In 2013, while still a teenager, Marshall released the first King Krule album, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, on XL in the U.K. and True Panther in the U.S. Marshall then collaborated with his brother Jack for the relatively fluid, more electronic A New Place 2 Drown. Released in 2015 and credited to Archy Marshall, its physical edition was packaged with a 208-page book of poetry, photography, and art. King Krule fully reactivated in 2017 with a handful of varied singles -- the dreamlike ballad "Czech One," the mid-tempo rocker "Dum Surfer," and the rumbling "Half Man Half Shark," all featuring saxophone from Ignacio Salvadores -- that led up to The Ooz, an hour-long follow-up written during a three-year period.
The Noose of Jah City
King Krule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and contain
Felt the same
And what was to blame?
It took my days out of place and into grace
And (doncheeiv?) lost faith
Now surrounded
They saw me fall from here but not hit the ground
And I've spent dying
Body found
And my soul's left to drown
Suffocated in concrete
It took a hold of me
Put me on repeat
Now your last routine
It will start to lean
Towards an escape
But I (feels?) this state
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and contain
Felt the same
And what was to blame?
It took my days out of place and into grace
And (doncheeiv?) lost face
These walls grow taller
I start to lose the sense of life
The room becomes a warning
As I see they're washing away my pride
And in the tide
I saw the crimes and passed them by
I wonder why
I question why
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and contain
Felt the same
And what was to blame?
It took my days out of place and into grace
And (doncheeiv?) lost face
In "The Noose of Jah City," King Krule describes the suffocating and overwhelming feeling of being trapped in an oppressive environment, both physically and mentally. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness, as the singer is consumed by the city's concrete and corruption. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the piece, as the "noose" of the title is introduced as a metaphor for the pervasive and all-encompassing forces that are trapping the singer. As he struggles to contain his emotions and maintain some sense of control over his life, he begins to feel his grip slipping away. Eventually, he is overcome by his surroundings and loses all sense of himself, his purpose, and his place in the world.
The verses are punctuated by a repeated refrain, "It eats away at your brain," which emphasizes the insidious nature of the forces that are working against the singer. The lyrics suggest that he is not alone in his struggle, as others have fallen before him and will continue to do so. The singer's sense of isolation is palpable, as he feels himself drifting away from the world and losing sight of his own identity.
Overall, "The Noose of Jah City" is a powerful and evocative depiction of the pressures and challenges faced by those living in difficult and dangerous environments. The lyrics are rich in metaphor and imagery, and the singer's emotional delivery adds weight and depth to the message of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
It eats away at your brain
The harmful atmosphere of Jah City is taking a toll on your mental health.
As you strain to try and contain
You struggle to keep yourself together amidst the chaos and toxicity in the city.
Felt the same
Others have experienced similar struggles and hardships.
And what was to blame?
You wonder what led to this misery.
It took my days out of place and into grace
The change of environment has affected your mood and perspective positively.
And (doncheeiv?) lost faith
However, you've lost hope in escaping the oppressive environment.
Now surrounded
You're trapped within the city's walls.
They saw me fall from here but not hit the ground
Others witnessed your downfall, but in reality, it was more of a mental decline than a physical one.
And I've spent dying
You feel as though you're slowly dying from the inside out.
Body found
Your physical body may soon succumb to the toxic environment.
And my soul's left to drown
Your spirit is struggling to survive amidst the chaos.
Suffocated in concrete
The oppressive city is suffocating you, leaving you no room to breathe and grow.
It took a hold of me
The city has a tight grip on your life.
Put me on repeat
You're stuck in a never-ending cycle of despair.
Now your last routine
Your current routine is leading you down a path of self-destruction.
It will start to lean
There may be a glimmer of hope for you to escape this environment.
But I (feels?) this state
But you feel trapped and hopeless, unable to break free from the oppression.
These walls grow taller
The oppressive environment seems to be closing in on you more and more every day.
I start to lose the sense of life
You're losing hope and interest in life as an escape from the oppressive environment seems impossible.
The room becomes a warning
You're starting to see the environment as a clear warning that it's time to get out.
As I see they're washing away my pride
You feel as though the environment is stripping you of your sense of self and dignity.
And in the tide
In the chaos and confusion of life in the city.
I saw the crimes and passed them by
You've become somewhat desensitized to the harsh realities of city life.
I wonder why
You question why life has led you to this place.
I question why
You're full of doubt and confusion about the situation you're in.
Writer(s): Archie Ivan Marshall
Contributed by Jake F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
alex mh
The Noose of Jah City
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and maintain we felt the same
I'm always to blame
It took my days out of place
And integrates, negotiate
A loss of faith
Now surrounded
They saw me fall from here but not hit the ground
And nights been dying
The body was found but my soul was left to drown
Suffocated in concrete
It took a hold of me
Put me on repeat
Now your life's routine
And you start to lean
Towards an escape
But I fuse this state
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and maintain we felt the same
I'm always to blame
It took my days out of place
And integrates, negotiate
A loss of faith
These walls grow taller
I start to lose a sense of light
The room becomes a warning
As I see they’re washing away at my pride
And in the tide, I saw the crimes that passed them by
I wonder why
I question why
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and maintain we felt the same
I'm always to blame
It took my days out of place
And integrates, negotiate
A loss of faith
Sibusiso Nkosi
10 yrs later this " Classic" still gives me goosebumps😭😭😭 Thank you Archy !!!
Bronto Hall
Yeah
Alan Valencia
Can't believe it's been that long
alex mh
The Noose of Jah City
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and maintain we felt the same
I'm always to blame
It took my days out of place
And integrates, negotiate
A loss of faith
Now surrounded
They saw me fall from here but not hit the ground
And nights been dying
The body was found but my soul was left to drown
Suffocated in concrete
It took a hold of me
Put me on repeat
Now your life's routine
And you start to lean
Towards an escape
But I fuse this state
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and maintain we felt the same
I'm always to blame
It took my days out of place
And integrates, negotiate
A loss of faith
These walls grow taller
I start to lose a sense of light
The room becomes a warning
As I see they’re washing away at my pride
And in the tide, I saw the crimes that passed them by
I wonder why
I question why
It eats away at your brain
As you strain to try and maintain we felt the same
I'm always to blame
It took my days out of place
And integrates, negotiate
A loss of faith
JMWproduction
He's a lyrical genius! And what a powerful voice! Krule, you gonna make it big
Yash Singh Kalshain
and he did
wtfisjuice
Right u were. Im achin' see live
The Bizarre, Open channelizzs !?
Not big enough
Gawen Breteche
Few artists can convey such pain and desolation through their music, King Krule is perfect in doing so
Mira Scott
Favorite song he's done so far.
Anytime I just want to feel something, I put this on. It's just amazing. I don't think I could ever get tired of this