You can't kill me, motherfucker
You can't kill me, motherfucker
You may try, but you will die
You can't kill me, motherfucker

Go to bed late, then I have to wake
Get to work, keep it goin, can't stop, can't take a break
Gotta get it done, in time for me to do the things I wanna do
But by the time I finished it, it's time for me to talk to you
And then explain what I do in my day, well
It's complicated and you say, "Pray tell"
And now I'll try, if I miss any details
Think about it later and send it in an email
'Cause my brain is on a loop, but there's a buzz
That I need to troubleshoot, not now
Gotta gotta get the work done
Last night, some other day is turnin to the first one
I, never gonna never gonna
I, am never gonna never gonna
I, ain't gonna ever gonna die

Huh, pedal to the medal, gonna get ahead
Gonna run another red light in the dead of the night
Lettin the light from my cellphone distract my eyes
Sexual text messaging on my mind
Fingers are busy, but now I'm lookin in the mirror
'Cause the people behind me, they're givin me the middle finger
I'm kill 'em if they pull up any closer to my bumper
Short-tempered mother- shut your mouth
Drinkin' the coffee, now I'm dumpin' it out
He's honkin' the horn like "You wanna throw down"
He thinks, "Oh boy, you wanna go now"
I'm ready (I'm ready), for the typically cyclical simple civil obedience
Typically cyclical simple civil obedience
Typically cyclical simple civil obedience
(diddla-diddla-diddla-diddla-difficult isn't it)

I'm a just man, with a company van
And a supervisor who just does a summary scan
And a coworker who's always like "just cover me man"
In the morning we all get into the huddle again
Like "Can we even make more money"
I wonder what the luxury has really taken from me
I don't even have to worry (ha-ha-ha-hiiii)

Typically cyclical simple civil obedience
Typically cyclical simple civil obedience
Typically cyclical simple civil obedience
Typically cyclical, simple civil obedient people
Are gonna die, because they can't live my life

All eyes on the small guys making small noise
In a small town with the small music men
Your just fall guys, in the law's eyes
Your voice is worth more than you know and you're not foolin anyone
I'm not a con-artist, your pencilling your promises, eroding eraser tips
I'm sick of your colleges, expensive taste tester, "Spit that wine"
Excessive waste, yes, but- it's that time
For me to get randomly checked again
Bored until you're marked with a blood-red pen
Water bottle sittin in my pocket and I'm walkin with a grin
'Cause the liquid isn't permitted, I'm rippin up the ticket
For the lady at the counter as confetti in her face
Shoulda never let me in this place
Fly, fly boy in the brownest state
I feel I'm never gonna be let out the gate, because I'm the bomb
Yeah, I said it- cool, collected and calm
Maneuver through the computer to do a little song
My music got the charm, smoother than a cougar
Attack the mic and get on the intercom

Hello passengers, fellow activists, whether you're masochists
Mellow pacifists, tell those facts and it, is no accident
By the end of this record, you're gonna know

Typically cyclical simple civil obedience
Typically cyclical simple civil obedience
Typically cyclical simple civil obedience
Typically cyclical simple civil obedient people

Are you listenin, love? I got a theory for us
Can you hear me enough, can you hand me my stuff
Bout to move out this scary cemetery you trust
Livin just a little bit of it isn't nearly enough
Livin just a little bit of it isn't nearly justified
Because ah-ah-ah-I, ah-ah-ah-I am
Never gonna never gonna never gonna never gonna die

I wanna kee- I wanna keep making things an-and death really is
is uh not to be part of my eh-eh-everyday activities
It's not to be in my music anymore, I don't want it there
It'll-it'll sneak its way in and out, but that's that's, we're beyond that
I mean de-de-death only as a concept is what matters and-and
god as a concept is-is-is one of those huge things to me
And to you, I know you, I know youuh much better than you think I do uhh
I hope we meet sometime, I'd love to shake your hand and um maybe get a kiss
uh right there, on my face
And uh I don't know maybe have sex a little bit


Lyrics submitted by brain_stew

Civil Obedience Lyrics as written by Sage Francis Mr Cooper

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing

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Civil Obedience song meanings
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4 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    holy shit, sage francis is amazing. i listen to this song and it reminds me of all the negative things in my life, but this song makes those things seem wonderful. i live in las vegas, which is full of nothing bunch of assholes and douche bags, which sadly, i realize i can be one of those assholes at times. this song makes me think all of that over. like i said, sage francis is amazing. so wonderful.

    zomben810on June 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it reminds me of ignorant teenagers getting a smug sense of victory over petty rebellion

    flannelboardon June 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    'I'm a trusted man with a company van', I think are the lyrics. It is prettyyy good.

    It kind of seems to be Sage's own irresponsible side, for as much as he talks about the irresponsibility of others. All about how hard it is to actually do things that need to be done while you can't sleep or focus on anything because the thoughts in your head are constantly on overdrive. And he has some difficulty being a responsible person while he cannot even compel himself to believe that there is anything worth being responsible for. So he goes around on probation (I am thinking the whole airport scene is a metaphor for probation? People on probation do 'get randomly checked', and they are sort of the law's fall guys because while there are violent crimes being committed on the daily, our prisons are packed with pot smokers) chilling with some drugs or some such regardless of the law and risks, just because it is all so fucking ridiculous; he's not really doing anything wrong (even though he's not being the best person he can be either), but he's still being shat on by the system over bullshit.

    But, all the same, he is never ever going to give up, because there is nothing else to do but keep trying.

    kaylzazzon September 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I feel this is about the frustration of the everyday man doing a meaningless job, juxtaposing it with the life of Sage. Or maybe the life of Xaul Zan.

    In the first verse ("Gotta get it done in time for me to do the things I wanna do"), the protagonist is so busy running around in the rat race, trying aimlessly to make more money. Here "I, ain't never gonna ever gonna die" is his delusions. He is throwing his life away and keeps putting off doing the things that are really meaningful.

    After "Typically cyclical simple civil obedient people are gonna die Cause they can't live my life" the story switches to tell of the wondrous life of the rapper who goes against all social conventions, lives free and tells the truth.

    At the very end Sage urges the working stiff from the first three verses that "living just a little bit it isn't nearly enough!", giving the song an altogether positive and uplifting vibe.

    FrenchieMcDoucheon July 04, 2011   Link

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