Early riser gonna get that worm you say You got eyes on anybody in your way You don't mind it as long as money comes today Cuz you will find it no matter what it takes to our dismay
There's a line now we have drawn to check your greed To remind you we got families to feed You don't like it we can tell by what you say But you will find that we are only getting stronger every day
Don't you think we've already seen that you're a liar Don't you feel that things are getting real cuz you're a liar Don't you know that you got no control of our desire Don't you know that everybody knows that you're a liar
You're a liar (Liar liar pants on fire burning down your own empire)
We get wiser everyday just watching you Money misers and you the evil things you do Sitting higher only keeps you right in view As we conspire to reveal the facts that we all know are true
Sooner or later there;s a price you have to pay If you're a trader then I guess it's safe to say That every hater has to learn the hardest way Nothing's greater than bearing witness to the coming of this day
Don't you think we've already seen that you're a liar Don't you feel that things are getting real cuz you're a liar Don't you know that you got no control of our desire Don't you know that EVERYBODY knows that you're a liar
You're a liar (Liar liar pants on fire burning down your own empire)
You don't feel a world that has changed But your own children look at you strange And you'll decide that it's time to share When monkeys fly from your derriere
But when the curtain has ripped away And we see how you act each day You try to cover up the truth some way As you hide from the words we say
Piece by piece to make a brick load The 1 percent lease is starting to fold The war drum beats for political gold To turn our streets into yellow brick roads
But when the curtain has ripped away And we see how you act each day You try to cover up the truth some way And you hide from the words we say
But we won't wait for you to come around We got ways to make it turn around The walls you've made are gonna tumble down And all will shake to the rumbling sound
When we bring it on down And turn it around With a rumbling sound Cuz we won't wait for you to come around
You don't feel a world that has changed But your own children look at you strange And you'll decide that it's time to care When monkeys fly from your derriere
But we won't wait for you to come around We got ways to make it turn around The walls you've made are gonna tumble down And all will shake to the rumbling sound
When we bring it on down And turn it around With a rumbling sound Cuz we won't wait for you to come around
For you to come around We won't wait for you to come around
Bernie Madoff is Ruth less. And I am talking about his wife Ruth Madoff. He is in jail for 150 years. And she had to learn a horrible lesson the hard way. Can you imagine waking up one day and discovering that your significant other is going to jail for MULTIPLE crimes? Can you imagine being THAT MUCH in the dark? For THAT long?
That is some serious connivery on his part.
I wish her and her son the best. Rebuilding her life from this point must be incredibly tough, what with all the media attention. And her other sons suicide. Yes, suicide.
This kind of thing makes me wonder.
Is it possible to foresee this kind of disaster?
Will there be a 2nd thought for some of the young women out there who only want the cash and material possessions? Will they think about being a sex-trophy for a diamond ring and credit cards? Will they choose love over CEO villains?
Will they know what love is?
It's important to ask these questions before having children, I think.
Anyway...
This song is NOT about Ruth Madoff.
This song is going out to the young women of today who are choosing their lifestyles...
Wake up wake up wake up You better wake up wake up
Is it just fantasy That your own family Is living in luxury Blinded by apathy
You better wake up wake up wake up You better wake up wake up
So you got married now To live a good life somehow But you don't want to look around Everybody's talking about you
They say... You're just sleeping with the enemy You might be dreaming your reality Oh yeah!
You better wake up wake up wake up You better wake up wake up Cuz it's a shake up shake up shake up It's a shake up shake up
You say you just don't know About the things you're told You say the only way to go Is gettin' with a C.E.O.
They say your just sleeping with the enemy You might be dreaming your reality Oh Yeah! Your just sleeping with the enemy You might be dreaming your reality
Sgt. Shamar Thomas has been in the spotlight of Occupy Wall Street long enough to make Americans really think about protest security. Drawing the line quickly between *riot* and *event.* And I commend him for his ability to do so, considering the circumstances.
