![]() ![]() Scores of f-words (some of them used in a sexual context), s-words and misuses of God’s name trail through song after song after song. “Downtown”-an almost Weird Al-type shout-out to the glories of owning a moped-is drenched with the kind of harsh profanities and obscenities that turns up on most of these tracks. Macklemore and his wife aren’t always on the same physical page, he admits, but he emphasizes that intimacy is more than just sex (“Every time I go to sleep/I wish that you were next to me/Two people that were meant to be”). ![]() Though it’s been roundly ridiculed in some reviews, the Deluxe Edition track “Spoons” offers a real-world (albeit frankly explicit) take on sexual intimacy over the long term in a committed relationship. “White Privilege II” packs a great deal of complex soul searching into a track that challenges listeners to think seriously about racism (“It seems like we’re more concerned with being called racist/Than we actually are with racism”). Positive (passing) references to God show up on “Light Tunnels,” “Brad Pitt’s Cousin,” “The Train” and “Need to Know,” the latter of which suggests that we’ve tried to replace God with material things (“I’m tryna find God through a purchase, I’m not tryna go to church”). Meanwhile, death is deemed a spiritual reality on “Kevin,” (“You never know when God is gonna call, man”), as the lyrics honestly speak to how tragedy makes holding on to faith difficult (“‘Cause I hate myself/No praying’s gonna cure this pain”). Ides” chronicles Macklemore’s struggle with alcohol addiction. Sleep? Give him Ambien/ … So, America, is it really worth it?”). “Kevin” also condemns doctors who overprescribe such meds and criticizes a culture that’s addicted to them (“Got anxiety, better go and give him a Xanax/Focus? Give him Adderall. Still, he knows deep down that it’s only a “Band-Aid that problem.” Macklemore clearly recognizes the tragically destructive influence of drugs and drink (“Wings clipped by the grip of 80 milligram sniffs of Oxycontin/Every day through the nostrils/Death a line or two away and a couple of tall cans”), even as he’s honest about his own temptation to use such substances to dull the ache of his guilt (“I’m already feeling hollow/Might as well go crack a seal and might as well go chug a bottle”). Accordingly, most references to drugs and alcohol here have a cautionary feel, especially on “Kevin,” which memorializes a friend who died of an overdose at the age of 21. Macklemore has long been open about his struggles with addiction. Offering a glimpse into Macklemore’s experience attending the Grammy Awards, “Light Tunnels” confesses his uncertainty regarding how he’s supposed to act (“I watch the other people that have been around for a while/Just excited I got invited, feeling cool in the crowd”) even as he skewers the music industry’s narcissism (“‘Cause tonight we toast our accomplishments/Insecurity dressed up as confidence”) and perceptively observes how “celebrities who take selfies with celebrities” get exploited by executives who want to profit from their foibles and failings (“They want the gossip, they want the drama/They want Britney Spears to make out with Madonna/They want Kanye to rant and to go on longer, ’cause that equates to more dollars”). “I just wanna be a good dad/Will I be? I have no idea,” he says, and then he encourages Sloane to imitate her “tough” mom, keep broken hearts in perspective, pursue her passions and focus on others’ needs. (Macklemore married his longtime girlfriend, Tricia Davis, in June 2015, shortly after Sloane’s birth). “Growing Up (Sloane’s Song)” unpacks Macklemore’s hopes for his daughter. ![]()
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