[Verse 1]
I pledge allegiance to myself
Food, shelter, and health
Let me find a beach full of seashells to sell
Put your oxygen mask on first before you offer me help
I've got receipts made of scar tissue
Got the vision of somebody going fishing in the dark
When I start up the motor, it still turns over
But nowadays, a little bit slower
Never been afraid of getting older
I'm much more nervous about these public servants
Kill the lights and shut the curtains
You ain't a real lion if you love the circus
Looking at myself like, "What's the purpose?"
That's when I started to hallucinate
Tryna touch the surface and recuperate
You should've seen the look on my face when I was losing my faith
Y'all got me feeling hesitation, embarrassment
I might be the last generation of grandparents
I know that I've been fortunate for all the opportunities
Disproportionately disappointed in the human beings
I get it, we're specks of dust
At the bus stop busking for extra crust
Like fuck it, you can sacrifice me to the weather
If you promise that you'll let my songs live forever
[Verse 2]
You're looking for a bag of tricks
But my love is like a stack of bricks
Cobblestones and untreated lumber
I'm a father of fists, strength in numbers
And when they come for my box of dreams
I'ma finally depart from this toxic scene
No posturing, just lots of self esteem
Got you feeling like the popular queen
This ain't magic, this is fabric
And it's the type that never requires patches
And it's the fire that illustrates with ashes
It's our life, it's nothing we can't manage
Lower the arrow and take a breath
I won't waste ammo aiming at the angel of death
I might have already left, but they hear me still
With my pale knuckle grip on a steering wheel
Slug keeps record of his life in the scars left behind from painful experiences. They remain with him metaphorically the same way a scar remains physically.
He had a similar line off the track God Loves Ugly
Slug is concerned with the current state of affairs in American politics and U.S. politicians interested only in the media spotlight rather than actual policymaking. He’s likely referring to Donald Trump, considering the current affairs at the time of this release and Slug’s political preferences.
Lion fits into Slug’s media circus metaphor but it’s also a term commonly applied to U.S. Senators who were highly influential leaders and widely respected by their peers in both parties, and had a reputation for putting public service ahead of their own interests. For example, Ted Kennedy and John McCain are often referred to as lions of the Senate.
In Slug’s own words:
I am not so sure if any of us will survive the threat of global warming.
So he is like “Fuck it, go ahead. Do your thing and sacrifice me(and others) to the global warming if that’s what you want.”
And he also wants to live forever thru his songs, because the last generation of grandparents will be gone by then.
You are instructed on flights to always secure your own oxygen mask before helping others with theirs. Slug is saying that people should work on taking care of themselves before extending a hand to others. Otherwise, you won’t be in a position to help and you both could end up going under.
In an interview with the hip-hop platform Ambrosia For Heads, Slug spoke on this particular line.
The line is supposed to be interpreted as a reaction to the current climate changes, having major consequences around the world. Slug elaborates on this being asked whether the line was written with climate changes or the threat of war in mind:
Obviously the threat of war is there, but I feel like I’ll survive that, whereas I am not so sure if any of us will survive the threat of global warming.
This is yet another take on the overall theme of the album being mortality, and how to deal with the idea of death.