I have seen security at a riot and know for a fact that it quickly becomes an eye for an eye situation if the crowd is violent first. And that, however the outcome turns out, is at least understandable. One may observe and come to a reasonable conclusion that the police reacted violently to violence. Which is part of their job detail, I remind myself. They are people doing security at a riot. I have done college/bar security. And anyone will appreciate the police the more and more you do bar security. Believe me. Drunk people can be assholes!
But...
If I am at a concert and all the ticket holders are watching a fight, the security does not beat their way through the crowd to get to the action. Because it's an event. And the concert promoter does not want ANYONE beating on their clientele for ANY reason. And it makes no sense to use unnecessary violence to keep people in line. Especially if they are just observing.
So...during OWS, I think the security failed to recognize the difference between riot and event, and Sgt. Thomas had to remind them. Because the police had simply gone too far?
While you think about that, lets take a look at another OWS situation with U.S. Military involved.
Scott Olsen is another War veteran in the OWS spotlight. An actual casualty of a protest misplayed as a riot. Although there is footage from Occupy Oakland that the police were being hit by paint balls before hand, I do not find it reason enough to launch projectiles at unarmed civilians. Maybe if they were up against a hockey team, but they were not. Olsen has sustained injuries that have affected his speech. He is unable to speak. I'm sure the officer who was pelted with paint is still talking. Though he hasn't said much yet.
All is fair in love and war, we know...but let me remind you again...this was a protest/event.
So here is a tune dedicated to those 2 military servicemen and all who serve this country. What we can do is remind them why they serve. Give them (and yourself) a reason why they put their lives on the line. Establish something of a standard to recognize as home. Something that contrasts war.
You gotta hold it down, the reason that we're living for Gotta make it real and count another day Try to keep it in your mind and never let it go They've been fighting now so long You gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day
You gotta hold 'em to those reasons they've been killing for Gotta make it known and never change your way Try to keep it in your heart and never let it go They've been fighting now so long You gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day
So remind 'em what it is when you find it Remind them if you think they've lost their way Remind them what it is when you find 'em They've been fighting now so long You gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day
You gotta show them all that love that you've been living for Gotta let it shine and lead you on some way It's a feeling in your soul that you have always known That you've been fighting now so long Gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day
So remind 'em what it is when you find it Remind them if you think they've lost their way Remind 'em what it is when you find it They've been fighting now so long You gotta let 'em know what life is worth each day
I have been a musician for 27 years in the Sf Bay Area. My taste in music is about as eclectic as the people of this area. We get folks from all over the world and it is our responsibility to write and play them good music. I have seen what turns people on and off. From rock to soul to country and blues. Funk, punk, classical, pop, electronic and of course, hip hop. Some of these styles have been enhanced by technology: auto tune, sampled backing vocal tracks, special audio enhancing effects, etc...
But when folks start spending hard earned money to go to see a band perform, they're usually looking for raw talent. A voice to deliver a message with sincerity, soul and sophistication. Someone to act as a channel between the driving, live sound of the band and the audience. Someone to identify with during this life long journey. And as I mentioned earlier, technology has allowed almost anyone to emulate and replicate the sound of talent, but few will be acknowledged as someone with a natural gift of music.
What I hear from Nadiyah Lewis is natural and raw talent. Hers is a voice that rings loud and clear beyond any synthesis or enhanced version of vocal melody. Enriched with that wisdom of clarity so coveted by singers we have grown up with and still listen to today. Mick Jagger is one of those singers who has said his attempt to sound like a black lady should be more than apparent. Because he loves the sound. It's a voice that tells the history and struggle of African/Americans alike. It is a sound that comes from the very roots of this amazing country. A sound that has always been at the heart of our music and culture in America. And there is no better example of it once you hear the real thing.
Nadiyah Lewis, the singer of AmA Evolutionis exactly that.
Delivered live with sincerity, soul and sophistication. Something we all love to see more and more of during these strange, crazy and benevolent days...
