Founded in Detroit in 1989, Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. Originally known as JJ Boyz and Inner City Posse, the group introduced supernatural- and horror-themed lyrics as a means of distinguishing itself stylistically. The duo founded the independent record label Psychopathic Records with Alex Abbiss as manager, and produced and starred in the feature films Big Money Hustlas and Big Money Rustlas. They formed their own professional wrestling promotion, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, and later collaborated with many hip hop and rock musicians.
The songs of Insane Clown Posse center thematically on the mythology of the Dark Carnival, a metaphoric limbo in which the lives of the dead are judged by one of several entities. The Dark Carnival is elaborated through a series of stories called Joker's Cards, each of which offers a specific lesson designed to change the "evil ways" of listeners before "the end consumes us all". The original lineup of Insane Clown Posse was John Utsler (John Kickjazz), Joe Bruce (Violent J) and Joey Utsler (Shaggy 2 Dope). John Utsler left before Carnival of Carnage was released in 1992.
Insane Clown Posse's performance style is often described as horrorcore hip hop, which "utilize shocking (and blatantly over-the-top) narratives to give an over-exaggerated, almost cartoon-like version of urban deprivation in Detroit", according to author Sara Cohen. Bruce and Utsler describe many of their lyrics as being tongue-in-cheek. The group's early work features a raw, minimalistic sound, which later evolved into a more rock-oriented style. The group's lyrics serve as morality tales, with songs focusing on subjects such as cannibalism, murder and necrophilia. Insane Clown Posse's debut album, Carnival of Carnage, features a politically-oriented focus, criticizing elitism and prejudice against those who live in the ghetto, while the album's liner notes criticize the Gulf War. The group's lyrics have opposed racism, bigotry, domestic violence, and child abuse.
Insane Clown Posse has covered songs by Geto Boys, Sly Fox, and Above the Law. Bruce and Utsler refer to Ice Cube, Awesome Dre, Geto Boys, and Esham as influences on their own music, while Bruce has expressed admiration for Gong, Pearl Jam, and Michael Jackson. Mike E. Clark's production for the group incorporates elements such as "carnival organ riffs, power chords and shotgun blasts...banjolike plucking and Van Halen-esque guitar squeals", while Bruce and Utsler sometimes alternate between rapping and screaming. Bruce has credited pop music as an influence on some of the group's material, even terming the music "Wicked Pop". Bruce has also stated "We do our own genre of music". In his review of The Tempest, Allmusic's David Jeffries writes that Bruce and Utsler "[rap] in a carnival barker fashion that fits with their circus motif, their Insane Clown disguises, and Mike E. Clark's big top-inspired production." Insane Clown Posse has influenced similar acts, such as Axe Murder Boyz, Blaze Ya Dead Homie and Boondox.
Mental Warp
Insane Clown Posse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's telling me I don't belong with the human race
He's askin me to join him, in eternal sleep
I give him my soul, my body he can keep
Reaching just above me , I see my pillow's there
But yet I have no head, my head is on the chair
I'm staing at my body, I look as if I'm weak
So give me back my soul, my body you can keep
Sitting on my lawn, tt's just before dawn
I listen to the screaming, another life is gone
I'm playing with the children, children of the dead
My mother say's their evil, my daddy he gives a shit
Their eyeballs are bloody, their skin is ever pale
Their askin me to follow, I shall, I shall
They dress me as a clown, I'm screamin as a loon
We dance upon the cemetery, underneath the moon
Here I come there I go, I'm a night walker
I'm starin at you sleepin through your window like a stalker
I'm taping on the glass, I lick it with my tongue
I notice that the house is vacant, I'm starin at no one
I must of fell asleep, I woke up on the floor
Underneath the carpet, underneath the boards
I'm gaged with a dead rat, I lay for many weeks
The rat comes back to life, and is chewing on my cheeks
Mental Warp
My brain is gone, my brain is gone
say no more my brain is gone (4x)
Coming is my helper, tangling my brain
Somethings wery wrong I can't describe this pain
I'm calling for my mother, I'm crawling up the stairs
My mothers laughing at me, and she's been dead for years
I'm falling down the stair case, tumble to the floor
I land up in the attic, next to the cellar door
I'm play with the pigons, they tell me many lies
They tell me I'll have wings if I let them peck my eyes
I hear a womans voice calling from the dirt
I plat my little seed, and slowly she will spurt
And now she is a tree, I hear the heart pound
I take her in my arems, and we make love to the sound
The wind is my ebony blowing evil thoughts
