Call Ticketron by Run The Jewels Lyrics Meaning – Navigating the Chaos of Modernity Through Rap
Lyrics
Lickin’ off shots and we aim for the darkness
Make it get hot for a target
Kids cook s’mores off the crotch of our targets
Kumbaya bitch
Buckle up lil’ trooper
You can’t get past me, I’m stuck in the future
The shit ain’t all it’s cracked up to be
The hover craft’s cool but the air’s so putrid
You can tell by the stench to the air
Blood’s on the ground, opportunity is here
I’m lookin’ into space like, “Is anybody there?
And if aliens are here, please tell me how near
Do you come in peace or should everybody fear?
I’ll wait your reply with a blunt and a beer.”
I be the high guy with the belly and the beard
Smoke signal ET, ATLiens here
Beggin’ your pardon, Run the Jewels live at the garden
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
Li-li-live from the garden
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
Run the Jewels live at the garden
Run the Jewels (live from the garden)
Ru-ru-run the Jewels (live from the garden)
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
Beggin’ your pardon, Run the Jewels live at the garden
Last two pirates alive are still yargin (yargin)
My girl got my heart, it’s a bargain
Lick from her lips to the crease in her garter
Her ass my religion, her love’s why I’m livin’
I smoke farm to face the field full, partner
Life’s a shitnado, the smoke my umbrella
The boy’s back turnin’ his slacks to all yella (Prick)
It’s a daily lick, I slit throats with a grin that reek of pure shit
Travel by backflip, eat from the river, the panther heart taught to talk by smart chicks
Sip pure venom and skipped away grinnin’
I put that on mom, she ain’t raise a Vic
Lil’ fucknuts, sit
I piss on your wit, dismiss your whole shit
Live from the stage of the garden
We be the realest of the killers of the fuck shit squadron
Movin’ through the streets and we lootin,’ robbin’
Mobbin,’ marchin’, carrying our coffin
Hello everybody, this is now bank robbery
Jesse James gang, we’ll walk you through the process
You don’t wanna be a hero, do not let that thought process
We will put a bullet where your thoughts get processed
Get that fuck shit straight like a perm or a process
Cause forreal the money money ain’t the mother fuckin’ object
We just like exitement, gun fights, indigtments
High speed chase through Manhattan in the night winds
Ooh, its the thrill of the kill
Watching kill bill on a pill as I grip steerin’ wheel
Cops coulda had the boy jammed I feel
But like Eddie Kane I made it I’m here
Beggin’ your pardon, Run the Jewels live at the garden
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
Li-li-live from the garden
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
Run the Jewels live at the garden
Run the Jewels (live from the garden)
Ru-ru-run the Jewels (live from the garden)
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
I’m the shamalama doomalama danger dick’ll do your mama
Skeeter with the peter, never eat her, tell her see ya later
Holla ’bout tomorrow, baby, I ain’t got to holler (Vroom, vroom)
My Impala pop a pussy, pop a collar
Pop a pill then chill, no pill, no Cosby
Not a raper or a taker, bonafide heartbreaker
Hit her once, hit her twice, then tell her see ya later
Got head, watch Vice at her home in Decatur
Full clip, I’m a little bit sick, come equipped
Look at what I did for the grit, got it lit, what a cinch
Brought ’em just a little pinch of the truth, and they flip
Now they hanging from my shit, lil’ bit
It’s the Mensch, the myth
I do push-ups nude on the edge of cliffs
The jewels come quick, all gold and bricked
Click, click, boxer cutter spit
Brother, what a trip
Beggin’ your pardon, Run the Jewels live at the garden
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
Li-li-live from the garden
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
Run the Jewels live at the garden
Run the Jewels (live from the garden)
Ru-ru-run the Jewels (live from the garden)
Li-li-li-li-li-live from the garden
Tickets are on sale now at the Garden box office
And all Ticketron locations, or charge by phone
Run The Jewels, the incendiary hip-hop duo comprised of Killer Mike and El-P, have always been known for their socio-political commentary, laced within hard-hitting beats and unrelenting flows. ‘Call Ticketron,’ a track from their third studio album, ‘Run the Jewels 3,’ is a bombastic, dense journey that descends into the maelstrom of society’s underbelly with a swagger.
Beyond its pulsing bass and frenetic energy, ‘Call Ticketron’ operates as a potent metaphor for the chaos and spectacle of contemporary life. The song skillfully merges themes like escapism, social violence, and the interplay of reality and fantasy, making its lyrics rich soil for deeper exploration.
Live from the Garden: The Significance of Setting
Referencing the iconic Madison Square Garden, Run The Jewels frames ‘Call Ticketron’ in a setting synonymous with grand performance and cultural significance. By declaring ‘live at the garden,’ RTJ juxtapose their street-level narratives against a backdrop of epic proportions, infusing high-stakes theatrics into the raw and the real.
This contrast magnifies the gravitas of their message, challenging the audience to reconsider the intersections of entertainment, reality, and the spectacle of violence in a space historically reserved for escapism and celebration.
Time-Traveling Troopers and Futuristic Fallouts
The lyrics ‘You can’t get past me, I’m stuck in the future’ underscore El-P’s obsession with science fiction, while simultaneously commenting on the static nature of societal progress. The imagery of ‘hovercrafts’ versus ‘putrid air’ paints a dystopian vision, often a staple in futuristic narratives, to critique the present.
The clash of technology and decay in this track becomes a cipher for modern disillusionment with the future—a future once painted with optimism but now mired in environmental, social, and moral pollution.
A Deeper Dive: The Hidden Meaning Behind the Madness
At its core, ‘Call Ticketron’ encapsulates the absurdity of the human condition within modern society. RTJ strategically employs outlandish scenarios and characters to reflect the bizarre and often disturbing state of global affairs, embedding a profound sense of uncertainty and existential dread.
From the nihilistic portrayal of robbing banks to the invocation of extraterrestrial life, RTJ intertwines the cosmic and the chaotic to suggest that seeking rational explanations in an increasingly irrational world might be futile.
The Anthem of the Anti-Heroes: Brazen Bravado and Street Savvy
Killer Mike and El-P personify the archetypal anti-heroes in ‘Call Ticketron,’ flaunting a raw, unapologetic spirit. The lines ‘We be the realest of the killers of the fuck shit squadron’ and ‘Hello everybody, this is now bank robbery’ encapsulate their rebellious ethos, bringing a gritty legitimacy to their art and personas.
By embracing the anti-hero archetype, RTJ frames themselves as countercultural icons who not only defy societal norms but revel in the subversion of expected moralistic narratives in both hip-hop and wider society.
The Poetics of Power: Memorable Lines and Verbal Explosions
During the track’s climax, listeners are hit with quick punches of quotables that are bound to resonate and recoil in the mind, long after the song ends. ‘The jewels come quick, all gold and bricked’ serves as a boastful reminder of RTJ’s lyrical wealth and the tangible impact of their forceful delivery.
Through visceral and evocative language, RTJ fires salvos like ‘Sip pure venom’ and ‘Travel by backflip,’ crafting a dense tapestry where each verse acts as both a verbal explosion and an insurgent scripture, written for those who navigate the world’s chaos with a mix of cynicism and resilience.