You got drunk last night, blacked out, woke up in jail In a little holding cell with some dude named Latrell He had a horrible smell and an old fish tale About little green men of envy He said it all goes back to the same old place As the exhaust from his last drink hits your face He said they're never satisfied with control of the race These little green men of envy
If you got pride in your culture, patience and faith They got the stealth of a vulture to circle and wait And just smile as you're choking on the drinks that they made These little green men of envy
He said those Uncontrolled Foolish Officials sit so high While you stagger down low with that feeling inside Like some mysterious thing's got a tap on your pride The little green men of envy What can you do when your low down and blue But get red in the face like they want you to do Abducted by the taste of a bourbon or two Yeah the little green men of envy
They want your pride and your culture, patience and faith They got the stealth of a vulture to circle and wait And just smile as you're choking on the drinks that they made These little green men of envy They'll come steal your home and never let you back in So they can tell their own kin you're some alien And then these kids grow up to be just like them Little green men of envy You can wake up sober and remember my name But don't forget the price of this distillery game It don't make a difference if you take me in vain To the little green men of envy
If you got pride in your culture, patience and faith They got the stealth of a vulture to circle and wait And just smile as you're choking on the drinks that they made The little green men of envy They want your pride and your culture, patience and faith They got the stealth of a vulture to circle and wait And just smile as you're choking on the drinks that they made These little green men of envy...
It's not the fact you don't hear me or that we don't get along
Maybe we don't speak that clearly maybe our conscience is gone
Maybe this voice sounds familiar
Cuz it's been with us since the day we were born
Did all that sense in your head find a new place to go?
It should be common knowledge but I'm not sure what we know
We need some sense in our heads to tell you what's right from wrong
We're gonna need it when this modern convenience is gone
You've got a brand new opinion that you have found on the screen
You can't control your suspicion you don't know what to believe
And if this voice sounds familiar
Then you might understand exactly what I mean
Did all that sense in your head find a new place to go?
It should be common knowledge but I'm not sure what we know
We need some sense in our heads to tell you what's right from wrong
We're gonna need it when this modern convenience is gone
We've got so many distractions we might need blinders to see
We synchronize our reactions with all this technology
And if this voice sounds familiar
Then you might understand exactly what I mean
Did all that sense in your head find a new place to go?
It should be common knowledge but I'm not sure what we know
We need some sense in our heads to tell you what's right from wrong
We're gonna need it when this modern convenience is gone
Riots or Revolution? What seems to be the difference between the two? The London riots caught our attention fast and the response was a split decision, as I recall. So let's try and find the instruction manual for Riots and Revolutions. Don't worry, I'll wait...
While we are waiting for the rule book...
I will mention that what happened in Egypt was called a revolution. Why? Well...because after years and years of tyranny and oppression, the people finally said, "ENOUGH" and went down to the town square and stood there in protest with demands. They were unified and seemed organized. They were not violent about it, really. Although there was much violence reported. Things were smashed and blown up, some people died...but they were persistent enough to get the change they were asking for: Revolution.
In 1789 The French did the same thing. We have Bastille day to remember it by. The epic march to Versailles that forced the Royal Court back to Paris. Economic factors included rising bread prices after years of poor grain harvest. Another cause was the state's effective bankruptcy due to the enormous cost of previous wars, particularly the financial strain caused by the French participation in the American Revolutionary War. So, the French people decided it was time for a revolution. Things were smashed and blown up, a lot of people died...but they were persistent enough to get the change they were asking for: Revolution.
And that reminds me of one of our own American Revolutions. Not the first one that kicked out the British. But the Civil War that happened later. The one about Slavery and the succession of states from the union. I mean, it took a few hundred years to boil the pot, but when it did, we ended up having the bloodiest revolutionary war in America's history. The whole country was like an out of control riot for years. HELLA shit was smashed and blown up, HELLA people died...but they were persistent enough to get the change they were asking for: Revolution.