Carrying the demons soring with the hearts
I put it in my body, the wind will bring the rain
Only lay it's demon egg, deep inside my brain
They're calling me a killer, I can't say that I'm not
My daddy's tried to kill me ever since I was a tot
By poisoning my bottle, I feed it to my friend
'cause if he dies my buddy our friendship will never end
I'm sitting with the darkness, talking to the dark
It's singing lullabies, and stringing on the harp
I notice that the floor is warm and rather sick
It's 'cause I'm sitting in my stomach
Mental Warp
My brain is gone, my brain is gone
say no more my brain is gone (8x)
The lyrics to the Insane Clown Posse's "Mental Warp" are full of disturbing and vivid imagery. The singer begins by describing a surreal experience where he is staring at the ceiling and sees the face of the roof, who tells him he doesn't belong with the human race and encourages him to join him in eternal sleep. The singer seems to lose his head and soul, and then the scene changes to a time when he is playing with "the children of the dead" and being dressed as a clown. The singer then falls asleep and wakes up trapped under the floorboards with a dead rat eating his cheeks.
As the song progresses, it becomes more and more surreal. The singer hears strange voices, sees dead relatives, and has a sexual encounter with a tree. He talks to the darkness and experiences extreme physical discomfort, which may be a hallucination or the result of a mental illness.
The lyrics of this song are open to interpretation, but they seem to suggest that the singer is experiencing a psychotic episode or a mental breakdown. The imagery is often disturbing and unsettling, which may be a deliberate attempt to evoke a feeling of horror or unease in the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Staring at the ceiling, the roof has a face
I'm having a hallucination, the ceiling appears to have a face
It's telling me I don't belong with the human race
The face is talking to me and telling me that I'm not meant to be part of the human race
He's askin me to join him, in eternal sleep
The face is inviting me to join him in eternal sleep
I give him my soul, my body he can keep
I'm accepting the invitation and offering my soul and body
Reaching just above me , I see my pillow's there
I realize that I'm lying on my bed and my pillow is just above me
But yet I have no head, my head is on the chair
I'm hallucinating again, my head appears to be detached and sitting on a chair
I'm staing at my body, I look as if I'm weak
I'm looking at my own body and it appears weak
So give me back my soul, my body you can keep
I'm having second thoughts and asking for my soul back, while letting the body go
Sitting on my lawn, tt's just before dawn
I'm sitting on my lawn at dawn
I listen to the screaming, another life is gone
I hear screams and someone has died
I'm playing with the children, children of the dead
I'm playing with children who are dead
My mother say's their evil, my daddy he gives a shit
My mother thinks the dead children are evil, but my father doesn't care
Their eyeballs are bloody, their skin is ever pale
The dead children look ghastly, with bloody eyes and pale skin
Their askin me to follow, I shall, I shall
The dead children are asking me to follow them and I'm willing to do so
They dress me as a clown, I'm screamin as a loon
The dead children dress me as a clown and I scream like a crazy person
We dance upon the cemetery, underneath the moon
We dance on the cemetery grounds, under the moonlight
Here I come there I go, I'm a night walker
I'm moving around at night like a walker
I'm starin at you sleepin through your window like a stalker
I'm staring at someone sleeping through their window like a creep
I'm taping on the glass, I lick it with my tongue
I tap on the glass and lick it with my tongue
I notice that the house is vacant, I'm starin at no one
I realize that the house is empty and I'm staring at nothing
I must of fell asleep, I woke up on the floor
I fell asleep and woke up on the floor
Underneath the carpet, underneath the boards
I'm under the carpet and the boards
I'm gaged with a dead rat, I lay for many weeks
I'm gagged with a dead rat and I've been lying here for weeks
The rat comes back to life, and is chewing on my cheeks
The rat comes back to life and starts chewing on my face
Coming is my helper, tangling my brain
Someone is coming to help me, but it's confusing my thoughts
Somethings wery wrong I can't describe this pain
I feel a pain that I can't describe and something is very wrong
I'm calling for my mother, I'm crawling up the stairs
I call out for my mother as I crawl up the stairs
My mothers laughing at me, and she's been dead for years
My dead mother is laughing at me, even though she's been gone for years
I'm falling down the stair case, tumble to the floor
I fall down the stairs and tumble to the floor
I land up in the attic, next to the cellar door
I end up in the attic, next to the door leading to the cellar
