoyed the show
And go to grandma's house for Sunday dinner
Sit at the head of table take away the fatal flaw
You made the day before, I seen you bleed
Meet me-- on Christmas Eve, we can fight but make up before you leave
Make visits with the rest of those that rest in pieces on my dreams
Meet me at the fork in the road where the lost souls get indecisive
Meet me at the crossroads so I can have someone to walk into the light with
Cody Castro
Never knew this song would be more and more relatable as the years go on. Love this classic jam
Camilo Castillo
from being 15 and skating in the streets alone to escape my home... to now 30 with two kids and no way to escape my world and the pain it brings... this song always hits me hard. Thank you Sage, i just wish there was more music like yours.
Xavier Berenguer
I could’ve easily written the same words and it’ll be true. It’s cool to know that we have others that went through the same things. Skating all my life also, and I’m 34
Mela Rose
Over a decade and I still get chills and teary eyed.
TwistedVizionzEnt
"looked up that night into the sky, wonderin why, lookin for answers, guess I ain't ask right." ... That line hits mad close fro when my grandma died.. still gets me right int he feels when I hear this track 15 years later. #Respect
TheToofpick
It felt like a certain genre of hip hop had changed when Personal Journals and Lucy Ford album came out. I’m not sure how to explain it but you could tell something was different. They’re like the high water mark in very personal and introspective hip hop. Absolute game changing classics.
South Town
This hits, my father was mentally ill, i was 10 when it came to a head right at Christmas 24th... He attempted suicide (full on, Charcoal dinner, more IV drips than i understood) we all thought things would go back to the way they were; they would go back to normal soon.... They didn't, idk where he is now, or if he even "is" since i don't know any of you... it got worse... now as a "father" I'm terrified... This track hits too hard. I wish I knew how to bring the old "dad" back...
thanks for letting me rant
IATEMYSHIRT
MytheMyth the mind is very powerful 3nergy that we arent able to comprehend the full capabilities eevery5hing is a balance understand the balance and use it to the advantage.
Elissa Angel
Do you not talk to him no more
Project: bokortuz
Not really sure if the music, or your comments make me feel worse.
Keep your will, and head up mate!