Excerpt: The sneak attack of a track on Logic’s 2017 album, Everybody, that got everybody thinking about life, death, interconnectedness, and unity. Let’s look at the lyrics and deeper meaning of Waiting Room by Logic.
Introduction: The Sneak Attack Of A Track
In his 2017 album, Everybody, Logic released a track that caught people off guard. Rather than mastermind poetic and metaphorical lyrics with a head bobbing catchy beat—Logic decided to tell a story. This story—this track—almost feels like an excerpt from a sci-fi movie and explores themes of interconnectedness, oneness, and the meaning of life. Yes, it’s deep and yes, it’s on a rap album. And for anybody who listened to Everybody and heard it as the album played out in full, was surely surprised. Moreover, by the time the track finished and the story was laid out in full, those same people may also have found themselves swept right off of their feet and on the floor contemplating the universe (or just scratching their heads?).
The track, Waiting Room, is an adaptation and reimagination of Andy Weir’s short story, The Egg. True to the original intention behind Weir’s story, Logic brilliantly brings a similar message of unity and oneness to a whole new audience. The meaning of life, after all, isn’t exactly a common topic of conversation to a young audience and exploring deeper philosophical ideas isn’t usually strung into rap albums. I wasn’t even made aware of Andy Weir’s story until I heard Waiting Room and decided to dig deeper myself.
This sneak attack of track lines up with Logic’s message that he strings throughout many of his tracks and helps promote ideas of equality, compassion, and acceptance—messages that couldn’t be more timely in the world today. In fact, you might have heard him state his purpose yourself in an interview, song, or live at concert: “…To fight for equality of every man, woman, and child regardless of race, religion, color, creed and sexual orientation. I say the fight for, because I say we are all born equal but not treated equally.” This is one of his fundamental messages and he speaks it loudly, clearly, and often. And this is exactly the theme that Waiting Room dives deeper into.
It’s the idea is that we are one. And not even just figuratively—maybe we really are all just… one. That maybe we’re more than just in this together—maybe we are, actually, everybody who is alive and has every lived? Maybe what we do to others we really are only ever doing directly to ourselves? Confused? Good. Now’s the time to dive in to the story of Waiting Room so that you can grapple with the idea for yourself. Let us know what you think in the comment section below when you’re done! We’d love to take this idea further with you.
Here is the conversation;
Atom on receives a call while alive on earth
Atom: Hello?
I know, I know, I’m supposed to been home, I’m coming
Just, I’m on my way home, every time
I’m on my way there right now, okay?
Oh shit! (Accidents)
Appears in the WAITING ROOM
God: Life, what’s it all about?
Atom: What? Wait, where am I?
God: The space between spaces
Beyond time and existential intelligence
Atom: Forget, fuck all the hippy shit, where am I?
God: What’s the last thing you remember, Atom?
Atom: I was in the store, I bought some smokes
I came outside, the phone rang, I…
How do you know my name?!
God: You were walking home from work when you died
Atom: Died? Dead? I’m dead? I’m dead?!
God: It wasn’t an act of courage or bravery, but it was your time
Atom: What do you mean it’s my time? What? I got…
What about Vanessa? What about the baby?
God: Your wife and son? You see, that’s what I like to hear
You find out you’re dead and the first thing you worry about is others
Atom: Man, answer me, what about my family?
What’s going on with Vanessa?
God: They’re doing just fine
You see, your wife was cheating on you
Atom: Wait, wait, the bitch did what?!
God: And even though she loved you dearly
She was a bit relieved you would never find out
Atom: Wait, what the fuck you mean she cheated on me?
How you gon’ tell me I’m dead then gon’ tell me my wife cheated on me?!
God: Atom, none of that matters now
Walk with me
Atom: Wait, what is this? Is this…Is this heaven?
God: No
Atom: Well, I don’t see no pitchforks
Little red people runnin’ around
It ain’t too hot up in here so I guess this ain’t hell either
God: I think the easiest way to describe it, this white void
Is to look upon it as a waiting room
Atom: So…are you God?
God: Yes, I’m God
Atom: So, we waiting for what?
God: Excuse me?
Atom: So you sittin’ here telling me, this place is a waiting room, right? What are we waiting for?
