BOOKHEAD
JJ DOOM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For those embarrassed, to no holier than thou, Imoli habits
Parrots to the goat, we bring 'em up to speed slowly
On the low key, kindles is phoney D
Tastes stale see the world in shades of greyscale
Right there in black-and-white, protected by chain mail
Today's the day maids await to see a cisternum
Took my little mens with her, told 'em love 'em, kissed him
Can't sit still or focus, the time it take to do enough
From the mean streets of the 'Can I get a dollar, dude'?
Above measure, the singular pleasure of solitude
It's your poison, if you so choose, absorb it
Veins to the brain, shoot off into orbit
How you know octagon?
Or much less tetragrammaton?
To get the good stuff, you gotta get out to the Amazon
With any luck, you might could score locally
Keep it on the hush when you're speaking on it vocally
Then you gotta be on the in, a known member
I think I still owe him a little something since November, whatever
Who need credit when cash speak?
Get it, sweating, sitting on his packets it's last week
We've all got our weaknesses, living and functioning with dead
Some will end up fudging numbers, bugging and lunching instead
To the head
Second best trick to get the chicks to the bed
Uh, I've been hit, I've been
Uh, I've been hit, I've been
Uh, I've been hit, I've been
Uh, I've been hit, I've been
Uh, I've been hit, I've been
Uh, I've been hit, I've been
The lyrics of JJ DOOM's song "BOOKHEAD" are quite cryptic and enigmatic, but they seem to be describing various illicit activities and their consequences. The opening lines suggest that there are people who are fascinated by dark, disturbing tales, and the singer seems to be mocking them for it. They mention "Mr. Crowley," likely referring to the notorious occultist Aleister Crowley, whose reputation for depravity and blasphemy was infamous. The next line refers to "Imoli habits," which may be a reference to a cult in Nigeria that practices animal sacrifice.
The next few lines seem to describe a situation where someone is educating others about these taboo subjects, "bringing them up to speed slowly" but keeping it low-key. The next lines are more difficult to interpret, but the singer seems to be describing a scene where they are parting ways with someone who is "always sensitive," likely a romantic partner or child. They also mention "little mens," which could be a nod to children or perhaps an allusion to sperm.
The next lines seem to be about the struggle to focus and be productive. The singer describes "youngins" who can't stay still or "do enough" and mentions the streets where people beg for money. The next lines take a darker turn, describing how some people resort to unethical behavior ("fudging numbers, bugging and lunching") to get by, and the phrase "to the head" suggests that someone may resort to violence to solve their problems.
Overall, the lyrics of "BOOKHEAD" are a vivid and impressionistic commentary on the darker sides of human nature, from morbid curiosity to greed and desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
They love to know the story, more grody than Mr. Crowley
People are fascinated by stories that are even more disturbing than those of the notorious occultist Aleister Crowley
For those embarrassed, to no holier than thou, Imoli habits
For those who are ashamed to admit it, they are still drawn to the taboo practices of the Imoli ritual
Parrots to the goat, we bring 'em up to speed slowly
We educate those who are ignorant about certain subjects gradually, like parroting the words of the goat
On the low key, kindles is phoney D
The Kindle reading device is a fake version of the classic book experience
Tastes stale see the world in shades of greyscale
Life can feel bland and uninspiring when you see the world in black and white
Right there in black-and-white, protected by chain mail
The truth is clear and unambiguous, but sometimes it needs to be defended from criticism or attack
Today's the day maids await to see a cisternum
Today is the day that the cleaning staff look forward to seeing the cisternum (a type of cleaning tool)
Took my little mens with her, told 'em love 'em, kissed him
She took her children with her, said goodbye and gave them a kiss
He's always sensitive, youngins is on some new stuff
He is always emotional and easily affected, but the younger generation is more interested in trying new things
Can't sit still or focus, the time it take to do enough
People today struggle to concentrate or devote enough time to complete tasks
From the mean streets of the 'Can I get a dollar, dude’?
Coming from the tough neighborhoods where beggars ask for spare change
Above measure, the singular pleasure of solitude
The feeling of being alone and having complete privacy is truly priceless
It's your poison, if you so choose, absorb it
It's up to you if you want to indulge in something that could be harmful to you
Veins to the brain, shoot off into orbit
The effects of drugs can have a mind-altering and out-of-this-world experience
How you know octagon?
How do you know about the octagon, a symbol of the Illuminati?
Or much less tetragrammaton?
