Body of Work
Lupe Fiasco Lyrics

Closet full of bones
I have a lot of dark secrets and painful memories stored away.

Just don't try to put'em back together (Try to put'em back together)
Please don't try to fix me or make me relive those experiences.

And I'll just bite my tongue
I will remain silent and endure the pain alone.

So wear it like a scarlet letter (Wear it like a scarlet letter)
Accept that I am flawed and marked by my past experiences.

(I really loved you)
Despite my flaws and painful past, I truly cared for you.

Quiet in the court for the courtship
People are watching and gossiping about our relationship.

Marriage of the dork and the gorgeous
We are an unlikely couple - one of us is awkward and the other is beautiful.

Took her from the king of the corpses
I won your affection away from someone who is dangerous and destructive.

He [?] off the wall of the fort with the horses
He escaped from a fortified location by riding away on horseback.

This is foretold, bojangles was tapping in morse code
This was predestined, as indicated by a mysterious tapping sound (possibly Morse code).

At least to the mad man genius, tap top secrets and more gold
A brilliant but insane person has uncovered secrets and hidden riches.

From the guts of the mother, [?] should move her undercover
She needs to relocate and hide for her own safety.

With a $3,000 son she just want a lover
She has a child that is worth a lot of money, but she just wants someone to love her.

And somebody else that come and try and drug her
She is at risk of being drugged or taken advantage of by someone else.

Take her off the grill, she done
Save her from danger before it's too late.

Pills celebrating, "we won"
Drug abuse is being used to cope with or cover up pain and trauma.

In the system of the women, never knew he had it in him
The women are trapped in a system that is oppressive and degrading, and the man didn't realize his role in perpetuating it.

This condition when the world that they make him become
Their circumstances are a result of the world they live in and the societal norms that shaped them.

Cocaine and new high tech way smuggle whole things
Illegal drugs and advanced technology are being used to smuggle goods or people.

From the control range that make radio heads with gold brains
From a place of power and control, people are being manipulated and turned into mindless drones.

Depart 84' Jags on gold chains
Luxury cars are being used to transport people or goods in a show of wealth and status.

Developing niggas from a whole name
Empowering and uplifting people who are marginalized or oppressed.

God is great, but it's snakes on my soul plane
Despite the belief in a higher power, evil and darkness still exist in the world.

Anatomy (skin), will be the death of me
My physical form will be the cause of my demise.

Anatomy (skin), that's just my anatomy
My physical form is just a part of who I am.

Limo to the limit, fill it till the brim get in it
Living extravagantly and pushing boundaries to the fullest extent.

You can't get it, if you gotta ask
If you don't already know, you're not part of the in-crowd and you won't understand.

In that case I want two masks
If I can't have anonymity or privacy, I want extra protection.

Bottom class, dollar cast
Living in poverty and being seen as disposable or of low value.

Poppin' tags, droppin' trash in shopping bags
Buying lots of material possessions and wasting them.

Till Hakeem take our pocket cash
Until someone or something (like a corrupt government official) takes away our hard-earned money.

Write it in lights, molly in the body of Christ
Celebrate and glorify drug use and sinful behavior.

Drop me to the lobby from heights
Leave me at ground-level and abandon me after using me and my resources.

Then over the threshold to redeem the doorway
Ultimately, I need to find a way to escape my current situation and start fresh.

Fourteen broads like the king of Norway
I have many sexual partners, like a wealthy and powerful figure.

Fourteen broads having dreams of foreplay
I objectify and use women for my own pleasure without considering their desires or well-being.

Fourteen arm Shiva
Referencing a Hindu deity with multiple arms, emphasizing power and control.

If the government get it I'm a fool
If the authorities find out about my activities, I'll be in serious trouble.

Sanskrit dance on the page of the dead book
Referencing an ancient Indian language and traditional dance on the pages of a book about death and dying.

Don't leave the restroom with the left foot
Follow traditional customs and superstitions to avoid bad luck or negative consequences.

Flags of Tibet, to bet, to bed, to death, flesh
Referencing politics and conflict in Tibet, and the human cost of war and violence.

Release the leash on a fast car
Letting go of control and indulging in reckless behavior.

Feed on the keys, fall asleep in a Jaguar
Eating while driving and then dozing off behind the wheel of a luxury car.

The tip of thy sword is white
The weapon you wield is dangerous and deadly.

Am I night, am I black, am I light?
Exploring personal identity and the gray area between good and evil.

Have I been this?
Is this who I am and have always been?

Realize my begin when I find where my end this
Understanding my true identity and purpose will come when I find closure and completion.

Oedipus wrecks, mother fucker this better than sex
Referencing the Greek myth of Oedipus and the idea that causing destruction can be more satisfying than sex.

Material potion the love of my martyr
Valuing material possessions more than personal happiness or well-being.

Currency soaked in the blood of my father
Money earned through violence or inherited from a destructive family history.

(Will you cry for me?)
Asking for emotional support and reassurance from a loved one.

Sky burial, at the wind carry your, father
Using a traditional Tibetan funeral practice to dispose of a loved one's remains.

That I could
I wish I had the freedom and resources to start over and escape my troubles.

An anatomy, not of me, kntting me to it, nodding me to it
Feeling trapped and limited by my physical body and its limitations.

Eyes of the eye and others, watching me do it
Feeling scrutinized and judged by society and others for my actions.

Adapt in each rubik
Changing and adapting to new challenges like solving a Rubik's cube.

Kubrick in plot and tone
Referencing filmmaker Stanley Kubrick and the idea of creating complex, thought-provoking art.

Lots of bones, scolds to the top of the tone
Many dead bodies and the stench of death permeates the atmosphere.

Skim through it is just skin to it
Superficially dealing with things that are actually very serious and complex.

You're so thin you see the sin through it
Being able to see someone's immoral actions or intentions because they are transparent and devoid of substance.

Anatomy (skin), will be the death of me
My physical form will be the cause of my demise.

Anatomy (skin), that's just my anatomy
My physical form is just a part of who I am.