About the song
A story for this song hasn’t been added yet.
Words from the artist’s archive
The Board Don't Sleep lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Storm drain hisses, wood slides across the zinc Rain taps the roof like the king tapping his chin
Verse 1
Liberty City pawn lines up at the corner for the daily bread Rook stands at the gate while the water rises to his knees Bishop prays from the porch but the angle cuts through the screen door Knight hops the fence when the straight path floods with the storm Queen counts the paper in the back while the thunder shakes the frame King sends the word but the crown slips when the rain hits the drain
Chorus
Jump the fence like the knight or get swept like the pawn in the drain Queen slides through the chaos, the king holds the throne but the weight remains Board stays slick when the summer rain hits the zinc Every square got a name, every piece got to think Jump the fence like the knight or get swept like the pawn in the drain
Verse 2
Opa-Locka porch light flickers, the pawn that reached the end now watches the king fall Rook I became holds the line but the ground cracks under the call Bishop angle I missed still cuts the doubt in the rearview mirror Knight I used to be jumps just to keep the count from going under Weight of the pieces I lost sits heavy on the chest like the humid air Board don't change, only the players learn or stay there
Bridge
Miramar court steps, the shorties watch the new game start I tell them the king in danger when he thinks the crown is the heart Queen moves free but the freedom costs the rhythm in the rain Pawn that survives still checks who he left in the lane
Chorus
Jump the fence like the knight or get swept like the pawn in the drain Queen slides through the chaos, the king holds the throne but the weight remains Board stays slick when the summer rain hits the zinc Every square got a name, every piece got to think Jump the fence like the knight or get swept like the pawn in the drain
Outro
Storm drain hisses, last piece stands in the rain Board don't sleep, the next move coming again
Inside the recording
Storm drain hisses, wood slides across the zinc Rain taps the roof like the king tapping his chin
Jump the fence like the knight or get swept like the pawn in the drain Queen slides through the chaos, the king holds the throne but the weight remains
Storm drain hisses, last piece stands in the rain Board don't sleep, the next move coming again
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.