Issue Based Writing - Protest Anthem

[geographyhorse]

Somebody said I should post this here. 😐

 

https://soundcloud.com/williamsanford/that-sublime-lie?ref=clipboard

[Cody]

1 hour ago, geographyhorse said:

Somebody said I should post this here. 😐

 

https://soundcloud.com/williamsanford/that-sublime-lie?ref=clipboard

 

Listened to that one again today(on some decent speakers). Yeah it's a protest anthem  I get it(I think  ) but yeah it runs a really high risk of misinterpretation/offending lots of people(who? I dunno, but offended is the law of the land nowadays) as you stated in other post.  Tough one to either just keep to yourself/selected audience,  or share with a "bigger" audience send it to the ether so to speak.......I say send away, but that's just me  

[John W Selleck]

Remember, you asked... I have written plenty of protest songs. Here is my lyric only. I know it will not ever be finished, or published, but that is "OK"

 

Why Is It OK

I see the riots in the streets

I see the looting too

I want to know the truth

Why blacks against the blue

Yes there was a murder

The bad men all will pay

How does all the violence

Equate to crime that day

 

Why is it OK------------------------} Chorus

When it is black on black

Thousands in each year

We don’t hear any flack

Police ask about it

No one knows a thing

Why is it OK

Why are we coddling

 

I can certainly agree

We could do much better

In the end I have to say

It’s all lives that matter

Children dying every day

Drive bys in the streets

Is there rioting for that

What standards must they meet

 

Why is it OK------------------------} Chorus

When it is black on black

Thousands in each year

We don’t hear any flack

Police ask about it

No one knows a thing

Why is it OK

Why are we coddling

 

Let’s make all crimes equal------} Bridge

In the eyes of all

Do the crime do lots of time

Make each take the fall

 

Instrumental Break

 

Why is it OK------------------------} Chorus

When it is black on black

Thousands in each year

We don’t hear any flack

Police ask about it

No one knows a thing

Why is it OK

Why are we coddling

 

Copyright 6/2020 John W Selleck

[Cody]

8 hours ago, Patchez said:

OK, forgot about this... and it as well, dual purpose here, -- engages another topic "how do you work":

  -- I had not engaged Audio for about four + months in any form. (Since I had my "Flow" ripped from my heart and stomped on... I refer to here and there  (so many song fragments/frame to musicate too!... musta been the Devil... seeking to jam up the Good work!) -- So, I fired up the DAW and w/o warm up or special voodoo ritual  , tired as hell from "work-work" (IRL),
        ---- then, banged out, recorded while-writing/chording/rhythming it... first-pass one-take recorded it. All dry.

If you listen closely you'll hear the "clicks" from, non-mid-sinewave chops (at 0db) to chunk out the "fishing" in the track and leave the first-pass, one-take as-is, and here now.

Then, same paradigme, firtst-pass, one-talke done-while-recording,
    ---sung back (Uber-dubbed via Audacity!  ) ---- into it; 
... since my band is on vacation in the UK somewhere (the cool north?), or maybe it was Ireland... so just myself here, as backing vocal, dry in. 

And then for a little head space dimenstion -- instead of the 12str, again, then grabbed the 6 pack... was hoping it was nash-ville tuned but was not.

 

Damn those Guild D's are so bass heavy and boomy... (sucks to be stuck with one of those I now  ), --- so I did have to cut Lo-z and mids on that since have that on the MG10 Yahama minimixer --otherwise untouched, no EQ, no Compression, etc., -- and simply old fashion SM57 mic'g (2) to a single,  of course, ---- Stereo track, then "Rendered" L/R to the Mono'ised with the original remaining M. So, that separation technique for headspace, was done. Again, no plugins... otherwise as I'd do with Tape. 

So, without further excuses  hahhh:

https://ustaknow.bandcamp.com/track/june-bug-anthem

Additional: 

I was feeling a face melting half stack solo, but not sure yet where to jam that in, if at all. Or  ironically, just use the Vox mini cube direct in... I've been looking for a reason to use the House as a Speaker Cabinet again for the neighbors sake. One neighbor has a 700 Watt PA he likes to fire up and kareokee it... -- was thinking of, "Playing along" and makiing 'em wonder, "WTF"? (Stop when he stops and etc... my wife is the Instigator, -- so well matched we are   )...

