The MARKSMAN - Your Momma Knows I'm A Star (1994)
Words and music ©1993, 1994 Mark Baranowski
"Itz About Time" additional lyrics by Don Donovan (Double-D)
"Plead Insanity"
Peacefulness
A state of mind
You can't waste the time
To find a rhyme to bind
Or simply unwind
Crimes
Committed by a sucker punk
Who should be dead
The only important matter
Is which bunk bed
Holds him
The top or the bottom
Ol' Mr. 5-0 got him
Now he's livin' delirium
Like Saddam
Houssein
An insane brain ain't difficult to obtain
And once you got it
Bang!
You're a pawn in the game
Imagination is the name of it
You just fell claim to it
Now you're its victim
There's no use bein' ashamed of it
There's no escape from your fate
So debate
To be or not to be batty
Like the man in the black cape
You'll be just another mental case
Disgraced, a waste
And yet another Scarface
Who just can't get with me
And my Disciples Dissin' Discipline
Yeah, that's the name of the crew I'm in
Fool, got a problem with that?
Don't even try it
Yo, where ya live?
I'll have my man drive by it
And do it, go through it
Yo G, ya shoulda knew it
Cuz you stepped to The Marksman and tried
But you blew it
And um, speakin' of blowin'
Guess who's blowin' my johnson
She used to be yours
However, now she's mine, son
And damn, the girl's hype
Yo, you shouldn't have hit her
But now you're gettin' shaken
And taken out
Just like kitty litter
That's all your life's worth
Cuz yo, you're livin' foul
So plead insanity
Or throw in the towel.
Yeah, I plead insanity...I plead insanity
Everybody's lookin' at me but they're not understandin' me
I plead insanity, I plead insanity
They can't see that I'm just bein' who I have to be...
Hard.
Call me The Marksman
I'm rippin' up enough styles
Piles for miles
I'm makin' ya listen
Not missin' what I'm sayin'
Meanwhile, back at the ranch
Pretenders try to bite it
I oblige
I offer it to 'em
See I don't hide it
But, even after they got it
They can't get it
So they give it back
From MY mouth it sounds dope as hell
But from THEIRS, it's wack
Drivin' a Cadillac
You think you're a star
You're nothin' but FUBAR
You can't afford payments
So to hell with the car
Me, I got a real job
I'm goin' for mine
Doin' what I gotta
And I'm takin' my time
I'm just movin' along...
You know how the song go
Honeys call me Mark
While certain friends call me Domino
Describin' my personality
I like reality
Some people like shammin' me
But it's all in the family
I adore 'em
When times are gettin' too tough
I ignore 'em
When I try to re-tell a story to somebody
I bore 'em
Like In Dulce Decorum
Check your Miami Vice number two
Soundtrack, baby boo
A-boo-boo-boo-boo!
So plead insanity, MC's
You're all out
Cuz when I'm on the mic
It's just like nuclear fallout
A tragedy, chaos
Consider the consequence
YOU'RE gonna beat ME?!
Boy, get some common sense!
Now what would the papers call it...?
(News at 11!)
Boy, you'll be unrecognizable
Carry your wallet
As some form of I.D.
Yo, why'd you try to be
Harder than you are
You should have known you die, G
But if I get accused of murder
I'll simply tell 'em the rhyme did it
And with a payoff, they'll forget it
Don't get me wrong
I ain't the one to be dealin' with bad cops
Then again, few cops are good cops
They need to be dropped
Like the way they've gotten used
To droppin' so many brothers
Rodney King and others
Now's the time to discover
A new form of law enforcement
Like Robocop
Somethin' that's indestructible
And able to drop
Villains, gangsters and criminals
Just like a disease
Take me as an example
Cuz I'm droppin MC's
A minute and a half into the rhyme
And I STILL ain't had time
To take a breath
But I'm still goin' for mine
What I got you wanna get
But you just can't get with it
If you paid a cool grand for my rhymes
You STILL couldn't hit it
You ain't shit, bitch
You better forget this
But if you keep on tryin'
Better pull out your Wish List
And hope for more sense in your head
To put in your rhymes
Cuz if you keep writin' that nonsense
It's Killer Time
You never used your head
So you lost it, how?
I covered it up
Went to the river and tossed it
Now how do I plead
For bein' so damn gory?
Insanity
Because he never said he was sorry.
Insanity...for suckers lookin' too hard at me
Insanity...for girls who dissed me on the way up
Insanity...for those who said I couldn't do this
Insanity...all with the "he say, she say"
Insanity...for people livin' hypocritical
Insanity...most of all, to my family
Enough said...I'm out.
"The Silent Freeway"
Wonderin'
What it would be like in another land
Where all you could see
Is blue skies and white sand
The people all look the same
And they're all in the same gang
Like brothers and sisters
There ain't no shame in THIS name game
Fame?
There ain't no need for fame
The Creator
Does not allow false idols
So there's no one greater
Than Him
So throw your ego aside, in this hemisphere
Love is all around
There's no jealousy, guilt or fear
Burdens which are heavily on our backs
In our bodily form
Sometimes I wonder why I was born
When I stop
And look at my life, as it is now
I ain't really got nothin'
Except for some know-how
My family life ain't much to speak of
It reeks of
Non-communication and stubborness
And weak love
Momma's so far away
And Dad is in Cali
Why does grass look greener
On the other side of the valley?
It's just a deception
To keep someone guessin'
Why does life give answers
Then suddenly change the question?
It seems so unfair
And yet we keep on
Just survivin'
Although one day
We'll all be gone
And enter The Freeway
From stage right
Except there's no exit
But no need for stage fright
We'll all be taken care of
And given much leeway
Together forever
Once we join on The Freeway.
(Freeway...The Silent Freeway)
Together forever on the...
(Freeway...The Silent Freeway)
No madness, just gladness on the...
(Freeway...The Silent Freeway)
It's MORE than a dream, the...
(Freeway...The Silent Freeway)
Where peace can be seen.
Picture a freeway
Where no one can get hurt
No pavement
No need for it
Just bare feet and dirt
Walkin' for miles and miles
Never gettin' tired
No person's better than another
We're all equally admired
Not like life
Where everyone is competin'
Tryin' hard to be the best
Not worried about who they're beatin'
When one steps on another
To get to the top
In this life, they may succeed
But in the next, they'll get dropped
Into the pit
Of the fiery furnace
And burn, meanwhile
The one to laugh last laughs best
And avoids exile
But now, look at the world
The Creator has planned
He also planned its destruction
And He labelled it Man
Radiation, pollution and discrimination
Why is peace nothin' but another dream
To this nation?
Gang-bangers and crack slangers
Murder and robbery
Third world nations
Livin' in depression and poverty
Not just there, it's everywhere
From deep in L.A.
To the boroughs of New York
I don't see it goin' away
It's a plague spreadin' fast across the land
And we're sinkin' like quicksand
It's hard for me to be a man who understands
Just what to do
With a nation that's facin'
Extinction
When our law-makers are all basin'
It's vital
For me not to think suicidal
Cuz if I went out like that
I'd have no title
And gettin' to The Freeway
Would be just a dream
Cuz down is the alternative
Where no one can hear you scream.
Freeway...Together forever on The Freeway
Our life will be better on The Freeway
It's more than a dream...The Freeway
There's only one King.
The year...1974
One more
Victim brought into the world
Right after a war
A bouncin' baby boy
His parents are overjoyed
Although it's a Kodak moment
Get the Polaroid
But with all good times
Comes many hardships
When daddy's busy drinkin'
While his boy's still an infant
Then worse comes to worst
And mommy just can't take it
They get a divorce
NOW how's their boy gonna make it
Through the rest of his life?
Not knowin' if he's comin' or goin'
Learnin' right from wrong on his own
Cuz there's no one to show him
Only his grandparents
Who ain't no help to him
They only tell him things
That THEY think should be gettin' through him
Simply too overprotective
That describes 'em best
Now mommy's got a new man
Damn! His life's a bigger mess
Movin' first from an apartment
And then
To a bigger house in the city
Then they move AGAIN!
Could this really be the best for...
Well, we'll say "Vincent"
Names have been changed
To protect the innocent
Anyway, time goes on
And life's gotten worse
Vinnie's spendin' a lot of time
Thinkin' about a hearse
And what it would be like
To become its passenger
Once he'd been visited
By the Lord's Messenger
He thought of The Freeway
And enterin' Paradise...
But would he really get there
If he chose to end his life
In an unnatural way?
In other words, suicide
He thought some more...
"That ain't the way REAL men died"
Decidin' to survive
His life got MORE complicated
He left his home
And his stepdad, who he hated
But leavin' his home
Made him feel MORE alone
He's also leavin' his mother
Now all that's left is the phone
But Vinnie didn't have the courage
To make the call
So, there's no communication at all
And what about his poor brother?
The child's only 3
Without a brother he knows he has
How will HIS life be?
So now Vinnie lives with his grandparents
Who bug him
And nag, and bitch...
He'd love to just slug 'em!
But nah, just stay cool
Don't go out like a fool
Ignore 'em
Just try to keep your mind on school
You're in your last year
Plus you got a girlfriend who's dope
Bam, boom, pow!
And you hope
That this special relationship
Lasts forever and ever
You love her so much
You never met no one better
She's all you need now
If she ever leaves
Your life does, too
It's rather grim
But grimness is what you're used to
But that's enough thinkin' for now
Til another day
Live...
Later for The Freeway.
"Freewhylin' (Action Prelude)"
A little freestylin'
For the minds
Of people that said that I'm
Causin' hip-hop to cross over
And that I couldn't rhyme
Sayin' that if I entered a battle I'd lose
And that my rhymes
Would bring me nothin'
Except disses and boos
I got news for you fools
You're in for a surprise
You're fin to witness a lighter rhymer
That's soon gonna rise
Above the other so-called
Vanilla Wafers
Who couldn't tell a rapper from a raper...
So how'd they get in the newspaper?
Awarded a Grammy
So now they think they're an authority
Compared to REAL rappers
They're the least priority
But not to degrade anybody
Cuz puttin' down somebody else is wrong...
I'll save that for the next song
The beat is pumpin'
The bass meter is jumpin'
So I don't understand
Why in their seats
There's people still slumpin'
A different type of flavor
A flavor to be savored
To all you freaks out there
Let's get into some freaky behavior!
Whylin'...Ugh! Ugh!
Is what you got me doin'
Call me Stanley cuz I'm screwin'
My driver...Fore!
I yell as she cries for more and more
Whenever she finishes
You KNOW she'll be leavin' sore.
(Ha-HA! As HELL, ya know what I'm sayin'?...Yo, nothin' sexist or chauvinist here, "ladies," okay?...I'm not tryin' to brag about layin' the pipe to all you pretty young things out there, okay?...Because to me, it's not about just "layin' the pipe"...It's about "makin' love"...That's right. Because I love you ALL!...And when you need me to be there for ya, I'm there, see?...This is all just a reminder of how it can be, whenever YOU decide to make it happen...So anyway, here's the scenario for LAST night's title fight...I love this part.)
Ahem....But anyway...
Back to the subject of battlin'
Rap battles, to me
Are just competitors babblin'
They're not really sayin' nothin'
But how hard they claim to be
In reality, I smell...(pussy!)
Don't you hate
When suckers front on somebody else?
When what the fools are really doin'
Is frontin' on themselves
It's a hypocritical policy
That's how they're livin'
It's like a plea for forgiveness
But refusal to be forgiven
Suckers who be livin' like this
Make me sick
Consider yourself warned
I ain't to be played with
You got the nerve to ask,
"Who do you think YOU are?"
I'm The Marksman, boy
You're momma knows I'm a star
Before, it was Meticulous Marksman
But I had to shorten it
Nobody knew what the hell "meticulous" meant
At first that got me upset
All people had to do
Was look in the dictionary
And upgrade their literary
Skills...
Lots of luck, nobody did it
Then one day
A so-called fan said,
"Just forget it!"
I actually took their advice
And I dropped it
That same day
My brand-new style was adopted
(Exit the old style, enters the new)
I used to be vulgar and explicit
And all that mess
Then I got wise, and I put it to rest
There ain't no need to be obscene
Hey, but don't get me wrong
You wanna say what you feel?
Go ahead, it's YOUR song!
Just think of it like this...
In this business
You're touchin' the whole wide world
Especially little boys and girls
Why be offensive
And simply out to cause controversy?
Good or bad
You're always at the media's mercy
But instead of bein' negative
Try to write positive
In the way of messages, yo
There's always a lot to give
Today's world needs positive
To conquer negative
And because kids heed musicians
Rather than relatives
Be a role model
Teach 'em what needs to be taught
Not who you're gonna kill
And how many battles you fought
Increase the peace
And do away with this onslaught
And wisen up
Cuz soon you're gonna get caught.
"Just Anotha Day N Tha Jungle"
Brothers are yellin'
Drug dealers are sellin'
In the heart of the city
Gang-bangers are bailin'
To the scene of another crime
Too often committed
The police have been notified
Now they're gonna get it
An unwed mother has just committed suicide
Because a drive-by
Has caused her only baby to die
Teenage girls choosin' to work on the streets
Sellin' their bodies
Just to get somethin' to eat
Cops drivin' 'round
In the search of a shakedown
Brothers are their target
The streets are their playground
A damn shame
What the hell is the world comin' to
When you can't trust police
To do what they're supposed to do?
House brothers
Contribute to the situation
A prejudiced mind
Leads to wider discrimination
A mind is a terrible thing to waste
In this case
The shade of their face
Compared with their mind
Is misplaced
It's a way of life
From beat-downs to rumbles
It's typical...
It's just another day in the jungle.
The jungle...Yo, when we gonna get out the jungle?
The jungle...Can somebody please help me?
Jungle, the jungle...We're reachin' the finish line
The jungle...But we're runnin' out of time.
