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Uncle Theology · Proverbs · Track 6

Clean or Die

ProverbsTrack 6 of 9
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About this songA messy-room teenager meets the ant of Proverbs 6 — no master, no motivation playlist, just tiny legs pushing through the universe.
Big ideaA messy-room teenager is sent to the ant of Proverbs 6: no boss, no hype, no motivation playlist — just tiny legs pushing through the universe, doing the work.
Doctrine
Diligence · Sloth
Anchor text
Proverbs 6:6–11
Form
Funky pop-punk
Voices
—
Verse 1

It’s true my room’s a dumpster
with fossilized taquitos ’neath my bed.
And it’s clear my parents
have indicated that soon I may be dead.
They said the next day that ends in “why”
I must choose to clean or die.
So why can’t I,
oh why can’t I?

Pre-Chorus

Maybe it’s ’cuz (whoa whoa whoa)
I don’t know entomology.
If I looked at the ant,
then I might begin to see.

Chorus

He just does his work,
no big announcements to come first.
Just insect hustle,
no “motivation playlist” to rehearse —
just tiny legs (tiny legs)
pushin’ through the universe.
Just tiny legs (tiny legs)
pushin’ through the universe.

Bridge

Look to the ant,
the Bible says with laughter:
he has no master
to tell him what to do
or what to get after,
yet his calories (calories)
are already pre-captured.

Verse 2 — Rap

How long will you lie there, O you sluggard?
Your motivation’s such a bummer.
A little sleep, a little rest,
a little video game fest,
and you’ll wind up like a fool
who never figured out what to do.

Bridge

Look to the ant,
the Bible says with laughter:
he has no master
to tell him what to do
or what to get after,
yet his calories (calories)
are already pre-captured.
Yes, his calories (Micky D’s)
are already pre-captured.

Chorus

He just does his work,
no big announcements to come first.
Just insect hustle,
no “motivation playlist” to rehearse —
just tiny legs (tiny legs)
pushin’ through the universe.
Just tiny legs (tiny legs)
pushin’ through the universe.

Scripture References

  1. Proverbs 6:6-11
  2. Proverbs 26:13-16

Study this song

Teaching aids drawn from the song — for personal study or group discussion.

How the song moves

1
Clean or die
The dumpster room, fossilized taquitos, and the parental ultimatum (cf. Proverbs 24:30–31).
2
Consider the ant
No master, no overseer, yet it stores its food — “calories already pre-captured” (Proverbs 6:6–8).
3
The sluggard’s anthem
“A little sleep, a little slumber”… and poverty comes like a robber (Proverbs 6:9–11).
4
Tiny legs
No announcements, no playlist — just insect hustle pushing through the universe (Proverbs 6:6).

Key terms & allusions

  • “Look to the ant, you sluggard” — Proverbs 6:6–8 — the ant has “no chief, officer, or ruler,” yet provides its food: a model of self-starting diligence.
  • “a little sleep, a little slumber” — Proverbs 6:9–11 (and 24:33–34) — the sluggard’s refrain that ends in poverty coming “like an armed man.”
  • “the Bible says with laughter” — Scripture’s wry tone toward the sluggard, who’s almost comic in his excuses — “there is a lion in the road!” (Proverbs 26:13–16).
  • “no motivation playlist to rehearse” — The modern crutch the ant doesn’t need — diligence over hype.
  • entomology — The study of insects — the teen’s punning excuse for not knowing how the ant works (and not cleaning his room).

Discussion questions

  1. The ant works with “no chief, officer, or ruler.” Where do you only work when someone’s watching?
  2. Proverbs almost mocks the sluggard (“a lion in the road!”). Why use humor to confront laziness?
  3. The song contrasts “insect hustle” with a “motivation playlist.” Where do we substitute hype for actual work?

For contemplation

  1. What’s your version of “a little sleep, a little slumber”?
  2. Where do you need to just do the work with “no big announcements”?
  3. Is there a “dumpster room” in your life you keep avoiding?