I'm play with the pigons, they tell me many lies
I'm playing with pigeons and they're telling me lies
They tell me I'll have wings if I let them peck my eyes
The pigeons tell me that I'll get wings if I let them peck my eyes
I hear a womans voice calling from the dirt
I hear a woman's voice calling from the ground
I plat my little seed, and slowly she will spurt
I plant my seed and it grows into a tree
And now she is a tree, I hear the heart pound
The tree now exists and I can hear its heartbeat
I take her in my arems, and we make love to the sound
I embrace the tree in my arms and we make love as I listen to the sound of the heart
The wind is my ebony blowing evil thoughts
The wind is like my shadow, it brings evil thoughts
Carrying the demons soring with the hearts
The wind carries demons that are soaring with hearts
I put it in my body, the wind will bring the rain
I put some of the wind and demons into my body and it will bring rain
Only lay it's demon egg, deep inside my brain
Only to lay a demon egg deep inside my brain
They're calling me a killer, I can't say that I'm not
People are calling me a killer and I can't deny it
My daddy's tried to kill me ever since I was a tot
My father has tried to kill me since I was a baby
By poisoning my bottle, I feed it to my friend
He tried to kill me by poisoning my bottle and I in turn poisoned a friend by feeding it to him
'cause if he dies my buddy our friendship will never end
I poisoned my friend because I thought that our friendship would never end, even after death
I'm sitting with the darkness, talking to the dark
I'm sitting with the darkness and talking to it
It's singing lullabies, and stringing on the harp
The darkness is singing lullabies to me while playing a harp
I notice that the floor is warm and rather sick
I realize that the floor is warm and sickening
It's 'cause I'm sitting in my stomach
I'm sitting in my own stomach, which is causing the warmth and sickness
Mental Warp
My mind is distorted
My brain is gone, my brain is gone
I've lost my mind
say no more my brain is gone (4x)
I don't want to talk about it anymore, I've lost my mind
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH BRUCE, MIKE E. CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dominic Hart
Staring at the ceiling, the roof has a face
It's telling me I don't belong with the human race
He's askin me to join him, in eternal sleep
I give him my soul, my body he can keep
Reaching just above me , I see my pillow's there
But yet I have no head, my head is on the chair
I'm staing at my body, I look as if I'm weak
So give me back my soul, my body you can keep
Sitting on my lawn, tt's just before dawn
I listen to the screaming, another life is gone
I'm playing with the children, children of the dead
My mother say's their evil, my daddy he gives a shit
Their eyeballs are bloody, their skin is ever pale
Their askin me to follow, I shall, I shall
They dress me as a clown, I'm screamin as a loon
We dance upon the cemetery, underneath the moon
Here I come there I go, I'm a night walker
I'm starin at you sleepin through your window like a stalker
I'm taping on the glass, I lick it with my tongue
I notice that the house is vacant, I'm starin at no one
I must of fell asleep, I woke up on the floor
Underneath the carpet, underneath the boards
I'm gaged with a dead rat, I lay for many weeks
The rat comes back to life, and is chewing on my cheeks
Mental Warp
My brain is gone, my brain is gone
say no more my brain is gone (4x)
Coming is my helper, tangling my brain
Somethings wery wrong I can't describe this pain
I'm calling for my mother, I'm crawling up the stairs
My mothers laughing at me, and she's been dead for years
I'm falling down the stair case, tumble to the floor
I land up in the attic, next to the cellar door
I'm play with the pigons, they tell me many lies
They tell me I'll have wings if I let them peck my eyes
I hear a womans voice calling from the dirt
I plat my little seed, and slowly she will spurt
And now she is a tree, I hear the heart pound
I take her in my arems, and we make love to the sound
The wind is my ebony blowing evil thoughts
Carrying the demons soring with the hearts
I put it in my body, the wind will bring the rain
Only lay it's demon egg, deep inside my brain
They're calling me a killer, I can't say that I'm not
My daddy's tried to kill me ever since I was a tot
By poisoning my bottle, I feed it to my friend
'cause if he dies my buddy our friendship will never end
I'm sitting with the darkness, talking to the dark
It's singing lullabies, and stringing on the harp
I notice that the floor is warm and rather sick
It's 'cause I'm sitting in my stomach
Mental Warp
My brain is gone, my brain is gone
say no more my brain is gone (8x)
A_drenaline
Another wicked ass track. I easily visualize what's being said. I close my eyes and it's like I'm watching a movie. J's voice is tranquil and serene yet he's psychotic and mentally unstable. Love this shit! ICP for life!