The jungles, the concrete jungles
I mean ghettoes
Containing Pinocchios
Created by demented Gippetos
You'll never see tourists here
There's never a stranger
The ghetto has no attraction
They know they'd be in danger
So-called "higher class"
Lookin' down at "lower class" citizens
With disgust and criticism
They don't give a care
For none of these people's welfare
As long as they're livin' large
And they don't end up there
All this is just my opinion
But it would seem evident
That the finger of blame
Is pointed straight at the president
No, not just the president
The government, in general
For the fact that they love to meddle
In situations with other nations
But what about us?
Have we all died and decayed?
"Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust"?
Instead of helpin' Russians
Why not help ourselves
And those strivin' to escape
But minus the weatlh?
Free cheese, some milk and a check
Doesn't mend situations
For people who go out and spend
Every penny of it
But you can't do anymore for 'em
Just do as little as necessary
And then ignore 'em
Yeah that's the ticket
So YOU think
But that's unacceptable
It's despicable, man
I thought this land was respectable
Politicians are maxin'
While economy crumbles...
It's just another day in the jungle.
The jungle...Talkin' about the jungle
The jungle, the jungle...Gotta try to escape
The jungle, the jungle...What is the world comin' to?
The jungle...Escape from the drugs, violence and rape
Jungle, the jungle...Government disowned us
The jungle, the jungle...Tryin' to survive
The jungle, the jungle...Can we make it alone?
HELL yeah...as long as we keep the dream alive
(Dream on, dream away)
Homeless families
On the streets, holdin' up signs
They're searchin' for work
To make money, to stay alive
In Cali, Mexicans are hangin' out on the corner
With nothin' else to do
They've illegally crossed the border
Fallen victim to the myth
The United States is all o' that
When we still got suckers
Drivin' 'round with a gat
So the Mexicans take the hint
And get their own caliber weapon
Or keep a knife in their pocket
Whenever they're steppin'
This kind of violent mentality
Must be erased
Not to mention what they're doin' for base
That illegal drug that's poisonin'
Too much of America
You wanna blame Bush but you're scared?
Yo, I'm darin' ya!
But I don't NEED a dare
I'll still say this shit anyway...
He's bringin' it in
And dishin' it out, with no delay
"It's just another import," they say,
"Ain't no harm done...
This stuff ain't gonna kill 'em
Quicker than their own gun"
Damn!
This type of mentality
Runnin' our country is scary
We'll all just end up in the cemetery
So, my final message for unity is simply this...
Don't find yourself caught dissin'
Just dismiss prejudice
And continue like this
And stand together forevermore
The motto of The Marksman...
"Make peace, and not war"
Will soar.
Believe that...To the 3000's, y'all...Peace.
"Give 'em the Horn"
(You know what I like...You know what I like...Drop it!)
Step on up
The party's packed
From front to back
Girlies stacked
And fiendin' for the bozack
As I grab the mic
They all yell, and holler and scream
As their panties get creamed
So I just continue my funky flow
Then I let you know...
It's time to let the horns go
Smooth, you're now in the groove
And it seems I've proved
I'm fully capable of makin' you move
You've been introduced to a sound
Much higher than the underground
Though pound for pound
It's gettin' ya down
Who's the MC that makes ya feel free?
On his own, occasionally with Double-D
The one who lets ya let yourself go
And at the same time
Helps your mind grow...you know
There is no other this shade
That can rock the mic
And still stay true to the game
While gainin' much fame
Call this is a freestyle, if ya will
All I know
Is it's the funkiest shit
This side of Capitol Hill
I mean Cypress
Don't even try to try us
We'll greet you and beat you
You'll end up sayin' we're the flyest
Of all that are fly
It's been like that from the time we were born
Original macks
Cuz we give 'em the horn....
Give it to 'em!
Original macks, cuz we give 'em the horn...
(You know what I like...)
People wanna know
How a white kid like me
Ever got to be so damn funky
I don't have an answer to give 'em
But I just know I gotta play somethin' else
When I hear a wack-ass rhythm
It might have been the boys
From the other side of town
Who introduced me to this funky sound
And when I got the style down
I became the one
Pullin' all of the hotties around
With brothers fiendin' for the rhyme scheme
I was soon at the top
It still seemed like a dream
I thought of the times
I used to kneel at my window sill
Starin' at the sky so still
"I wish I may, I wish I might"
I used to talk to the stars
Shinin' so bright in the night
"Please make me a winner
Bless me with success
To become what I wanna
I gotta strive for the best"
So, I sat and wrote rhymes that I knew about
Hardship, life
But not puttin' someone's head out
See, the message I came upon with was this...
Treat others equal
Don't face 'em with prejudice
But this ain't the time
For me to be speakin' on racial issues
It's time for the horn to blow
No need for facial tissues....
Give 'em the horn!
(Horny...Am I horny!)
(Yeah, but what do you mean "Give 'em the horn"?)
Horn
A wind instrument
Usually made of brass
Creatin' a sound
Makin' ya shake your--
As we go a little somethin' like this
You resist to miss
Or diss or boo or hiss
You'd kiss this
Master of Ceremony
If I chose to let you
You know that if I wanted to
I'd get you and wet you
Wet like a disposable towelette
And then what?
Well, just how smooth can a vowel get?
"A-E I-O-U...
A steamy and hot love affair
Because I love you!"
But hold up, wait a minute!
You say that you love me?
Yo, honey...
You're only 16?
I thought you were at least 20!
Damn
I just fell victim to the crime of the century
No thang
I'll be damned if I let honey get to me
And that's the other meanin' of horn givin'...
Arousin' the hoochies until they're driven
To hesitate no longer
But I wait
Until their feelin's get stronger
By that time
I'm doin' somethin' I'll probably regret
Then again...huh
They're gettin' somethin' they'll never forget
So you see
The horn can be
So very
Effective
In every way that it's given
Remember, then
And don't be ever forgettin'
After givin'
It's ALWAYS the best to be gettin'...
The horn.
"What's Come Over Me?"
3...2...1
This is some shit for your ass
As if you needed any more in that hole
Yo, The Marksman has arrived
So commence to roll
Out the red carpet
Because I'm fin to start it
You talked some shit
Now I'mma grab my gat
And your head's the target
I'mma spark it
Just like a Zippo lighter
About to start a fire
Within your dome
You just entered The Dead Zone
You went out like a sucker
And now you're just a cadaver
I cut you open
Vultures made your intestines unravel
Feelin' sick to your stomach?
Just take some Pepto, and let go
Cuz pain is irrelevant
When there's no more tomorrow
Say your prayers, filthy animal
I won't even count to ten
1, 2, 10!
And now a coffin's your best friend
Confused?
Yo, let me break it down for ya
I'm ruthless
Just call me the Road Warrior
And step
And when you see me in the street
Step, with pep
Or prepare for defeat
The brothers say,
"Dig the white kid!
He's comin' off hard as hell!"
Sure they're right
And I fly high like the Memphis Belle
High
But not as high as the rock can take ya
Don't hit a spliff
Cuz I ain't from Jamaica
Ain't down with nasty-ass dread locks
My rhymes are like hemlock
Everlastin'
Like the process of wedlock
You havin' second thoughts
Of continuin' to mess with me, G?
Yo, hold up...wait!
What's come over me?
"Ready For Action"
(It's a roller coast of action...)
(Get on up...) and take some... (action!)
This should be called reform
As you watch me perform
Reformation
Throughout the nation
Across the seven seas
And over the river
Through the woods
I make grandmother shiver
Thinkin' back to the days of slaves
And segregation...hmmmm
That's kinda what we're STILL facin'
Rememberin' back to The Audubon Ballroom
Harlem, New York
Is where we fell to our doom
Fightin' to uplift
Meanwhile, our grip slips
Whoops!
Another one of life's big dips
Make it a double
That's not as low as you can go
Let's make a widow out of Yoko
Oh no, Mr. Bill!
This world is ill
There's always a remedy
So let's invent a pill
One that combines the effects of peace
Like a table of goodwill
We've all come to feast
To the east
Forever foreward, we journey on...
But that ain't the name of this song
You're wrong
If you think you're better than another
We're all created equal
Like sister and brother
Or so we've been taught
But if that's the case
Why is nuff props given
If you've got a lighter face?
"But who are YOU to talk?," you ask me
Hey, I know the feelin' of cops drivin' past me
Hawkin' me
Like I'm some kind of criminal
Subliminally
I wonder, "Do they wanna kill me?"
Cuz I got a logo promotin' a gun
I'm thinkin', "Run!"
Until I realize that the real one
Is in HIS holster
Besides, I'd never commit a crime
Yo, you should have listened to my rhyme
When I said
"It's just another day in the jungle"
The action began...
Now let the drum go.
(It's a roller coast of action...)
We're ready for action, no more relaxin'...
And take some...(action)
Action
The state or process of doin'
An act
So get on track, and get it movin'
We sat long enough
Now it's time for a stand
Raise our voices
And cultivate this wasteland
To form and refine
I've gone for mine
So go for yours
And do away with the chores
Of society
Because a change is necessary
To raise our mentality
And change our vocabulary
Cuz proper speech patterns
Is a sign of intelligence
Step by step
We'll end this negligence
You call me hypocrite
Cuz I speak in slang
It ain't the same thang
YOU call it a black thang!
But that's what I mean
That's my point, exactly
You tell me you're down
Behind my back you jack me
Who's side are you on?
You'd better make up your mind
To separate the good from the bad
Don't take much time
And time's what we don't have
We used too much already
Why you think today's humanity's a "deadly medly"?
To achieve wealth
And to maintain the proper health
You must possess stealth
And have pride in self
"Ahh, what a glorious day!" you realize
A new world appears before your eyes
Nothin' to criticize
That's your reaction
Life is worth livin'
Now we're ready for action.
One step, two steps
One step at a time
We're on our way to the mountaintop
No fallin' behind
Easy does it
Cuz that's the way it has to be done
To put our hands together
We gotta let go of the gun
What good is it doin' ya?
I just can't understand
Do you feel it protects ya?
Does it make you a man?
Damn, how does THAT shit sound?
A man you ain't
Untie the bind on your mind
Cuz there's too much restraint
If you think that you're all that
Why don't you put down the gat?
Put up your dukes, chap
We'll see how you scrap
I didn't think so, amigo
Now crawl back to your hole
If you refuse to be a leader
Don't try playin' the role
Because relaxin' and maxin'
Ain't allowed when you're taxin'
My reaction to Jackson is tell him,
"Take a step back, son!"
And if he refuse
I don't harass him or bash him
I proceed to proceed
Because I'm ready for action.
"Itz About Time" (w/ Double-D)
This jam ain't hard to put up with
You're tempted to pump it
Up, inside your ride
Cuz the rhythm is, um...thick!
Smooth, to a point
But forever gettin' rougher
Those who opposed
Had to learn the word "suffer"
And suffer they did
They unknowingly placed a high bid
Thinkin' they could be like me
And do what I did
By blowin' your mind
When sayin' what I gotta say
In a funky rhyme
Except they never came on time!
Don't even step to the Triple-D
The Disciples Dissin' Discipline
Got it goin' on, ya see
Oooh, I gotta jump back
And kiss myself
I would drink to celebrate
But it ain't good for my health
Gimme a Snapple
Preferrably raspberry iced tea
Or a fruit PUNCH
And his partner, Judy
Like Ralph Kramden
I'm bussin' your ass, to the next stop
My hammer is cocked
And then your neck pop
Crackle, snap
I'm puttin' Buffalo on the map
Get with this, or get with that
But that's wack!
Don't waste your time
With a rhyme that's worth a dime
I'm goin' for mine...
And it's about time.
It's about time
For a rhyme design
That's genuine and divine
From the creative mind
Known as Double-D
No one can get with me
The p-o-e-t
That's the way it's gotta be
To be the best
I must confess
So I'll express
Not like the rest
So I guess that I'm on a quest
Or a route to get clout
And without a doubt
You're out in the first bout
That's what gangsters are all about
But I'll kick bass
Not to disgrace my race
My face is out of place
When I pick up the pace
And let lyrics go, when I flow
Bet you didn't know
That I have more soul
Than there's snow in Buffalo
When I release
I can't cease with the masterpiece...
At a party I drink Bacardi and act naughty
Don't dress gaudyit'll start me
To continue with the menu
On rhymes I get revenue
So rappin's my venue
Or somethin' I can do
I christen, my rhymes glisten
So now, you got a listen
Of the other Disciple
And discipline's what I'm dissin'.
Flowin' and goin' and showin'
You MUST be knowin' by now
That I'm always ready to go toe-to-toe
And how!
Back to back
With any amateur new jack
Who ain't got no friends, only enemies
What's up with that?
Gainin' respect
By keepin' suckers in check
And all the while I keep the honeys wet
And that you can bet
I'm like the flavor of the month
So call me a Black Sheep
Create my rhymes under covers
Because the brain never sleeps
Whether I'm inside my girl
Or coolin' out at the mall
I'm bound to make up a lyric
That's WAY more potent than 8-Ball
If he said, she said
I ain't tryin' to hear it
If the puddin' is stale
Then I ain't goin' near it
Because I'm not the type of guy
To do whatever is clever
But however
If it's a clever endeavor
Then I'll never say never
Damn!
You gotta give me some room to breathe
Cuz if I can't breathe
How can you get what you need?
A kickin' beat
Combined with a rhyme
That's designed
To bring out the best steps you can find
In your mind
Or pay your partner a fine
So you can take their steps
And bump, wiggle and grind
As I go for mine
I'm stylin' divine
I know you love it...
It's about time.
Pump your fist
And get a load of this
It's the lyricist, the Double-D
And I don't miss at this
Or at that
Get your get when I attack
And let go a mic blow
To put you on your back
From my verse
Without a curse
I dropped the vulgarity
It's about time
Rappers rhyme with sincerity
Kick facts and info-
Mation for the nation
Education with motivation
Leads to salvation
Freedom and liberty
With an end to all of the poverty
No more bigotry
And property is held properly
But that's just my dream
And it seems it can't come true
They say we're the same
But it's a shame what we've been through
M-L-K, J-F-K
What did the people say?
It's time for change, rearrange
There's no other way
To get what we gotta get
Go where we gotta go
So I hit who I gotta hit
And flow when I gotta flow
The law has a flaw
When they censor my rhyme
So revolution's the solution
And it's about time.
