Take Down

EXITMUSIC 1023
Written, arranged and produced by
Mikel Rouse
EXITMUSIC RECORDINGS

Released 07/29/2016

Five years in the making, Take Down fuses influences as diverse as Abd El Halim Hafez, FKA Twigs and Delta Blues. A Kafkaesque soundtrack to America’s future, the lyrics cover topics from lost love to water shortages, from mortality to Mayan ruins, from toddlers to allergies.

Pitchfork: Downtown NYC legend Mikel Rouse reemerges with “Habibi Lossless”. Slippery like Radiohead’s “Daydreaming”—and as chaotically clattering as work by Oneohtrix Point Never—it reestablishes Rouse’s brilliance.

01. Habibi Lossless
02. Habit
03. Side Myself
04. Ambulance Chaser
05. The Law Of Average 2
06. Growing Pains
07. Lift Your Hands
08. Mayan Yours
09. Moby’s Out Of Water

Lyrics

HABIBI LOSSLESS

Habibi
My habibi
My Habibi
Life is not fair
This time it was
And if you dare
To lift the veil
Habibi
My habibi
My Habibi

Habibi I make love
Habibi I make love
Habibi I make love

Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless

Habibi I make love
I make love
I make love

I did not cry
To protect you from your fear
I did not see
Your imagination dear

Resting my lips on yours.
Just hovering over your mouth.
Like the shakes
Them’s the breaks
Testing your mouth

Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love

People wish they could fly
I don’t understand why
I fly every night in my dreams
Security high
And I wish I could die
And I died with my wish fulfilled

Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love

Remember I told you
When I was young
And had money
I would deliver free
But money and youth understand
Understand truth

I make love I make lossless
Habibi
I make love I make lossless
Habibi
I make love I make lossless
Habibi
I make love I make lossless
Habibi

Resting my lips on yours
Hovering over your mouth
Like the shakes
Them’s the breaks
Recovering from my love

And we make love
In your American Dream
And we make love
Habibi lossless
Habibi lossless love
Yes we make love
In your American Dream
And we make love
Habibi lossless
Habibi lossless love
And we make love
In your American Dream
And we make love
Habibi lossless
Habibi lossless love

Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Habibi I make love
And make lossless

Resting my lips on yours
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Hovering over your mouth
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Just like the shakes
Them’s the breaks
Habibi I make love
And make lossless
Recovering from my love

HABIT

Trees hide their leaves
And just believe
Trees hide their leaves
And just believe

Everyone is dumb for days
Everyone is dumb for days
Everyone is dumb for days

Stuff is falling from the trees I know
Stuff is falling from the trees I know
Stuff is falling
Stuff is falling
Stuff is falling from the trees I know

You must know the feeling’s gone
And so I’ve said so long
You must know

Habit x7

Stuff is falling from the trees I know
Stuff is falling from the trees I know
Stuff is falling
Stuff is falling
Stuff is falling from the trees I know

Trees hide their leaves
And just believe
Trees hide their leaves
And just believe

SIDE MYSELF

I saw the world
Through a 50 year plan
I come correct
Like I’m rich with no where to go

Maybe I’m not god
But I feel like god tonight

And you never side with myself
If you ever go back
To the empty shells in a broken home
Of a Western style attack

In a wonder-world of fashion
With a minimal flare
You can take the bread & the bombs galore
Play dress-up standing there

And you never side with myself
Is it something you lack
In the sink or swim of the Middle East
Of our Western heart attack?
Side myself

I can’t pretend you matter
I’m living alone
I’m living alone
I’m living alone ’til I die

When I miss you
I miss you more
Even when it’s good news it’s bad news
Even when it’s good news it’s bad news

And you never side with myself
If you ever go back
To the empty shells in a broken home
Of a Western style attack

In a wonder-world of fashion
With a minimal flare
You can take the bread & the bombs galore
Play dress-up standing there

And you never side with myself
Is it something you lack
In the sink or swim of the Middle East
Of our Western heart attack?
Side myself

You said that you loved me
You said that you loved me
You said that you loved me

AMBULANCE CHASER

She’s an ambulance chaser
A fitness trainer
A single malt missing
On a steep retainer

