As a spoken-word poet from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Levi the Poet has spent… Read Full Bio ↴As a spoken-word poet from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Levi the Poet has spent the last year building up his concert reputation as one of the most honest expressions of wearing your heart on your sleeve. Reaching beyond any sort of genre limitations that “performance poetry” might hold, Levi has incorporated every vocal influence into his presentation, successfully molding each variety into a purely emotive experience, and holds tight to an unrestrained honesty within his “hold nothing back” method of examining life’s deepest questions. Through a heavily testimonial written approach and an intense slam-esque deliverance, Levi has taken an old art and stylized it as his own, creating a passionate art form which captures the relative-yet-relatable longings of the human heart.

"These poems are stories from my life, journals; and I think that it is a miracle that folk actually listen to them. I pray that hope would resonate from those words. I very much appreciate those of you that have stopped by, and I hope that you are having beautiful days out there in that crazy world."

"Levi is just one of those special people with a unique gift for stirring things up. I know he stirred me up the first time I witnessed him on a stage. What got to me most was his genuine passion and gleaming transparency. Love me some Levi the Poet!"

- Chad Johnson - Come&Live! founder/X-Tooth and Nail A&R

"This recording of street-level poetry is loud and furiously mixed with emotion and the occasional sound effect, but it's the subject matter that slaps you in the face. When he delivers his post-suicide goodbye in 'When I Go To Meet God,' it's easy to feel the pain his loved ones would've felt if he had done it, just like his doubtful lines ring of authenticity."

- Doug Van Pelt - HM Magazine (2010)

"Out of control! Spoken word with an experimental approach and very powerfully written. Chaotic, raw, controversial, and energetic - Levi the Poet is a fresh taste of creativity and you would be doing yourself more than just one favor by checking him out."

- Laurel Erickson - HM Magazine (2008)

"Extremely passionate about writing since the 5th grade, Macallister's brand of poetry is the definition of wearing your heart on your sleeve. His stage is his confessional and while sometimes he is inclined towards inducing an uncomfortably honest experience, it's impossible not to love this guy."

- Jameson Ketchum - Hopecore Magazine

screaming
yelling
whispering

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/levithepoet#ixzz0yUdENiy1

Trees
Levi the Poet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You.
You were the seed that grew from nothing out of the ground.
Those trees raise aged hands toward heaven high.
Their fingers stretch for the sky, but they cast dark shadows into a darker night, singing songs forever, never-ending into nothing, past the reach of the headlights.
They're old, knotted and wise, and they catch the wind, grin, avert their eyes from meeting mine, and suck those secrets deep inside.
We used to whisper in one another's ears, but those oaks have secrets that stretch back for years, and now they hold the key – selfishly – to the wind on which to fly.
We set you on the highway.
Like a memoir to some feeling we were trying to portray, with absolutely no story or significance whatsoever.

Well your mind races on the open road as the time.
ticks.
by.
Said, "you know I've got a girl back home and I can picture her livin' her life." It's the simple things that you think about on those late.
night.
drives.
Like I'm going to bed; she's waking up alone, and I am fine.
Do you believe in the fairy tales your mother read to you at night?
Can you still go there when you need to?
To that place inside your mind?
Cause I do, sometimes.
I swear to god it's as real as the hand I hold in mine, and those fairy tales told you magic happens with the rising of the tide.
So when the sun sets in the sky, and the moon reflects the light that pull the waves over my eyes, I close them tight, and pretend that I'm going to live forever until I know that I am right.
You can catch the wind, you've just got to try, and we're all as infinite as the lines that pass by on the highway.
These trees on the sides, they are wise but they're stuck beneath the pavement.
I don't want to be stuck beneath the pavement.
There's got to be a way to breathe without being stuck beneath the pavement.
You were a seed that grew from a crack in the highway!
But those fairy tales, I swear they kept you alive, and I just want to hold onto that shine - there's got to be something that shines bright from those tree limbs!
We play mix tapes of love songs about loss and travel, no I mean, we play mix tapes of lost songs about road trips and being young.
I mean, we play mix tapes of travel songs about love and lost loved ones.
I mean, I'm lost.
The atlas threatens, bold out on the open road, and dares us to count the cost.
It taunts, beckons, time ticks by seconds of life that screams it's lost.
Change is subtle.
And you change a lot with the seasons, but home… home does not.
These roads always lead me back to the city, but the miles find me forgotten, and the trees raise weary hands for high heaven, and dig their roots into dead soil, and rot.
But a shining, aligning star gave birth to your bedside tale, and every night, I sing you to sleep whether you know it or not.
I play for you, I pretend that you're there in the room, listening like you know that I'm giving all I've got.
You know your mind, it races on the open road, you start to daydream when you're sleeping alone.
We live outside of your mortar and stone and your whispers and secrets that you claim as your own.
You know I've got a girl back home, and I can picture her, livin' her life.
It's the simple things that you think about on these late night drives.

