Suicide Hotline Lyrics

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Do I have to fill out a form to get my liquor and cigarettes?
I’m going to blow my brains out
It’s much easier to get hijack Marlboros from the trustees

[Hotline Operator]
What? What is this? I'm sorry...

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Plastic bag, and...
Do I have to fill out a form to get my liquor and cigarettes?

[Hotline Operator]
What? Wait, just slow down (unintelligible)
I can’t hear you

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
It's much easier to get hijacked Marlboros from the trustees
It's gone soft
Black, white, grey
These last few months
Cancelled checks
The police arrived

[Hotline Operator]
You're in a prison?
[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
You won't be so arrogant when the police arrive

[Hotline Operator]
What are you talking about?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
It's gone soft

[Hotline Operator]
What?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
It's gone soft

[Hotline Operator]
What's gone soft?
I don't know what you're talking about...

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Plastic bag

[Hotline Operator]
What plastic bag?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Harassing me and stink bombs and stuff
[Hotline Operator]
Stink bombs? What stink bombs? I don't know what you're talking...
Really, I'm trying to understand you but I don't

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
It's gone soft!
Black, white, grey!
These last few months
Cancelled checks!
Ohhh!

[Hotline Operator]
Yeah, where are you at?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Do I have to fill out a form to get my liquor and cigarettes?
It’s much easier to get hijack Marlboros from the trustees

[Hotline Operator]
What do you want? Why are you calling?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Cause I’m gonna blow my brains out

[Hotline Operator]
Are you in a prison?
[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
No!

[Hotline Operator]
Where are you at?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
I don't know where I'm at!
Do I have to fill out a form?

[Hotline Operator]
What?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Do I have to fill out a form?

[Hotline Operator]
What form do you have to fill out?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
The trustees!

[Hotline Operator]
What trustees are we talking about?
No really, what trustees? I don't understand

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
It's...harassing me!

[Hotline Operator]
What?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
THEY'RE HARASSING ME!

[Hotline Operator]
OK, who's harassing you?
Who's harassing you?
Who?
Take your time. Calm down...
Who's harassing you?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Harassing me!

[Hotline Operator]
Who? Who are you talking about?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
The police...

[Hotline Operator]
OK, why are the police harassing you?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
I, I, I don't know!

[Hotline Operator]
Well, I can't help you unless you think!
Why are they bothering...
What's your first name?
Do you have a first name?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Gray

[Hotline Operator]
Gray. Why would the police bother you?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
'Cause I have a plastic bag

[Hotline Operator]
You have a plastic bag?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Yes

[Hotline Operator]
What's in the plastic bag?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Hijacked Marlboros

[Hotline Operator]
How much hijacked Marlboros do you have?
A lot? A little?
Twenty cartons? Ten cartons? A hundred cartons?
I mean, I'm just trying to ask you, 'cause like, you know, how many?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
You won't be so arrogant when the police arrive...
*background clatter*

[Hotline Operator]
Hello? Gray?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Yes?

[Hotline Operator]
What is that in the background?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
What?

[Hotline Operator]
What is that noise?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
My, my...

[Hotline Operator]
What?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
It's...

[Hotline Operator]
Your what? What?
Gray?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
Yes?

[Hotline Operator]
What is that?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
It's my mother...

[Hotline Operator]
What's going on?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
It's my mother...

[Hotline Operator]
Wha, wha, wha, your mother? Who's come into the house?

[Jean-Michel Basquiat]
My mother...

[Hotline Operator]
Your mother came into the house? I hear a man's voi...

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

This tune famously opens with Basquiat actually reciting poetry to a suicide hotline operator

You can cop Shades of… here

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Comments