Bloodletting
Saul Williams Lyrics

The greatest Americans have not been born yet
There are individuals of great potential and impact who are yet to be born into the American society.

They are waiting patiently for the past to die
These future great Americans are waiting for the societal issues and injustices from the past to disintegrate and fade away.

Please give blood
The singer asks listeners to engage and contribute to the cause of social justice to bring about a better future.

Those crumbled tablets were to share a story with a burning bush
The broken tablets from Moses were meant to communicate with God through the burning bush and share a divine story.

Where is that voice from nowhere to remind us that the holy ground we walk on, purified by native blood, has rooted trees who's fallen leaves now color coat a savored list of demands
The artist questions the absence of a divine voice to remind people that the land they stand on is sacred and has a history of pain, resistance, and struggle.

Who among us can give translation of autumn hues to morning news?
The singer wonders who can truly understand and express the depth of societal issues and struggles to the general public.

The anchorman thrown overboard has simply rooted us in histories repeating cycle.
The removal of authority figures who manipulate the news does not end the cyclical nature of oppressive societal issues.

A nation in its saddened years that wont acknowledge karma
The artist critiques an American society that refuses to recognize the effects of its actions and history.

There are voices from fear disconnected from their diaphragms, dangling from coffee covered teeth that spill into our laps and scorch our privates
The artist describes the incoherent and irrational voices of individuals driven by fear and hate, whose words hurt and damage communities.

There are voices from the sides of necks, some already noosed, dangling participles pronouns running for sentence
The artist criticizes the oppressive voices in society, some of whom are already tied to their own harmful words and grammar mistakes.

Serving life in corner offices and ghetto corners, their voices are the same
The singer points out that harmful voices are present everywhere in society, regardless of one's social or economic position.

Dead to themselves, numb to the possibility of truth existing beyond that which they can palm in their hands, period
The people who are disconnected from reality and truth are delusional and blinded by their own comfort and convenience.

There are voices of elders, which seem to do no more than damn us to our childish ways
The singer criticizes the older generations who fail to guide and teach younger generations towards a better future and instead perpetuate harmful traditions.

For in many households, wisdom no longer comes with age
The singer points out that the traditional understanding of wisdom in society, tied to age, is no longer accurate or effective.

So where is that voice from nowhere, that burning bush, that passing dove?
The singer asks where is the divine presence to guide and lead us towards a better future.

I hear the voices of generals calling for ammunition, presidents calling for arms, women calling for help
The artist observes that the voices of power are often driven by violence and conflict, while the voices of those who need help and support are often ignored.

Where is that voice from nowhere, that god of Abraham?
The artist reiterates the question of the divine presence in society and of its absence among the voices of power and politics.

Can he be heard over the gunfire, the whiz of passing missiles, the crash of buildings, the cries of children, the crack of bones, the shriek of sirens?
The singer questions whether a divine voice can still be heard amidst the chaos and pain that plague society.

Or is that his mighty voice
The singer contemplates that the voice of God might manifest in the form of the pain and struggle experienced in society.

Your angry god craving the sacrifice of early generations sons degenerate
The artist critiques the notion of a male god that is vengeful and demands blood sacrifice for the supposed sins of previous generations.

Your holy books written in red ink on burning sands
The artist points out how religion is often intertwined with violence and bloodshed, and how history is written and recorded through conflict and war.

Your prayers between rounds do no more than fasten the fate of your children to the hammered truth of your trigger
The artist argues that prayers for protection and safety are futile when society is systemically violent and when violence is considered a solution to problems.

A truth that mushrooms its darkened cloud over the rest of us
The singer describes how the truth of violence and oppression affects everyone, even those who are not actively engaged in it.

So that we too bear witness to the short lived fate of a civilization that worships a male god
The artist suggests that the fate of societies driven by a violent, male-centered religion is similar and has a limited life span.

Your weapons are phallic, all of them
The singer comments on the symbolism and representation of violence and power, which is often tied to masculinity and aggression.

That dummy that sits on your lap is no longer a worthwhile spectacle
The singer critiques the use of false idols and symbols that perpetuate harmful and oppressive values.

His shrunken pale face leaves little room for imagination
The singer points out the lack of power or inspiration from the false idols that are often toppled over time.

We have spotted your moving lips and have pinned the voice to its proper source
The artist and those who join in the cause of social justice are able to recognize the sources of oppressive and harmful voices in society.

It is a source of madness
The artist characterizes the sources of oppressive voices as being delusional and irrational.

It is a source of hunger, of power
The singer identifies that these oppressive voices are driven by a desire for control and domination.

A source of weakness
The singer describes how these voices are ultimately a sign of weakness and vulnerability, as they try to assert power through harmful means.

A source of evil
The artist sees the sources of oppressive voices as inherently evil and causing harm and suffering to communities.

We have exited your coliseum and are encircling your box-office, demanding our families back, our cultures back, our rituals back, our gods back, so that we may return them to their proper source
The artist and those who join in the cause of social justice are actively challenging and confronting the sources of oppression in society in order to reclaim their families, cultures, rituals, and spirituality.

The source of life, the source of creation, our mothers womb, the great goddess
The artist advocates for a shift in the understanding and celebration of spirituality towards a more feminine-centered and nurturing source of life and creation.

We will cut through the barbwire hangers and chastity belts
The singer and those who join in the cause of social justice are willing to resist and overcome the oppressive symbols and structures in society.

We will climb in and incubate our spirits to the winter
The artist and those who join in the cause of social justice are willing to endure hardships and challenges in order to nurture and grow their spirits and values.

We will wait through the degenerate course of your repeated history
The singer and those who join in the cause of social justice are willing to endure and overcome the oppressive and harmful cycles of history that are repeated over and over.

We will wait for the past to die
The singer and those who join in the cause of social justice are patient and hopeful that the societal issues and injustices from the past will eventually disappear and be replaced with a better future.