A Plague On Both Your Houses

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EattheChildren

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« on: February 21, 2014, 08:50:21 PM »
I wrote this song a while ago. The title, is, obviously, Mercutio's famous last words, so to speak. This is obviously from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, so there are a lot of references to the play in this song. I really hope you enjoy these lyrics because they were fun to write and I enjoy the meaning behind them. If you have any comments, please let me hear them!


A Plague On Both Your Houses

Just like star crossed lovers meet
They gather to decide our fate
Capulets and Montagues
They don't agree on anything
But when the Capulets have a ball
The Montagues have to crash it all
Though they deserve to take the fall
They push it on the American people

I place a plague on both your houses
All you do is raise the taxes
I want to burn your place to ashes
Who could deny the cries of thousands?

They have no love for enemies
Romeo can't resolve bad history
Two houses divided by hate
Every interaction is a debate
But when Tybalt is killed
Revenge must be fulfilled
Montague needs money to rebuild
So the Americans instead are grilled

I place a plague on both your houses
You turned this country into a crisis
I want to burn your place to ashes
Who could deny the cries of thousands?

A house divided cannot stand
Look what you're doing to the land
If two houses make ammends
All the suffering finally ends

I place a plague on both your houses
All you do is raise the taxes
I want to burn your place to ashes
Who could deny the cries of thousands?

I place a plague on both your houses
You turned this country into a crisis
I want to burn your place to ashes
Who could deny the cries of thousands?


This song is a way for me to codemn both political parties. I wrote it about the parties of the USA, but they should be adjustable to any country with a multiple party based government. In the USA, the parties are getting nothing done because they are constantly fighting and arguing, just like the Montagues and Capulets.  I want to put it in a fast paced rock/metal song with a powerful bass riff. Anyway, if you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know! Thanks for reading!

Gallowglass

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« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2014, 10:21:47 PM »
I couldn't imagine this as metal, with the possible exception of thrash metal. It's a lot for a metal singer to get their vocal chords around, given their style. Both for the sake of the meter and its universality, I'd recommend changing 'push it on the American people' to 'push it on to the people.' Not onto, but on to. It's harder-hitting and the alliteration makes it linger longer in the listener's...lobes? (I'm bad with alliteration :P)

The opening couplet of the chorus felt a little contrived (I think that's how it's done). Remember it doesn't need to be a precise rhyme, and often in metal it doesn't need to be a rhyme at all.

'Every interaction is a debate' would work better as 'every interaction is debate.' You want to keep that pace going, and to avoid scuppering the emotion you've build up, or the vocalist's sense of the beat. Again, with the close of that verse 'so we instead are billed' would work better. Not only for the reasons already mentioned, but it also draws allusions to 'we the people' and similar slogans. Perhaps 'we the people are billed' if you want to really be explicit.

On the whole, I liked the song. It's a novel idea, knocking both romance and flags - two of the most overrated concepts in the history of the world - on their heads. Only, it feels incomplete...instead of your somewhat anti-climactic bridge (its demand to 'make amends' - how can the two houses do that if they're meant to be opposed? - altered the message of the song), why don't you explain what Juliet's doing in all this? Who represents her? If this is an extended Rome and Juliet metaphor, I feel she needs to be there. The lack of her takes something from the completeness of the metaphor, and thus, the song.
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BooBoo

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« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2014, 05:01:54 PM »
I love how you've compared the story of Romeo and Juliet to the government, genius! No but really I love ally he metaphors and similes in this song. It also helps that it's one of the few Shakespeare stories I know. I really like this and I enjoyed reading the lyrics!
VOTE FOR JUNE LOTM!!!!!!!

Gallowglass

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« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2014, 03:42:12 PM »
I may have over-commented in this one ( :P ) but I just wanted to say that lyrically almost all your work reminds me of Million Dead songs.

If you don't mind me asking, what genre was this intended to be?
Band recommendation of the week: Fit For Rivals? False. Renee Phoenix has no rivals.

'She can still hear the Rebel Yell just as loud as it was in 1983' - Thrash Unreal, Against Me!

EattheChildren

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« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2014, 02:39:59 AM »
I intend for this to be a fast-paced hard rock/metal song with a powerful bass riff. And you're right, I definitely need to include Juliet into this song somehow.

GTB

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« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2014, 09:39:49 AM »
Hi ETC, I agree with GG about changing 'America' for 'the people' in some way.  I think it becomes more generic then and can still be applied to anywhere with a multi-party political system.
I'm guessing you may tweak the words when you sing it here and there but it's looking good.  A very good idea for a song, reminds me of the book Animal Farm somehow.  It should sound good over a fast rock track imo.  Well doen,
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