The MARKSMAN - Point Blank (1997)
Words and music ©1997 Mark Baranowski
"Point Blank"
I give it to ya Point Blank
Hence the name Marksman
Writin' rhymes, tellin' you like it is
Makin' sparks, and
I know this shit don't fit my persona...
Do I look someone that rocks the microphone?
Huh?
I take pride in my whiteness
While brothers blubber ebonics
I practice politeness, and proper grammar
I never stammer
And if I did a crime, which I wouldn't
I would die before I went to the slammer
Because that's just a waste of a lifetime
When times are hard, use your mind
Not a .9
I know, talk is cheap
But at least you can afford it
Take it for what it's worth
Or else just ignore it
And that comes from one
Who never went to college
But still stands tall and proud
Burstin' with knowledge
I thank God I look good
In fact, I look REAL good
If you think I'm conceited then I've been misunderstood
Confidence is the key
Words to live by
So many die unhappy cuz they didn't try
To take that giant step
Into the unknown
They'd rather live alone, why?
They're gonna die alone!
Why people wanna waste their earthly time
I can't understand
I'm just doin' my part to lend a helpin' hand
To my fellow man
So I reach the Promised Land
And start from the beginning
Back to where it all began.
CHORUS:
Point Blank, cuz when you come, come correct
I'M comin' correct and direct, gainin' respect
Point Blank...when you come, come correct
I'm pullin' no punches and keepin' suckers in check.
People tend to get to me
When I let the bass go
They say it's too loud
Is it, just cuz they say so?
So do I turn it down?
HELL, no!
Yo, do I turn it down?
Imagine that!
Do I turn it down?
FUCK, no!
There's a sayin'
If it's too damn loud, you're too damn old!
The new generation is in effect
Collectin' cash money and cashin' checks
But never forgettin' where we began
Rememberin' our childhood homes
Away from which we ran
Kickin' up sand cuz life is just a beach
Searchin' for happiness that's STILL out of reach
Keep on prayin' to the Lord
Cuz we can't give up hope
That He may, everyday, help us to cope
It takes much discipline, I gotta say, but
As the Disciples Dissin' Discipline
We're livin' that way
We know our right from wrong
And we always stay right
Unless a sucker motherfucker steps up
And wants to fight
In the name of the Father
The Son and Holy Spirit
We're cappin' ya Point Blank
So everybody fear it.
CHORUS
California, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
Mexico, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
Puerto Rico, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
Buffalo...I'm comin' at ya Point Blank.
Punk bitches, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
Hypocrites, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
Corrupt police people, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
All pretty ladies, I'm comin' at ya Point Blank.
Drug users, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
Alcoholics, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
Men beatin' up on their women, cappin' ya Point Blank
Imitators...I'm comin' at ya Point Blank.
Rednecks, I'm cappin' ya Point Blank
Don't talk shit or I'll be cappin' ya Point Blank
Don't test me or I'll be cappin' ya Point Blank
If you're down, I'm comin' at ya Point Blank.
"A.L.A.R.M."
Armed Like A Renegade Mercenary
A-L-A-R-M, I'm on a mission
From God
The power of Christ compells you, now listen
If you ain't down with the Good News
Choose or lose, clown
Heaven-sent, or hell-bound
It makes no difference to me and my posse
The Disciples Dissin' Discipline is who we be
You won't see me or hear me
As I creep
No time to watch your back
So don't sleep
I'm fully strapped
Ready to peel a fool's cap back
The minute he steps to me and pops that bullcrap
Jack, just step back
Before you get smacked
My crew is a militia that's about to attack
The Black Panthers flipped inside out is us
The White Cheetahs
You NEED us
Cuz no one can beat us
We're invincible
It's visible, fool, that you're a faker
A heartbreaker
Now you just met your maker
Our calling card reads the triple-D
Just like D.D.T.
We're deadly as we wanna be
And we got short fuses
You can't diffuse us
Your knick-knack-paddy-wack games don't amuse us
And suckers who diss
We dismiss with prejudice
HELL naw, they ain't shit to us
Cuz this is OUR business
And they need to exit it
Because WE invented it
And now they get smoked
Well, they could have prevented it
But NOO...They had to go and act smart
Talkin' behind our backs
Frontin' like they had heart
But hot DAMN, minuteman
With a zip, and boom-bam!
You're kissin' the pavement
And realize you ain't flam
In order to get with us, yo
You need a game plan
But even with a game plan
You end up in pain, man
Gimme all the mean looks you want
You don't scare me
A-L-A-R-M, I'm you're huckleberry.
Armed Like A Renegade Mercenary
On the real tip
I never used to be one
To start no trouble
I used to keep to myself, that's it
I never talked about nobody
And that kept me from gettin' into trouble
I never saw a rumble
But then I got a girl
And that's when the shit started
Enter Mr. Marksman
Cuz Mr. Nice Guy departed
I saw how ignorant fools really are, today
They see a couple in love
And try to get in the way
Tellin' lies that I'm foolin' 'round, behind her back
All the while, they're tryin' to get my boo in the sack
She wasn't havin' it
And when I found out
I cold flipped, and tripped
My temper flared, and ALL that shit
Ever since then, my mentality is fuck 'em all
If you dare to test me
You care to take a fall
And don't let my old man hear about a brawl
His Wrecking Crew is rougher than mine
It just takes a phone call
They don't give a DAMN
Who feels like actin' up
If you're a cop, it don't matter
You're probably corrupt
Now that my girl and myself are no longer
And no other girl wants to talk to me
I've gotten stronger
Bottom line bein' that if you step up
You step down
Music man, hit the ALARM sound.
Armed Like A Renegade Mercenary
The Disciples Dissin' Discipline
That's the crew that I'm in
The boys are in back
While I'm in front, with the rhymin'
There's Don with the quick step
He fights with a lead pipe
And Bob on his side
Bustin' shit with a left, right
Straight to your jaw
Til' he hears you mumble "uncle"
Then comes Roger and Curtis
Now there's a rumble
Claimin' backup is Owen and Greg
Out to break legs
Tom's takin' charge
Now you're walkin' on pegs
We got the brothers
Doc's wreckin' shop, feedin' you soil
Makin' you choke on it
You're fallin' victim to turmoil
Tahir's oppressin' ya
Molestin' ya, testin' ya
Piss on Islam, and his fists are blessin' ya
Chauncey, Teddy, Henry
Get NUFF respect
Forrest, Hollis and Thomas
Got your shit in check
Nate and Tony and Will
Makin' ya feel ill
And Phil, Sam and Tuffy
Show you the real deal
My crew even spreads out from town to town
If I got beef
My back is covered from all around
From the days of wayback
Richie's bustin' caps with a 40
And Derek and Ed
Are known for bein' naughty
Oh, the ladies...
There's several in our clan
There's Lisa and Jenny
But no respect to MaryAnn
There's Leah, Michelle and Chris
Don't ever diss this
The honey's are hostile
They're FAR from Swiss Miss
And if I had a girl
She wouldn't be a member
But she'd be all that I'd live for
I could NEVER forget her
And if you'd mess with her
You'd mess with me and the posse
We'd pull out a bottle
Like Martini and Rossi
And smash your head
And crash your head, and then some
Next thing you know, you're on the ground
You're overcome
But what'd you expect?
You thought we wouldn't find out?
It just so happens it gets back to us quick
Cuz we got much clout
Suckers be warned
The Hit List is gettin' large
And nothin' can save ya
Not even camouflage.
Armed Like A Renegade Mercenary
"Hear the Flow"
Hear the Flow with no slow tempo...
Here's a flow with no slow tempo
Without a curse
I gotta rehearse a verse first
Burstin' bubbles
Makin' trouble for MC's
Say PLEASE
Before you test crackers like these
We're a band, and you're a fan
We're like the Klan
We stick together and we're better
We take a stand
Against fools like you
What YOU gonna do
When White Lightnin' strikes the ground
You're through
Boo!
I ain't a racist, and I ain't prejudiced
All I'm sayin' to you studio gangsters is
I'm bettin' this
Shit you're poppin' is all a fantasy
YOU couldn't bust a cap
Don't try handin' me that nonsense
Anyone with common sense could tell ya
That bullshit ain't gonna sell, huh
The days of NWA are over and done with
Even Dre says "that's it"
Besides, did you ever see them get a Grammy?
Nope
Don't try denyin' it
I KNOW you understand me
Look where that shit got Tupac
Laid to rest
One lung left in his chest
Now who's next?
Who needs the military?
We got our own war in the streets
One after another gets beat
Day after day
And night after night
Way back in the day
It all came down to a fistfight
It's much too easy, nowadays
For one to get a gat
Too many comin' back strapped.
(Ya know? And a man can't even get a pack of cigarettes without the proper ID...
Ain't THAT a bitch)
Hear the flow with no slow tempo...
Here's a flow with no slow tempo
I caught ya prayin', mantis
Oh no, I didn't plan this
It's from the top of my head
I heard somebody said
I'm a white-bred, cracker jack, Right Said Fred-head
Who's got no business in the rappin' game
Isn't that funny?
When it comes to fame
I'M the one the suckers claim
Ironic, isn't it?
Though I must admit it
After this album hits a million
I'll probably forget it
It's just to prove to myself
That I'm as funky
As any jungle monkey
Gettin' paid, rockin' the mic
And dissin' honkeys
Yo, where'd you get that beat from?
They ask, I respond
"Does a magician give out his secrets? Relax!"
If it sounds familiar
It's deja vu like a motherfucker
The first time around deserved another
Play, hey hey hey!
I'm into recyclin'
Glass, plastic, papers, beats
I get hyper when
I hear an unfamiliar break beat
I come on the sheets
Not really, but I loop it
And make it complete
So much for THIS magician keepin' quiet
Nevertheless it's copywritten
So don't even try it
Buy it, don't deny it
It's smooth as it can be
Flavor you savor, sweeter than candy
I make my music for the strippers
Erotic dancers, showgirls
Whatever you fancy to call 'em
So many suckers wanna ball 'em
With no respect
No, they don't love 'em
They just wanna maul 'em, damn!
Why must there always be
Someone to spoil a good thing
I'm ashamed to be a man
Cuz I don't think with my ding-a-ling
You won't see me at the "gentleman's club", G
If that's what you call their clientele
That ain't me.
(I mean, you MIGHT happen to see me there...
If it's a stag party or somethin'. I can't go out like a party pooper)
Here's a flow with no slow tempo...
It's time to break it down
Before it's time to break outta here
Never fear, I'll be back next year
To bring you somethin' new to continue
Addin' lighter, brighter
Hype flavor to the menu
Can you dig it?
I-I knew that you could
I'm a prized possession
Like a man's mornin' wood
I'm too good to let go
Better than the rest
I treat others like they were Elliot Ness
I'd be afraid to diss 'em
Cuz I hate to start shit
But if some comes about
I'm finishin' it
I got long hair
I got white skin
I don't wear sneaks
But I know Nike's "in"
I was raised Catholic
Now I begin again
I'm down with Jesus
Praisin' Allah's a sin
I love white girls
So brother, don't worry about me
Takin' your sister
I wouldn't even kiss her
I sport International Male
"Got it goin' on" gear
Never seen in Timberlands
And Walker Wear
I don't smoke blunts
I treasure each and every one of my brain cells
Pray tell, plus the bud smells
These are some differences
But here's a similarity
With clarity
Someone like me is a rarity
Because I look good
Hip-hop still looks good
Got the picture, Black?
I hope it's understood
All that SHOULD be important is makin' music
Not WHO'S makin' it, but how we use it
Kick the facts
And stay on point
Don't be negative...
Let's rock the joint!
"Peace of What?"
(Aw, yeah. This is The Marksman, in full effect. Kickin' it in my home studio, AKA "The Coolout Shelter," you know what I'm sayin'? Here in sunny Charlotte, North Carolina. I had to relocate the studio, a LONG way from Buffalo, New York, where I was born and raised. I say I had to relocate because if I put up with one more winter in Buffalo I would have died...so I said "Fuck this!"
So some people want some personal stats...alright. I was born Mark Christopher Baranowski on April 28, 1974...Yeah, I'm Polish, so whatchu sayin'?
Alright, that's personal enough. You wanna get more personal, write me a letter. I'll answer it personally.
Anyway, this record's about the state of the world today, and what it's gonna be like tomorrow if we all don't chill the fuck out, you know what I'm sayin'?
Peep this.)
Black boy
Raised in the hood
Goes to school, but ain't doin' too good
Forget about it
Why beat a dead horse?
Does without it
He'll use the Force
Knowledge gained only in the street
You step to homeboy
Your ass gets beat
No questions asked
No answers given
Any more static, you're no longer livin'
Givin' a bad case of the brain drain
If your head gets in the way of the bullet
No more pain
On the contrary, if you don't die
You'll wish you did
Livin' as a veggie's a lifetime bid
Where could this rage have come from?
Reason...what could it be?
I don't know, you tell me!
An unhappy home?
No father figure?
Cruel motherfuckers, too many callin' him "nigger"?
Whatever the explanation
Throughout the nation
This, for instance, makes NO sense
But if he try to step to ME
I'll show him the meanin' of white p-r-i-d-e
(Hold it! I said hold it!....THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! It's this never-ending cycle of revenge, and one ignorant fool tryin' to rule over the other guy that's gonna bring this world to an end. We are, INDEED, headin' for Armaggedon, and it's like that! You all know what you NEED to be doin'...There's just too many of you that are too stubborn to take action.
But I wouldn't want anybody preachin' to me, so you know what? I'm not even gonna say anymore. As a matter of fact, hell with the record, too. Just think about it.)
