Not many bands lock into their sound in high school or manage to hang together for seven years, but Heiruspecs has and now the young 20-somethings are seasoned vets. With more than 100,000 revolutions on the band’s odometer from a touring schedule that keeps them on the road 150 days a year, Heiruspecs has steadily broken down preconceived notions of live hip-hop by refusing to regurgitate the same old sounds you’ve heard before, and knock you upside the head with their impressive array of funk, soul and hard-hitting beats. And the band doesn’t cop samples to get to where they want to take you, instead opting to deliver it all live, all original.
All this has culminated in the band’s latest, A Tiger Dancing (Razor & Tie) released September 28, 2004. With lead MC Felix’s fast-lane but steady and assured handle on the mic and the powerful rhythmic backing of the band, Heiruspecs has brought live hip-hop into a new arena. From the countdown of a daily routine that makes up “5ves” to the mid-song break between old-school and new school in the title track, the soul strains of “Heartsprings,” and the frantic anthem of “Fist,” Heiruspecs cast a net that encompasses everything from the Roots and DJ Shadow to Run D.M.C. and Digable Planets.
“We’re influenced by sampler-based production, old-school rhyming and real life,” says lead MC Felix. “But we do everything live, nothing is sampled and we like to keep it song-oriented, to give equal space to the lyrics and the music.”
“When we started touring, a lot of people seemed surprised there are bands who play this kind of music live,” Felix adds. “They’re even more puzzled when we tell them we’re from St. Paul, because no one has ever heard of St. Paul. Ever. That’s why we tell most people we’re from Minneapolis.”
As part of the burgeoning Midwestern hip-hop scene, Heiruspecs first made inroads with their self-released 2002 album, Small Steps, which earned them critical praise in national and regional outlets (“Exceptional ... the rhythm that rocks the spot” - URB), and set them off on their never-ending touring schedule. In their down time, Heiruspecs has been tapped to perform as the backing band for such acts as Atmosphere, Oddjobs, Aesop Rock, Sage Francis and others, allowing the band to cement themselves as one of the premiere live hip-hop bands in the nation.
“The Twin Cities is a very nurturing scene,” Twinkie says. “There’s a lot of clubs, a lot of musicians, and a lot of open minds here. It’s allowed us to be ourselves while also being able to develop our live act and take it out of town to the rest of the country.”
Heartsprings
Heiruspecs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sitting beneath the trees, she sleeps innocently
Didn't believe that a being so beautiful flew this low
Using slumber to stun others with features almost musical
And when her low notes, my soul hopes for something more than friendly
When her golden notes hit other folks, I feel close to envy
I'd never wake her, but if the slumber ever ceases
I would rouse her with my kisses and tussle with her demons
Like I send a dream in a letter to heaven and it sent her
Went
Word
Sent word to others
There's a lover, never met, yet she's sleeping in my covers
There ain't no others, count the rubbers up to prove it
Don't want to be the nuisance always asking, "Wanna do it?"
I'd run through it
Shoot, my lingua's always fluent
And even if our paths don't cross, I know our wants are congruent
So pursue it incessantly
Her exceptional essence and presence is testing my sensory, incessantly
Does destiny beckon me to set next to thee, indefinitely
"Yes," says the memories, incessantly
Then with the best of me, let it be
To quest for the recipe
To wrestle the delicate thread imbedded in the chest of she
So string-heart heads to me
Yes indeed
Let's proceed
Sensibly, in depth, pensively, yet intensely
She made my heartsprings stretch screams like guitar string-fret swing sets
Yet she still left when chills crept through the treble clefs
Better get another pump bolted in, it broke again
It's housings are rusted, it's only tin
June '93, rock-a-bye baby
Waking up out of the tree
Was she smiling at me?
(Who?)