She’s an ambulance chaser
A guru come later
A penny for her thoughts
If you should try to date her

She’s an ambulance chaser
A total stranger
A message in a bottle
Sent to Betty Danger

She’s an ambulance chaser
The Bureau of Labor
Has cuddled with the kittens
Of her strange behavior

She’s an ambulance chaser
An ambulance chaser

GROWING PAINS

Growing Pains growing pains
Clean the carpet, clean the stains
Growing pains growing pains
Clear the planet’s last remains

Take pictures of your baby’s every move
Take pictures of your baby’s every move
I guess it’s just the normal thing to do
Pictures of your baby’s every move
Take pictures of your baby’s every move

Everything collapsing right on cue
What were you and I supposed to do?
Battles won and battles lost
Everyone is getting what they need
Trying to get over what they breed

Baby takes the money outa me
Trying to ignore the scarcity
Battles won and battles lost
All the things you can and can’t undo
Savoring the smiles that come to you

LIFT YOUR HANDS

Hey, let me lift your hands
Fifth estate MANPADS
Hey, let me lift your hands
Fifth estate MANPADS

Put the knives away
For a rainy day

I live like I’m rich
When I’m poor
I live like I’m rich
When I’m poor

Boredom: please forgive me
Boredom is gone forever
Boredom: please forgive me

When you put your hands up
When you put your hands up
When you put your hands up
Your hands belong to me

You never knew her
She never knew you
You never knew her
She never knew you

Put the knives away
Hey, let me lift your hands
Fifth estate MANPADS
I live like I’m rich
When I’m poor
I live like I’m rich

I live like I’m rich
When I’m poor
I live like I’m rich
When I’m poor

Take it all back
Take it all
Take it all back
Take it all

MAYAN YOURS

Where are the duds?
Where are the wannabes?
Where are the bombs waiting for history?

Send in the clowns
Artillery rounds for free
Selling the psalms
Selling the rosary

Infinity breaks and bake yellow cakes for me
Another collapse
Another sobriety

Mayan yours
Ours Mayan yours
Mayan yours
Ours Mayan yours

I have crossed a million stars
I have crossed a million stars
Waiting on the wonder
Waiting on the wonder

have crossed a million stars
Waiting on the wonder
Waiting on the wonder

Mayan yours
Ours Mayan yours
Mayan yours
Ours Mayan yours

Where are the duds?
Where are the wannabes?
Where are the bombs waiting for history?

Mayan yours
Ours Mayan yours
Mayan yours
Ours Mayan yours

I have crossed a million stars
Waiting on the wonder
Waiting on the wonder

Infinity breaks and bake yellow cakes for me
Mayan yours
Ours Mayan yours
I have crossed a million stars

Another collapse
Another sobriety
Waiting on the wonder
I have crossed a million stars

MOBY’S OUT OF WATER

I am sweet cakes and I have no point
Existing on the planet
I am sweet cakes and I have no point
Existing on the planet
Existing has three syllables
And I prefer two
I am sweet cakes and I have no point
Existing on the planet

I want to be with you in the fire
i want to be with you in desire

Moby’s out of water
Moby’s out of water
Moby’s out of water with his swimming pool
And his West Side school

Moby’s out of water
Moby’s out of water
Moby’s out of water with his swimming pool
And his East Side school

Interstate second rate
I’m so stupid you can tell by my selfie stick
Stupid, you can tell by my selfie stick

Introducing the latest breakthrough in cancer therapy
Introducing the latest breakthrough in cancer therapy
Introducing the latest breakthrough in cancer therapy
You You You

Existing has three syllables
And syllables has three syllables
I prefer two
I am sweet cakes and I have no point

I want to be with you in the fire
i want to be with you in desire

Interstate second rate
I’m so stupid you can tell by my selfie stick

Moby’s out of water
Moby’s out of water
Moby’s out of water with his swimming pool
And his West Side school

Moby’s out of water
Moby’s out of water
Moby’s out of water with his swimming pool
And his East Side school