God: Rebirth
Atom: Rebirth? Like reincarnation?
God: If that’s what you wanna call it
Atom: What the fu*k you mean, “If that’s what I wanna call it?” Either this is what it is, or this is what it ain’t
God: Sure
Atom: Chu mean? Ugh, this mothafu*ka
Atom: A’ight, lemme get this straight: every time I die, I come here, we talk, and you send me back to earth to be reborn?
God: You know the last time we had this conversation it was in mandarin and you were 13
Atom: Mandarin?
God: And a girl
Atom: What? Nah, bruh, you fu*kin’ wit’ me. Like, Jesus Christ
God: He was here, too
Atom: What? Wait, wait, so the Christians got it right?
God: Well I’m about to reincarnate you, Atom. I’d say everyone kinda got it right
Atom: This is a whole lot to take in
God: I know. Trust me, I’ve been there
Atom: So, how many times have I been reincarnated?
God: Many, many, many, many, many times
Atom: If it’s so many times, why don’t I remember?
God: If we stayed here long enough, the lives you have lived, and the knowledge from each of them would return
Atom: What?
God: I’m actually about to send you back to 1736 as Bryan Fairfax, the 8th lord Fairfax of Cameron
Atom: Word, ayy, that sounds important
God: Oh, yes. You own 40,000 acres
Atom: Goddamn! Oh, I’m sorry
God: Ha, it’s quite alright
Atom: Well, at least I’m not poor no more
God: Well, sure. With all that land and the hundreds of slaves you’ll own
Atom: Slaves?! Aw, hell nah! No, no, no, no, look, look, look: how you gonna take a black man, send him back in time, and now I gotta own slaves?
God: Well, if it’s any consolation, your son Tom, the 9th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, sets them free
Atom: No! That does not make me feel better at all. Wait, hold up, I just realized you said you’re gonna send me back in time?
God: Well, I’m not really sending you back in time. That doesn’t exist where I come from, only in your universe
Atom: Well, where are you from?
God: Honestly, Atom, even if I explained where I came from, or told you about the others like me, you just wouldn’t understand
Atom: But if there’s others like you, how can you be god?
God: Atom, I said you wouldn’t understand
Atom: So what’s the point of doing all this?
God: Really?
Atom: What?
God: A little cliche, don’t you think? Essentially asking me the meaning of life
Atom: Well, I figured I would ask before you send me back and I can’t remember none of this
God: Atom, come here. The meaning of life, the reason I created this place, is so that you can grow and mature
Atom: Like the human race? Like this is how the human race is supposed to grow and mature? Mature into what? We can’t even get along…
God: No, Atom, you! It’s for you, you to mature
Atom: I don’t understand
God: I created this place for you, Atom. This entire place was made for you. Every time I send you back, every life you live, you grow and mature and understand the grand meaning behind all of this just a little more each time
Atom: Just me? Wait, what about everybody else?
God: Atom, there is no one else
Atom: I don’t understand
God: Atom, you are every human being who has ever existed since the dawn of your kind on earth
Atom: Wait, I’m everyone?!
God: Ah yes, now you are beginning to see it
Atom: So I’m like, everyone that ever existed on Earth, ever?
God: Earth? Ha, that’s cute. Earth was just your birthplace. Let us not forget all the stars humanity will colonize over the millennia
Atom: Wait, that is so much. Too much to take in. I’m every human being that ever lived?
God: Or ever will live, yes
Atom: I’m Jesus?
God: And all of his disciples
Atom: I’m Hitler?
God: And the millions he murdered
Atom: That’s deep
God: You see Atom, every act of hatred and violence you committed against another, you were committing against yourself and every act of love and hand of kindness, you also extended unto yourself
Atom: God, why do all this?
God: Someday, long from now, you will become like me. You will mature to become what I am
Atom: I’m a god?
God: No, not yet. You see, I was once where you stand right now. It is not until you have lived every human life inside of your universe that I may take you from this place. Once you have walked in the shoes of every race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, loving and hateful person, it is only then that you will understand how precious life truly is.
THE END
LOGIC
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[…] Also Read: Waiting Room: The Meaning of Life — A Conversation Between God And Atom […]