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.
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
You insult me in my home, you're forgiven this time
Things go well, your eyes dilate, you shake, and "I'm high"
Look in my eyes deep and watch the clouds change with time
Twenty hours won't print my picture milk carton size
Carton size
Carton size
Carton size
Call me up congratulations ain't the real why
There's no pressure besides brilliance let's say by day nine
Endless corporate ignorance lets me control time
By the way, by the way, by the way, by the way
Once again you see an in
Discolored skin gives you away
So afraid you'd kindly gurgle
Out a date for me
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Now the body of one soul I adore wants to die
You have always told me you'd not live past twenty-five
I say stay long enough to repay all who cause strife
Once again you see an in
Discolored skin gives you away
So afraid you'd kindly gurgle
Out a date for me
Once again you see an in
Discolored skin gives you away
So afraid you'd kindly gurgle
Out a date for me
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
I bear true and an existing witness
To this barrel of monkeys
A self-proclaimed immoral success
Perfected by each whereof
Individually deadly, and equally so
And spread about the surrendered troops
For even thousands of miles
Will not tear apart their communication
Or the lack thereof
Vultures, liars, thieves
Each proclaim their innocence
In no suggestion or rhyme
Your weapon is contained
In the wrecking of the keeping the desired effect
The breaking of the spirit thwarts the whole being
Your weapon is guilt
Your weapon is guilt
Your weapon is guilt
Guilt
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
You insult me in my home, you're forgiven this time
Things go well, your eyes dilate, you shake, and "I'm high"
Look in my eyes deep and watch the clouds change with time
Twenty hours won't print my picture milk carton size
Carton size
Carton size
Carton size
Call me up congratulations ain't the real why
There's no pressure besides brilliance let's say by day nine
Endless corporate ignorance lets me control time
By the way, by the way, by the way, by the way
Once again you see an in
Discolored skin gives you away
So afraid you'd kindly gurgle
Out a date for me
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Now the body of one soul I adore wants to die
You have always told me you'd not live past twenty-five
I say stay long enough to repay all who cause strife
Once again you see an in
Discolored skin gives you away
So afraid you'd kindly gurgle
Out a date for me
Once again you see an in
Discolored skin gives you away
So afraid you'd kindly gurgle
Out a date for me
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh oh
I bear true and an existing witness
To this barrel of monkeys
A self-proclaimed immoral success
Perfected by each whereof
Individually deadly, and equally so
And spread about the surrendered troops
For even thousands of miles
Will not tear apart their communication
Or the lack thereof
Vultures, liars, thieves
Each proclaim their innocence
In no suggestion or rhyme
Your weapon is contained
In the wrecking of the keeping the desired effect
The breaking of the spirit thwarts the whole being
Your weapon is guilt
Your weapon is guilt
Your weapon is guilt
Guilt
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I think that most of the responses have some plausability- I believe it to be about more than one thing ( what a concept!) But the record industry, to me, doesn't sound fitting at all, really. It's far too personal to be on that level. I think I even remembering reading somewhere once that this song is about all of the addicts in Layne's life (one of which would include his father and his one-time girlfriend..) and I think that this song focuses in on them especially: Demri, the ex girlfriend, in the part about one soul he adores wanting to die and not living past 25- by all accounts of those who knew Demri, she was known to be wild and it was thought that she wouldn't likely lead a very LONG life. And Layne's father, along with probably those who he tried to call "friends" calling to congratulate him, maybe on a new album or whatever, but always with ulterior motives, with drugs in mind. I could especially see this as Layne came into wealth through his brilliant music. Even the title would play off of this, that all of the people seem to come from a factory of sludge, so to speak. I know firsthand how it is, when you come to that point of being into your drug so deeply that it IS your LIFE, so obviously with that, all of the people in your life are fellow addicts, and I have no doubt that the same goes for Layne. And you can really see that his father's role in his life (later on, when he came back around, that is) is a big influence in this song, especially if you read about the fact that he came around back into Layne's life just for a free ride basically, and only once he was famous. I think it just kind of speaks for itself that this song is about those in his life that were fellow addicts, and how they could really be pieces of sh*t sometimes. (most of the time, actually)...
The crazy part was that one of the reasons that Layne worked hard to become famous and successful in music was that he thought his father would come back into his life, at least this is what I have heard. I guess sometimes we do get our wishes, but they don't always turn out the way we want them to.