Trees Of Earth has recently signed Nine Leaves to its Records division. The group’s second album entitled “Peace In Death,” is set to be released this fall.
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Drift
Nine Leaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Meeting at 12 noon
Fastest way there
Prepare for failure
Keep it clean
Do they speak in English
Concentrate
No innocent lives, no children
Expect the unexpected
Notice the ordinary
If it seems to easy it probably isn't
How many rounds
Aim then fire
Live by the gun die by the gun
Safe then come home
Good afternoon I'm speaking for
It took four knocks
I was up by the third
Till I heard room service so I lowered the piece
But oddly enough I re-raised the heat
Maybe don't disturb please is not enough to see
Or maybe just the fact that I didn't order shit
But someone ordered something and it's gotta be my hit
My little loaded clip sits gently in its hole
Barrel darker than cold
Explode
A single shot through the peephole
I'm still as time seems to slow
645 on the clock
My glock's by my side
Never used and fully loaded
I rise from sleep, bounced, then left the sheets folded
I'm scolded by dry heat
Streets crawling with vendors of fresh meat
Fresh fish
Sort of like the Chinese in Chinatown
But the scene is Morocco solid ground
My job's to intercept a meeting going down
Terminate and pose as my target's speaker
Cross the straights of Gibralter till I reach the ports of Spain
Costa del Sol to be exact
Make the exchange high noon and then I'm coming back
The plan went accordingly until I took my seat
Tensions heated when he realized it wasn't he
He I said couldn't make it so he sent me
He spoke Portugese
Okay so I found a way to close the deal
Chops from Iron Bound
The bricks world renown
Eddie Rue my crew spoke the slangs of Portugal
I grew and listened to these dudes, I learned
And played it pretty smooth
I checked in the room
Several hours to kill
Never was the type to chill
Instead I'll lamp and catch a breath
I won't sleep 'cuz sleep is the cousin of death
I heard four knocks
The same knocks from before in my dream
I pulled the glock
Kissed the tip and let it scream
Huh, this cat didn't scream
He responded by grinding a fistful of bullet shells
Smiling but finding he couldn't hit heat in Hell
He fell with a shot through his coat
On his knees burnt a note
Said a prayer, then slit his throat
(Thoughts):
This guy just killed himself
How does someone just kill themselves?
What does it mean?
Somebody wants me dead
He's not Portugese
Who sent this guy?
There's gotta be others
I should leave now
Was I followed?
I'm being watched
This was a setup
I gotta get out of here right now
It takes a life to take mine
So I'm taking them
Mine's for hire and I'm still on the clock
I'm still on the top
My place won't be vacant 'till I entertain Satan
And I die by the shot
Phone Call:
Boss: Be there at midnight. Make sure he don't fuck up.
Man: Yeah. It's real simple.
The opening thought process in Nine Leaves's song Drift sets the stage for the story that follows. It's a tale of a hitman on a mission to intercept a meeting and take out his target. The lyrics describe his preparation, including thoughts about the language spoken and the need to keep innocent lives safe. As the story unfolds, we see the hitman waiting in his hotel room, listening to the subtle noises around him. When he hears a knock on the door, he instinctively pulls out his gun, unsure of what's on the other side. He ends up taking out the person who was sent to kill him and ultimately realizes that he's not safe and must flee.
The lyrics of Drift have a cinematic quality that makes it easy to imagine the story playing out like a scene from a movie. The intensity of the hitman's thoughts and actions adds to the dramatic nature of the song, which is accompanied by a haunting instrumental track. The use of a single instrument as the primary accompaniment for the song helps to create a sense of tension and suspense, building up to the climactic moment of the hitman taking out the would-be assassin.