21killurass
what kills me...if this was in a poetry book violent J would be a poet laureate because of the imagery he can bring to the masses. What makes this special is that only a select few can appreciate what is not meant for the masses.
Peg MacMillan
21killurass that's real
hatchetmaster 0627
Whoop whoop
Pat Smith
That's what makes us unique fam
Barbara Walters
8 years ago your comment and I am just replying. I should have replied 8 years ago. I owned this album over 20 years ago. This is definitely not meant for the masses. It's an intense track.
Nocturnal Tunes ๐ฃ
Then he got rich n lazy..smh
Kyle Harkness
Sends chills up my spine Everytime I hear it
Natas O.o
The immersion of this song. Cant be compared to the music out now.
Dominic Hart
Staring at the ceiling, the roof has a face
It's telling me I don't belong with the human race
He's askin me to join him, in eternal sleep
I give him my soul, my body he can keep
Reaching just above me , I see my pillow's there
But yet I have no head, my head is on the chair
I'm staing at my body, I look as if I'm weak
So give me back my soul, my body you can keep
Sitting on my lawn, tt's just before dawn
I listen to the screaming, another life is gone
I'm playing with the children, children of the dead
My mother say's their evil, my daddy he gives a shit
Their eyeballs are bloody, their skin is ever pale
Their askin me to follow, I shall, I shall
They dress me as a clown, I'm screamin as a loon
We dance upon the cemetery, underneath the moon
Here I come there I go, I'm a night walker
I'm starin at you sleepin through your window like a stalker
I'm taping on the glass, I lick it with my tongue
I notice that the house is vacant, I'm starin at no one
I must of fell asleep, I woke up on the floor
Underneath the carpet, underneath the boards
I'm gaged with a dead rat, I lay for many weeks
The rat comes back to life, and is chewing on my cheeks
Mental Warp
My brain is gone, my brain is gone
say no more my brain is gone (4x)
Coming is my helper, tangling my brain
Somethings wery wrong I can't describe this pain
I'm calling for my mother, I'm crawling up the stairs
My mothers laughing at me, and she's been dead for years
I'm falling down the stair case, tumble to the floor
I land up in the attic, next to the cellar door
I'm play with the pigons, they tell me many lies
They tell me I'll have wings if I let them peck my eyes
I hear a womans voice calling from the dirt
I plat my little seed, and slowly she will spurt
And now she is a tree, I hear the heart pound
I take her in my arems, and we make love to the sound
The wind is my ebony blowing evil thoughts
Carrying the demons soring with the hearts
I put it in my body, the wind will bring the rain
Only lay it's demon egg, deep inside my brain
They're calling me a killer, I can't say that I'm not
My daddy's tried to kill me ever since I was a tot
By poisoning my bottle, I feed it to my friend
'cause if he dies my buddy our friendship will never end
I'm sitting with the darkness, talking to the dark
It's singing lullabies, and stringing on the harp
I notice that the floor is warm and rather sick
It's 'cause I'm sitting in my stomach
Mental Warp
My brain is gone, my brain is gone
say no more my brain is gone (8x)