Featuring: Aesop Rock
Songwriter: I. Bavitz J. Haynes
Producer: El-P
[Verse 1: Mr. Lif]
Success
This is rock bottom, y'all, I never expected it
In order to be businesslike, you must meet the prerequisite
Leave your culture at home, smile, don't be too proud, too wild
You may suffer, just don't cry out loud
This notion of professionalism is like an exorcism
Forced to give your life away while you're earning a livin'
These thoughts had stopped me from rejoining the work force
But now, the situation I'm in, just seems to hurt more
Maybe it won't be bad, maybe it'll be good
I could use a little structure in my life, maybe I should
Take my suit and tie out of the closet
Try shinin' up my shoes and brush the fuckin' dust off of my wallet
Let's consider the prospects
Make a couple phone calls
Now so many interviews you know I've got next week
I'm strictly going from the bottom to the peak
I'm ready, focused and determined to get back on my feet
[Chorus 1: Aesop Rock]
Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"
Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"
John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with
That's oil and water trying to mix on the same surface
[Verse 2: Mr. Lif]
I got a job at a business place I choose not to name
Ask me how did I achieve this so quick?
Yes, you may
Back when I was blind, my efforts had compiled a stunning resume
I didn't value it back then but, boy, it helped today
I'm pushin' every single thought of rebellin' away
I'm workin' real hard, my pockets are swellin' and hey
Can you believe I met the girl of my dreams?
I swear, she's meant for me
We've been together over two years, going on three
We married on our fourth anniversary
Bought a house and turned a room into a nursery
For the bouncing baby boy that we're expecting in June
I sat in that delivery room from noon to noon
Twenty-four hours of labor then the nurse asked me his title for the paper
You know, so the government can trace ya
First name: John, last name: insignificant
I'm smiling like a proud dad, I got the birth certificate
Go to the house and here's why vanity's a sin
I looked around and nothing's good enough for her or him
So my eight-hour days became nine
Nine slid up to ten
A subtle slip up to eleven and then
After a twelve-hour day
I got too little energy to say, "I love you" to my lady or play daddy to J
And I thought this was the way to be a husband and a father
I guess I could've looked in her eyes and seen I lost her
But it wasn't my fault, I'm workin' hard, it couldn't be
I've been successfully existing as a member of this family
I was so convinced the household had to always be complete
I didn't realize the only thing that's missin' is me
[Chorus 1: Aesop Rock]
Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"
Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"
John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with
That's oil and water trying to mix on the same surface
[Verse 3: Mr. Lif]
There was never any talk of divorce
I can't believe how focused I was in the face of such a huge potential loss
Showed no signs of weakness for the boss
In fact, I was mad at my wife, as if she's trying to knock me off course
But I still visited the florist, to get her flowers
When's the last time I did this?
Hmm, not since our wedding shower
I got home and I was greeted by the fact we'd been deleted
I was someone that my wife and child thought they no longer needed
And before I could say, "Where's John?"
I looked down and he was clinging to her arm
I realized I'd done them wrong
I blacked out and, by the time I came to, they were gone
But somehow I sat and shook my head and then I carried on
And I still completed three weeks of work before my breakdown
The ambulances came and I got medicine to take now
And it's hard to get a job when you've been treated and released
So both my relationship and my career are deceased
It took years to put myself together piece by piece
And thank God I found a woman that's real patient with me
And I'll never let this happen again
It's not to be
I'm ready, focused and determined to get back on my feet
[Chorus 2: Aesop Rock]
Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"
Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"
John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with
The oil left the water and the water kept searching
Success
This is rock bottom, y'all, I never expected it
In order to be businesslike, you must meet the prerequisite
Leave your culture at home, smile, don't be too proud, too wild
You may suffer, just don't cry out loud
This notion of professionalism is like an exorcism
Forced to give your life away while you're earning a livin'
These thoughts had stopped me from rejoining the work force
But now, the situation I'm in, just seems to hurt more
Maybe it won't be bad, maybe it'll be good
I could use a little structure in my life, maybe I should
Take my suit and tie out of the closet
Try shinin' up my shoes and brush the fuckin' dust off of my wallet
Let's consider the prospects
Make a couple phone calls
Now so many interviews you know I've got next week
I'm strictly going from the bottom to the peak
I'm ready, focused and determined to get back on my feet
[Chorus 1: Aesop Rock]
Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"
Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"
John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with
That's oil and water trying to mix on the same surface
[Verse 2: Mr. Lif]
I got a job at a business place I choose not to name
Ask me how did I achieve this so quick?
Yes, you may
Back when I was blind, my efforts had compiled a stunning resume
I didn't value it back then but, boy, it helped today
I'm pushin' every single thought of rebellin' away
I'm workin' real hard, my pockets are swellin' and hey
Can you believe I met the girl of my dreams?
I swear, she's meant for me
We've been together over two years, going on three
We married on our fourth anniversary
Bought a house and turned a room into a nursery
For the bouncing baby boy that we're expecting in June
I sat in that delivery room from noon to noon
Twenty-four hours of labor then the nurse asked me his title for the paper
You know, so the government can trace ya
First name: John, last name: insignificant
I'm smiling like a proud dad, I got the birth certificate
Go to the house and here's why vanity's a sin
I looked around and nothing's good enough for her or him
So my eight-hour days became nine
Nine slid up to ten
A subtle slip up to eleven and then
After a twelve-hour day
I got too little energy to say, "I love you" to my lady or play daddy to J
And I thought this was the way to be a husband and a father
I guess I could've looked in her eyes and seen I lost her
But it wasn't my fault, I'm workin' hard, it couldn't be
I've been successfully existing as a member of this family
I was so convinced the household had to always be complete
I didn't realize the only thing that's missin' is me
[Chorus 1: Aesop Rock]
Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"
Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"
John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with
That's oil and water trying to mix on the same surface
[Verse 3: Mr. Lif]
There was never any talk of divorce
I can't believe how focused I was in the face of such a huge potential loss
Showed no signs of weakness for the boss
In fact, I was mad at my wife, as if she's trying to knock me off course
But I still visited the florist, to get her flowers
When's the last time I did this?
Hmm, not since our wedding shower
I got home and I was greeted by the fact we'd been deleted
I was someone that my wife and child thought they no longer needed
And before I could say, "Where's John?"
I looked down and he was clinging to her arm
I realized I'd done them wrong
I blacked out and, by the time I came to, they were gone
But somehow I sat and shook my head and then I carried on
And I still completed three weeks of work before my breakdown
The ambulances came and I got medicine to take now
And it's hard to get a job when you've been treated and released
So both my relationship and my career are deceased
It took years to put myself together piece by piece
And thank God I found a woman that's real patient with me
And I'll never let this happen again
It's not to be
I'm ready, focused and determined to get back on my feet
[Chorus 2: Aesop Rock]
Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"
Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"
John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with
The oil left the water and the water kept searching