"The Darkness"
The Darkness
Surroundin' me as I stroll down the block
Been walkin' awhile
But I don't look at the clock
I mean, watch on my wrist
Which is temptin' me quite a bit
I'm havin' a vision of a knife and a slit
But naw, I would never have the gutsTo pull one of them moves
Since life is a game
Doin' that would make me lose
And I ain't a loser
I've been taught to be a winner
Sure, I've made some mistakes
But in the end, we're ALL sinners
These things I think about at times like this
When problem-solving is difficult
It's what I hate to get involved in
But nevertheless, these problems keep on occurrin'
Between me, my family and friends
It seems that we're in a constant struggle
To see which one is the most stubborn
This shit will continue on
Until ONE of us learns
To leggo the ego
And strive for some compromise
Cuz if we did
So many teary eyes wouldn't be advertised
What's goin' on?
It's hard to keep goin' on
When everything in life
Seems to keep goin' wrong
Lord, grant me the strength to persevere
Show me the light
So I may conquer my fear.
The Darkness swallows me
It's gettin' hard to breathe
It taunts me, holds me fast
Tells me I can't leave
Every sound is magnified, it's deafening
I cover my ears
But I can still hear everything
Who's that? Are they talkin' about ME?
Maybe...
Christ, I'm paranoid
Why won't you SAVE me
From myself
I can't do it alone
I'm afraid to go home
Strangers tie up my telephone
Nothin' but wrong numbers
Does anyone know I'm alive?
Does anyone care if I live or die?
I don't know how much farther down
This pit of despair can take me
If this is a dream, someone please wake me!
I don't wanna hit the flatline
Bring back reality
I don't wanna be the one labelled a technicality
Hands reachin' out of the night
Tryin' to drag me down
I fall to my knees
Then they lead me underground
Without a sound
Eyes wide, it doesn't matter
Even if I had 'em closed
There'd be no ignoring the chatter
Of the tiny demons in my head
Tellin' me to do things
That make me think I'm better off dead
"Destroy your enemy,
And then destroy yourself...
This world will only wear down your body
And your mental health...
You owe it to yourself, SAVE yourself
Pick up the gun you use to advertise yourself with...
You get it?
Get with it."
Then out of the Darkness
There comes a great beam of light
All the creatures, in fright, take flight
Like the vermin of the world
Scared of the Chosen
Take it however, scared stiff
Or simply frozen
They know their time is gettin' shorter
Crime doesn't pay
Is all I have to say
In the end, there's no other way
But righteousness
I thank the Lord I realized in time
If my head hadn't cleared when it did
I would have lost my mind
Life's too short to begin with
We're better off
Keepin' a positive attitude
It doesn't make you "soft"
Too many people pretend
They're stronger than they really are
Open yourself to others
On your own, you won't get far
People make up a family
Somewhere SOMEBODY cares for ya
Open your heart and THEN your mouth
They can't ignore ya
You're never alone
As a rapper, I make it known
Though I may promote weaponry
Hatred ain't what I condone
We only live twice
If not for this life, do it for the next
Our earthly purpose isn't all about sex
And money, and goin' for yours
There's others to think about
Live every day like it's your last
Peace...I'm out.
"This Ain't Nothin'"
This ain't nothin'
But somethin' to bob your head to
No intro is necessary
Just let me step through
Your speakers
The honeys in the crowd are gettin' weaker
The fellas are jellin' me
Cuz their chance is gettin' bleaker
And ooh!, it's gotta hurt
Yeah I know the feelin', partner
For years, every weekend
Left me goin' home harder and harder
With no one but Rosie de Palma to ease me
I prayed and I prayed
Someone would come along and please me
But this gave me nothin'
But time to focus on myself
I started workin' and rymin'
And increasin' my mental health
And good things really DO come to those souls who wait
Here I am
YOU may have brought her
But now she's MY date
Then again
I don't want her, you can have her
She's too fat for me, see
I got my conditions
I ain't a freak
My name ain't Humpty
To all the pretty SKINNY girls in the audience
Sway to this...
Raise your hands
You won't be missed.
This ain't nothin' but somethin' to bob your head to...
After a show
I go through the remainin' ho's
I mean honeys
Who ain't tired
And didn't blow all of their money
I pick out the best one
Or two, or maybe three
We'll go out for pie and coffee
Of course they'll wanna treat me
So I let 'em
Thinkin' about how wet I'm gonna get 'em
When I bet 'em
We won't be in my shower
Two hours after I met 'em
That's how it goes
With me and ho's (HONEYS)
Well, is it because
I got so much soul, or money
It makes me wonder
Then all doubts diminish
When I take home a virgin
Who doesn't want me to finish
And cries that she loves me
The next mornin', uh-oh...
Do I fall in love?
I've so often heard it's a no-no
I don't know
Although it's never as good as the first time
I probably could get used to THIS girl
She's divine
And I'll never forget
When she first took a look at the schwantz
And squealed...
"It's just my bungee cord, call it Johnson"
Tryin' to please me
She asked what she should do
I wasn't ready to screw
I said, "Just do what you must get used to."
Cuz this ain't nothin' but somethin' to bob your head to...
Last, but not least
The matter of this beat
I gotta rule
It's GOTTA be funky
Or else I hit DELETE
For the street
Certain people insist on a sound that bumps
Heard from miles away
It's like a bomb in your trunk
I don't choose to use a bass line
In everything I do
The purpose gets defeated
When the police have to harass you
For playin' it too loud
Disturbin' the peace, and such
And if your speaker blows
I'd say there's too much
"Turn it down"
But that ain't what I make this shit for
It's another form of expression
Whether mellow or hardcore
Cuz I can flip the script
As well as any other motherfuckin' brother
So get out my grill
Ignorant sucker
And deal with the fact
That I don't have to be black
Or come strapped
To talk shit
I use my rap to back it up with
And I'm gonna be around a long time
Get used to me
My style, my profile
Your girl wantin' to do me
And all for the sake of makin' music
If you got it, flaunt it...
If you don't use it, you lose it.
And that's the truth...
It's to the youth...
Remember...
This ain't nothin' but somethin' to bob your head to...
"Break It Down"
I don't often dance
But I like to
Take me out
You never know what I might do
Once I see the girls
In the tight pants
How can I resist?
I'll take a chance
Move me, soothe me
Groove with me
Girl, I'll take you home
If you do me
Sometime next week
Or two, or three
Or next month
I can wait, but don't front
If you don't want me
Let me know NOW
I'll make ya say WOW
Cuz I got the know-how
Fellas seem to keep gettin' jealous
When I step into the place
They get careless
They talk junk about me
And then the girls wanna know if it's true
Then they don't wanna leave without me!
Damn
I'll tell ya
I wish it didn't take me so long
To get my groove on
I woulda had it goin' on
All the way back
To the first grade
Ah, well...
So I was delayed
Now I play my cards right
Cuz I know
What's in my best interest
I never go
Off the path
That stays straight and narrow
Just like the bone
Not the one with the marrow
Care o-f
M-a-r-k-s-m-a-n
Once I've taken a breath
I'll begin again
Break it down.
Breakdown, go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, break down...
It's a party jam
Man, it's quite flam
It ain't for slow dancin'
Hand-in-hand
And the past tense of run is ran
It's a sin to say, "Goddamn!"
This is a freestyle
Straight from The Marksman
Beware of the sirens
Because I'm alarmin'
Just like Prince Charmin'
I'm a truly romantic
Frantic white boy
With amazing antics
I rock the mic
Unlike any other sucker MC
Who thinks he can beat me
Believe me
If you attempt to step with pep
You're wrecked
You should have known
Because behind your ears
You're still wet
So take time to grow up
Or throw up
You know what?
Your ho gives up butt for a cut
Now she's a dough nut
But I would never glaze her
Or graze her, or phase her
Call me The Ripper
I'd just pull out my razor
And slash her
Now I just caused a disaster
But I don't give a damn
That's the life of a masher
I'll bet I had you thinkin' my mind is psychotic
Not quite
I ain't the one that's doin' narcotic
I know you're feelin' the effects of the high
I guess that's why
There's red in your eye
And you struggle to get by
Lots of luck, boy
You're sure gonna need some
You said you're a B-boy
I label you B-bum
You scum
Get off of the crack pipe
You ass wipe
While you were suckin'
Your girl was fuckin' me, last night
And DAMN it was hype
She must have learned from a master
When I started laggin'
She STILL wanted it faster!
Nuff respect to her
For cheatin' on you, punk
Now she's part of MY crew
Cuz we got the new funk
So break it down.
Breakdown, go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, break down...
B-r-e-a-k I-t D-o-w-n
And then I begin again
The groove is smooth
And I'll improve the jack move
And you can't prove
That my lyrics don't soothe
Cuz when I'm in the mood
I warm hearts and spark minds
Dim the lights
Until the rhyme is outta time
Then rewind
So you can listen again and again
Tell a friend
So we can teach the children
To stay on the straight and narrow path
You laugh
It may sound amusing
But think of the aftermath...
Down and out
But not in Beverly Hills
The cup of life is leakin'
And we're all out of refills
This shit is ill
But somethin' we must consider
And if the kids don't wanna listen
There's always the sitter
Cuz for yourself
You must strive for wealth
And good health
You'll get there one day
With or without stealth
And once you arrive
You'll never want to turn back
What, you worry?
You ain't tryin' to hear that
So knowledge, peace
Clean sheets, and understandin'
Love for yourself
And others
I'm demandin'
Break it down.
"Smooth As It Goes"
Smooth as it goes
And very mellow
Like a willow
Slip into somethin' comfortable
Lay down on the pillow
And take it easy
Relax
I'll be here for ya
I got our night planned out
And it ain't gonna bore ya, girl
The moonglow's comin' through the window
As I go
Over to ya
And in a whisper
I let ya know...
"Tonight we're gonna be in a paradise of our own"
We're finally alone
So reach over
And unplug the phone
Girl, let's get busy
I'll make it gentle
And tender
And smooth
Do what you like, I'll approve
I've waited long, it's been hard
VERY hard
No pun intended
You know I respect ya
Don't wanna get you offended
I'm only human
If I get carried away
Just stop me
I'd hate for you to love me and tease me
Then drop me
I'd never do it to YOU
Don't do it to ME, please
I love you, you're my lady
Not just a single night skeeze
I need you as a partner and friend
Not just a lover
And now I'm gonna love you
Like I never loved another
So close your eyes
And let me start to do work
You'll be in ecstasy
Cuz I won't try to make it hurt
And now we proceed
To move into the groove
And I'll soothe your mood
Because tonight I'll be smooth.
To get the night started right
I gently kiss your lips
The way you're rubbin' and lovin' me
How can I resist?
I lean into you
And suck on your neck
And tickle your ear
I'm not gonna bite ya
Unless you want me to, my dear
So now you're gettin' hot
And you don't want me to stop kissin'
Along your whole body
There's no spot I'll be missin'
So I make my way
Down to your chest
I mean breasts
And keep on travellin' south
Yeah, you know the rest
Your legs are silky and smooth
Like in the name of this jam
What's that? You want more?
Then grab ahold of my hand
And place it anywhere
Onto your lovely body you'd like to
I'd do ANYTHING, with pleasure
There's no end to what I'd do
You say I should slow it down
We're movin' too fast
The night is still young
And you wanna make it last
So I ease back
Just a little, not too much
You've got me heated up
And I melt at your touch
Pretty soon
Moan and groan
On and on and on
We keep it up until dawn
And then we finally fall asleep in each other's arms
We don't wanna move
Could I have made it TOO smooth?
Now that the night is through
I turn over and see
You breathin' so softly and peacefully
Right next to me
I reach out
And I caress your face and smile
Because I know
I've finally found a girl
To make my life worthwhile
Before I had you
I had nothin', I was lonely
Now my life has reached a new height
All this time that you've known me
I pray that we're together forever
Baby, I want you
And there's no one
Who could love you
HALF as much as I do
I know that for a fact
Just from the way that I feel
Some say it's not true love
But I KNOW it's for real
A lot of people enjoy gettin' in our business
Forget 'em
They like to keep on talkin' their nonsense
Well let 'em
Cuz if we just ignore 'em
We'll be fine for a long time
As long as we keep sayin'
That I'm yours and you're mine
But in the meantime
No more talkin'
Let's get with this here
We'll start all over
First I kiss your neck
And tickle your ear
And so on
And like I said before
We keep on
Until the break of dawn
Or til our energy's gone
Whichever comes first
But til then, let's keep goin'
Because the longer we're together
The more our love is growin'.
Smooth.
"Busta, You're My Hero"
Busta, Busta, you're my hero...
I'm smooth as a gumdrop
After it's gotten sucked on
For half an hour
Hit the showers
Brothers cower as I flower
Devour competition
Wishin' their commission
Was HALF as high as mine
FILTHY SWINE!
Gimme the girl, now she's mine
Jenny McCarthy
You gotta put me on
Baby, you got it goin' on
That's word is bond
You make my heart sing
I'll sing you a lullaby
You'll think you're in heaven
Then the number 7
Plus 62 is what we can do
Got a clue?
OOOH! I'm gettin' off-track
Now bring me back
To this land of peace and unity
Equal opportunity for the black
AND the white
Oh, hold up
I must be dreamin'
In THAT respect
Cuz Uncle Sammy WAS the enemy
Til he got himself in check
Not sayin' no names
I'd like to live til I'm 92
Not 22
Just take a look at Malcolm
He's through
Oh Busta, Busta
PLEASE Busta, help me
I'm gettin' too deep!
I only wanted to freestyle
I won't be able to sleep!
Teach me to do like YOU do
Cuz I just don't know HOW to
Pick up the mic
And give 'em somethin' on nothin'
B, you're my hero.
TIME SENSITIVE - "You're the One" (1999)
Words and music ©1995 Mark Baranowski
"You're the One"
Girl, you know you are
Everything to me
You're the kind of girl
Who needs to be told
Everything she already knows
Beautiful you are, so
Especially when you smile
When you look at me
With those eyes
I know nothing else
Could make my life more worthwhile
Give me the chance to be
The one to hold your hand
When you don't understand
My love could be your savior
In this life of despair
There'll be no Heaven to await
Cuz we'll be already there.
You're the one for me
You're the one for me, you see
You're the one for me
You're the one for me
Do you believe
In a strength that can climb any mountain
And swim any sea
With love, all this is possible
I mean you and me
Please don't make me beg
But if I have to, I will
This emptiness that's taken over me
Only you can fill
How long have we known each other?
