The Noose
Tech N9ne feat. ¡MAYDAY! Lyrics

I've tried writing this letter now several times before
I've attempted to communicate my thoughts through writing many times without success

When the party is over and the liquor is no more
When the good times end and the temporary feel-good sensation fades away

I'll tell you now that living now has become somewhat a chore
I express my current life as an errand or routine that lacks joy and enthusiasm

And following their rules is such a god forsaken bore
Conforming to others' expectations is tedious and does not bring any sense of fulfillment

Now I say 'God' because I'm programmed, but I believe in none
Although I use the term 'God' in speech, I am not a follower of any religion or deity

I see no interventions, and I see no holy sons
I do not witness any miraculous or divine interventions, nor do I believe in messianic figures

And if I'm wrong, then strike me down and break these breathing lungs
If I am incorrect in my beliefs, I request to be punished with the deprivation of vital organs

Just take the words and reverse 'em back upon my evil tongue
Turn my negative expressions back onto my wicked self

I've seen children harm each other like it's second nature, some
I have observed youngsters hurting each other with ease, as if it is a habitual action

Just want to watch the world burn and bang upon the drums
There are individuals who derive pleasure from witnessing and contributing to chaos and destruction

And that is why the music and the rhythm will live on
Music and rhythm will surpass time because they convey the emotions and experiences of humanity

Cause chaos has a melody and death is like a song
The destruction and end of life have their own unique, powerful symphonies

I sing, sing out to the rafters, I sing
I project my voice to the highest point in a room while singing

Close this little chapter and I think
I desire to conclude a particular event or phase in my life

This life is a disaster and it stings
I consider existence to be chaotic and painful

I'm trying to find a way to just sing
I attempt to locate a means of channeling my emotions through music and lyrics

You see I'm trying to find a way out
I am searching for an exit strategy or a solution to my struggles

What a world, what a world
Expressing disbelief or sadness towards the current state of affairs in society

I'm hanging up the noose now
I am preparing the method of my own death by hanging

Waiting for the end
I anticipate and welcome the end of life

I went to visit wounded soldiers out on Camp Pendleton
I visited injured military personnel at Camp Pendleton, a base located in California

And the cause of the missing limbs it mean that it's no love like Wimbledon
The loss of limbs amongst soldiers evidences a high level of violence and brutality with no regard for life or well-being

When they sat before me young as hell and gave me accolades like gentlemen
Despite their youth and grave bodily injuries, the soldiers treated me with respect and praised me

I'm thinking that the enemy took away their ability to walk and to touch
The adversary took away the basic physical abilities of the soldiers to move and feel

No way of rekindling
Their injuries are permanent and cannot be reversed

When it's now gone, unless they got money like Forrest and Lt. Dan
Unless the affected soldiers have significant funds to compensate for their disability like the characters from Forrest Gump, they are essentially helpless

The war, if you in it, damn, they have no remorse at any minute, Bam!
Participation in war can be life-threatening, and the enemy shows no mercy at any moment

That's fucked off, while we chillin' on tour on the bus getting sucked off
I express disgust with the contrast between my leisurely tour routine and the perilous conditions of the warzone

No, our families grieving cause war is receding
The families of soldiers are in mourning since the war is causing them to lose their loved ones

Their peeps have been crying their butts off
Their loved ones are experiencing immense sadness and distress

That's why I give so much when I flow bust, why we got it so good?
I compensate for my isolation from the soldiers' struggles by giving my best performance onstage and wonder why our lives are so favorable compared to others

Cause it's so rough, for the young soldiers who
As the young soldiers undergo hazardous conditions, it is obvious that their lives are anything but easy

Do exactly what they're told to do, damn...
The soldiers obey orders, which is a difficult burden to endure

Through exactly what they told to do
The soldiers perform their assigned tasks diligently

Defend the country and uphold the crew
The soldiers must protect their nation and maintain their unit's authority

But give my one and only soul for you?
The idea of sacrificing one's life is difficult to consider or accept

That's a hell of a job description, I don't know if my God's with this one
The task of dying for one's country is an extraordinary and possibly unachievable expectation, and I am unsure if any higher power would approve of it

But I guess it's the laws of sick men
I speculate that the command to undertake such labor is driven by unhealthy, immoral individuals

Send out young'ns and they fall the victim
The deployment of young soldiers results in them becoming casualties

Of an evil clan's plan, that's why I be saying, "Dwamn"
There is an unspoken intention of harmful groups, which leads me to express a negative exclamation

Cause on 9/11 I realized our fate is in another man's hands
The incident on September 11, 2001, made me realize that our destiny is subject to the actions of others

When I see how my loved ones have left
The departure of my dear ones from my life

I wonder how long I would fight?
I ponder about how much strength I would have to endure the pain of losing more loved ones

I wonder if I would give in or let the reaper lead me into night?
Would I surrender or accept death during my moments of weakness?

See I got too much pride left like my grandmother died too early
I possess pride, like my grandmother who departed too soon

Reaching for moments more but the cancer in her lungs took her from me
I attempted to gain more moments with my grandmother, but the cancer in her lungs caused her death

We drift, naturally, like two ships in the roughest of seas
Our natural momentum moves us further apart like two ships in a stormy sea

That's why this moment is precious, yet I'm too distant to feel it complete
This moment in life is valuable, but I do not have the ability to appreciate it fully

See these days I feel so disconnected, it gets harder to drop to my knees
I believe that I am isolated from society, which makes it difficult to find solace in prayer

I guess that's a side-effect of living in Generation X-Y-Z
This apathy and disconnection can be attributed to the cultural values and experiences of the current generation

Obsessed with pain and greed, man I wish we were kids again
The current preoccupations of society with materialism and agony evoke nostalgia for childhood simplicity

Things were simple then
Life lacked complexities and was more straightforward in youth

90's incidents got me losing friends to the hands of violent men
I lost friends to violent crimes in the 1990s

Fast, faster than speeding bullets whizzing down alleyways
The speed of their deaths came with intensity and was akin to the velocity of bullets

I probably am waking up from this haze but only to realize the world hasn't changed
I may wake up from my confusion, but the world remains stagnant and unimproved

Some of y'all not even fazed, y'all think it's the way we've been raised
Some individuals remain unperturbed by the lack of progress and attribute such stagnancy to societal norms and upbringing

Fuck it, I'll stick him right back in his haze cause these could turn out to be my last todays
Since these may be my last days, I will not concede to the unawareness of others and will confront them

With a hope and a prayer put a rope in the air, but I'm just too scared
I am too afraid to commit suicide via hanging despite having some hope and faith

Choking from the pressure when I rock this chair
I feel suffocated from the weight of my struggles when I move or shake the chair

Swing back and forth and tempt Death with a blank stare
I swing on the rope and risk death while I gaze emptily in front of me