Knievel
Hail Mary Mallon Lyrics


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I barely, walk with the living
Cough, hiss, and glisten
Mosh pit across drawbridges in all positions
Off kilter pissin' colors you could augment your suspicions with
If penciled in his office hours: mini-bar to pillow mint
Minotaur, stacking apple boxes up to badger from
Crack or midi daggers through the mac truck of Mackie hum
Back and brought a Patty Hearst
As Arkanoid machines are being actively re-championed across the laundromat-iverse
(Assinate 'em), actually that's not how his powers work
When every bit of fledgling gift is cherry picked and counter cursed
Voted most likely to be snowed-in at a desolate hotel writing a novel
Shining up his finest gospel
Dorf on rap, got the wrong the transistor to cut
Caught in a cage like a stitch in a lung
I surface later, dirty version of Da Vinci undone
Beneath a little pinch of what these london bridges become, run!
Any time any place ready made easy
Bad moon born at the corner of breaks, bleeding
Feeding off the fumes of the human remains, freaky
Stay shoot stay proof stay doomsday, sleepy
Mallon got hustle hustle they got
Enough to cause trouble for a couple of blocks
No matter what the draw whether balling or not
Stunts
call them nothing but they call them a lot
Over coat open so you can see stolen gold
Necklaces olive green fava beans rolling stones
Row a boat rock it not pocket watch broken home
Wallet out polish proud prophecies totem pole
Ten to one in here musketeers kitchen knife
Reservoir doggy ear’d get the car tip him twice, tip him twice
Thank u much tankards up kiss the wife
Let bygones be bygones and let time bombs set to minute rice
Best buy worst wear Tommy knocking hockey puck
Iced out spilled milk chilling kill the body does
Daisy chain electric chair seven pair of Johnny pumps
Aiming at your firewire timing my Malachi crunch
Pick a penny flip it off Gowanus bridge
Wax and wane half insane this explains your politics
Wagon train roll them out chariots of smog inhaled
When two to tango turns to six carrying your coffin rails
I got the ready aim, headache of a suicide face-card
Heartache of the same, and raise roofs made of radar
Ate food pay tuesday, I'm goose eggs monday
Crusade fuel gauge gutsy, loose change, Rust-o
Sippy cup of Kool-aid on the little bus
Dashboard hula girl and crash course in kicking dust
Here is where the warships nip and tuck, gorgeous
And roast marshmallows on forceps over corpses
I got the sort of skill to board your lil zeppelin filled with heroin
Warn the fort, horses sport aces over pair of kings
Threat level elevate celebrate the terrorists
Pistol whip the princess visit neon Leon Theremin
Air is thin might need a tank or canon, copy?
To make it up the mountain top, set up shop and plant the poppy




Seed spread sowed, open for patch of water
Now lets hear it for the boys who put the laughter back in slaughter

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Hail Mary Mallon's song "Knievel" is filled with vivid imagery and clever wordplay. The rapper, Aesop Rock, paints a picture of a nonconformist who is out of step with the rest of society. He barely walks with the living and coughs, hisses, and glistens. He's a Minotaur, stacking apple boxes up to badger from and pissing colors you could augment your suspicions with. He's also a fledgling writer, voted most likely to be snowed-in at a desolate hotel writing a novel, shining up his finest gospel. The lyrics are innovative and puzzling, and it's clear that Aesop Rock has carefully crafted his words to create a specific feeling in the listener.


The second verse of "Knievel" is just as intricate as the first, with lines that play with sound and sense. The rapper, Rob Sonic, enters the picture and raps about people with hustles who cause trouble for a couple of blocks. He talks about his stolen gold necklaces and the fava beans he eats. He also raps about aiming at your firewire and picking a penny off the Gowanus bridge. The verse is filled with references to popular culture and allusions to the darker side of life, creating a powerful tone of alienation and confusion.


Overall, "Knievel" is a song that rewards careful listening and analysis. The lyrics are dense with meaning and allusion, and the two rappers work together to create a powerful picture of an outsider in society.


Line by Line Meaning

I barely, walk with the living
I am barely able to function among those who are alive


Cough, hiss, and glisten
My sickness is obvious and shiny


Mosh pit across drawbridges in all positions
I am dancing wildly on bridges that can raise up and down


Off kilter pissin' colors you could augment your suspicions with
I am urinating strange colors that would make you more suspicious about me


If penciled in his office hours: mini-bar to pillow mint
If I have an office, my working hours would be spent drinking from the mini-bar and relaxing


Minotaur, stacking apple boxes up to badger from
I am strong like the Minotaur, and I'm stacking boxes to reach the badger


Crack or midi daggers through the mac truck of Mackie hum
I am using either crack or midi (small) daggers to pierce through the strong truck of Mackie Hum


Back and brought a Patty Hearst
I arrived and brought a captive, like Patty Hearst was once held captive


As Arkanoid machines are being actively re-championed across the laundromat-iverse
Arkanoid machines are being brought back to popularity within laundromats across the universe


(Assinate 'em), actually that's not how his powers work
Assassinating someone is not really how my powers work


When every bit of fledgling gift is cherry picked and counter cursed
Whenever even a small gift is received, it is chosen carefully and then ruined


Voted most likely to be snowed-in at a desolate hotel writing a novel
I have been voted as the person most likely to be trapped alone in a hotel room writing a book


Shining up his finest gospel
I am improving my most important beliefs


Dorf on rap, got the wrong the transistor to cut
I am not suited for rap and have chosen the wrong thing to adjust


Caught in a cage like a stitch in a lung
I am trapped like a stick in the lung


I surface later, dirty version of Da Vinci undone
I reappear later as a dirty and incomplete version of the great artist, Da Vinci


Beneath a little pinch of what these london bridges become, run!
Beneath the surface of these London bridges lies something dangerous - run!