And so now this London thing. It's had the ingredients of a revolution. But for some reason it was not given the right amount of ingredients that a revolution requires. And many condemned the "blacks" for going as crazy as they did. Looting and pillaging without proper organization makes the military grunt with disgust. Perhaps if they had just waited for a few hundred more years, all the people would have all joined in and declared a revolution. However...Things were smashed and blown up, some died...but they were NOT persistent enough to get the change they were asking for. In fact, now their own people hate them and want to blame them for what the elite and wealthy are creating from their high ranks above.
Every generation has their version of "The Man" and it only takes a few people to damn him into submission. If they are organized. I hope the Londoners regroup and really think about what just happened. Compared to their previous civil war in 1642, there are definitely some notes worth jotting down.
It would be nice to NOT have that happen again...without proper organization and support from all who need to be involved...considering the poor and middle class out number the rich and wealthy by a huge amount.
Anyway...
And here is a song that was inspired by the London Riots. Damn the man...
The world has indeed gone sideways. I am reminded every day by the headlines I see via computer, TV, Radio, phone, newspaper, magazines... it is unavoidable. And we the people of the world are overwhelmed with this abundance of negativity.
The Musashi Trio is supporting the ranks of people who want to do something about it. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, I say the music penetrates the soul faster than either of them. With this understanding, it is inevitable, the path in which I must follow.
The newer generations are faced with more information than any generation before us. I find it necessary to pass on the knowledge that my parents and grandparents have passed on to me. The attention span of most people in this technological era can be compared to a brick tossed in the pacific. Before all hope sinks to the bottom I intend to offer what strength and wisdom I have. And though you may be grown and educated, take a look at the younger generation
behind us who may be looking for a way to make some sense of this world. It is difficult to not sound pedantic...so I turn to the music.
If this is something that makes sense to you, then you will understand why I write the songs I do. My cause is as common as any good persons cause. And we are putting our songs out there for an effect.
Darlin' your love keeps callin'
And that's how I know
Your heart beats inside my soul
So let the truth be told
Your heart beats inside my soul
Baby this love's so crazy
But it let's me know
Your heart beats inside my soul
So let the truth be told
Your heart beats inside my soul
Honey let's find some money
Until then I know
Your heart beats inside my soul
So let the truth be told
Your heart beats inside my soul
If there's one thing I know
Your heart beats inside my soul
I watched the London riots from the comfort of my own home last week, here in Northern California. Which is its own perspective, I know. Every where on earth there is a class division of wealthy, rich, middle class and poor. How the wealthy and rich keep playing the sidelines on issues like this is beyond my comprehension. Every time. They just let the poor suffer until they snap. And the middle class seems to always take the brunt of this reaction. Then the rich step in afterwards and narrate the story with control of the press. Then it starts all over again.
All over the globe there is revolution. Now London. But for some strange reason this particular chain of events got lumped into another category. Wrong. It's the same thing. The only difference is that it is happening to YOU now and you are not as united as the Egyptians were. And because of this subdivision among the classes, it makes it easier to reprimand the poor for being revolutionary. I really don't see the difference between the collateral damage in London and Afghanistan. Both are being looted, bombed and pillaged by a bunch of 18 year olds for reasons that inevitably benefit some upper class regime; the wealthy corporations.
So in this song, I wanted to capture the moment where the middle class (portrayed by me) is reacting to the rioting poor in the street. Except I want to point out that we are both being played against each other by the corporations, the media and the wealthy by addressing the tactic in which they use to control us like puppets. And my question is how do they do that if there are no strings attached to anybody? Then in a moment of clarity, as I am watching footage of rioters walking down the street with televisions...it all makes sense. I look up at the satellites in orbit. I can't see them. But I know they are there.
So now I am wondering if this even matters to a group of people who are so desperate enough to loot. How can we read Robin Hood to the kids, if we are all dangling like Pinnochio? How do we change something that we cannot see? Where is the key that unlocks invisible chains? How do you ask this question without people laughing in your face(book)?
The fuck if I know either...but that's why I write songs, sometimes...so that I don't forget these questions.