(Not very long, I'm aware)
What does it matter, anyway?
(I don't care)
Do you feel the same way?
(Let me know)
Let's not waste each other's time...
Should I stay (or go)?
Before you decide
Think of a life of bliss
Some chances come but once in a lifetime
You won't wanna miss this one.
You're the one for me
(Has anyone told you lately)
You're the one for me
(You look as bright as the sun?)
You're the one for me
(Just like a star, girl)
You're the one for me
(Your glow just lights up the darkness)
You're the one for me
(Ooh, just let me look at you)
You're the one for me
(You know I like what I see)
You're the one for me
(Please make the right decision)
You're the one for me
(It's GOT to be you and me)
AWFUL GOODNESS - Awful Goodness (2004)
Words and music ©1997, 2004 Mark Baranowski
“Life”
Life
Gets shorter every day
It wouldn’t hurt you
To stop and pray
Love
Love each other
Don’t miss this chance
You won’t get another
How you live
Ain’t none of mine
Don’t fear for my soul
I’m doin’ fine
I go with the flow
I don’t claim to know
Tomorrow
Time
Passin’ by
You blink, it’s gone
Enough to make you cry...
There ain’t no lookin’ back
No re-run
So why regret? Forget
All that you’ve already done
How you live
Ain’t none of mine
I know where I’m goin’
When it’s my time
Can you say the same?
Live, like it’s more than just a game
“Time Sensitive”
Time is slipping through my fingers
You could say that my life
Is time sensitive
Days and nights get shorter
There's so much to do
Time is slipping through our fingers
Endless responsibilities
Countless desires
One life
Time sensitive
Time is slipping through my hands
I could say that this life
Is time sensitive
All we can remember
Gets further away
Time is slipping through our hands
Slipping right through our hands
Slipping right through our fingers
Wish that we could turn back the time
If only we could do it all over again
“Let Me In”
Outside it's pouring rain
I know you feel the same
If you let me in
I can make it better
Hey you, are you seeing visitors today?
By your facial expression
You could use some attention
Are you okay,
or did someone else treat you badly?
I know what you're going through
And what you need
Is what I'm here to offer you
Outside the rain comes down
But in here there are no sounds
Why can't you put down your guard
And let me in?
I'll make it better, I promise
So let's begin
I swear, everything will make a change
I know
Because I've been to where you are
It's hard to hold out your hand
Your pride gets in the way
But I could be the one to hold you
Until you're strong again
Remember
I'll always be here for you
Just consider me
Your best friend
To the end
“Pain”
Dark desires
Breathing in fire
Welcoming the blaze
Fueling my last days
No reason
Consistent treason
No right to live
Could you forgive?
I can’t help it
Pain is all I know
I can’t help it
Pain is all I know
Sinful intent
My message gets sent
Always loud and clear
There’s nothing to fear
I can see
They show it to me
That look in their eyes
A lovely disguise
I can’t help it
Pain is all I know
I can’t help it
Pain is all I know
I can’t stop it
It’s too late now
I wouldn’t if I knew how
Something in me tells me
“Let it be”
I can’t help it
Pain is all I know
Something in me tells me
“Let it be”
I can’t help it
Pain is all I know
Something in me warns me
“Let it be”
“Understand The World”
I want to understand the world
I want to understand the world
My family's down on me
My friends are ignoring me
I want to understand the world
Everything that it's coming to be
I want to understand the world
Everything that it's doing to me
I want to understand the world
I want to understand the world
Lovers at war with each other
Sometimes people find it hard
To express what's on their minds
I want to understand the world
Everything that it's coming to be
I want to understand the world
In every way that it's discouraging me
Can somebody help me
Get to the place I want to be?
But once we've gotten there, don't leave me
It may not be all it's cracked up to be
I want to understand the world
I want to understand the world
We only hurt the ones that we love
What can our problem be?
What are we thinking of?
I want to understand the world
Everything that it's coming to be
I want to understand the world
Every bad thing I've started to be
I want to understand the world
“Lies”
Lies
Vicious lies
Hurt the most when unexpected
How could I plan for this,
much less expect this?
I trusted you
And what the hell did you do?
I guess that's
what I get
You never actually said you were mine
Who are we to say
Someone else can't go away
Anyway?
Anyway
Damn these lessons...
Learned the hard way...
Damn you!
God damn these lies
“No Explanation”
Memories
In the end, that's all we own
If you live each day to the hilt
It's better being
Alone
Patience
I can't say I've ever had this
They say the longer you wait
Then the greater will be the prize
I don't understand this
There was a time
When I'd look for every reason
For the change of season
I tried to understand the world
But there's some things
That require no explanation
We're not supposed to know it all
Depression
Some of us know it more than others
And have learned to feed off of it
Dry your eyes
Take off the disguise
And listen to me
I know what I'm talking about
Let yourself go
You have no worries if you think that you don't
And why think any other way?
Trust in me
We all have to trust in someone
I won't let you down
I'll be there...
Remember that life
Is what we make of it
But who are you
To decide to take it?
There was a time
When I'd look for every reason
For the change of season
I tried to understand the world
But there's some things
That offer no explanation
We're not supposed to know it all
“Anything”
If you were to tell me
That you were never coming back
I wouldn't stop you, I'd just stand here
And watch you go
But if you should ever decide
If, by some chance, you change your mind
That it's with me you want to die, I won't be so kind
I'd give you anything
Anything you asked me for, girl
I'd give you anything
You took that for granted
You took my heart with both hands and ran
What could you possibly need
When you already had everything?
Maybe I tried too hard
Instead of pulling, I pushed you away
Way, way too far
You always said that I was stubborn
I used to think you were a tease
Who's right or wrong, and does it really make a difference?
There's no one else to make me happy
I used to think I owned the world
But now I feel my life isn't worth anything
Maybe you tried too hard
Instead of pulling, you pushed yourself away
Way, way too far
I'd have given you anything.
MARK BARANOWSKI - Heaven Help Me (I'm Alive) (2005)
Words and music ©1997, 2005 Mark Baranowski
"Drunken Disciples"
Wretched heroes
Count to zero
Over again
Lack a single friend
Stagger blindly
Hope to find me
I stay out of reach
Watching from afar
So many intentions
Not enough preventions
Out in the field
Mild resistance, hidden insistence
Longing just to be healed
Shattered spirit
I can hear it
Calling me by name
Unavoidable
Taunting voices
Foolish choices
Cannot change the past
Best to never dwell
So many intentions...
Drunken disciples
"What You Made"
Father, this is for you
Mother, dear
Here's a little song for you, too
I'd like to thank you for everything
Everything you've done for me
Father
You fill me with Your love and light
What would I be without You?
You guide me through the darkest night
I thank You for everything
Everything You give to me
Shine upon me
Your humble child
I need the comfort
You make me smile
Never leave me
I'll always be
Nothing more than
What You made
Father
Through Your teachings I've become
A servant loyal and proud
A diamond in a rough crowd
And I'm so thankful
For everything You've brought to me
Shine upon me
Your humble child
I need the comfort
You make me smile
Never leave me
I'll always be
Nothing more than
What You made
"Heaven Help Me (I'm Alive)"
Heaven help me, I'm alive
So why do I feel so dead?
In the city, prostitution
Single mothers sell their own
I look away, but I can't ignore it
All this anger, I have to store it
I ask the preacher (preacher, preacher)
Oh, tell me teacher...
What can we do?
"Pray to Mary... Try to reach her"
Time for prayin', or time to act?
This charity, who does it pay?
Ooh, it pays
Heaven help me, I'm alive
So why do I feel so dead?
And since we're talkin' about prayin'
Nowadays, it's just empty words
Well, the churches are empty... yes they are
The parish dressed up like stars
What for?
Fashion show for holy rollers
(Tell me preacher... teacher, teacher)
What can I do?
I talked to Mary, and I told her
"We're not worthy of help, Mother...
But have mercy, queen above all others"
(Won't you help us, sweet Lady?)
Heaven help me, I'm alive
(Sweet, sweet, sweet and blessed Lady)
Heaven help me, I'm alive
"Let You Down"
You look at me
And what you see
Is more than I could ever be
How did I
Become the one you idolize?
I can't promise
That I won't let you down
You need a friend
Whether girl or boy
It doesn't matter
Someone you can share with
All your toys
I can't help but worry
When you're out on your own
Don't think it won't happen
I'll be here... Just pick up the phone
Somehow
I became your hero
Imagine that
You could do so much better
I'll try not to let you down
Somehow
You made me your hero
Imagine that
You could do so much better
I'll try not to let you down
"One More Year"
Can you recall when the world was brighter?
How the nights were warmer?
Why did they have to end?
Why did they have to end?
Can you remember when the days were longer?
We looked toward the future
With stars inside our eyes
With stars inside our eyes
There was no reason to doubt
That our children would persevere
So much they're forced to live without
Will they make it another year?
Lord, will we live through just one more year?
The waves get higher and higher
The air gets colder and colder
The days get shorter and shorter
God only knows what tomorrow brings
God only knows just what tomorrow brings
God, help us through
Whatever tomorrow brings
"Forevermore"
I may not say so enough for you
But I love you more than you know
And if you could only accept that I'm
Most times selfish, and preoccupied
We could move on to a better life
After all, we should live and let live
Give me time to express my desire for you
To be by my side forevermore
Would you follow me to anywhere?
I'm less alive when I'm not by your side
Would you mind letting me take you there?
Why not just leave this world behind?
Are you happy with what we have become...
Or have these changes been for the worst?
I can't complain, for you're the brightest star
In my every night
Until I close my eyes...
And in my dreams...
You bring me the sweetest fantasies
From our bed, we find paradise
So believe me, dear
You own my heart
It will be yours...
Forevermore.
"No Looking Back"
Day after day
Feel your life slippin' away
What you gonna do about it?
How can we make it right...
From the mornin' through the night?
Make the most of our time
Keep from losin' our minds
This daily routine
Leave our troubles behind
Spend awhile in the sun
Havin' fun, worry none, you're lovin' everyone
In the new world
Spend awhile in the sun
It doesn't matter where we go
Just so you know
When we're together, everything's right
Sure as the wind blows
It's not too late
Today's a new chapter
It's all up to you
Make anything happen
Spend awhile in the sun
You deserve more fun
Rest assured it's gonna come
In the new world
Spend awhile in the sun
There's no lookin' back, no need
Just move on
Compose a new song
But make sure it's long
From your heart, not your mind
Let the world know how you feel
You could never go wrong
No lookin' back, no lookin' back
No need, just move on
No lookin' back, no lookin' back
Bring out that new song
No more lookin' back, no lookin' back
No more lookin' back...
There'll be no lookin' back
"Our Last Dance"
Oh, Lord
Forgive me
I've tried to do right, so how can this be?
This dark dead-end
Lost with no friends
I've hurt all those I loved, I can't pretend
It doesn't hurt me, too
Is there some way I can undo what I've done?
Or is it just too late?
Have I had my fun?
I'm such a fool
I've broken all the rules
And it breaks my heart
I may not deserve
To have just one more chance
But I ask that this not be
Our last dance.
"Bloodthirsty"
Creatures stirring, restless and hungry
The scent of blood pervades
Tension, anticipation
Reflexes sharp as blades
Within this place they eat their young
Like a prize, remains are hung
Territory comes and goes
Could never be friends, they were raised as foes...
Overlord keeps watch over all
By which will He be overthrown?
Stays far enough away, He isn’t ready to lose
All nerves have been removed
Feet here nowhere, everywhere is hooved
Air thick, difficult to breathe
Ah, the world underneath…
Bloodthirsty... No mercy
Feed their hunger...
Such insatiable appetites
Satisfaction never found
Long to choke on bigger bites
Not like there’s much else to do
Growing pools of the blood each drew
Predators dressed as prey
Could they speak, what would they say?
Would they devise another way?
Face death with delay?
Bloodthirsty... No mercy
Bloodthirsty
Here, they are what they eat
They eat well
No reason for existence
Hence, the lack of resistance
No sense in fighting what is meant to be
It’s their duty
What they are is what they must be
Must be
Instinct is their way of life
The same being their downfall
No harm is done... Bloodthirsty.
The MARKSMAN - Ready For Action (2005)
Words and music ©1993, 1994, 1997, 2005 Mark Baranowski
see Your Momma Knows I’m A Star, Point Blank above for lyrics
The MARKSMAN - The Reason I Put This Together (2006)
Words and music ©1991, 1998, 2006 Mark Baranowski
”Long Time Comin'”
How you gonna change what shouldn't be rearranged?
Why you wanna tell me how I'm actin' is strange?
It's been a long time comin'... many long years
I seen a lotta good times, but plenty of tears
They blurred my eyes when I realized I was a child
I had a lotta growin' up to do, my anger was wild
Sometimes you gotta step back and let time take control
Give yourself to maturity before you give up your soul
Now I'm here to make things clear for disbelievers
For any deceivers, and worthless underachievers
Who take life at face value, they're livin' with blinders on
Too narrow minded to listen to a song
Without judgin' the artist, do they like him? Do they not?
If he's rappin' is he Black? If he's not should he be shot?
If he's a bleach-blond punk it's alright, he's representin'
Representin' what I don't know, but Slim gotta go
What happened to the positivity... in hip-hop?
What happened to the creativity... in hip-hop?
What happened to the microphone fiends of days gone by?
Today you can't make out what nobody's sayin', wonder why
People are gettin' dumber, attention spans are shortenin'
It's a quick-cut world now, the art ain't important
I may not make a friend in the industry that I'm stuck in
But I'd rather represent sincerity than nothin'
My style ain't about throwin' together too many words
And rhymin' offbeat, the new-school method's for the birds
I realize that times change... but why for the worst?
There's an impurity in hip-hop... executive thirst
For the ends, at the cost of an influenced artist
That's why an artist independent... is always the smartest
And now I'm here... after several years, it's been awhile comin'
Cartoon rappers on your mark, get set, now start runnin'.
