Spook City
Moses Gunn Collective Lyrics
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I can be a sinner or I can be a clown,
I can make you laugh and I can make you cry,
I can get you low and I can get you so high,
We can make war or we can make love,
I see you below and you see me above,
We could be happy or we can be sad,
Spook spook, spook spook city
I can be a solider or I can be a pacifist,
I can get around or I can be monogamous,
Make your heart break and put it back together,
If I leave town I'll still write you,
But then let the photos... (fall/love?) or let the photos... (sit?)
You could sort them all while I play you the clarinet,
Say it with...???...???...???
Teach me how to consummate,
Penetrate, copulate or we'll have a dinner date
Now the nighttime has just begun,
All the boys and girls out having fun
Spook spook, spook spook city
The song Spook City by Moses Gunn Collective is a catchy, upbeat tune that delves into the ideas of duality and choice. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song by listing various opposites that the singer is capable of – being lost or found, a sinner or a clown, making someone laugh or cry, getting someone low or high. This shows that the singer is not limited to one side of any spectrum; rather, they could potentially inhabit any of these characteristics at any given time.
In the second verse, the singer brings in the idea of interpersonal dynamics. They say that they could either make war or love, and that they and the listener occupy different positions (with the singer being above and the listener below). The singer mentions that they know everything, which makes them mad – this could mean that they are frustrated with their own all-knowingness, or with the fact that the listener seems to know less than they do.
Line by Line Meaning
I can be lost or I can be found,
I have the ability to be either lost or found at any point in time.
I can be a sinner or I can be a clown,
I have the ability to be perceived as either a sinner or a clown depending on the situation.
I can make you laugh and I can make you cry,
I have the ability to evoke both laughter and tears from you, depending on the circumstance.
I can get you low and I can get you so high,
I have the ability to make you feel both down and ecstatic.
We can make war or we can make love,
As humans, we have the ability to engage in either conflict or intimacy.
I see you below and you see me above,
We have a different perception of each other's social status or position.
We could be happy or we can be sad,
We have the ability to experience both happiness and sadness.
You know everything it makes me so mad.
Your knowledge or perception of everything frustrates me.
I can be a soldier or I can be a pacifist,
I have the ability to either engage in warfare or advocate for peaceful solutions.
I can get around or I can be monogamous,
I have the ability to either indulge in many sexual partners or commit to one person.
Make your heart break and put it back together,
I can both break your heart and mend it afterwards.
If I leave town I'll still write you,
Even if I leave the town, I will correspond with you through writing.
But then let the photos... (fall/love?) or let the photos... (sit?)
It's unclear what the subject will do with the photos, whether let them fall or leave them untouched.
You could sort them all while I play you the clarinet,
While I play the clarinet, you could organize all of the photos.
Say it with...???...???...???
The subject is unsure how to express themselves, hence the unclear statement.
Teach me how to consummate,
The subject desires to learn how to have sex.
Penetrate, copulate or we'll have a dinner date
The subject lists different sexual activities or a more mundane date option.
Now the nighttime has just begun,
The nighttime has only just started.
All the boys and girls out having fun
There are people of all genders having fun out and about.
Spook spook, spook spook city
This line is unclear and up to interpretation, but it potentially refers to the strange or thrilling nature of the city at night.
Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.