Your friendly cyberhood
Uncle Samurai
No Strings by mooselethridge Hey what the hell are you doing there?
Are you trying to manifest destiny?
Like a pawn on a chessboard now
In the hands of your so -called queen
But it has caught our attention now
We see you walkin' with that TV screen
Aint no time for intervention now
But there is something that you need to see
The rich are gettin' richer
And the poor keep on suffering
It's a theater of politics
Controlled like a puppet, but the puppet aint got no strings
I know they'd still be ignoring y'all
If it weren't for this emergency
But them guards that they're deploying now
They aint payed to think of what it means
They got a rope made of blood-red tape
And they love to just let it swing
They got you hangin' like Pinnochio
So they can blame you for falling in the streets
That's how the rich keep dividing up
All the poor for the conquering
In this theater of politics
That's controlled like a puppet, but the puppet aint got no strings
They got me gazing at the satellites
That they hook to your TV screen
And when you turn it on and watch tonight
You can see for yourself what I mean
But you still loot and run around
But it don't change a god damn thing
If you really want to hit 'em hard
We got to stand up in unity
Because the rich keep dividing up
All the poor for the conquering
It's just a theater of politics
That's controlled like a puppet, but the puppet aint got no strings
Artists cannot hide behind the back stage curtain anymore. The Sinatra era is over. No more "knocks on the door" if you know something you're not supposed to know. The age of discretion is over. Artists, especially mainstream, are completely vulnerable, naked and wide open to the media hawks who reveal everything. The ugly truth that none of us want to deal with or admit. The dark side. And I guess some artists are just blessed with the right tone to say and/or sing it for us.
And like Amy Whinehouse, not all of us are able to function while attempting to do this. And while this truth is trending for its 4 or 5 day stint, I can't help but notice the familiar switch from, " That stupid crackwhore...to OMG, I'm so gonna miss her..." in all the twitter and facebook posts. Is this not the yin and yang side of humanity in a nutshell? I will admit that I had not thought of Amy Whinehouse for about a year until her recent passing. Or that I was tuned in to her spiraling life style in the last weeks of her death. In fact, yesterday, I just googled her last show on youtube. The one where she got boo'd off stage for being too wacked out of her mind to perform. Poor Amy. I don't feel sorry for her because she is an addict. I feel sorry for her because she is an addict and a person...in the limelight. In an era where folks at TMZ want to expose peoples misery and death to gain publicity and money for themselves. It's cruel, yes. And completely glossed over in one simple catch phrase: That's the biz.
And for people like Amy Whinehouse, it is a quick roller coaster ride up into the spotlight and down into her grave. It makes me really wonder about people. So impressed and grateful when someone can sing our woes and struggles and pain. And then so damn envious and jealous of the money they make while doing it. Never once thinking of her friends and family who had to bear the weight of her entire journey from rags to riches and now death. Her family. They feel the way your family would if you died for any reason. Any reason. And how would your family feel? Most of us won't even ask that question to our self. But anytime I see people on line chiming in about how " that crack whore dying was no shock" it makes me wonder, who the fuck asked you? And why are you saying that now? And how does that make you feel better about your self?
We artists are people who write and play music to bring joy and understanding. To vent pain and sorrow with the idea that it will heal us somehow. To let others know that they are not alone in this crazy world. And to get caught up in the volley of conversation and personal opinion wars over music is a waste of music writing time. Check out the haters in the youtube comment boxes if you wanna see for yourself.
So all I have to offer is my condolences to her friends and family. And that her songs will always be amazing to her fans. Rest in peace Amy Whinehouse. I feel that chill on the back of my neck like you are reading this and you are free.
Here is a great interview with an artist named Kokayi by The Music Slut, a veteran on line music blog site that I just discovered on the twitter.
It starts here...
TMS: The first thing I wanted to ask you about was the title of the album –Robots and Dinosaurs. Can you talk about where that title comes from, and did you set out to make the album with that theme in mind?
