Mr. Lif (born Jeffrey Haynes) is a Boston rapper who is currently signed to… Read Full Bio ↴Mr. Lif (born Jeffrey Haynes) is a Boston rapper who is currently signed to New York independent label Definitive Jux. Besides his solo career, Lif is also a member of the hip hop group The Perceptionists with long-time friends and collaborators Akrobatik and DJ Fakts One. Mr. Lif grew up in the neighbourhood of Brighton in Boston, MA. For two years he attended Colgate University, dropping out after becoming enamored with the hip hop music being produced at the time. He became a performer in 1994. In 2000 and 2001 he won the Kahlua Boston Music Awards for Outstanding Rap/Hip Hop Act. Mr. Lif's family ancestry is Barbadian, and his faith Rasta.

The Fries
Mr. Lif Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Go to the beach
And realize that you got a scanline across your tanline
And find microchips in your hands
Fluid in your grands
As a result of somebody else's plan
That nobody really understands
Even though it spans across lands
African soils, Arabian sands

It's airborne yet it seeps through dams
A new disease that you caught at Mickey D's
In your Quarter Pounder with cheese
Ordered with ease
Super size please!
Can you believe
People ain't even survive through the drive through
And they thought they were live too
Pulling off, pumping Rob Base, stuffing fries in their face
Over a billion served
What they never deserved
So as they drove away they swerved into the curb
With their heads on the steering wheel
Kids blacked out in the back with a fucking Happy Meal
What a crappy deal
But it was only $4.99
So there's more people in line
Yeah, the plan's running fine
The parking lot is now a burial plot
Where you can park and rot if you can find a spot
Government agents came swooping in
Removing men, women and children from the automobile
What a steal
Now the car's repossessed and sold at an auction
The people are dead but the money keeps talking
Proceeds go to building bigger bombs and missile launching
The masses respond by just watching
Here comes the shit talking
Did you hear about what went down?
It was plenty live
Catch it tonight on FOX 25
World's greatest mass murders
Entertainment for all living observers
You'll probably watch it while you're eating some burgers
Go ahead and gobble the lies - here's the fries!

The TV
They said the TV did it
You see me?!
I'm in an easy clinic
They're checking my health, checking my pulse
What's the result?
You've been in a cult with several adults
Oh lord!
What shall I do?
Exorcism!
High priest, unleash three extra rhythms
He's shaking and his cells breaking down
He skipped town
Well, it's a manhunt now
Shots deflected
What the fuck you expected?
Thought that I was that disconnected?
You're dead, kid!
Who shall sustain this reign?
No one!
America is run by the few, the chosen
And what's your name?
"Fair game"
Take aim
You can point at who you'd usually blame
It's a disappearing act but the structure's intact
Breaking your back
Hey, I heard a vertebrae snap!
Got healthcare? - no
Welfare? - maybe...yes
If so, don't move - we could use that flesh
Just a portion from a failed abortion contortion
Mind sterilized
We can't let those thoughts in
Well, the FDA - they're not here today
But the FCC watching what you say
So let's calm down and take everything slow
If you feel that you must lick a shot then BO!
Frustration
Living in a plush nation
Wanna wash the blood off your hands but you can't
It's on too thick - too many trips overseas
To disarm bombs or spread a disease
You got it?
I got it?
Epidemic!
Panic!
Widespread!
Nine dead!
Did we lie down and pull the covers over our heads?

God damn it!
Gobble up the next planet!

Overall Meaning

In Mr. Lif's song "The Fries," the artist explores themes of government manipulation, surveillance, and the fast food industry. In the first verse, Mr. Lif describes the physical consequences of the government's plan, which involves infecting people with a new disease that can be caught at fast food restaurants. He describes the scene at a McDonald's drive-thru, with people blindly consuming unhealthy food, unaware of the dangers that come with it. As the virus spreads and people begin to die, the government steps in to clean up the mess, using the dead bodies to fund missile launches and other destructive actions. The media turns the tragedy into entertainment, and the masses continue to consume fast food as if nothing has changed.

