[hardtwistmusic]

First worked on this in 2007.  It's been sitting unfinished for some time.  I'm contemplating dusting it off and making something of it. 

I'd love to hear if it's worth the effort.

                The Ballad of Geronimo Varushnakov.

Slow tempo -- 

If he could bet faster horses, Drive bigger cars,
Meet Faster women in higher class bars,
Oh, he’d be thanking his lucky stars
if he could have all of these things. 

UPTEMPO about 20% through the end of the song.

If a Genie in a bottle came to set him free from the bleak conditions of his reality.
Or maybe if he just won the lottery, then he could be happy at last.   

His Daddy once gave him some solid advice
that he really should have tried to employ.
Said “Son, it isn’t what we have that makes us happy,
it’s what we take the time to enjoy.”

But Geronimo Varushnakov was nobody's fool, and he knew better than that.
There was nothing he could do about being unhappy, his luck was just incredibly bad. 
He wasn’t about to be grateful for things he already had. 

Geronimo is waiting for his break to arrive
saving his energy – refusing to strive. 
His two goals in life are to just get by,
and to do no uncompensated good.   

His Daddy once gave him some solid advice
that he really should have tried to employ.
Said “ Son, it isn’t what we have that makes us happy,
it’s what we take the time to enjoy.”

But Geronimo Varushnakov was nobodies fool, and he knew better than that.
There was nothing he could do about being unhappy, his luck was just incredibly bad. 
He wasn’t about to be grateful for things he already had. 

Well, bless his heart and damn his hide. 
You just don’t know how hard his Daddy tried.
To lend a hand and help Geronimo decide
to make something good of his life. 

His Daddy once gave him some solid advice
that he really should have tried to employ.
He said “Son, it isn’t what we have that makes us happy,
it’s what we take the time to enjoy.”

But Geronimo Varushnakov was nobodies fool, and he knew better than that.
There was nothing he could do about being unhappy, his luck was just incredibly bad. 
He wasn’t about to be grateful for the things he already had. 



Lyrics by Verlon L. Gates.   
Copyright 2007 Verlon L. Gates

[Bernd]

Real cool. I like it a lot.

Does the guy have to have this weird (Russian?) name? It does have a cool rhythm, though ;-)

Cheers,
Bernd

[beckylucythomas]

I really like the story and theme you've got here, definitely worth working on I'd say. Can't really imagine it to music, but that's definitely not to say it wouldn't work, i think i really could..... What sort of thing did you have in mind?..... I could be way wide of the mark but for some reason it brought Matty Groves to mind for me...........

[beckylucythomas]

*It.... not i........

Sorry!

[PeeJay]

Hi,

The unusual title catches the eye which is good.

A nice story and rolls along well.

Just wondered about the line - 'and to do no uncompensated good'. It didn't seem to fit or rhyme as i read it.

Phil.

[Allan]

Definitely needs to be completed and put to music!, I really like the chorus, very catchy! I was able to sing it to myself probably to a completely different tune than the one you have in mind  but still I felt a rhythm to it and it flowed well. Would really like to hear you do this one. great song. 
Al

[hardtwistmusic]

I really like the story and theme you've got here, definitely worth working on I'd say. Can't really imagine it to music, but that's definitely not to say it wouldn't work, i think i really could..... What sort of thing did you have in mind?..... I could be way wide of the mark but for some reason it brought Matty Groves to mind for me...........

Had to go look up Matty Groves.  Love the concept.  Now, I've got to find somewhere to listen to it.  Just reading about the song brought to mind an American song with some minor similarities.  The song is about "Tom Dooley" and the Kingsmen sang it in the early sixties (it's far older than that though).  The refrain goes "Hang down your head Tom Dooley, Hang down your head and cry."  "Hang down your head Tom Dooley.  Poor boy you're gonna die." 

Tom Dooley (in the story and song) is a highwayman who fully deserves the hanging he ends up getting, but still elicits incredible sympathy. 

 

[hardtwistmusic]

Real cool. I like it a lot.

Does the guy have to have this weird (Russian?) name? It does have a cool rhythm, though ;-)

Cheers,
Bernd

He does have to keep the name.  There is history there.  Geronimo Varushnakov first appeared in a short story I wrote in 2006 called "Geronimo's Last Stand - A Cautionary Fable". 

In the story, Geronimo is someone with a penchant for trouble who needs a lot of help, but turns down any help which requires that HE participate in any way that admits to needing to change.

In the story, Geronimo's motto is "I'm just fine just the way I am." 

The song came out of the story, and the character had to remain the same.  I don't get emotionally involved in many of my songs, but this one is real personal.

I have known (and interacted with) many "Geronimo Varushnakovs" in my life.  The character has to stay consistent with what I know. 

[Kafla's Evil Twin]

What can you say when someone write something as clever and inventive as this other than -

WELL DONE 

[Neil C]

Enjoyed reading good subject and some interesting and unusual couplets. Strong chorus too.
Certainly worth the effort
 
Neil

[hardtwistmusic]

Hi,


Just wondered about the line - 'and to do no uncompensated good'. It didn't seem to fit or rhyme as i read it.

Phil.

Actually, as it's sung, the line fits both musically and lyrically in spite of not rhyming.  I'll try to get a version of it up this weekend to listen to. 

The song (based on a short story which is actually a character study of a (several really) real person is important to the message to the point that losing it would ruin the song (for me.) 

It's unlikely anyone but me would ever notice it gone, but it so thoroughly captures the attitude of the person/people it describes that I simply couldn't bear to lose it.   

[Jess]

I LOVE this, granted I've spent the last 2 minutes trying to work out how to pronounce the title, but I still loved! It just seemed like such a 'bouncy' song, and every time you said the tempo got faster, I could really feel it getting faster. Today I seem to be reading everything to the tune of 'the devil went down to Georgia' as I read this to that tune too! (Even though I doubt that was your musical intention, in my head it worked ) We're studying of mice and men at school and looking at 1920s America, so this character really reminded me of a modern day great gadsby with the fast cars and money.
But seriously, what a cracking write!

[hardtwistmusic]

I LOVE this, granted I've spent the last 2 minutes trying to work out how to pronounce the title, but I still loved! It just seemed like such a 'bouncy' song, and every time you said the tempo got faster, I could really feel it getting faster. Today I seem to be reading everything to the tune of 'the devil went down to Georgia' as I read this to that tune too! (Even though I doubt that was your musical intention, in my head it worked ) We're studying of mice and men at school and looking at 1920s America, so this character really reminded me of a modern day great gadsby with the fast cars and money.
But seriously, what a cracking write!

This weekend, I'll get at least some vocals up so you can hear that pronunciation.  And there definitely is a "Devil Went Down to Georgia" feel to the vocals.

[hardtwistmusic]

I really like the story and theme you've got here, definitely worth working on I'd say. Can't really imagine it to music, but that's definitely not to say it wouldn't work, i think i really could..... What sort of thing did you have in mind?..... I could be way wide of the mark but for some reason it brought Matty Groves to mind for me...........

I listened to the Matty Groves song by Fairchild Convention.  Loved that. 

[GTB]

Hi HTM,
Great title, had to read this.  I was kind of waiting for the chorus to be something like 'GERONIMO!!!!' so that distracted me a bit, but your explanation above is noted.  I think hearing it first, rather than reading it would remove this issue anyway.
Loved the part
"Said “Son, it isn’t what we have that makes us happy,
it’s what we take the time to enjoy.”"

It's almost Shakespearean
If you record it and it doesn't come out too long this song could be great

nice one,
GTB