Success

[Verse 1: Mr. Lif]

Success

This is rock bottom, y'all, I never expected it

In order to be businesslike, you must meet the prerequisite

Leave your culture at home, smile, don't be too proud, too wild

You may suffer, just don't cry out loud

This notion of professionalism is like an exorcism

Forced to give your life away while you're earning a livin'

These thoughts had stopped me from rejoining the work force

But now, the situation I'm in, just seems to hurt more

Maybe it won't be bad, maybe it'll be good

I could use a little structure in my life, maybe I should

Take my suit and tie out of the closet

Try shinin' up my shoes and brush the fuckin' dust off of my wallet

Let's consider the prospects

Make a couple phone calls

Now so many interviews you know I've got next week

I'm strictly going from the bottom to the peak

I'm ready, focused and determined to get back on my feet

[Chorus 1: Aesop Rock]

Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"

Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"

John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with

That's oil and water trying to mix on the same surface

[Verse 2: Mr. Lif]

I got a job at a business place I choose not to name

Ask me how did I achieve this so quick?

Yes, you may

Back when I was blind, my efforts had compiled a stunning resume

I didn't value it back then but, boy, it helped today

I'm pushin' every single thought of rebellin' away

I'm workin' real hard, my pockets are swellin' and hey

Can you believe I met the girl of my dreams?

I swear, she's meant for me

We've been together over two years, going on three

We married on our fourth anniversary

Bought a house and turned a room into a nursery

For the bouncing baby boy that we're expecting in June

I sat in that delivery room from noon to noon

Twenty-four hours of labor then the nurse asked me his title for the paper

You know, so the government can trace ya

First name: John, last name: insignificant

I'm smiling like a proud dad, I got the birth certificate

Go to the house and here's why vanity's a sin

I looked around and nothing's good enough for her or him

So my eight-hour days became nine

Nine slid up to ten

A subtle slip up to eleven and then

After a twelve-hour day

I got too little energy to say, "I love you" to my lady or play daddy to J

And I thought this was the way to be a husband and a father

I guess I could've looked in her eyes and seen I lost her

But it wasn't my fault, I'm workin' hard, it couldn't be

I've been successfully existing as a member of this family

I was so convinced the household had to always be complete

I didn't realize the only thing that's missin' is me

[Chorus 1: Aesop Rock]

Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"

Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"

John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with

That's oil and water trying to mix on the same surface

[Verse 3: Mr. Lif]

There was never any talk of divorce

I can't believe how focused I was in the face of such a huge potential loss

Showed no signs of weakness for the boss

In fact, I was mad at my wife, as if she's trying to knock me off course

But I still visited the florist, to get her flowers

When's the last time I did this?

Hmm, not since our wedding shower

I got home and I was greeted by the fact we'd been deleted

I was someone that my wife and child thought they no longer needed

And before I could say, "Where's John?"

I looked down and he was clinging to her arm

I realized I'd done them wrong

I blacked out and, by the time I came to, they were gone

But somehow I sat and shook my head and then I carried on

And I still completed three weeks of work before my breakdown

The ambulances came and I got medicine to take now

And it's hard to get a job when you've been treated and released

So both my relationship and my career are deceased

It took years to put myself together piece by piece

And thank God I found a woman that's real patient with me

And I'll never let this happen again

It's not to be

I'm ready, focused and determined to get back on my feet

[Chorus 2: Aesop Rock]

Daddy had a name tag that said, "Busy working"

Mommy had a milk carton that said, "Missing person"

John had a new baseball glove with nobody to learn with

The oil left the water and the water kept searching