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Words from the artist’s archive
Four Names for the Same Storm 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
Clear the static, let the real one through The rain been falling but the names stay new Four old labels on a brand new day But in the 305 they all behave the same way
Verse 1
On the corner by the store where the lottery sign blink red One brother laughing loud, buying two cold drinks instead Sanguine type, make the whole line crack a smile Even when the EBT short and the rain start to pile Next to him the one with the tight jaw and the phone to his ear Choleric, ready to bark if the cashier take too long here Arguing with the baby mama ’bout the same old thing again Heat rising off the asphalt like it’s choosing him
Chorus
The rain got four names but it fall the same Sanguine dance in it, choleric cuss the name Melancholic write it in the steam on the glass Phlegmatic wait it out, let the others pass But when the thunder hit and the lights go black Which one you gon’ be when the rent due back? The rain don’t lie about which one you really are Grandma said the four live in every man’s chest But only the balanced one clean up after the mess
Verse 2
Now the weight of it settle when the first of the month hit Pink eviction notice on the fridge held by a magnet from the last storm that split The sanguine one try to joke it off with a half smile and a “we gon’ figure it out” But the light bill in the red and the fridge getting light, no doubt The choleric snap at the kids for leaving the door open too long Yelling ’bout respect while his own pressure building like a bomb The melancholic stare at the same four walls every single night Counting the ways the system designed to keep the spirit tight
Chorus
The rain got four names but it fall the same Sanguine dance in it, choleric cuss the name Melancholic write it in the steam on the glass Phlegmatic wait it out, let the others pass But when the thunder hit and the lights go black Which one you gon’ be when they knocking at your back? The rain don’t lie about which one you really are
Verse 3
Look in the rearview on the Palmetto at 2 in the morning See the four faces staring back at the same damn warning The one who laughed too loud when the pressure got thick The one who almost swung when the words didn’t stick The one who sat quiet while the whole room fell apart The one who conserved energy and protected his heart They all me on different days, depending on the bill that due The mirror don’t lie even when the rain distort the glass
Verse 4
Now fight back, the enemy ain’t the rain, it’s the label they stuck The one they put on you when you young and the block corrupt They say he too hot or he don’t care enough to try Too in his feelings or he always acting tough to get by But the real fight is when you feel the choleric rise in your throat And you choose not to burn the only bridge you still need to float Or when the melancholic pull you to the bed at noon And you force yourself up ’cause the kids need food soon
Chorus
The rain got four names but it fall the same Sanguine dance in it, choleric cuss the name Melancholic write it in the steam on the glass Phlegmatic wait it out, let the others pass But when the thunder hit and the lights go black Which one you gon’ be when they knocking at your back? The rain don’t lie about which one you really are Grandma said the four live in every man’s chest But only the balanced one clean up after the mess
Verse 5
So when the young one ask why the old heads don’t break under the weight Tell ’em the four temperaments live in the same ache But the lesson ain’t to pick one and stay in your lane forever It’s to know which one showing up and put it back where it belong Grandma used to say while stirring the red beans on the stove in the back “Boy, the blood make you move fast, the yellow make you fight back The black make the feeling last longer than it need to last The phlegm make you patient when the others want to crash”
Outro
The rain still falling but the names getting clear Four in one body, but the choice is here
Inside the recording
Clear the static, let the real one through The rain been falling but the names stay new
The rain got four names but it fall the same Sanguine dance in it, choleric cuss the name
The rain still falling but the names getting clear Four in one body, but the choice is here
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.