Album Cover The Gates

The Gates

Aesop Rock

9

I was at the gates

Ram′s legs, my pizza black, my plants dead

My planet X, I might bleed greenI'm what′s under the uncut chia seed

I'm what, what, what, what from the guillotine

A little flea and tick, a little fever dream

A little plead the fifth

Roadkill, I'm off leash

I don′t heel and I′m hung from an unkind mobile

It turn one misstep into bonemeal

Look, daybreak, I'm lights out

My kind sleeps upside down

It′s sci-fi, red tide, my hi and bye make record time

I go three, two, one, desensitize

No lie, tell death he could get in line

K, hellspawn, I'm no joke

I eat brains, I throw bolts

I know easy prey, I seen broken oaths

I go marching in, I′m all, "Oh-ee-oh"

I know a rodeo from these pony shows

I don't stay for tea, I can′t slow the code, I go

Coyote, alone and ghost

I'm in the goddamn smoke, ear, nose, and throat

Ayy, yo, fresh pot, my favorite mug

Aes Rock, my day sucked

Agent of all things deep-sixed

I feel like I was put here to keep the crypt

I get tired of bread, I might eat the rich

I ain't seen a leader, just feeder fish

You want free weed, you want free shit

I mean, dude

I was at the gates

Wolf′s head, my boots on, no bullshit

I know both sides of that tough love

They′re both mud, that's what′s up

That's what′s up, that's what′s up

Straight up and, straight up and down, don't even bother

I was at the gates

Snakeskin, my hood low, don't say shit

I know both sides of that bloodlust

They′re both mud, that′s what's up

That′s what's up, that′s what's up

Straight up and, straight up and down, don′t even bother

Rat tail, my backdrop's all black sails

Dog bite and my bird curse

Cross-eyed, world's worst

Troglodyte, I might split the blinds

I′m like Vincent Van with that instant rice

I write cryptograms at all waking hours

I tattoo the mail and all paper towels

I′m on the kitchen walls, I may paint the house

It could breach the yard, it's omega-bound

Game face on dour days, y′all gang-gang's like, "How quaint"

Gangway for that false start vs. freight trains through stalled cars

Shame, shame, shit′s so wack, show you back to this moth jar

Death wish from day one, I wake up and it rain blood

Raincheck these fuck shows, I'm donezo, my brain′s mush

Drumroll, I might piss straight, loose tooth in my spit shake

Every possible Futurama come trooping out of his pill case

And I ricochet in my steel cage, one still heart and two hill's eyes

A few meal bars, a good field knife, I feel good, no field guide

Just deicide by tea at five

Once ate a whole gluestick in like two bites

I do this, I mean, yo

I was at the gates

Wolf's head, my boots on, no bullshit

I know both sides of that tough love

They′re both mud, that′s what's up

That′s what's up, that′s what's up

Straight up and, straight up and down, don′t even bother

I was at the gates

Snakeskin, my hood low, don't say shit

I know both sides of that bloodlust

They're both mud, that′s what′s up

That's what′s up, that's what′s up

Straight up and, straight up and down, don't even bother

Bear paw, my handshake, oh dear God

Bare bones, a few air holes

Barefoot, my square glows

Scarecrows, who goes there?

And like who′s where when that snare close?

Bare hands on this bear trap

For what's staring back in his periscope

A little care package out of Where's Waldo in a rare beige

No fair at all, dyed hair and all

Push foot, I go mach 1, I′m all, "Woosh, woosh"

I don′t pussyfoot, I make potholes, my path home is all drop zones

Flash bulbs and strobe lights, road signs with crossbones

Touché from our killjoys who know humanoids are just hit points

Ain't cop that new heat, that newspeak′s all pink noise

I'm more mood piece around street food

In my PJs and my snowshoes

About dog fights in those dungeons

And lil′ dust-ups in y'all′s throne room

It's fun stuff, low moon and my tombstone say, "Hell no"

Hell yeah to more hail storms aboard ships on St. Elmo's

My dream home has like ten thousand deadbolts and less than no windows

I mean, shit

I was at the gates

Wolf′s head, my boots on, no bullshit

I know both sides of that tough love

They′re both mud, that's what′s up

That's what′s up, that's what′s up

Straight up and, straight up and down, don't even bother

I was at the gates

Snakeskin, my hood low, don't say shit

I know both sides of that bloodlust

They′re both mud, that′s what's up

That′s what's up, that′s what's up

Straight up and, straight up and down, don′t even bother