“Better Off Dead”
I dare you to step to me, step to me...
Groovy rhymes, dig my technique
Fast and hard, never ever weak
Hi-yaaa!
It's round 2, a new beginning
Rappin' sixteen years, and still winnin'
Tried to get out, it kept pullin' me back in
Over and over again, pen after pen
One of these days, I'll run out of words to say
Nah, no way, cause this game is mine to play
Wreckin' shop with a chop, chop, chop
Suey, sue me, he, and sushi
Disgustin', always bustin' caps with raps
Collapse right after I snap your synapse
A lapse in time passes as I'm kickin' asses
Grasses grow along the paths of the masses
Corpses I mean to say, I don't play
With fools who insist to get in my way
Today's the day, tonight's the night for a fight
Riiight, it don't matter if you're black or white
I might let you live, I never said I don't forgive
But try to live with a head like a sieve
Hole in your head, you got ta hole in your head
If you ask me, you're better off dead.
I dare you to step to me, step to me...
If you got the stones and think that you're worthy
.45 calibers rich, and I'm a Christian
But first a man, money's too tight to mention
With skills to pay the bills, yet I'm close
To livin' out on the street, someday I'll be ghost
But for now I do what I gotta just to survive
It's sad when folks die so I'm tryin' to stay alive
To keep it legal makes it difficult... so many give up
To some, any place is worthy of a stick-up
Shakin' ya down, takin' ya down, and vickin' your shit
Finger on the trigger and eager to pull it
But that ain't my game plan, I work for The Man
Until the day I can stand on my own, and be in demand
It's gonna happen I think I can I think I can
Stay true to myself, I won't end up bein' damned
I speak truth, not just what you wanna hear
Gainin' respect cause respect is bred from fear
Stand clear, when I'm on fire you might get burned
Many found out the hard way, oh yeah, they learned
I can't be accountable for my actions
For every action, there's an equal opposing reaction
All you give you get back tenfold
Now don't say you wasn't told.
I dare you to step to me, step to me...
You're better off dead, better ask somebody
You're better off dead if you plan to step to me
Test me if you think that I'm bluffin'
Nothin' you do or say could make my day
Better than if you back up and walk away
Cause I'm used to cappin' at point blank range
But it's a new day and time, it's time for a change
I'd rather take out punks from as far as possible
I'm still unstoppable, to resist ain't logical
It would be futile to all those new to
The game, they get maimed, and The Marksman's to blame
Like David A. Hess in the House by the Park
See it for yourself, beware of the dark
If you're alone at home, don't answer the phone
Get a death threat, then hear nothin' but dial tone
And while you're sweatin' it, you still won't see me comin'
I'll be hummin', but you won't hear it over the drummin'
Of your heartbeat, poundin' in your ears, taste the fear
Swallow it down as you hit the ground
And as I leave you to twitch, and wish
That you never met this son of a bitch, I dig a ditch
And throw your ass in, and whisper, “I win”
Then find your friends, so I can do it again, and again.
Be glad, because you're better off dead.
“XXXon”
Another sssmooth record to help get in the mood
Let's just see if I can do it without makin' it too rude, or crude
Nude women take up my mind and my time
As long as they're beautiful I can't help but to bump and grind
It took a while before I tasted the fruit of the opposite
Once I had it, it was my goal to get all that I could get
Juicy got me crazy, or I should say crazier than before
And still I wanted more and more and more
To become a playboy, if only in appearance
Suckers fear it, and those with no hope can't get near it
And now that I'm where I am, I am what I gotta be
It ain't about knockin' 'em just as long as I get to see
All there is to see, so many styles, and different flavors
Damn, lip smackin', it's a flavor to savor
Take my word for it, I know what I'm talkin' about
Though I say again, it took some time to get clout
And make 'em shout my name, there ain't no shame in my game
I ain't afraid to go down, it starts to all taste the same
And I'm likin' it, then I'll be spikin' it 'til it's all gone
Don't do me wrong, let's get the XXX on
Gimme what I want, I'll give you what I got
Make it real wet, get you real hot
Chillin' at Exxon, kickin' it with my man Hollis
Me and Gregory, little did we know some girls followed us
To the store, they strolled in lookin' real high post
One actin' like I wasn't there, the other playin' me close
I myself was wit it, cuz it had been awhile
Since I made someone smile the way I made this girl smile
She used her middle name, but now I can't remember it
She had a backside that I could never forget
She had to go, I called her the next day, we got together
I met her mother, it all seemed to go my way
Then later she said she liked to get it on
She said she was the BJ queen, a real suckin' machine (ha!)
When it was time to put her skills to the test, I
Was disappointed, she was no better than the rest
Of all the misled women who like to toot their own horn
They let on they got it goin' on, then find out they're wrong
Sometimes the XXX ain't even worth the time anticipated
I so often find myself wishin' I had just masturbated
As for this girl, I was the first to get her off
I wanted to get it in before I ended up soft
But, it didn't happen, she had to leave it was late
She just came and went... true dat, to that no debate
In fact... I never even saw her again
We talked a few more times, then she got back with her ex-boyfriend
See this kinda shit has happened all of my life
Until I finally found a girl worthy of callin' my wife
The strife is totally uncalled for, I don't have time for it
Meanwhile to get the XXX on, I'm all for it
Gimme what I want I'll give you what I got
Make it real wet, and get you real hot
Back at Exxon, cuz there's nothin' better to do
It's two months later and I'm ready for somethin' new
I seen a lot, but not a thing worth takin' home
The later it got, it looked like I'd be goin' home alone
Thinkin' about the broads that just left, with the chests
That peeked out the side of their rag top tees
Testosterone levels rose, every man in the place froze
It was too bad that the honeys turned out to be hoes
Not to mention that the one with the better body had looked
Like she just played the receivin' end of a left hook
And in the middle of her forehead, I must be frank
Cuz it looked like somebody capped her ugly ass, point blank
Underneath the band-aid, imagine the scar
Was it superficial or did it go deep? and if so, how far?
All of these questions were makin' me sick
Until the next girl that walked in changed my mind quick, ooh
What a pretty face, the place held us all in awe
I wasn't drinkin' but in my head I heard last call
For alcohol, because her name was Brandy
Plan B was unnecessary cuz Plan A was a dandy
I hadn't even seen Miss Thing's behind
All that was on my mind was makin' her mine
We left the spot, the situation got hot
In my mind, but this have became a have not
The one time that I don't wanna get it on
Is the one time that who I'm with comes on too strong
I learned my lesson the hard way
Stay away from Exxon... what you want never comes along.
Gimme what I want I'll give you what I got
Make it real wet, get you real hot
“To All The Little People”
This goes out to all the little people...
Those folks who didn't do a thing to help me get here
Back in the day
When most girls wouldn't even look my way
I tried to play it cool
But every time I stepped to 'em I'd sound like a fool
So I kept to myself and kept my mouth shut
Like that old squirrel searchin' for a nut, I
Surrounded myself with my music
Tryin' to find any way that I could use it
To my advantage
I knew in my heart that on the mic I could do damage
But no one would listen
Nobody said a word unless they were dissin', huh
But ain't that the trap
Those fools found out this white bred could rap
But I still faced opposition
From my family, for them to step off I was wishin'
They said I believed I was Black
I really didn't, I only believe facts
Still I carried on
Writin' verse after verse, and song after song
Makin' mad hits
First comin' out with Baran Lands, and then The Favorites
And in a short time
I released Historic Rhymes To Cave In The Mind
Then I got real far
With the record Your Momma Knows I'm A Star
Through it all, I stayed local
But to be well known and paid in full, I was hopeful
And then it got strange
I still can't believe how much it all changed
Before I was nameless
Now everybody's sayin', “Don't forget me when you're famous!”
This goes out to all the little people...
Those folks who didn't do a thing to help me get here
Isn't it funny
How no one cares about ya unless you got money?
Even your parents
They can't talk to you if you can't share it
Contrary to popular belief
Money can buy happiness and bring relief
I speak from experience
Everyone who knows me could tell ya I wasn't the cheeriest
Cracker that you ever could meet
Due to countless days when I had nothin' to eat
I knew things had to change
Once I went for mine, my life got rearranged
In a good way, maybe even the best way
I soon began to look forward to the next day
I was gettin' paid
Then all these new friends came out from the shade
People that didn't like me before
Who wouldn't buy my record until it hit the stores
People that didn't even listen to hip hop
Suddenly playin' song after song non stop
Lettin' me know I'm the man
Girls want hugs, fellas wanna shake my hand
I can't just ignore 'em
But on the real... this song was written just for 'em
This goes out to all the little people...
Those folks who didn't do a thing to help me get here
Everyone wants success
Usually at another's expense
No one wants to work, what's the point?
Might as well live life in the joint
Nothin' beats the feelin' of satisfaction
Seein' yourself achievin' by takin' action
That's how I'm livin'
But this feelin' has to be earned, it can't be given
So back up off of mine
But if you insist on this, step to the back of the line
With the other losers
The faithless failures and hopeless drug abusers
Searchin' for sympathy
They don't find it my way, so they ask, “Where can it be?”
If they only knew
That success ain't just too good to be true
But some never learn
Forget the best, they'll take the easiest way to earn
Even if it means sellin' out
They got no clout, and nothin' worth tellin' about
In other words, nothin' to lose
And who's to say which is the right path to choose?
All I'm sayin' is just leave me alone
I already went for mine, you gotta go for your own
That's if you even got one to go for
But if not.... stay on the ground floor.
“Mister Carter”
“Mister Carter”, yo how ya livin', Black?
I got your number, now watch me tear it to ribbons
Smack dab in the middle of your dome, where you deserve it most
You ain't Professor Griff, Poobody, so you're milquetoast
Or is it Peebody? no matter... cuz I'mma drop your body
To the ground, you won't make a sound or move around
I've said so many times before, I don't forget
The last thing you ever wanna do is pose a threat
To me, but sometimes, people do dumb things
So, that's why I forgive you although I must bring
Payback, uh, cuz revenge is too sweet, yyyep
From the day you set eyes on me you shoulda stepped
Instead of showin' out in front of your homeboys
All equal opportunity bigots, you dig it
Yeah that's the ticket
To think that you could intimidate me was funny
You played the bully but wasn't gettin' my lunch money
Steppin' to me while I was sportin' my necklace
Twenty four K, things almost got reckless
Warnin' me to run my jewels, or you'd have bad news
(Shit, I chuckled at you damn fools)
In nothin' but gym shorts, you stood there, frownin'
Like a sheriff runnin' the bad guy outta town, and
I was supposed to take you seriously? please
If I wanted to I coulda snuffed you with ease
But I've always had more sense than that so I ignored you
I spoiled your plan, until I finally bored you
And that was the start of seein' who could be harder
Me, the Marksman or that sucker Mister Carter
Mister Carter...
That's the moterfucker right there
“Mister Carter”... How can it be, bro?
A White kid with more soul than a Negro
I guess I just got a head start on your sorry ass
You mighta had a chance, had you chose to go to class
Just how far you think stickin' up people can get ya?
If I didn't hate takin' your money I would bet ya
You end up in the clink, if you're not there already
Gettin' used by a bruiser named Teddy
In, out, you scream with delight, cuz it's tight
But by the time you get out, you'll be lookin' for a fight
And I'll be waitin'... anticipatin' your arrival
The beatin' begins, then it's the end of your survival
Rivalry with me ends prematurely
I don't sleep, so it won't help to get up early
To catch me off guard, an impossibility
See, I can't be caught, all due to my agility
Son, meet Humility, he's gonna be your lifelong partner
(Check yourself, Mister Carter)
Mister Carter...
Welcome back, Mister Carter, I'm glad to see
You found the strength to return for round three
And it was inevitable, I knew it would happen
Cuz you always did think you had a knack for rappin'
Think again cuz the last time I heard you flow
I thought, oh no, this style gots to go
You strolled around on stage, but what else is new?
Runnin' your mouth, but hardly anyone heard you
Cuz they wasn't listenin', you came off soft
Then again... (you didn't come off at all, hoss)
Pop quiz, hotshot, there's two MC's
But only one with the ability to please
That would be me, while the other one, you, of course, loses
Left with only emotional bumps and bruises
Time and time again... it never ends
Every time you foolishly desire to contend
Now, what do you do? what do you do? clock's tickin
So hurry do you keep takin' lickin's or play the chicken
And hide in your shell, as I send you to hell
On a magic carpet ride, fueled by my rhyme
Well whatever you choose, it's just the nature of the beast
Cuz there'll never be a winner by the name of Maurice
With the last name of Carter, remember that, jagoff
And now I've satisfied my desire to go off on Mister Carter
Mister Carter...
“The Reason I Put This Together”
Here we go... flowin' just like the brothers do
Walk with me, as we talk just like lovers do
Why are you lookin' so damn good?
Don't you know... you make it harder than it should be?
Could we get this thing started?
Or will I be left broken hearted?
Standin' up here all on my own
With a hand in the air, the other around the microphone
Callin' out for you but you're not there
Is it fair? I wanna show you I care and you're nowhere
I swear, I'm dedicated to only you, Boo-boo
Believe in what I say, cuz it's true
Can I do a little somethin' special?
Any way you want to react, you know I'll let you
Pet you, get you in between the sheets
What a treat, pow!, when the bad things meet
But you think I'm just givin' you a line
Babe, take your time, then make up your mind
And then you might find that I'm for real
And with a little luck, your heart I might steal
You're the reason I put this together
(Ladies in the place with a pretty face)
You're the reason I put this together
(Gimme a chance, we can do whatever's clever)
You're the reason I put this together
(Callin' out for you, callin' out for you)
You're the reason I put this together
(Come inside, I'll make it all better)
How could you say that I ain't for real?
That what I'm speakin' isn't how I feel
When the words took so long to come out
Besides, fast love ain't what I'm about
Scream and shout out loud, go on, get hype
If you're lookin' for good, times, then I'm, your type
Typecast I could never be, remember me
When I ain't by myself I'm with Double-D
Comin' from the Nickel City, ya get me?