Oh, and, -- I only "mix" for headphones, no drive, device testing so, if you listen and not use HP's you will be tracked down and punished severly! I'll know  ... so, just don't do it. And, no filthy Wax filled (smoked?) Ear buds... if it sound muddy, it ain't me, that's the Waters guy. 


 

I stepped on a june bug last night, barefoot, squished all up between my toes, was disgusting....would of made a good photo for this though hahah.

[Cody]

I had a dremel going .....listening now.........I was scared to listen through the stereo!  I didn't have headphones outside. 

Yeah it would of probably been too gross, it was a fat one, I was about to yell at the dog, thought he'd crapped on the porch until I turned the light on and saw a different mess.  Nope, I think if you actually play you're automatically disqualified to work at most music stores anymore, especially the big ones.   They're more interested in sales people, not someone who would say, no don't buy that mexican strat, there's a used Samick over there for half the price and its amazing! I just set it up this morning, it just doesn't say Fender  

 

 

Poor fella stuck with that Guild....my heart weeps  

 

I am amazed how much of a difference, your little additions made to an already pretty great first dry track,  you got that playin with yourself thing down pat hahahaha, let that band stay on vacation   Ketchup lubed those strings up nicely! solo made me smile!

 

[John W Selleck]

2 hours ago, Cody said:

I stepped on a june bug last night, barefoot, squished all up between my toes, was disgusting....would of made a good photo for this though hahah.

I know kids probably don't do this anymore, but we used to catch them, tie long pieces of thread to one back leg, and they would fly around like helicoptors. Then when we got bored, break the thread and they would fly off.

[Cody]

9 minutes ago, John W Selleck said:

I know kids probably don't do this anymore, but we used to catch them, tie long pieces of thread to one back leg, and they would fly around like helicoptors. Then when we got bored, break the thread and they would fly off.

nope they probably don't, I was not a pretty bored free range kid  surprised I never thought of that one, I might know what I'm doing this evening, hahahah

 

really liked your protest song too btw! well put!  one that doesn't even necessarily strike me as being about "now" one of those old as time things. Nice write!

[John W Selleck]

2 minutes ago, Cody said:

nope they probably don't, I was not a pretty bored free range kid  surprised I never thought of that one, I might know what I'm doing this evening, hahahah

 

really liked your protest song too btw! well put!  one that doesn't even necessarily strike me as being about "now" one of those old as time things. Nice write!

Hi, And thanks. It is pretty neat some of the things I did as a kid no-one with a cell phone or laptop will ever do. We used to love catching lightning bugs and putting them in mason jars for our rooms at night.

If you want to have a go at putting music to that, you are welcome, I can even send an acapella, poor quality, MP3 for feel/at least how I feel it. If not it's "OK" too. I only do it for the kicks now anyway.

[Cody]

1 hour ago, John W Selleck said:

Hi, And thanks. It is pretty neat some of the things I did as a kid no-one with a cell phone or laptop will ever do. We used to love catching lightning bugs and putting them in mason jars for our rooms at night.

If you want to have a go at putting music to that, you are welcome, I can even send an acapella, poor quality, MP3 for feel/at least how I feel it. If not it's "OK" too. I only do it for the kicks now anyway.

If you never get around to it, yeah I will give it a go.....quite a bit on my plate atm....still tons of my own writes I still need to get to someday  

[John W Selleck]

2 minutes ago, Cody said:

If you never get around to it, yeah I will give it a go.....quite a bit on my plate atm....still tons of my own writes I still need to get to someday  

I'll send you a PM.

 

[Cody]

That's a great video idea for this!

