About the song
A story for this song hasn’t been added yet.
Words from the artist’s archive
Eighth Rank 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
Board's already set when you wake up on it. Lauderhill cold, every block a square.
Verse 1
Pawn on the wood and the wood is the curb, front line standing where the openings hurt. Sistrunk sunrise, the bishops slide quiet, diagonal money, they don't ride, they orbit. Knight in a Charger jump two and a half, move that don't make sense till it land on your back. Rook in the projects, he don't leave the lane, castle on the corner taking shots through the rain. They told me hold the file, hold it for the team, a pawn don't get to ask what the hold even mean. First rank breathing on a second rank dream, the queen ain't moved yet, but I feel her routine.
Pre-chorus
Count the squares, count the squares, every one a year. They sacrifice the small ones, that's the part they don't say here.
Chorus
One square from the eighth rank, I don't fold. Pawn became a problem, now they study me cold. Pompano to the Turnpike, every move I been sold, promote me or play me, but you won't move me for free. Eighth rank or nothing, I don't move for free.
Verse 2
Weight of the whole board pressing on my spine, they want me traded, want me gone by the nine. Davie back roads where the gambits get planned, somebody's strategy sitting in my hand. I was a body to advance the design, a tempo, a throwaway, a line in the line. Palmetto headlights doing math on the move, who profits when the little piece lose what he lose. Mama worked the second shift, that's a sacrifice too, the board eats the quiet ones, the loud ones get through.
Pre-chorus
Count the squares, count the squares, every one a debt. They sacrifice the small ones, I just ain't been took yet.
Chorus
One square from the eighth rank, I don't fold. Pawn became a problem, now they study me cold. Pompano to the Turnpike, every move I been sold, promote me or play me, but you won't move me for free. Eighth rank or nothing, I don't move for free.
Verse 3
So who is the hand? I looked up from the felt, saw my own outline ghosting the moves I was dealt. Hollywood window, streetlight on the glass, the piece and the player wearing one mask. Miramar quiet, I been quiet too long, maybe I was the gambit the whole way along. If the white move first and the black move to answer, then waiting is a weapon and patience is the dancer.
Bridge
Promotion mean you reach the line they swore you'd die before. Pawns remember every hand that moved them. That's the score.
Verse 4
Now I move like the knight, I don't move how they read, two squares and a turn, leave em counting the lead. Krome road dust on a stadium plan, they can't sacrifice a piece they don't understand. Tamarac to Sistrunk, I been studying the long game, they brought me as a pawn, I'm leaving with a strong name.
Verse 5
Lil cousin on the stoop, I put the board on his knee, showed him every square the block tried to hide from me. The small piece survive if the small piece can see, reach the eighth and you decide what the small piece be. I don't move for free no more, I move for the we, Lauderhill to the Turnpike, that's the lesson, that's the key.
Pre-chorus
Count the squares, count the squares, every one a name. They sacrifice the small ones. I refused to play that game.
Chorus
One square from the eighth rank, I don't fold. Pawn became a problem, now they study me cold. Pompano to the Turnpike, every move I been sold, promote me or play me, but you won't move me for free. Eighth rank or nothing, I came back as the queen they let go.
Outro
Board's still set. But the small piece reads it now. Hard stop. No more free moves.
Inside the recording
Board's already set when you wake up on it. Lauderhill cold, every block a square.
Count the squares, count the squares, every one a year. They sacrifice the small ones, that's the part they don't say here.
Board's still set. But the small piece reads it now. Hard stop. No more free moves.
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.