I'll do what I can for you cuz I got a plan for you
Do you ever think about the future?
Will it become one that suits ya?
Or will it take a trip on the downslope
Leavin' you all on your own with no hope?
I pray that don't happen while I'm rappin'
I'm in command, so call me the captain
At this party y'all are maids of honor
But if I have to resist, then I'm a goner
My best bet would be to leave my zipper zipped
Keep my hands to myself, the mic to my lips
Say what I got to say, then step
Stay right there, dear, there's one verse left
Cuz you're the reason I put this together
(This is for you all, havin' yourself a ball)
You're the reason I put this together
(I'll do what I came to do if it's all the same to you)
You're the reason I put this together
(Reachin' out to you I'm reachin' out to you)
You're the reason I put this together
(Hurry it up, buttercup, here comes last call)
Now you're willin' to give me a chance
You're more than ready to save me a dance
But, here I am... playin' the entertainment
Standin' on stage feels like containment
The payment makes it always worthwhile
A smile from a girl in the crowd gets me all riled
Up... I aim to please, that's my business
Holmes saw the size of my crew and hid his
Dumbass expression... he learned a lesson
He shouldn't have brought his girl into this rap session
Now confess, baby, I rocked your world
Infuriatin the one that you're datin'
Creatin' breach of trust with, mad lust
With no bodily fluids even passin' between us
Girls, check your man, and take a stand
If you're down with the Marksman, give yourself a hand
You're the reason I put this together
(Ladies on the wall, filled with alcohol)
You're the reason I put this together
(No more puttin' up with your man, take my hand)
You're the reason I put this together
(Holdin' the stall, tryin' not to fall)
You're the reason I put this together
(It feels so good to be in demand)
“Ill Times”
Thinkin' back to Black Rock, when I stalked the block
Dumb brothers and crackers makin' their livin' on crack rock
The year of fear, it was in the atmosphere
You were in the wrong hood if you were lookin' for cheer
Cuz there was none here, face after face of livin' waste
You look at 'em wrong, they'll gladly give you a taste
This was a time when no one knew who each other's friends were
There was one love and it was far from tender
It was only about one goin' for one's self
Even at the cost of another one's good health
I should know cuz I was down with a particular posse
There were things goin' on within... things I could not see
I lived with my grandma and grandfather, they knew this
I thought we were friends, how could I know that they would do this?
Broke into my grandparents' house easily
There was only one way this could be done feasibly
One had to tell another where the spare key was at
He would stand guard, while the rest of 'em jacked
And then when they got what they came for, they broke out
Quick to replace the key, they thought I'd never find out
Who be the culprit but at the pulpit the guilty can't lie
One stepped forward and the partnership died
But then again, it died the moment they did the crime
It was written... so began the ill times
Livin' in ill times, livin' in ill times...
We're livin' in ill times
Nothin' comes easily, certainly not friendships
As quickly as they began, so many have ended
When did this world take a turn for the worst?
Did it start with Hitler, or was slavery first?
It doesn't that much matter, all that counts is today
A day where it's acceptable to say that you're gay
It has to be Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve
And that's the Word of the Lord, so believe
If a man wants to be with another man, hand in hand
I can't understand, somebody changed the game plan
Mano ay mano, Chicano y Mexicano
Shake the disease... and burn the Gitanos
I'd like to believe that tomorrow will be better, though
The chances are gone with the wind, (thar he blows!)
Love town's gettin' a little too overpopulated
Resident evil described as overcopulated
“It don't matter to me”, but it used to
Cuz you can help change the world, if you choose to
Although no man is an island... Gilligan
When you think you got it in check, think to check again
If you reach out and accept a helpin' hand
Together we'll plan to propagate this wasteland
And maybe we'll find we left the madness behind
Break the ties that bind and do away with the ill times
Livin' in ill times, livin' in ill times...
We're livin' in ill times
Seven o clock in the mornin' and the sun is
Just startin' to rise above the shore, and
The family's got a mansion overlookin' the beach
With sand and water as far as eyesight can reach
Little Billy wakes up, he grabs his blanket and heads for
The hallway light switch, then walks to the bathroom door
Pushes it open sees his daddy standin' there
His back to the wall, holdin' a forty of beer
Billy goes to his father tries to ask him what's wrong
But daddy slaps him and yells at him
And he tells him he's too young
To understand, and then, he grabs his hand
And throws Billy into bed and shuts the door with a slam
Somebody tell me, why should we punish a child?
We should punish ourselves, we're the ones livin' wild
Irresponsible people havin' babies
Can't see it as a miracle that God gave thee
Messin' around without bein' properly protected
It wouldn't be a shame if they had gotten infected
I thought that free love died in the seventies... it didn't
Now lovin' is trouble and we just keep gettin' in it
We'll never learn, primal urge rules over common sense
It's a question of time before there's nobody left
And that time is just about as ill as it can get
The tide is comin' in and we're about to get wet
Cuz we're livin' in ill times, livin' in ill times...
We're livin' in ill times
“Freewhylin'”
A little freestylin' for the minds of people that said that I'm
Causin' hip-hop to cross over, and that I couldn't rhyme
Sayin' that if I entered a battle I'd lose
That my rhymes would bring me nothin' but disses and boos
I got news for you fools, you're in for a surprise
You're fin to witness a lighter rhymer who's soon gonna rise
Above a certain so-called Vanilla Wafer who couldn't tell a rapper from a raper
Or a diploma from toilet paper
Awarded a Grammy so now they think they're an authority
Compared to real rappers, they're the least priority
But not to degrade anybody, cause puttin' down somebody else is wrong
I'll save that for the another song
The beat is pumpin', the bass meter is jumpin'
So I don't understand why in their seats there's folks still slumpin'
You can't fade the flavor, the flavor should be savored
So all you freaks out there, let's get into some freaky behavior
Whylin'... uh, uh... is what you got me doin' call me Stanley cause I'm screwin'
My driver, fore! I yell as she cries for more and more
Whenever she finishes, you know she'll be leavin' sore
But back to the subject of battlin'
Rap battles to me are just competitors babblin'
They're not really sayin' nothin' but how hard they claim to be
In reality, yo, I smell pussy
Don't you hate when suckers front on somebody else
When what the fools are really doin' is frontin' on themselves
It's a hypocritical policy, that's how they're livin'
Like a plea for forgiveness, but refusal to be forgiven
Suckers that be livin' like this make me sick
Consider yourself warned, I ain't to be played with
You got the nerve to ask, “who do you think you are?”
I'm The Marksman, boy, your mama knows I'm a star
Back in the day it was Meticulous Marksman, but I had to shorten it
Nobody knew what the hell meticulous meant
At first that got me upset, all people had to do was look in the dictionary
To upgrade their literary
Skills, lotsa luck, nobody did it
Then one day, a so-called fan said “just forget it!”
I actually took their advice and I dropped it
And that was the day my new style was adopted
I used to be vulgar, explicit, and all that mess
Til I got wise and I put it to rest
There's no need to be obscene, yo, but don't get me wrong
You wanna say what you feel? go ahead! it's your song
But think of it like this, in this business you're touchin' the whole wide world
Especially little boys and girls
Why be offensive and out to cause controversy?
Good or bad, you're always at the media's mercy
So instead of bein' negative... try to be positive
In the way of inspiration, there's always a lot to give
Today's world needs more good over bad
And since kids would rather heed a rapper than mom and dad
Go 'head and be a role model, teach 'em what needs to be taught
Not who you're gonna kill and how many battles you've fought
Increase the peace and do away with this onslaught
And wisen up... cause soon you're gonna get caught.
“What's Your Story?”
Strainin' my mind to come up with a worthwhile rhyme
One that's divine and I can define as mine
Soon after I come up with somethin' then I put it on paper
Somethin' I can be proud of that causes catchin' of vapors
It goes a little like this, prejudice, what's the meanin' of this
Opinion for or against somethin' without adequate basis?
All those who ask “what does that mean? I don't understand”
Chances are the suckers work for the Klan
Modern-day Nazis... Skinheads are anti-Semitic
But any prejudice to me is pathetic
Like the Yin and the Yang, white and black, it's all an act
Treatin' others like they're nobody as if you were all that
Color's only skin deep, we're all the same inside
And after all, it was for everyone that the Savior died
Just look at yourself, ask yourself, why you were put here
It wasn't to live your life inside a bottle of beer
It wasn't to sit around the house and do dope
Then come to realize your body belongs at the end of a rope
It wasn't to go out on the town, lookin' for a skeeze
And end up strapped to an I.V. because of some disease
It wasn't to have a child after child
And livin' your life on your back, goin' buck wild
You fiend, you think that you're livin' like a queen
The only thing that you don't have is a ring
But think of where your money is comin' from, your man is a bum
So if it wasn't for welfare, you wouldn't have a crumb
It's funny how you despise the government
But on the first and the fifteenth, you're in love with it
So you head out to Wal-Mart or Goodwill, your choice
To spend without earnin' is a reason to rejoice
You take it for granted, the more you get the more you demand
And don't try sayin' you can't find work in this land
Of opportunity, okay, we're in a recession
But there's a light at the end, we're far away from depression
All you welfare recipients who won't work for honest pay
You're livin' foul... it just ain't the way.
Excuses, excuses, for all their actions
A cop out's a cop out, more like a distraction
They're usin' excuses to explain their stupidity
But tryin' to explain racism is futility
What's your story for viewin' others with hateful eyes?
You should realize to uprise we must civilize
And devise a plan to make the whole world understand
That every other man is really your brother man
And woman... cause sisters, you've come a long way, baby
And it's long overdue, now I'm hopin' that maybe
We'll come together and work as a team, by the dream
That was created by the great Dr. King, however
The journey to the mountaintop is a difficult endeavor
But will give up and turn back? Never
Hold your head to the sky, but keep it out of the clouds
There ain't no daydreams or changin' of hearts allowed
Cause to debate the situation only causes hesitation
We have to rebel against this problem that's facin' our nation
Not only ours, but all nations around the world
From senior citizens to newborn boys and girls
Not for ourselves but for them, think of the future
And what's to come, all the more reason for revolution
By any means necessary's the only way
To uplift ourselves and bring about this better day.
And then everybody'll have the same story...
And that story'll be... togetherness...
An end to all prejudice...
And the beginning to betterness.
Peace.
“M.C. Terror”
I got style... don't bother treatin' me like a stepchild
I had a stepfather once... the fool was livin' foul
Though I may be White, I feel we need a change, it's now or never
So I'm back to represent the flavor of vanilla
Wake up and recognize what you represent
For how you're livin' you really need to repent
To each his own I guess... but why are these people praised?
Radio suckers are lovin’ 'em and that's why The Marksman is outraged
I'm fillin' their hearts up with fear
And from the time that I start rymin' until I'm outta here
That's just what they're feelin' or is it more like terror?
They're like deer in headlights, I ain't the man in the mirror
Standin' and starin' at me, don't even bother sweatin' me, sucka
Since I ain't Black but I rap, you say I think I'm a brotha
Now why should I attempt to be what I ain't?
Besides... they don't make permanent skin paint
I'm not a Young Black Teenager, I'm white yet I feel anger
When I hear the word “nigga” when it's referred to a stranger
This ain't the 30's... it's two thousand and six, you dicks
Wake up remember Martin's dream, and keep it fixed
In your mind, brotherhood for every color
Stop the ignorant behavior of lookin' at another
Like they were second-class citizens or someone to fear
You say Blacks should stay in ghettoes, I ain't tryin' to hear
Such bullshit... as long as you're livin' good you're satisfied
So what if a starvin' Black child happens to die?
Because his mother didn't have money to support him
Someone like you would catch him stealin' some food and report him
Cause you're not hip to the situation that they have to live with
Each day of their lives, until their lives are uplifted
But to uplift 'em, they need to be educated and helped
Fill 'em with positivity... and give 'em knowledge of self
What more can I say? I don't know what else to tell ya
But I ain't finished with fillin' M.C.'s with terror.
All these people I commend for survivin' in this prison
Who see the future as promisin' and never give up wishin'
That someday the government will come to their senses
And spend some ends for people instead of on defenses
Cause guns don't kill people, people kill people
A gun inside the wrong hands is like Evil Kenievel
Suicidal and crazy? you're pushin' up daisies
Not in your nose, whaddya know? your gun don't phase me
I'm The Marksman, but in another sense of the word
While I'm shootin' lyrics, you're out shootin' birds
Another of the Savior's creatures he made and gave ya
You say there's no Creator? who you think made ya?
Your parents are only stand ins here on earth
Like their parents and their parents before them onto birth
Like the chicken and the egg and you know how that is
You break the egg with the third leg and that's how you get the kids
But if I get on that subject I'll go on forever
It's a style that I profile when I'm about to bring terror
Into the lives of M.C.'s, that's why they just can't deal with me
It's funny to see, meanwhile your girl tries to feel it, G
The jimmy, but she never chose to know me before
The game she's playin' forces me to call her a whore
Dissin' your female's another form of the terror
But if you like bein' frightened, baby... yo, just look in the mirror.
When I was just another teen in the halls of my school
I'd never bother steppin' to a girl cause they'd act a fool
“You and me?” they'd ask and laugh and I'd walk away embarrassed
But I was pissed and they knew it, just cause I wanted to get 'em bare-assed
And they wasn't wit it but they'd get with their man and do it
And he's the kinda guy if she said no he would still screw it
So I gave up... the situation was hopeless
Until I picked up a pen and started writin' the dopeness
Suddenly the freaks are wit it but I knew what they wanted
A popular man and some cash so they could flaunt it
And then the girls of the other color tried to kick it
They were nice and I liked 'em, but I couldn't get wit it
Cause of my relatives and the way that I was raised
They always said “You get that kinda girl you'll never be praised”
So I made up excuses like “I already got a gal
But don't worry to me you're number one as a pal”
But now lookin' back, I know I shouldn't have said it
Next time the family gives me advice, I'll forget it
Because the color don't matter if you're in love then who cares?