Me with the hat back, knapsack, no tact
Told her I watched her sleep and read her my amorous raps
She loved that, a pleasant surprise
Then she went with whatever like a drink and some fries
All right Ms. Honey B. Devine
She offered me a ride, and yet we ended up talking all night
The reason why
You know the steelo
Summer of the Skee-o, the way a brother speak low
Yo, I'm not endorsing no reckless endangering
But I ran out of condoms like a modern Wilt Chamberlain
Check the hussle
Send a shrug towards the struggle
Listerine and Al Green to squeeze a fuck out of a cuddle
But stuck out of the huddle whenever my friends swoop through
I say, "You're barking up the wrong tree"
They say, "She duped you"
Who, you mean my boo?
You're just mad 'cause she don't like you
Snapping at what I have, that's the damage of spite, fool
Take a bite, dude
You ain't even got the plums that I do
Go write a haiku and talk about all that's inside you
Boy, was I cool
'Til the lightning strike split the divining tool that led my eyes to
The tree of life inside of you
It withered and died too soon
A little each time you pruned the beautiful side of truth by lying about
Who else was laying beside you
The lyrics to Heiruspecs's song "Heartsprings" describe the singer's intense attraction to a beautiful woman whom he has never met but sees sleeping under a tree. The woman appears almost magical, with music-like features that stun those around her. The singer feels envy when he sees others reacting to her low notes, and he dreams of waking her with his kisses and fighting her demons. Despite never having met her before, the singer feels as though he already knows her and is drawn to her essence and presence.
As the song continues, the singer reflects on his interactions with this woman, recalling the summer of '93 when they met and spent the night talking. He also acknowledges that his friends do not understand his attraction to her and believe that she has deceived him. In the end, the singer realizes that his idealized image of this woman was nothing more than a figment of his imagination, and he must come to terms with the reality of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Gold and crimson tinged, glittering leaves litter the streets
The leaves on the streets are golden and crimson with glitter, probably because of autumn season
Sitting beneath the trees, she sleeps innocently
He sees a woman sleeping under the trees, and she looks innocent and pure
Didn't believe that a being so beautiful flew this low
He didn't expect to see such a beautiful woman in this area or in this condition, and he is surprised
Using slumber to stun others with features almost musical
Her peaceful slumber makes her look even more beautiful, like a musical note
And when her low notes, my soul hopes for something more than friendly
When he hears her speak softly, he wishes for a romantic connection rather than just friendship
When her golden notes hit other folks, I feel close to envy
When other people notice her beauty or talents, he feels jealous and envious
I'd never wake her, but if the slumber ever ceases
He wouldn't want to disturb her sleep, but if she wakes up, he will be there for her
I would rouse her with my kisses and tussle with her demons
He would wake her up with a kiss and help her overcome her inner struggles
Seemingly familiar even though I know I've never met her
He feels like he knows this woman already, even though he's sure he's never met her before
Like I send a dream in a letter to heaven and it sent her
He feels like he manifested her into his life like a dream sent to him from heaven
Went
This line appears to be incomplete and without context. It may be a mistake or a reference to something that's not clear without further information.
Sent word to others
He told other people about the woman he saw
There's a lover, never met, yet she's sleeping in my covers
He feels a romantic connection to this woman he's never met, as if she's already sleeping in his bed
There ain't no others, count the rubbers up to prove it
He's saying there are no other women in his life, and he doesn't need to use protection to prove it
Don't want to be the nuisance always asking, "Wanna do it?"