I've got a letter going back to the city, she's wakin' when I close my eyes.
Pretending that I'm gonna live forever until I know that I am right.

Overall Meaning

The first few lines of the song "Trees" by Levi the Poet talks about nature and how it relates to human life. The trees represent wisdom and the secrets that they hold can be compared to the memories and experiences that people hold inside themselves. This is symbolized by the line "those oaks have secrets that stretch back for years, and now they hold the key – selfishly – to the wind on which to fly." It is interesting how the song talks about the character's mind racing on the highway, and how it leads him to think about simple things like his girlfriend at home. The song then transitions to a more introspective discussion about the self and the magic that is kept alive through fairy tales, with the character pretending to live forever until they know that they are right.

The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is searching for something deeper in life, and they are looking to nature and fairy tales for answers. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they can be seen as a reflection on human existence, the passage of time, and the pursuit of meaning.

Line by Line Meaning

You.
Addressing the listener and beginning the narration.

You were the seed that grew from nothing out of the ground.
Acknowledging the listener's existence and origin.

Those trees raise aged hands toward heaven high.
Describing the trees that stand tall and strive for the sky.

Their fingers stretch for the sky, but they cast dark shadows into a darker night, singing songs forever, never-ending into nothing, past the reach of the headlights.
Elaborating on the beauty and mystery of trees that linger in the darkness and sing their never-ending songs.

They're old, knotted and wise, and they catch the wind, grin, avert their eyes from meeting mine, and suck those secrets deep inside.
Personifying the trees and how they hold secrets and wisdom within, evading human contact.

We used to whisper in one another's ears, but those oaks have secrets that stretch back for years, and now they hold the key – selfishly – to the wind on which to fly.
Recalling a past relationship and how trees symbolize a separation between them, holding onto the wind that once united them.

We set you on the highway.
Referring to a listener's journey that was initiated on the road.

Like a memoir to some feeling we were trying to portray, with absolutely no story or significance whatsoever.
Comparing the journey to a memoir that serves no purpose, lacking a story or meaning.

Well your mind races on the open road as the time.
Observing how an open road can stimulate one's thoughts and imagination.

ticks.
A simple reminder of time passing by.

Said, "you know I've got a girl back home and I can picture her livin' her life." It's the simple things that you think about on those late.
Reflecting on thoughts that arise during late-night drives regarding loved ones at home.

night.
Emphasizing the time of day when these thoughts and reflections come up.

Like I'm going to bed; she's waking up alone, and I am fine.
Painting a picture of how a listener's significant other may be feeling while they are on the road, highlighting the different experiences and emotions that happen at the same time.

Do you believe in the fairy tales your mother read to you at night?
Asking if the listener still believes in childhood stories and fables.

Can you still go there when you need to?
Encouraging the listener to hold on to childhood beliefs to find solace when needed.

To that place inside your mind?
Referring to a mental space and the importance of imagination and creativity in life.