Ignore those talkin' behind your back and givin' you stares
Until nine months later... you're sayin' “Oh, shit!”
You're feelin' terror, nawww, it can't be my kid
Oh well you shoulda wore a jim hat, what more can I say?
But the phrase that pays... “you play you're payin' okay?”
I think I just gave you enough terror to last a lifetime
But it could be worse, though... yo, the kid could be mine.
“Turn It Out”
Like Aesop had a fable, I'm able
To move the crowd without a turntable
My style is innovative, not commercial
And I don't do a show without a rehearsal
Cuz I believe in givin' people their money's worth
And makin' 'em fiend for the rhymes I unearth
From birth to burial, I'm here to please
Certain girls do the same for me, down on their knees
I live my life happy, and it's swell
Those tryin' to bring me down can go straight to hell
Burn, baby, burn, until you learn
Your fate you earn, next time wait your turn
To step up... You shoulda crept up
I saw you comin', no time to put your left up
Stay down... you little clown
Deal with the fact you found out what comes around goes around
See, I may forgive, but I never forget
And I could be the scariest man you've ever met
But right about now... that ain't what I'm about
I came to claim this jam, and turn it out
Turn it out, turn it out....
It's the weekend, time to congregate and get ill
Homegirls and boys come to get their fill
Of whatever... cuz as always, whatever's clever
And as the night goes on, things get better and better
You've worked hard all week, you deserve this
To lose all your inhibitions is the purpose
Surprise, surprise... Anything can happen
After the dance, and after I'm finished rappin'
More than a party... it's more like a movement
I leave the stage, you ask where the groove went
“I'll be back,” take that to the bank
For this good time, me you must thank
I've been to too many wack shows, I know how it goes
When you spend your hard earned cashflow
You expect the MC to turn it out... riiight?
Otherwise it's a waste of a night... riiight!
It's my duty and honor to represent
Represent the east side, it's money well spent
Cuz I've yet to hear someone from California that I like
High post west coast, take a hike
We were the first ones in, we'll be the last ones out
Listen to the way I turn it out
Turn it out, turn it out....
Dashin', smashin'... Highest fashion
I got the chips, if I ever wanna cash in
But for now, I'm right where I should be
Never ponder about where I could be
I chose the path and followed it
My pride, I swallowed it
Was the road hard? man, you know it
I went through many shoes, I paid so many dues
But there's no more need to sing the blues
Cuz I'm here... and you're there
Now throw your hands in the air if you care
Cuz if you didn't care, then you wouldn't be in here
It's a new song, and it's a new year
There'll be no “hey's” or “ho's” spoken at this party
Cuz “say ho and scream” went out with “La di da di”
There's more than one way to move the crowd
Stand tall and proud, keep it loud, and well endowed
And yell, “I got it goin' on, you got it goin' on
We got it goin' on,” you can't go wrong
Then they'll respect ya, as they respect me
As I respect myself, now you see
It all begins with a sound foundation
A turned out jam is my destination
Turn it out, turn it out....
“As The Dream Becomes Reality”
Eleven pm, I'm on my bed with no lights on
Listenin' to a tape and wonderin' what's goin' on
Hey yo what's happenin', brother, I can't seem to discover
How I can feel a chill because I'm under the covers
Maybe because the message of this song hit me straight in the heart
It says we're livin' in a world that's fallin' apart
And it's true, because we're lettin' it happen
With our new technology and so-called useful contraptions
Instead of learnin' how to cure illness
Our doctors and our scientists are wastin' their time findin' silliness
It seems they can't find a cure for cancer or AIDS
But you can bet that most are qualified to perform a sex change
In order to perfect the world we must get our priorities straight
First things first, yo, we need more love and less hate
Because the sooner we tolerate sooner we can cooperate
And work as a team, that's how to properly operate
It may be just a dream that'll never come true
But it could become reality if you allow it to
The journey to the promised land has been years in the makin'
So put on your hikin' boots, no more hesitatin'.
MARQUIS - Daemonica Sensualis (2007)
Words and music ©1997, 2007 Mark Baranowski
"Prowler"
Just like Charlie
I watch from the trees
I can see you through the curtain
If you only knew
My intentions are endless
It's just a matter of time
The nerve is there... I could enter right now
But patience is half the fun
No need at all for a gun
Call me the prowler
Why not? The name fits
Beware of the prowler
Don't try to resist
My hands are my weapons
The hurt they cause is irreparable
Your body and mind
Forever belong to me
Emotional scars
Sometimes never heal
A psyche so fragile
Too bad you took it for granted
So much for a perfect existence
Isn't this world so cruel?
Call me the prowler
Why not? The name fits
Beware of the prowler
Don't try to resist
Succumb to the prowler
You can't avoid fate
Remember the prowler
Purveyor of hate
I creep through the shadows
Your bedroom in view
I enter in silence
Slip under the sheet
Before you're aware
I'm already there
Results of my actions
Beyond all repair
It's nothing personal my dear
I feed on fear
"Glistening Viscera"
Lilith called the shots around the garden
Adam had no choice but to obey
When she said "jump," he said "how high?"
Until he finally realized
That a man's home is indeed his humble castle
That's the way it should be and so it was
Lilith said for the last time, “obey me”
Adam put a stop to the bullshit
Fashioned a knife made of sharpened branches
Tied together with a whip-like vine
Penetrated her stomach with enjoyment
Reached inside until the bitch died
Turned her inside out and covered the body with viscera
He marveled at the way it glistened in the moonlight
"The Risen Dead"
There's no more room in hell
It's flooded up to earth
Make room for the risen dead
Or become like them
The dead walk the earth
Making life a living hell
Heaven just a fantasy in the land of Valhalla
Your paradise is lost
Your flesh will be devoured
Your mind will be erased
Your precious possessions will burn and smolder
Existence turns to black
Oceans red with blood
Ether is the air
What once was so vital
Is now insignificant
Death is all that's left
When the dead walk the earth
Earth is the new name for hell
Heaven but a dream in the wasteland of Tartarus
Your paradise is lost
Your paradise is lost (x4)
"Into The Murky Depths"
Cthulhu fhtagn
In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming
That is not dead which can eternal lie
And with strange aeons even death may die
"Daemonica Sensualis"
Hourglass silhouette
Sweat beads fallin'
Half-light beamin' off the curves of her body
The vision causes minds to corrupt
It's a perversion story
The strongest of its kind
Daemonica Sensualis
She's a killer in disguise
You never see her comin'
You never know just what hit you
One minute you're your own man the next you're insane
Doin' whatever it takes to have her
She's got the power it's her world
To think it's not you're livin' a lie
Through plague war and famine the woman will always survive
Man is just a way to pass the time
It's a perversion story
The strongest of its kind
Daemonica Sensualis
She's too beautiful to die
It's a perversion story
The most perverted of its kind
Daemonica Sensualis
She'll blow your one-track mind
"Screams On A Rainy Night"
Tormented Sleep
To sleep is to dream
Only thing that I dread
Someone might hear me scream
I close my eyes
The torture begins
This happens night after night
Punishment for my sins?
I hear the voices
Increasing in volume
Cursing my choices
Which sent them to their doom
They never knew
They could never have known
I could retrace my steps
I recall every moan
There have been many times
When I've been unsure
Could I really be demented?
I blame all the times
When I've been unsure
For this tormented sleep
It's as if I'm there
Reliving the crime
Is this called deja vu?
I've gone back in time
But this time it's no fun
I didn't want this
I have no regrets
But I wouldn't miss
Tormented sleep
"Food For The Worms"
Another night
But unlike any before
Marking the start of my private war
Between what's right and wrong
No difference anymore
It's the night you become food for the worms
It's the night you become food for the worms
Gather what I'll need
To do all I have to
Can't take it all, just so much I can do
I'll be back home soon, tomorrow I'll start anew
It's the night you become food for the worms
It's the night you become food for the worms
Gather what I'll need
But leave empty-handed
Pockets bulge, that's fine, that's how I planned it
No one will care to ask
Those who do... relax
More than ready, I enter the night
So dark before me
Few passing headlights
My palms are already wet
I walk on with delight
It's the night you become food for the worms
"For The Flesh"
I can't recall her name
But she said she was from the city
The others looked the same
She was certainly pretty
She had her own favorite place
And there was no more time to waste
"What we do is up to you"
A lust for flesh like this she never knew
She does this for her baby
Now where have I heard that before?
If she was half a lady
She would have chosen to ignore me
She began to pose for me
Her shadow looming over me
"Do anything you want to"
Against her hot flesh, my love grew
So I gave in
I played along
But not for long
First, I give in
I play along
Never for long
My fingers around her neck
With all my strength, tightly squeezing
The ultimate respect
Nothing else quite as pleasing
She struggled in vain to get free
Punching, slapping, clawing at me
That was all she could do
For a moment, she knew...
My lust for flesh is all that's true
"Dungeon Of De Sade"
Punish me
I deserve it all
I promise, I won't fall
Punish me
I'll take it like a man
Punish me
I do understand
Don't hesitate
You can abuse me
I need it done to me
I want to feel your pain
Until none remains
I love you, too
Never leave me
Mistress, believe me
I'd never resist
All for the sake of your kiss
Punish me
Burn me with your fire
Punish me
If that's your desire
Punish me
Leave your mark on me
Punish me
Where no one else can see
Don't hesitate
You can instruct me
Or destruct me
I'm longing to feel your pain
Until none remains
MARQUIS - Creature of Habit (2007)
Words and music ©1997, 2007 Mark Baranowski
"Look In The Mirror"
Keep your looks of dissension
Is my lifestyle so wrong?
Is my code of ethics that distorted?
Are you that much better than me?
Who made you so high and mighty?
Who the hell gave you the right to judge me?
"Don't do what I do, just do what I say"
That's your way
Behind your closed doors, anything goes
And yet you waste no time to point your finger
At me and my kind for the ills of the world
Somewhere it was written
Judge not and ye won't be judged
Look in the mirror, my friend
Before you look down on me
"Night"
The sun
goes down
And the night
takes me
Girls
seem older
So I
don't care
My home
my refuge
Where anything
Can happen
Stay
with me
I'll make the darkness
last forever
When you see me, walk away
because that's the action I'm used to
Don't confuse me
Don't try to make me happy
Lights
too bright
It's time to slink back
to the shelter
"The Force Inside Of Me"
I can tell the tide is turning
My skin has started burning
That change has finally come
No one cares about each other
No respect left for even mother
And this is what we now call fun
I don't want to close my eyes
I'm too afraid of what I'll see
Ever since I realized
There's a force inside of me
There's a force inside
That's trying to fill me
It's getting stronger, trying to kill me
Can't fight the force inside of me
Society has decayed
But Armageddon has been delayed
We're forced to further endure
Modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah
Is there no end to the horror?
Nothing anymore clean and pure
I don't want to open up my mind
Terrified of what I might set free
Ever since I came to find
There's a force inside of me
There's a force inside
That's trying to fill me
It's getting stronger, trying to kill me
Can't fight the force inside of me
Can't fight the force inside of me
There's a force inside of me
"Know That It's True"
Everyone has something that they don't need
Something pulling them down
Doesn't matter where they run to
It's a constant game of lost and found
You know that it's true
It's a part of you
Over time it grew
What to do?
It leaves you all alone
Out on your own
It takes you where you don't belong
Far from home
It won't go
Whatever you do
Won't go
Any means that you use
No matter where you hide
You hide with yourself
From yourself
You're just like me
Identical as can be
I'll make you see
The similarities
I have a right to claim
To be like you
I know what you'll proclaim
Because I'd say that, too
It's like us
To lose our minds
Thus, we know
The act is genuine
No matter where you hide
You're hiding with yourself
From yourself
For awhile it departs
Though it's still a part
Of the person within
It's still in your heart
But it's not too late
It's up to you
If you see it through
You'll be someone brand new
Who can walk with pride
Why still hide?
Trust in self
You'll never be denied
No matter where we hide
We hide with ourselves
From ourselves
"Mother Crying"
Mother crying
Scared
No work, no pay
It's just another day
Hearing impaired
Father dying
Spared
Life with such pain
No way he could sustain
Love they once shared
There's no forgiveness
For One who inflicts this
Sympathy denied
No excuses
For torturous uses
Keeps us occupied
Mother crying
Bared
Displaying poverty
For all the world to see
Still nobody cares
Children trying
Paired
An early beginning
Temptation and sinning
Practically dared
Why can't we recognize
Promising, empty lies
Trickery implied
No excuses
For torturous uses
Keeps us occupied
"No One Told Him"
No one told him to hate
Or to murder his son
To be cruel to his wife
Or to end his own life
When he molested his daughter
Was he well aware?
Did he ever care
For her welfare?
He was always well-liked
Everyone who knew him
Never could envision
His despicable actions
Was he treated the same?
I guess we'll never know
Both of his parents gone
Left him so many years ago
Was his father the same?
His father before him?
When, exactly, in time
Did this madness begin?
They never could have prepared
For all that was to come
A bad day at work never came home with him
He'd always kept things inside
Kept it all to himself
None knew of the poor state
That of his mental health
In his own twisted mind
This was the best way
No one else had told him what to do
On that day
Now that it's all done
Hurt is all that remains
Wife and daughter of no one
Nothing can be the same
In due time they'll heal
All will be well
Satisfied believing
That he's made it to hell
"I Don't Want To Go"
Awake in my bed
Thoughts run through my head
Imagination fed
Very soon I'll be dead
And I don't want to go
I'm only a child
Fifteen years compiled
Imagination runs wild
Too soon I'll be exiled
And I don't want to go
It's too much before my time
I'm yearning to enjoy my prime
Is this punishment for some crime?
Please, I don't want to go
So much I want to do
I pray to You
Let my days be more than a few
Provide me with strength anew
I don't want to go
I'm heading for a better place
This fact alone should put a smile on my face
But I still resist joining the race
I'm just not ready to go
No changing destiny
This is how it should be
That doesn't mean I'm happy
With what's been written for me
I don't want to go
©2001-2007 Mark Baranowski/On Mark Publishing (ASCAP)