Kokayi: I asked my son what he wanted for Christmas last year, and he said, “Hey dad, I want robots and dinosaurs.” And I was like, oh, ok, because he was five at the time. And I went to work on some music, and it hit me – I was like, wow, robots and dinosaurs. You’re either a robot or a dinosaur. I was listening to a song I was working on, and the longer I sat there and thought about what he said, the longer it all started to play into it...
It's not what your country can do for you...it's what your country is doing TO you.
The first step in change is to accept and understand what it is that we are changing.
Dear United Corporations Of America,
It Is What It Is by mooselethridge If you're foolin' around with the laws of stability And so many years of recorded anthropology Don't act surprised with that look of stupidity If I dismiss your financial possibilities How many frauds in this continuum Are holding a job to consistently ruin it Making it hard to accept how you're doing it Guilty as charged with the facts there proving it
As natural as the light from the midday sun Shining in the sky since the summer of one Inherent to us all as plain as can be Your incessant need to change all that we see But it is what it is, that's how it is Even a scientist would have to admit that All the deranged are rearranging everything Into something so strange But it is what is, that's how it is And now we all get to deal with the mess All the deranged are rearranging everything Into something so strange and now it is... That's how it is The way that it is Is what it is
If you're wondering how the whole world is gonna change again Look at the proud corporations running everything They won't stop and the people keep suffering But some of us have a way to bring hope again Balance the pain with a blow to the heart of it Dividing the game that they play for the conquering And just explain to their own kids living in it Our whole futures on the line it's time to deal with it
As clear as the water in the deep blue sea That brings all life to you and me Inherent to us all as plain as can be Your incessant need to change all that we see But it is what it is, that's how it is Even a scientist would have to admit that All the deranged are rearranging everything Into something so strange But it is what is, that's how it is And now we all get to deal with the mess All the deranged are rearranging everything Into something so strange and now it is... That's how it is The way that it is Is what it is
Don't think to give up on a dream I know what it means to lose your expectations I've seen people who achieve What they want and need with their determination
If someone's in your way day after day Trying to make you pay Leading you astray controlling things in vain And every word you say
No stranger than man to think that you can Change the way of this natural plan Try to understand the limit of the land And remember it's all in your hands
Walk proud alone or in a crowd Thieves are lurking round and hiding in the shadows Stand tall everyone and all Breaking down the walls to reveal what matters
If someone's in your way day after day Trying to make you pay Leading you astray controlling things in vain And every word you say
No stranger than man to think that you can Change the way of this natural plan Try to understand the limit of the land And remember it's all in your hands
Stay strong and it won't be long Lessons that you've learned will be a moment in passing Your mind adapting to the times Keeping you in line shall be forever lasting
If someone's in your way day after day Trying to make you pay Leading you astray controlling things in vain And every word you say
No stranger than man to think that you can Change the way of this natural plan Try to understand the limit of the land And remember it's all in your hands
This goes out to all the propaganda bandits who over do it with the news. Not the people who actually take action. But...you know... the folks who do nothing but still think that making you AWARE about it is gonna fix it...
Tongue tied to your finger tips daily Mind locked on a target so tamely Swing low from a puppet string barely concerned Think fast deflect any reason Hang tough through another hard season Time tells but don't ever listen to words And if you think that's absurd...
A cat naps and hunts for the killing A dog eats and runs for the thrill And a bird flies in the sun and never gets burned Think fast and make up your reasons Hang tough through another long season Time tells but never has to listen to words And if you think that's absurd...
We're the ones the only ones in the whole wide world That makes everything we need dependent on words
Trees grow cuz it's rainy and sunny Bees know how to make honey Grass grows and cows they graze in herds Think fast deflect any reason Hang tough through another hard season Time tells but don't ever listen to words And if you think that's absurd...
