Portrait

I’ve been better, been worse, more blessed than I’m cursed
Trying to train myself to treat my body like a church
Takes a certain type of nerve to make a person fight the urge
And when I’m dead, I’ll still work to try to fertilize your dirt

But first I acknowledge the vice-versa
We could trade shoes and you’d probably play blues
And while you was paying dues, they borrowed your face too
Tryna get you to admit to some weight that you ain't moved

I see 'em, fightin' off the feelin'
Just to find a little frequency and rotate with the seasons
And I don’t need to know the reasons you believe
As long as you believe that there's a scenery beyond the ceilin'

That’s just my unsolicited suggestion
And don't nobody give a shit if it passes your inspection
But that’s not realistic 'cause we starvin' for attention
A portrait of the artist as an addendum, now that you mentioned it

You don’t wanna hear my voice, but you force yourself to listen
Gotta check in case I'm talkin' about you
And I’ve never sang a song that’s talkin' 'bout you
In fact, even right now I'm not talkin' 'bout you

But we solvin' the math and we walkin' our path
Cautious, gotta avoid getting caught in the traps
Don’t let them penetrate the skin, step around them like quicksand
With multiple wristbands, the hand was Invisible Man

From the ashtray, I rise like a Pontiac
Watching my back with the eyes of an insomniac
No rats, no pigs, no copycats
Follow the money, honey, who supplied the body bags?

That's just my unsolicited suggestion
And don't nobody give a shit if it passes your inspection
But that’s not realistic 'cause we starvin' for attention
A portrait of the artist as a name carved in a bench, then

I wish that this was more than a gesture
I wish that I could make your everything better
Wish that I could tether it together for connection
Look at your reflection if you're looking for redemption

Of course the fortunate found shelter from the weather
But it still feels like the storms might live forever
Maybe take a little time, put some commas in the sentences
Then maybe we could find a common sense of direction

That's just my unsolicited suggestion
And don't nobody give a shit if it passes your inspection
But that's not realistic 'cause we starved for attention
A portrait of the artist as a departure, ascension