 

Have yet to play around with the double back method you're using here...still very intriguing idea though  

 

With a loop pedal I just never stop until I'm so many layers in it's all just one muddy mess, easy to do at the time, on just one or two more little plunks here or there then its done  .....This method may reign me in a bit  

[Cody]

Wasn't familiar with the original "Hector the Hero"  , just listened to some guy play it on bagpipes was quite moving...  Saw it was originally written on fiddle, this could go a ton of ways! Nice Write!

[Cody]

Don't really know what to say about this one yet  Other than accidentally flipped loop pedal backwards while trying to do a bassish line figured why stop and it just kinda came out

 

 

Somewhere past the middle of conscious

Time stops, collapsed and nauseous

Move forward, can't rewind

Rising tolls, changing tides

 

Somewhere past the middle of conscious

No Direction in the endless marches

Turning pages, rewrote rhymes

Somewhere past the middle on conscious

No Direction in the endless marches, etc......

[john]

17 minutes ago, Patchez said:

And, well @john patience and reasonable-ness, well, it does rub off on yah and got this from that mind-set, framing. 

 

wOOt!

[Cody]

7 hours ago, Patchez said:

For me it works, as a framing, WIP as you comment it occurred. I am not sure about the is an "Anthem" part, yet. But, we'll Sea!  

 

 

me neither  maybe an anti-anthem anthem   more along the lines of the No direction in the endless marches..........marching for this that a bit of everything, but does nothing but sew more dissent  

It may get expounded on  

 

Yeah I pretty much dropped my bassery w*nkery from it, well non-bass bassery  was just the gretsch 6 string  Found a suitable tin washtub though , but not even going to get into that until I'm happy with 12-string.  Its body is apart again.

[Cody]

Timelier than hearing yet another tune about being stuck at home  No offense intended towards anyone writing any, personally I've just about had my fill of them last few days  

[John W Selleck]

This is from another site, relating to "Made in America"

 

Well enough written John. The subject matter may be overdone. It starts to feel like a letter to the editor rather than a song.
Best, Mike
 

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the read and the comments, but isn't that what protest songs are supposed to do, inform the masses?--- Me

 

 The masses are already too informed. It isn't 60's Dylan vinyl. Ten minutes after something happens the world knows. Need a new medium for the message. Mike

And even with all the "Media and Press and Streaming", the masses remain uninformed. Most Americans today have no clue as to why their jobs were outsourced or their products come from where they do. I have found my new medium, it's called the internet and streaming, and different sites. No, it's not vinyl, even though that's making a comeback, it's todays equivalent to vinyl.--- Me

[Cody]

I'd have to agree with you on that John, information isn't the problem it seems to me it's an overload of it.  It's too easy to just pick and choose what you already agreed with.  Not that there ever really was, but there sure isn't anything now that could be considered unbiased "news" especially from anyone that makes such claims hah! They all get their advertising revenue from the same places, and if they have none, well you're not going to hear it......That old snake oil salesman trick, "you can trust me, but nobody else"

 

I think in music, poetry, etc....(well same problems there, but not so much in my and most peoples cases who aren't receiving any revenue  ) Mainly in independent music is one place where if you can read between a lot of lines, you may get some informed albeit still opinions.  Most musicians/writers/etc, are a pretty well traveled well read open minded bunch, as I think has almost always been the case.  Moreso than some talking head on a corporate owned tv "news" station whose only qualifications are a pretty face and a desire to say anything for a paycheck,  that feels a relentless need to push biased opinions because that's what gets people passionate and passion makes dollars, who cares the damage done, they're busy swimming around like Scrooge McDuck hah!  Enough from me  Oh yeah protest anthems! hah.  

 

The day critical thinking died

bye bye ms american pie

[John W Selleck]

1 hour ago, Cody said:

 Oh yeah protest anthems! hah.  

I think if people get hit over the head often enough with the right information it might eventually sink in. I doubt if 1/4 of the new generations have any idea about the trade deals signed after WW11, let alone the ones signed since. The only ones that have made out are the big multi-nationals. all other business here has suffered, along with our workers.

[Cody]

16 minutes ago, Patchez said:

So, @john -- who won this and what do they get? July 4th has come and gone... so?  

 

 

You win! ;)