We're the ones the only ones in the whole wide world That make everything we need dependent on words We're the ones the only ones in the whole wide world That makes everything we need dependent on words
In this crazy world of narcissists and high tech vanity tools, it's too easy to get caught up in your own stress bubble. Twitter, Facebook and the whole lot of virtual soap boxes allows one to be overt about introspection. And I don't know about y'all, but that sounds fucking insane to me. Especially at the pace and speed of it all. I was caught up in that same bubble the other day. Then I watched Katt Williams break it down. I laughed. The bubble popped. I wrote this tune. And now I'm sharing it with all of you. Sometimes I just want a song to sit on your shoulder like a little bluebird...when we forget what it is we might be taking for granted in this short trip called life.
For the deceased Americans Who had to teach us all about the hard way again Rest in peace America Respect and condolences to families who've payed
For the deceased Americans Who had to teach us all about the hard way again Rest in peace America Respect and condolences to families who've payed
For the CEO negligence and greed They only think about their own needs They've got their reasons it's what I'm told To trade lives for piles of gold
Please hold your corporate heads up high (Confess your sinnin' and stop your grinnin') Speak your heartfelt wisdom to the sky (Tell us about it) And say it loud for the deceased Americans Who had no choice but to rely upon your help And they believed you cared about them And then you took them on a one way trip through hell
For CEO negligence and greed You only care about your own needs You've got your reasons it's what I'm told Trading lives for piles of gold Please hold your corporate heads up high (And get your hands up you dirty bastards) Speak your heartfelt wisdom to the sky (Tell us about it)
And say it loud for the deceased Americans Let's give them all a little peace, America And try and kill the corporate greed, America So they can finally rest in peace, America
your friendly cyberhood
Uncle Samurai
P.S. This song was greatly inspired by this movie...
It's a nice afternoon on College avenue in Rockridge. Usually. Shoppers are out in full force. I see people laughing and smiling on their phones. Walking and talking casually. Which puts me in a mood to smile as I pass them by. Then I notice something else. And I'm not sure if they notice it, too. I am six foot one. Maybe that has something to do with it. I'm not sure. People see me and their smile turns to something else. What exactly? I'm not sure. If I were to describe it, it would be somewhere between bracing themselves for something awful annnnd the look of someone who just took a shit in their pants. It's weird after 20 years of this reaction. Which, on some days, is fine. I'm not that social. But a passing smile and hello is what I call normal behavior. And I say hello instinctively. And people give me that( shit in pants) look and ignore me all the time. Unless I am at Cole coffee. But if I'm not, I am a usual suspect. It is a strange thing to get use to, I tell you what...
Then I remember something else. Normal behavior is a program run by the media. We are repeatedly told about rapes, murders and robberies. And we are told who the usual suspects are. And there is no one to blame at this point. But it happens all day, every day. And it doesn't matter anymore what ethnicity you are. Even African Americans have ceased their hellos on the street, I have noticed. And that was one of the things about our culture that I thought was so cool as I grew up. Two African American strangers in passing use to always greet each other. Like we had culture. Now everybody seems to be in a state of suspicion...
Well...not EVERYBODY. In case you were about to shake your head and say, " gawd...not everybody is like that! " But how many people are actually out there taking notice of this anthropology? I dunno. But I done wrote a song about it...
21 years ago my cousin Twan was taken away from this world by senseless gun violence. I don't know why and will probably never know. I remember spending time with him. He was an artist at heart. I'll never forget a portrait he did of Stevie Wonder. The likeness. The feel. The way the strokes of the pencil brought out the melodies of every Stevie Wonder song I had ever heard at the time.
And then he was gone.
His mother, my aunty Lola, has suffered this tragedy everyday since the incident. She explained to me that no one will ever truly understand what a mother goes through when they lose a child. All over the world. In the streets of poverty. On the fields of battle. This feeling is to remain deep in the hearts of families for the remainder of their lives.
You would also have to imagine the feeling I had when she asked me if, maybe, I could write a song about it. For her. To help with the healing. I took a long hard look into the night and slept on it. Thinking that this subject is so delicate it would take me a very long time to carefully compose music and write lyrics.