In the second verse, Mr. Lif turns his attention to the idea of mind control and groupthink. He imagines himself being treated for a supposed mental illness, only to realize that he's been brainwashed by a cult. As he tries to escape his captors, he's pursued by government agents who are determined to maintain control over him. He also references the lack of access to healthcare for many Americans, suggesting that people are dying from preventable diseases because of the government's neglect.

Through his lyrics, Mr. Lif paints a scathing picture of a society that is controlled by corrupt government officials and corporate interests. He critiques a system that values profits over people and calls on listeners to question the status quo and resist the forces that seek to control them.

Line by Line Meaning

Go to the beach And realize that you got a scanline across your tanline
You go to the beach and spot a digital scan line on your tan, realizing that technology is so interwoven with nature that even your body shows signs of it.

And find microchips in your hands Fluid in your grands As a result of somebody else's plan That nobody really understands
You discover microchips in your hands and fluid in your grandparents, the unintended consequences of hidden, unknown plans executed by someone other than you.

Even though it spans across lands African soils, Arabian sands It's airborne yet it seeps through dams
This experiment or plan crosses borders and continents, spanning Africa and Arabia, and has the ability to transcend physical barriers and boundaries that humans have created, like dams.

A new disease that you caught at Mickey D's In your Quarter Pounder with cheese Ordered with ease Super size please!
You contract a new disease from eating fast food at a McDonald's drive-thru, where you order your meal with ease and a desire for more than you need.

Can you believe People ain't even survive through the drive through And they thought they were live too
People are dying from fast food, even when they thought they were living their life to the fullest.

With their heads on the steering wheel Kids blacked out in the back with a fucking Happy Meal What a crappy deal
Those who eat fast food may experience a crappy deal, where they end up dead or unconscious with their children in the backseat and their burger in hand.

So there's more people in line Yeah, the plan's running fine The parking lot is now a burial plot Where you can park and rot if you can find a spot
Despite all of this, the fast-food chain continues to thrive, with more people lining up to make the same mistake, and the once-smooth parking lot now a graveyard where people rot in their cars.

The masses respond by just watching Here comes the shit talking Did you hear about what went down? It was plenty live Catch it tonight on FOX 25
The masses watch as others fall victim to their own doing and indulge in entertainment that sanitizes and glamorizes tragedy.

What shall I do? Exorcism! High priest, unleash three extra rhythms He's shaking and his cells breaking down He skipped town
When one realizes they are in a cult, they may try to remove themselves from it by seeking an exorcism, but at what cost? The person could end up shaking and fleeing town.

Breaking your back Hey, I heard a vertebrae snap! Got healthcare? - no Welfare? - maybe...yes
The working class strains and breaks their backs for a system that provides little support or care for them, and only some may have access to welfare or healthcare services.

If so, don't move - we could use that flesh Just a portion from a failed abortion contortion Mind sterilized We can't let those thoughts in
Society often takes advantage of the vulnerable, as they see even discarded flesh as a commodity, a reminder of society's warped values that prioritize profit over life, particularly that of the most marginalized.

We can't let those thoughts in Well, the FDA - they're not here today But the FCC watching what you say
The government bodies that could protect or regulate are absent or fail, while others monitor our every movement and utterance, limit and restrict the spread of information or ideas, and mask our discontentment.

So let's calm down and take everything slow If you feel that you must lick a shot then BO!
As tensions rise, and the hope for change feels far off, one can either choose to remain calm and patient or resort to violence.

Wanna wash the blood off your hands but you can't It's on too thick - too many trips overseas To disarm bombs or spread a disease
The bloodshed of war and the spread of diseases from those trips abroad marks those who participate too deeply to wash it off, and inevitably causes damage to both the participants and the local residents.

Did we lie down and pull the covers over our heads? God damn it! Gobble up the next planet!
As we experience crisis after crisis, we may choose to tune out or escape, but it can often lead to more chaos and destruction on a larger scale, which we could ultimately consume ourselves.

Contributed by Kaitlyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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