He doesn't want to come across as pushy or annoying by constantly asking for sex
I'd run through it
He would have sex with her if given the chance
Shoot, my lingua's always fluent
He's saying he's skilled at speaking and communicating
And even if our paths don't cross, I know our wants are congruent
Even if they don't meet or have a relationship, he believes they have similar desires and goals
So pursue it incessantly
He should pursue this connection and love interest wholeheartedly and continuously
Her exceptional essence and presence is testing my sensory, incessantly
He's constantly aware of her unique energy and presence, and it's affecting him emotionally
Does destiny beckon me to set next to thee, indefinitely
He wonders if fate is calling him to be with her indefinitely
"Yes," says the memories, incessantly
His memories or inner voice confirms that he has strong feelings for her
Then with the best of me, let it be
He'll give his best effort to pursue this relationship and let it develop naturally
To quest for the recipe
He wants to figure out what makes their connection special and cultivate it
To wrestle the delicate thread imbedded in the chest of she
He wants to help her work through her emotional issues and conflicts
So string-heart heads to me
He's saying she should come to him to share her heart and feelings
Yes indeed
He agrees with himself or someone else about this situation
Let's proceed
He's ready to move forward with their relationship or pursue her
Sensibly, in depth, pensively, yet intensely
He wants to approach their relationship with thoughtfulness and intensity, but also with deep consideration and reflection
She made my heartsprings stretch screams like guitar string-fret swing sets
She stirred his emotions deeply and intensely, like the sound of guitar strings being played loud and fast
Yet she still left when chills crept through the treble clefs
But she still left him feeling cold and empty despite their intense connection
Better get another pump bolted in, it broke again
He needs to protect his heart better and prepare for potential heartbreaks
It's housings are rusted, it's only tin
He's saying his defenses may not be strong enough to protect his heart
June '93, rock-a-bye baby
He's reminiscing a specific moment in time when he was younger
Waking up out of the tree
He remembers waking up from a nap while sitting on top of a tree
Was she smiling at me?
He's not sure, but he thinks the woman he saw was smiling at him
(Who?)
This is a response to someone asking who he is talking about
Me with the hat back, knapsack, no tact
He's describing himself at that moment, with a backwards hat and backpack, and not being very tactful
Told her I watched her sleep and read her my amorous raps
He confessed to spying on her while she was sleeping and sharing his love poems with her
She loved that, a pleasant surprise
She was happy and excited by his poems and surprised by his confession
Then she went with whatever like a drink and some fries
She was casual and relaxed about the situation and went along with it like she was getting a drink and fries
All right Ms. Honey B. Devine
He's addressing her with a nickname and showing affection
She offered me a ride, and yet we ended up talking all night
She offered him a ride, but they ended up spending the night talking instead
The reason why
He's about to explain why they talked all night
You know the steelo
He's saying he knows how to talk to women
Summer of the Skee-o, the way a brother speak low
He's describing the summer when he met her and how he talked to her with a low voice/resonant sounding voice
Yo, I'm not endorsing no reckless endangering
He's saying he doesn't support or condone dangerous behavior
But I ran out of condoms like a modern Wilt Chamberlain
He's saying he had a lot of sex partners in the past, like the famous basketball player Wilt Chamberlain
Check the hussle
He's saying to look or evaluate his skills and methods of getting women
Send a shrug towards the struggle
He acknowledges or admits the difficulties and challenges of getting women
Listerine and Al Green to squeeze a fuck out of a cuddle
He's saying he used mouthwash and Al Green music to try to initiate sex from a cuddle
But stuck out of the huddle whenever my friends swoop through
But he gets left out or ignored whenever his friends are around and trying to get with women
I say, "You're barking up the wrong tree"
He's telling his friends they're wasting their time with the women they're pursuing
They say, "She duped you"
They accuse him of being tricked or deceived by the woman he's interested in
Who, you mean my boo?
He's defending the woman he's interested in, affectionately referring to her as his "boo"
You're just mad 'cause she don't like you
He's saying his friends are jealous because the woman he likes isn't interested in them
Snapping at what I have, that's the damage of spite, fool
He's saying his friends are being rude and negative towards him because of their own jealousy and resentment
Take a bite, dude
He's challenging his friends to try to pursue the women they're interested in
You ain't even got the plums that I do
He's saying his friends aren't as brave or confident as he is in pursuing women
Go write a haiku and talk about all that's inside you
He's sarcastically telling his friends to write poetry or express their emotions instead of being jealous and negative
Boy, was I cool
He's reminiscing about a past time when he felt cool or confident
Til the lightning strike split the divining tool that led my eyes to
He's saying his confidence or sense of direction was destroyed by an unexpected event or realization
The tree of life inside of you
He's saying there's something important and meaningful inside of her
It withered and died too soon
But it didn't last very long and faded away quickly
A little each time you pruned the beautiful side of truth by lying about
He's saying every time she lied to him, it cut away at the beautiful truth of their connection
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind