His direct influences are the lyric writing of vocalists like Tom Waits and Isaac Brock; the wordplay and quirks of artists like MF Doom and Eminem; and the attitude of stand-up comedians like Bill Hicks and Louis C.K.
He currently operates and owns independent record label, Black Clover Records, which has been the home for Mac's self-released Love Potion Collection CDs (volumes 1-5) and The Original 11:11 Sessions.
He also released 11:11, commonly considered his debut album, through Minneapolis flagship record label Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2007.
Raise The Dead
Mac Lethal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unconditional love can mean no stress,
I'm so stressed and I'm not perfect,
I'd admit that I'm not perfect,
I'm just really good at making these decisions that ain't worth it
Stuck in a blood shot purgitory, You heard the story,
I stopped working for drugs when drugs stopped working for me,
That aint a monkey on my back, it's a gorrila pimp,
I'm a decorated soldier and a sublitonic culture
only read my horoscope when it's good (when its good),
My nephew is autistic,
but hes such a precious person I wouldn't make him normal if I could,
misunderstood, surrond myself with good friends everyday I smoke great,
from the first dog? this morning to the the last snow flake,
I'm a product of time, something devine,
I went and drank a whole entire bottle of wine and I was fine, Lets go!
I'm alive cuz theres nothing else to do,
I drank a little whisky and I realized all the pain is cuz of you,
I'm alive cuz of all the words you said,
I buried all the painful memories but you, you, you had to raise the dead.
you had to raise the dead x3.
Hey yo, it's the reason people do drugs,
The energy they have is all used up,
I'm used up and I'm nervous,
I admit it fucking nervous,
and it has got me telling family my phones been outa service(right),
watch my blue carcass as it floats,
suck the venom out the puncture wound on my throat,
you better cut the cancer out my heart lover,
you standing in the dark gutter staring with the star fuckers,
I'm a decorated soldier, in a porn crazy culture
only read my horoscope when it's good,
the weather is getting treturous and colder,
held the planet till the pressure of it left me with a seperated shoulder where I stood,
Im a black smith, of the theoroputic track list,
Blood stained wine glasses,
Delapidated wood?
the girl is someones daughter, but if you aint gonna love her,
probably shouldnt bother even if you think you could.
I'm alive cuz theres nothing else to do,
I drank a little whisky and realized all the pain is cuz of you,
I'm alive cuz of all the words you said,
buried all the painful memories but you, you, you had to raise the dead,
you had to raise the dead x3
In Mac Lethal's song "Raise the Dead," the artist reflects on his life and various struggles he's faced. He begins the song by discussing the reason people own pets - because of their unconditional love that brings comfort and reduces stress. Mac Lethal admits that he's not perfect and often makes poor decisions. He refers to himself as a "whimp" despite being a decorated soldier, highlighting that vulnerability is not a weakness.
In the following verses, Mac Lethal reflects on drug use and its connection to the depletion of energy. He admits to being "used up" and "nervous." However, he also acknowledges the importance of good friends and family as well as finding happiness in the small things in life, like smoking a great joint.
The chorus repeats the line "I'm alive cuz of all the words you said, buried all the painful memories but you, you, you had to raise the dead." Here, Mac Lethal is possibly referring to someone who has hurt him in the past, but their words and actions continue to have an impact on his life. The phrase "raise the dead" may indicate that the hurtful memories that were buried are now resurfacing and causing him pain.
Overall, the song seems to be a reflection of someone who has faced hardship but is still finding ways to live and appreciate life. Despite admitting to not being perfect or having all the answers, Mac Lethal suggests finding joy in small things like pets, smoking, and loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey yo, and that's the reason people own pets,
People own pets for the unconditional love they receive that reduces stress.
Unconditional love can mean no stress,
Having something that loves you unconditionally can reduce stress and make life easier.
I'm so stressed and I'm not perfect,
Despite not being perfect, stress still affects me.
I'd admit that I'm not perfect,
I acknowledge and accept that I am not perfect.
I'm just really good at making these decisions that ain't worth it
I'm skilled in making decisions, but sometimes those decisions aren't worth the effort or consequences.
Stuck in a blood shot purgitory, You heard the story,
I'm stuck in a painful situation, and it's a well-known fact.
I stopped working for drugs when drugs stopped working for me,
I realized that drugs were not doing me any good and stopped relying on them.
That aint a monkey on my back, it's a gorrila pimp,
The addiction I face is not just a small monkey, but a powerful force like a gorilla.
as long as I got family around me still a whimp,
Despite being perceived as a decorated soldier, I still feel weak without my loving family.
