This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Cold brains,
Unmoved,
Untouched,
Unglued
Alone at last
No thoughts,
No mind
To rot
Behind
A trail of disaster
A final curse
Abandoned hearse
We ride disowned
Corroded to the bone
The fields of green
Are bent, obscene
I lay upon the gravel
A worm of hope
A hangman's rope
Pulls me one way or the other
A final curse
Abandoned hearse
We write this song
Corroded to the bone
A bird of song
Is heard no longer
In the evacuated heavens
The drain is drawn
And drained and gone
And on and on, it doesn't matter
A final the curse
Abandoned hearse
We write this song
Corroded to the bone
Unmoved,
Untouched,
Unglued
Alone at last
No thoughts,
No mind
To rot
Behind
A trail of disaster
A final curse
Abandoned hearse
We ride disowned
Corroded to the bone
The fields of green
Are bent, obscene
I lay upon the gravel
A worm of hope
A hangman's rope
Pulls me one way or the other
A final curse
Abandoned hearse
We write this song
Corroded to the bone
A bird of song
Is heard no longer
In the evacuated heavens
The drain is drawn
And drained and gone
And on and on, it doesn't matter
A final the curse
Abandoned hearse
We write this song
Corroded to the bone
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I agree with the previous comment. Not in that Mutations is my favourite Beck LP (that would be Midnite Vultures - I know, but come on... it's a damn fun album), but in all those themse and emotions one gets from not just the lyrics, or indeed from the music, but from a combination of the two. The lazy guitar strumming on the verses compliments the lyrical content, while the odd heavily-wah'd guitar in the background and the airy keyboard on the chorus give a sense of antipathy or absurdity when these more light-hearted instrumental aspects are paired against lyrics referring to hearses and corroding to the bone. Again, I must also agree with the former comment in their enjoyment of the apathy with which Beck delivers a lot of the lines, particularly the "hangman's rope," which is sung with a small measure of awkwardness, perhaps surprise even. Great song, reminds me very much of Sgt. Pepper's era Beatles, in a strange way, which is never a bad thing.