Any time any place ready made easy
I am always ready to go anywhere at any time


Bad moon born at the corner of breaks, bleeding
I was born at a place where things break and people are in trouble


Feeding off the fumes of the human remains, freaky
I am living by inhaling the fumes of human corpses


Stay shoot stay proof stay doomsday, sleepy
Stay alert, be prepared for danger, even on doomsday; don't fall asleep


Mallon got hustle hustle they got
I have lots of energy and motivation, and others don't


Enough to cause trouble for a couple of blocks
My energy and motivation are strong enough to cause problems around me


No matter what the draw whether balling or not
Regardless of the situation or outcome, I will still be successful


Stunts call them nothing but they call them a lot
I do tricks and stunts but they are not important to me, although others think they are


Over coat open so you can see stolen gold
My coat is open so that you can see the gold that was stolen


Necklaces olive green fava beans rolling stones
My necklace is decorated with green beans and stones that roll


Row a boat rock it not pocket watch broken home
I am rowing a boat, but not rocking it, because my pocket watch is broken


Wallet out polish proud prophecies totem pole
I'm taking out my wallet to polish it, while feeling proud of my predictions; a totem pole stands nearby


Ten to one in here musketeers kitchen knife
There is a likely chance of fighting here, with musketeers and kitchen knives


Reservoir doggy ear’d get the car tip him twice, tip him twice
I am referencing the movie Reservoir Dogs, and a man with a crooked ear who is tipping a driver twice


Thank u much tankards up kiss the wife
I am thanking someone, raising my tankard, and then kissing my wife


Let bygones be bygones and let time bombs set to minute rice
Forget the past and avoid dangerous situations, even if they seemingly occur too quickly to prepare


Best buy worst wear Tommy knocking hockey puck
I am dressed badly, but acting tough and knocking a hockey puck as if I'm a star player


Iced out spilled milk chilling kill the body does
I am so cold, with spilled milk, that I am able to kill someone's body


Daisy chain electric chair seven pair of Johnny pumps
There are many connected electric chairs, with seven pairs of shoes next to them


Aiming at your firewire timing my Malachi crunch
I am targeting and attacking someone's firewire, while doing my signature move, the Malachi crunch


Pick a penny flip it off Gowanus bridge
Throw a penny off the Gowanus bridge, and choose your fate based on heads or tails


Wax and wane half insane this explains your politics
Your politics are explained by the way they change, growing and shrinking like the moon


Wagon train roll them out chariots of smog inhaled
A train of wagons is rolling away, carrying chariots filled with smog to be inhaled by others


When two to tango turns to six carrying your coffin rails
Things escalate quickly and become dangerous, as six people end up carrying a coffin


I got the ready aim, headache of a suicide face-card
I am ready to aim and shoot, although it gives me a painful headache and feels as if I'm about to commit suicide


Heartache of the same, and raise roofs made of radar
I feel the same heartache as before, but can now raise roofs using radar


Ate food pay tuesday, I'm goose eggs monday
I am broke and have no money on Monday, but will pay for my meal on Tuesday


Crusade fuel gauge gutsy, loose change, Rust-o
I am bravely embarking on a mission to fill up my gas tank and using whatever change I have, even if it's rusty


Sippy cup of Kool-aid on the little bus
I am drinking a sippy cup of Kool-aid while riding on a small bus


Dashboard hula girl and crash course in kicking dust
There is a hula girl on my car dashboard and we're ready to kick up some dust


Here is where the warships nip and tuck, gorgeous
This is where the warships are fighting and being repaired, creating a stunning view


And roast marshmallows on forceps over corpses
We are roasting marshmallows using forceps, with corpses nearby


I got the sort of skill to board your lil zeppelin filled with heroin
I have the skill to board a small zeppelin filled with drugs


Warn the fort, horses sport aces over pair of kings
I am warning the fort and riding horses, with aces being more powerful than a pair of kings


Threat level elevate celebrate the terrorists
We are celebrating the fact that the threat level has increased, as it excites us


Pistol whip the princess visit neon Leon Theremin
We are hitting the princess with a pistol and then visiting a man named Neon Leon Theremin


Air is thin might need a tank or canon, copy?
The air is thin and might require a tank or cannon to breathe; do you understand?


To make it up the mountain top, set up shop and plant the poppy
To reach the top of the mountain and succeed, we must set up our own business and plant drugs


Seed spread sowed, open for patch of water
We have spread the seeds and sown them, waiting for a patch of water


Now lets hear it for the boys who put the laughter back in slaughter
Let's celebrate the people who made killing fun again




Contributed by Daniel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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