Hello
I was talking to John
@pompeyjazz about how if I'm not on the forum...I don't listen to songs as much, I don't write as much and I don't think about the whole community thing as much. So here I am
I think it was an old Russian revolutionary threat "You have the watches...but we have the time" which I thought was a cool cautionary tale about how systemic injustice was ultimately a knocking bet to result in a sticky end for those grabbing the 99% and letting the plebs scrap it out over whatever was left.
I wrote most of this as an instrumental in February...and it's taken me this long to be arsed to finish it. I spent three hours dredging up the lyrics yesterday...but was determined to get it done...so there's a bit of hyperbole in there...
Porridge
We’re free to roam our open prison
But can’t help thinking “something’s missing”
To those for whom the rules apply
The choice is ours...we don’t or die
Been sucking on it way too long
The tipping point has been and gone
Your diktats fall like acid rain
You pull too hard, you only break the chain
We do the porridge
While you do the crime
So you have the watches
But we have the time
Drunk on power in love with the pain
It tastes too good to lose it again
Here’s a thing you can all rely on
We’ll make this the hill we die on
With autocratic over-reach
You piss all over what you preach
We spend our evenings chasing ghosts
And gazing up at empty lamp-posts
Torches, pitchforks fill the streets
Deafened by a million heartbeats
We smell their fear…ignore their cries
Their Empires crumble right before their eyes
We do the porridge
While you do the crime
So you have the watches
But we have the time…
To be honest, I thought I was just about out of genuine lyrics...as I sometimes feel like I've said what I wanted to say in my songs several times over...and I'm a bit of a scratched record...and I don't really like saying things I don't believe in...but sometimes I find it necessary to exaggerate for dramatic effect. My lyrics aren't necessarily autobiographical and I'm not about to grab a beret and an Afghan coat and form the Chickentown Popular Front ::)
My wife suggested trying to write some lighter stuff...but as you can see...I am thus far resisting. I think it's a good idea, though.
Anyway...I hope you enjoy it...and any recording/mixing tips/advice are most welcome...cheers!