Cause I do, sometimes.
Revealing the artist also still relies on the comfort of childhood beliefs at times.

I swear to god it's as real as the hand I hold in mine, and those fairy tales told you magic happens with the rising of the tide.
Stating how these beliefs feel as real as something tangible, and recalling a familiar part of childhood stories to provide an example.

So when the sun sets in the sky, and the moon reflects the light that pull the waves over my eyes, I close them tight, and pretend that I'm going to live forever until I know that I am right.
Describing a moment of peaceful contemplation and how it feels to be truly alive in that moment, disconnected from time and space.

You can catch the wind, you've just got to try, and we're all as infinite as the lines that pass by on the highway.
Encouraging the listener to seize opportunities and focus on freedom and infinite possibilities.

These trees on the sides, they are wise but they're stuck beneath the pavement.
Commenting on the limitations of trees on the roadside, despite their wisdom and beauty.

I don't want to be stuck beneath the pavement.
Expressing a desire to break free of limitations and reach one's full potential.

There's got to be a way to breathe without being stuck beneath the pavement.
Exploring the idea of finding a way to live life fully without being constrained by circumstances.

You were a seed that grew from a crack in the highway!
Highlighting the listener's perseverance and the potential for growth despite difficult conditions.

But those fairy tales, I swear they kept you alive, and I just want to hold onto that shine - there's got to be something that shines bright from those tree limbs!
Reiterating the importance of holding onto childhood beliefs and searching for the beauty and brightness in life.

We play mix tapes of love songs about loss and travel, no I mean, we play mix tapes of lost songs about road trips and being young.
Remembering past experiences and how music can evoke memories of those times.

I mean, we play mix tapes of travel songs about love and lost loved ones.
Describing the emotional connections that can be forged through music and experiences.

I mean, I'm lost.
Acknowledging personal confusion and uncertainty about the future.

The atlas threatens, bold out on the open road, and dares us to count the cost.
Referring to a map or guidebook that can be both helpful and daunting when traveling.

It taunts, beckons, time ticks by seconds of life that screams it's lost.
Expressing the passing of time and how it can feel like a lost opportunity, beckoning one to take action and make the most of it.

Change is subtle.
Observing how minor changes can have significant effects on life and relationships.

And you change a lot with the seasons, but home… home does not.
Reflecting on how the passage of time can bring changes, yet one's sense of home remains constant.

These roads always lead me back to the city, but the miles find me forgotten, and the trees raise weary hands for high heaven, and dig their roots into dead soil, and rot.
Noting how returning to familiar surroundings can feel monotonous or depressing, and describing the decaying trees as a metaphor for feelings of stagnation and decay.

But a shining, aligning star gave birth to your bedside tale, and every night, I sing you to sleep whether you know it or not.
Remembering the power of storytelling and how it can provide comfort, even when the listener is unaware of it.

I play for you, I pretend that you're there in the room, listening like you know that I'm giving all I've got.
Describing an intimate moment of connection and giving one's all for another person to provide comfort and support.

You know your mind, it races on the open road, you start to daydream when you're sleeping alone.
Commenting on how the mind can wander and dream in moments of solitude or during long drives.

We live outside of your mortar and stone and your whispers and secrets that you claim as your own.
Affirming how one can live independently while rejecting societal norms or expected behaviors.

You know I've got a girl back home, and I can picture her, livin' her life.
Recalling a loved one at home and how one's thoughts can drift to them during moments of solitude.

It's the simple things that you think about on these late night drives.
Reflecting on how simple thoughts and memories can bring comfort and peace during moments of introspection or loneliness.

I've got a letter going back to the city, she's wakin' when I close my eyes.
Recalling a letter written to loved ones and how time differences can affect one's sense of connection and communication.

Pretending that I'm gonna live forever until I know that I am right.
Acknowledging the uncertainty of life and the importance of making the most of every moment, even when the future is uncertain.

Contributed by Julian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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