I'm a decorated soldier and a sublitonic culture
I am a proud veteran who represents a culture that is often underappreciated.
only read my horoscope when it's good (when its good),
I only read my horoscope when it tells me positive things.
My nephew is autistic,
My nephew has autism, which is a part of who he is.
but hes such a precious person I wouldn't make him normal if I could,
My nephew is precious just the way he is, and I wouldn't change him, even if I could.
misunderstood, surrond myself with good friends everyday I smoke great,
I feel misunderstood, but I cope by surrounding myself with good friends and smoking to relax.
from the first dog? this morning to the the last snow flake,
I enjoy the simple things in life and appreciate everything from a morning walk with my dog to the last snowflake of winter.
I'm a product of time, something devine,
I am a product of the past and the present, and there is something divine about my existence.
I went and drank a whole entire bottle of wine and I was fine, Lets go!
I drank a full bottle of wine without any negative effects, and I'm ready to keep going.
Hey yo, it's the reason people do drugs,
People turn to drugs when they have no energy left.
The energy they have is all used up,
People turn to drugs because they have exhausted all of their natural energy.
I'm used up and I'm nervous,
I'm drained and anxious.
I admit it fucking nervous,
I am openly admitting that I am nervous.
and it has got me telling family my phones been outa service(right),
I am so nervous that I am lying to my family about my phone being out of service to avoid talking to anyone.
watch my blue carcass as it floats,
I feel lifeless and detached from my body as if it's just a floating blue carcass.
suck the venom out the puncture wound on my throat,
I need to heal the wound inflicted on me by someone else.
you better cut the cancer out my heart lover,
I need someone to remove the toxic and unhealthy parts of my life.
you standing in the dark gutter staring with the star fuckers,
You are in a bad place surrounded by people who only care about fame and money.
I'm a decorated soldier, in a porn crazy culture
I am a decorated soldier who lives in a society that is obsessed with pornography.
the weather is getting treturous and colder,
The conditions of my life are getting worse and more difficult.
held the planet till the pressure of it left me with a separated shoulder where I stood,
I tried to hold the weight of the world on my shoulders and ended up with a painful injury.
Im a black smith, of the theoroputic track list,
I am like a blacksmith crafting a therapeutic playlist of songs.
Blood stained wine glasses,
My experiences have left behind bloody reminders like wine stains.
Delapidated wood?
A reference to the decay of things, like old wood that is falling apart.
the girl is someones daughter, but if you aint gonna love her,
Women are somebody's daughter and deserve to be loved and respected.
probably shouldn't bother even if you think you could.
If you aren't willing to love and respect women, then you shouldn't waste your time trying.
I'm alive cuz theres nothing else to do,
I'm still alive simply because I have nothing else to do.
I drank a little whisky and I realized all the pain is cuz of you,
A little whiskey made me realize that you are the cause of all my pain.
I'm alive cuz of all the words you said,
Your words have kept me alive, even though they have caused me pain.
buried all the painful memories but you, you, you had to raise the dead.
I have tried to forget the painful memories, but you keep bringing them back to life and making them hurt again.
you had to raise the dead x3.
You keep bringing back the painful memories over and over again.
Contributed by Mia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MacLethal
I'm not sure what people are arguing about in regards to The McCleary Sisters gravestone, but to clarify. That's a bench two of my Aunts purchased in memorandum of my dead mother. It's a few feet from my mom's grave. My mom had three sisters. Two of them are still alive, one is dead, and my mom is dead. Hope that gives insight.
@clonesClone
This was one of my favorite songs as a kid.
Thanks a lot for the tunes bro ✌️
@aliviawix4221
You're are really an amazing artist. I love how you include you're life experiences and emotions into your music. Keep doing what you're doing, you are truly amazing.
@thespacinjason
another great track Mac. thank you for being from here.the midwest has more talent than anyone will ever know
@dagrimmreepa
This is, by far, my favorite Mac Lethal song. it's just amazing how much he has grown as an artist over the years.
@0v3rd0s
Thank you for channeling your emotions into this beautiful art form. Keep making great music. I am sorry you have to go through all the shit you go through to make these song but it helps a lot of people (myself included), like Eyedea once said " And I'm no different I live in conflict and contradiction but it can be so beautiful when I don't reject what lies within It's beautiful the way agony connects us to the living I think of the world when I hurt, and keep on existing in the now" Much Love
@FairlyUnknown
my favorite song from you man. so glad you're getting the exposure you truly deserve!
@CaitlynnBurger
My dad used to work at that cemetery. I miss him. This song is amazing.
@Ke2Kelly
Sick song Mac, cant get enough of it.Keep up the good stuff man. Mad props
@CompactKilluh
I stopped working for drugs when drugs stopped working for me best lyrics ever mac lethal forever