Lyrics
My cushion was a bosom on bad days
There’s not a black woman I can’t thank
You called crying when I told you these the last days
It’s all mine, could have split the last plate
Nigga’s didn’t have faith, so I stopped trying
I apologize, and we outta time
Please get ya alibis straight, you ain’t gotta lie
It’s a tradition did it my way
No sense of looking at the sky
Trace elements meddle with minds
Mind-state live fizzes and fires
Niggas with live ammunitions in the stick on the highway
I only get better with time
That’s what my mom say, the doc’ say, he to kill him this time
Oy vey, well here I go, foot on the line
What’s mine, what good is it if it’s not, you sick of it
Sicky, sicky, niggas wasn’t shit
Face looking like I stumbled out of bed, hundred dollar jet
I piss problems out the bottom
Empty mama said she used to see my father in me
I said I was not offended
Press can navy med, like on the bed
Living life like a nigga put a price on my head
Bless, this how we on it
If you need it and I want it better come prepared
Going it through it like prayers in the night sky
You look like a chair when you floating up
Hand on like a goalie with the puck, don’t need any luck
See the goal so where I was, lonesome as I was
Amid the panorama of modern hip-hop, Earl Sweatshirt stands as a poet laureate of the streets, a chronicler of the internal wars that rage within the confines of the soul. In ‘Azucar,’ a track from his critically acclaimed 2018 album ‘Some Rap Songs,’ Earl weaves a dense tapestry of emotion and reflection, conveying a narrative far beyond the perimeter of traditional rap storytelling.
There’s a diaphanous veil between Earl’s raw confessional and the listener’s heart, punctuated by a haunting loop that serves as the track’s backbone. The lyrics – both cryptic and guttural – draw us into a world riddled with struggle, introspection, and a yearning for the remnants of sweetness in a sometimes bitter existence.
A Tribute to the Matriarchs: Unveiling Gratitude Amidst Adversity
The line ‘There’s not a black woman I can’t thank’ is more than a passing nod; it’s a resonant homage to the foundational role of black women in Earl’s life and, by extension, in the culture at large. Through the chaos of his experiences, the maternal figure remains an unwavering touchstone of comfort and strength – ‘My cushion was a bosom on bad days.’
This isn’t merely a personal testament but a universal decree of thankfulness and respect towards black women’s immeasurable influence and the tenderness that they have historically provided. They are the unsung guardians whose sacrifices often go unacknowledged in the face of societal turbulence.
Decoding the Coded: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
Interspersed within the dense vernacular of ‘Azucar’ lie metaphorical clusters waiting to be unraveled. When Earl mentions ‘sugar in the gas tank,’ he alludes to an act meant to sabotage, juxtaposed with personal instances of sabotage that he has experienced or enacted.
The title itself, Spanish for ‘sugar,’ serves as a euphemism for the sweetness in life, finding solace amid the harsh realities that Earl details. It is an exploration of how people sometimes unwittingly compromise their chances at joy, almost like pouring sugar in their tanks, unaware of the impending grind to a halt.
Philosophical Musings: Questioning the Divine
The absence of divinity in Earl’s lyrics signifies a departure from a search for meaning in the heavens, signaling a shift towards existential introspection. ‘No sense looking at the sky’ reflects a sense of abandonment of traditional spiritual answers in favor of looking within or towards tangible presences in life.
There is a nihilistic touch to his words that speak of a young man coming to terms with life’s injustices and absurdities without the comfort of religious sanctity or celestial intervention, pushing the boundaries of typical rap narratology into the realm of philosophical discourse.
Couplets That Cut Deep: The Song’s Most Memorable Lines
‘I only get better with time; that’s what my mom say, the doc’ say’ stands out as a self-affirming prophecy proclaiming personal growth amidst the trials encountered. It’s as if Earl is using the song to speak against the entropy that life seems to be slinging his way, and instead, he announces an upward trajectory.
‘Press can navy med, like on the bed’ is another line laced with shadowed meanings, suggesting an external pressure that’s as constant and suffocating as a weighted blanket. It’s a reference to the media scrutiny he faces and a clever pun on ‘press’, intertwining his personal narrative with his public perception.
Navigating Life’s Lonely Highways
Earl captures the essence of solitude in his journey through existence with ‘lonesome as I was.’ It’s a reflection on the personal and often isolated path one takes through life, especially when carrying the burden of the public eye or battling internal demons.
This solitude serves as both a curse and a companion, a reminder that in his climb to artistic introspection and lyrical prowess, Earl must sometimes traverse the ‘highway’ alone, armed only with his wit and words as ammunition against the oncoming traffic of fate.