Pepper Shaker
Well there's no need to wake her
Since silence doesn't break her
Hey Mr. Waiter, bring me back
my pepper shaker
all of you stars, hey man,
you're fucking fakers
i was a giver but now i'm just a taker
i used to walk the streets of Esplanade and Decatur
But now my feet they walk on de la vega
The pressure of survival will make you lose sight of your dreams
and everything you see is me looking down on me
sometimes i can be anything
sometimes what is is what's next
sometimes the woman is king
sometimes love just don't connect
i'll be the leper
and you can be the dealer
i'll be the shepherd honey you can be the healer
you put your trust in me
i'll keep you from falling
if you keep on loving me
I'll keep on calling
and i'll be true to you
I promise darling
but there's just no room for you
In Spanish Harlem
The pressure of survival will make you
lose sight of your dreams
and all that you see
is me looking me down on me
sometimes i can be anything
sometimes it slips through my hands
sometimes the woman is king
sometimes the queen is a man
"the pressure of survival in the big city
will make you lose sight of your dreams.
hang in there"-de la vega
NNMaddox: "This song has alot of quotes by James de la Vega, a Spanish Harlem street artist. This was one of the first songs I wrote for Pepper Shaker. I had the title in my head for a long time, and I was finally able to use it for this song. I knew when I finished it that it was unlike any of my previous work. This was something that was very exciting, but scary for me. I couldn't tell if I loved it or hated it. The song ultimately is about struggling to survive in Spanish Harlem. Even when you think you're conquering it, you realize you're still losing. Because it's no place you'd want to bring your mother, sister or girlfriend. The King/Queen line is one by de la Vega, and it's about things not being what they appear to be.
The chorus comes from a de la Vega quote I read one night coming home from work. It seemed to be speaking directly to me. It got me through a tough time, and it helped me write this song".