Or even less the tetragrammaton, a four-letter name of God in Hebrew
To get the good stuff, you gotta get out to the Amazon
To get the best drugs, you need to go to the source - the Amazon rainforest
With any luck, you might could score locally
If you're lucky, you might be able to find good drugs in your local area
Keep it on the hush when you're speaking on it vocally
Don't talk too openly about drugs, keep it a secret
Then you gotta be on the in, a known member
To access the best drugs, you need to be part of a trusted, inner circle
I think I still owe him a little something since November, whatever
I think I still owe him some money since last November, but I don't really care
Who need credit when cash speak?
Why worry about credit when cash is what really matters?
Get it, sweating, sitting on his packets it’s last week
Go and get your drugs quickly before the dealer runs out, he's been sitting on his supply for too long
We've all got our weaknesses, living and functioning with dead
We all have our flaws and battle to survive in a world where so many are emotionally numb
Some will end up fudging numbers, bugging and lunching instead
Some people resort to dishonesty or wasting time instead of facing their problems head-on
To the head
Directly to the brain, especially with drugs or emotional impact
Second best trick to get the chicks to the bed
One of the many tactics used to seduce women
Uh, I’ve been hit, I’ve been
Expressing the sensation of being affected by drugs or an emotional shock
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: OMAR J GILYARD, DANIEL THOMPSON DUMILE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Khalid
The lust that sold the story, grodier than Mr. Crowley
For those embarrassed to know holier than Darrel Morley habits
Paris to the Gobi, bring 'em up to speed slowly
On the low key, Kindles is phony D
Tastes stale - see the words in shades of grayscale
Right there in black-and-white, protected by chain mail
Today's the day made your way to see your sister’n’um
Took my little mens with her, told her loved 'em, kisseded him
These oversensitive youngins is on some new stuff
Can't sit still and focus, the time it take to do enough
From the mean streets of the "Can I get a dollar, dude?"
Above measure, the singular pleasure of solitude
It's your poison, if you so choose, absorb it
Veins to the brain, shoot off into orbit
How you know octagon?
Or much less tetragrammaton?
To get the good stuff, you gotta get out to the Amazon
With any luck, your mic could score locally
Keep it on the hush when you speakin' on it vocally
Then you gotta be on the in, a known member
I think I still owe him little somethin' since November, whatever
Who need credit when cash speak?
Get it - sweatin', sittin' on his package since last week
We all got weaknesses, even the functionin' dead
Some will end up fudgin' numbers, buggin' and lunchin' instead
Netflix in the head
Second best trick to get chicks into bed
Yeah Bud
I love all the little details of his philosophy hidden in the editing of this. You can see "DOOM" scanning through some interesting stuff that I think is pretty relevant to understanding a lot of the meaning in his words. Notably, he enters the store to The Catcher in the Rye, passes by Fables Of Abundance: A Cultural History Of Advertising In America, Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms, browses a section of Marxist philosophy, a section on economic theory (with a book about finding patterns dead center in the frame), a section with books pertaining to Christianity, military history, colonization, and finally settles on The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer.
That last one, The Canterbury Tales, is important because it ties all the previous ones together. It's a collection of tales told by characters of differing socio-economic status which is a critique upon society, classism, moral relativism, religion, and the liminal feeling of being somewhere you don't belong. In this video, we see a thread of DOOM's entire rap career which acts as a microcosm of the greater whole of his beliefs. This man was so far beyond his time that he may not even have been of this world.
Rest In Power DOOM.
Michael Venezia
dang you need way more then 5 likes for this comment..ty for the work
David Arosemena
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ love this thanks for the great eye
oesius deus
There was also a frame capturing To Kill A Mockingbird at the end 1:40
Michael Smith
You should start rappin. That was beautifully said.
Karl Miller
@oesius deus THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY THAT'S WHAT HE WAS DOING MOCKING THEM... BECAUSE I BELIEVE AFTER THAT KMD FIASCO HE KNEW THAT"THEY"HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH SUB PASSING BUT HE WENT BEYOND MADNESS AND REMAINED AN OPPOSITION
Sticky Nicky
The song that launched my DOOM fandom. RIP to the only supervillain I ever rooted for
t4ky0n
✊
Bulumkno Magongwa
Invader Zim? Not trying to be disrespectful
Ceaugo
@Bulumkno Magongwa What a weird thing to comment. how do you know they know what invader zim is? Why is that disrespectful? Invader Zim isnt really a villain, to humans he is but in the context of the show dib is the antagonist