Line by Line Meaning
Meeting at 12 noon
I have a meeting scheduled for midday
Fastest way there
I need to find the quickest route to the meeting location
Prepare for failure
Expect that things might not go according to plan
Keep it clean
Ensure that there are no unintended consequences or repercussions
Do they speak in English
I wonder if everyone at the meeting will speak English
Concentrate
Remember to focus and pay attention to every detail
Every move has a reason
Every action I take must have a purpose and intention behind it
No innocent lives, no children
It's important to avoid harming innocent people, particularly children
Expect the unexpected
Anticipate that things might not go as planned and unexpected obstacles may arise
Notice the ordinary
Pay attention to the small, seemingly insignificant details that may be easily overlooked
If it seems to easy it probably isn't
Beware of situations that appear too simple or straightforward - they may be deceiving
How many rounds
I need to consider how many bullets I may need to use
Aim then fire
I need to aim my gun carefully before shooting
Live by the gun die by the gun
Taking a life can have fatal consequences of one's own
Safe then come home
My main goal is to complete the job safely and return home alive
Good afternoon I'm speaking for
I am calling on behalf of someone or something
It took four knocks
Someone knocked on the door four times
I was up by the third
I was already awake by the third knock
Till I heard room service so I lowered the piece
I lowered my gun when I realized it was just someone delivering room service
But oddly enough I re-raised the heat
Despite realizing it was room service, I still readied my gun again
Maybe don't disturb please is not enough to see
The 'Do not disturb' sign on the door is not enough to deter someone from coming in
Or maybe just the fact that I didn't order shit
It's strange that someone would come into my room unannounced
But someone ordered something and it's gotta be my hit
I suspect that someone has hired an assassin to kill me
My little loaded clip sits gently in its hole
My gun is loaded and ready for use
Barrel darker than cold
The barrel of the gun is very dark, suggesting that it has been used frequently
Explode
I am ready and anticipating that I may need to shoot my gun at any moment
A single shot through the peephole
I shoot my gun once through the peephole, hitting my target
I'm still as time seems to slow
Despite the intense and violent situation, I feel calm and detached
645 on the clock
The time is currently 6:45
My glock's by my side
I keep my gun with me at all times
Never used and fully loaded
I have not yet had to use my gun, but it is ready for use if necessary
I rise from sleep, bounced, then left the sheets folded
I wake up quickly and decisively, leaving everything neat and tidy
I'm scolded by dry heat
The weather is extremely hot and uncomfortable
Streets crawling with vendors of fresh meat
The city is busy and crowded, with lots of street vendors selling fresh meat
Fresh fish
There are also vendors selling fresh fish in addition to meat
Sort of like the Chinese in Chinatown
The scene feels similar to an Asian market or Chinatown
But the scene is Morocco solid ground
Despite the similarities to an Asian market, I am actually in Morocco
My job's to intercept a meeting going down
I have been hired to interrupt and sabotage a meeting
Terminate and pose as my target's speaker
My job is to kill the target and then impersonate him at the meeting
Cross the straights of Gibralter till I reach the ports of Spain
I will travel across the straits of Gibralter to reach the ports of Spain
Costa del Sol to be exact
My destination in Spain is the Costa del Sol
Make the exchange high noon and then I'm coming back
I plan to complete the exchange at precisely noon and then return home
The plan went accordingly until I took my seat
Everything was going well until I sat down for the meeting
Tensions heated when he realized it wasn't he
The other person at the meeting became agitated and angry when he realized that I was not the person he was expecting
He I said couldn't make it so he sent me
The person I was impersonating was unable to attend the meeting and so he sent me as a substitute
He spoke Portugese
The man I was impersonating spoke Portugese
Okay so I found a way to close the deal
I managed to come up with a plan to successfully complete the deal
Chops from Iron Bound
I obtained meat from a specific location known as Iron Bound
The bricks world renown
The meat I obtained is of very high quality and well-known
Eddie Rue my crew spoke the slangs of Portugal
One of my associates, Eddie Rue, is fluent in the Portugese language
I grew and listened to these dudes, I learned
I learned from my associates and their experiences
And played it pretty smooth
I executed the plan smoothly and successfully
I checked in the room
I entered the hotel room
Several hours to kill
I have several hours to wait before the scheduled meeting time
Never was the type to chill
I am not the kind of person who can relax or sit still
Instead I'll lamp and catch a breath
I will rest and take a brief break to catch my breath
I won't sleep 'cuz sleep is the cousin of death
I will not sleep because it is dangerous and could lead to my death
I heard four knocks
Someone knocked on the door four times
The same knocks from before in my dream
The knocks were the same as the ones I heard in a previous dream
I pulled the glock
I took out my gun
Kissed the tip and let it scream
I kissed the gun's barrel for good luck before firing it
Huh, this cat didn't scream
My target did not scream or make any noise when I shot him
He responded by grinding a fistful of bullet shells
My target reacted by grabbing a handful of bullet casings
Smiling but finding he couldn't hit heat in Hell
Despite his bravado, my target was unable to fight back effectively
He fell with a shot through his coat
I shot and killed my target
On his knees burnt a note
I found a burnt note in my target's pocket while he lay dying
Said a prayer, then slit his throat
My target said a prayer before I killed him by slitting his throat
This guy just killed himself
My target committed suicide by slitting his throat
How does someone just kill themselves?
I am surprised and confused about my target's suicide
What does it mean?
I am unsure about the implications and significance of my target's suicide
Somebody wants me dead
I suspect that someone hired my target to kill me
He's not Portugese
My target was not actually from Portugual as I had suspected
Who sent this guy?
I wonder who hired my target to kill me
There's gotta be others
I suspect that my target was not working alone and that others may also be trying to kill me
I should leave now
I need to get out of the hotel and leave as soon as possible
Was I followed?
I am worried that someone may be following me
I'm being watched
I suspect that someone is observing my every move
This was a setup
I realize that I have been set up and targeted for assassination
I gotta get out of here right now
I need to escape immediately to avoid being killed
It takes a life to take mine
I am willing to take someone's life in order to protect my own
So I'm taking them
I will do whatever it takes to eliminate those who are trying to kill me
Mine's for hire and I'm still on the clock
I am a paid assassin and am still active and working
I'm still on the top
I am still at the height of my profession as an assassin
My place won't be vacant 'till I entertain Satan
I will continue to work as an assassin until the day I die and go to hell
And I die by the shot
I will most likely die as a result of being shot in the line of duty
Boss: Be there at midnight. Make sure he don't fuck up.
My boss gives me instructions to make sure I attend a meeting at midnight and carry out my mission without any mistakes
Man: Yeah. It's real simple.
The man agrees that the task at hand is straightforward and easy to execute
Contributed by Mateo H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.