Well...the very next morning, over a cup of coffee...the song just spilled out of my heart. As if it had been lying dormant for the last 21 years. That same evening I sent it to her. This was her reply,
" I am so happy...that song has made me feel so much better than I have felt in many years. THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU. LOVE "
I hope one day to record this again in a real studio. But for now, this is for my dear Aunty Lola, my cousin Twan and all mothers who have had to live with this kind of tragedy.
Big brother has a name and his name is url (aka) H double T P colon with 2 slashes, Girl You know his plan and execution of the big take over Ballin’ dollars on the web like an arachnid rover
Sittin’ trapped like a bug inside a virus on line My legs have atrophied and petrified right under my spine And my vocabulary’s changin’ and my memory, too Do you remember browsin’ links at your dads barbeque?
I try to talk to my friends they put their book in my face I’m sending letters of affection to the stars in my space Yeah I’m attached to my server like the phone in your head We used to talk about clothes now we discuss them on threads
You leave the house in your pajamas wearin’ Ugs and no socks You can’t deny it I just read it in your friends comment box You say you have an education but I say LOL You got no punctuation skills and you’re too lazy to spell
Oh B T W I’m guessing that your B double F Has got a photograph of you photographing your self And so I’m ROTFLMAO clutching my side As you continue texting messages to friends while you drive
Big Brother is growing so big bright and blue And his huge electric globe has been caressed by you And if you think it’s hard enough to get connections through Then think about the link he wants to send to you
In a high tech music world of borrowing and sampling...copying and pasting, it gets harder and harder to tell who has written which song. One day I heard a girl say,
"...you know, that song Little Wing...by Sting..."
and I nearly yacked up my left shoe.
(I bet Jimi chuckled up a cloud of pot smoke, somewhere.)
The fact is... if you are an "artist" you can get on a computer and download anything...splice it together and call it a song. You don't even have to know how to sing or play an instrument. And if you use music samples that are already popular and famous, the chances of people liking it instantly are high. And that's cool for the song writer, I suppose. Especially if they are alive and making publishing money. But sometimes people fail to mention their names and try to take credit for something they didn't create. And that's a strange thing to do, I think.
But anyway... ...this song was fun to write, sing and record. And it is and shall always be... my comedic approach to preventing any confusion, as to who the particular writer of this song is...
Pay no attention to the fool on the hill trying to hide his disguise Haze and smoke behind the mirrors as the years burn red in your eyes Pass that buck like a flame and we'll know who to blame next time Ask that man in the hot seat sweatin' through the cracks of his mind
We got a scapegoat now, we knew he'd turn up somehow So take your problems on down for the man with the two horned crown We got him now! We got him now yeah...we got a scapegoat now We got him now yeah!
Bend right over til your back starts to break from the weight in your arms Send your burdens to the top because they never seem to do him harm He was made to take a punch we just never had a hunch who he was See him wobble back and forth at the podium of promises
We got a scapegoat now, we knew he'd turn up somehow So take your problems on down for the man with the two horned crown We got him now! We got him now yeah...we got a scapegoat now We got him now yeah!
Hold your laughter at the bank til you're sure that you're walking away Spend your money on a steak while you talk about the good old days Who could have guessed at the price that you're payin' for your gasoline But you'll never have to think twice if you don't have a clue what it means
To have a scapegoat now, we knew he'd turn up somehow So take your problems on down for the man with the two horned crown We got him now! We got him now yeah...we got a scapegoat now We got him now yeah!
(written during the G.W. Bush era) words and music by Musashi Lethridge
I have seen the look in their eyes when in the Jewelry store; gazing at the giant rocks in a trance...
I was always curious as to who the very first person was to put a price on a shiny piece of stone. And I wonder how long ago that was. And how many people did it take for it to become a permanent idea in everyones heads, the value of a piece of stone.
Because that's where the value is.
It's in your head.
Anyway... After watching the movie "Blood Diamond" a few years ago, I was inspired to write this tune.
Done on garage band with a Baby Taylor acoustic, a strat and an electric bass. All done in a days work.
