Shortly before leaving on tour I watched a relationship dissolve before my eyes. It's easy to be an outsider looking in, but this one bugged the crap out of me because it was so obnoxious, cold, and completely unnecessary. So I took the first person narrative point of view, and I wrote an argument for my friend. Think of it as a kind of hostile Cyrano de Bergerac, trying to help his friend, not in love, but in war.
This press photo was taken by Matze in 2012
Destination Nowhere
You know more than you’re saying
And you keep, you keep delaying today
It’s just a game that you play.
You keep on instigating
While I, I keep awaiting today
It’s just a game that you play.
Believing
Deceiving
You’re leaving
Your destination?
Nowhere.
I Can’t tell if everything’s fine
Or if your out, out of your fucking mind
Because it’s how you unwind.
I wait, hesitating
While you keep on instigating you say
That it’s a game that you play.
Believing
Deceiving
You’re leaving
Your destination?
Nowhere.
There ain’t no atttraction in this game
No atisfaction, no way
Fuck this game that you play.
Believing
Deceiving
You’re leaving
Believing
Deceiving
You’re leaving
Destination nowhere
CD track 4
EP side two/ track two
Released on Concrete Jungle Records, Germany (click here)
More than ten years ago I met a young woman who criticized my life choices. I presented the story in a song by ADZ called Stage Diving Daisy. The song was not a put down, but unfortunately was interpreted that way. I considered it more of an homage to the spirit of punk rock. However, the woman's voice, presented by none other than Josie Cotten, was sardonic and witty, and the song, while brilliant, did not accurately express its intention of celebration. In any event, it caused confusion. I decided to try to restate the song by celebrating the young woman's growth as a human bein. Where she was once a young rebellious punk rock woman, she has followed her interests and is now has a PhD and helps people. Like me, she grew up in public, but she was the last of a generation that would grow up in printed word, as opposed as electronic media. Daisy's Revenge is simple, write your own rulebook. No need to explain, justify, or follow others. You are your own leader.
DAISY’S REVENGE
There was a time I was unaware
I’d lock my gaze on everything and glare
For no other reason than my will to be free
There was no power higher than the power in me
No need to justify
Or tell the truth when you look them in the eye
It’s our future, we have the tools
Might be there game but we make the rules.
In measured steps I’d play for time
In metered texts I’m looking for a rhyme
These riddles never made sense.
If I can’t break down walls, I’ll jump the fence
CD track 4
EP side two/ track one
Released on Concrete Jungle Records, Germany (click here)
Conquest of the Planet of the See Monkeys is a play on words, intentionally referencing the great 1960's and 1970's brine shrimp craze, Sea Monkeys (click here) whic were always advertised in comic books. Sea Monkeys were supposedly "so eager to please that they can be trained" and cost many of us a great deal more in postage that a trip to the beach on the bus would cost to get the same little critters. Mine never had umbrellas, though. Kind of a huge bummer. In the song the phrase "See Monkey" (with see intentionally spelled that way) directly refers to the imitative phrase, "Monkey-see, Monkey-do." The term essentially means that people copy each other in atittude, dress, and actions. We are programmed at a small age and drawn in by marketing to the point that our whole reality is just an extension of a television show. The lyric "staring out your TV Eye.." is, of course, a Stooges reference (click here) which simply implies that even sexuality is being programmed by advertising. The song, then, is a criticism of consumerism and standardiztion.
Conquest of the Planet of the See Monkeys
From the Cradle to the grave We are Media slaves.
Labeled, packaged, standardized
Consumer Analyzed-
Poster billboard generation
Spoonfed annihilation.
Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do
Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do
Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do like I do
Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do
Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do
Monkey see, monkey see, monkey do like me
Staring out your tv eye
We embrace the lie.
Dancing with a lottery wife
An imitation of life.
Jersey Shore to the OC
It’s our reality.
Staring out your tv eye
We embrace the lie.
Labeled, packaged, standardized
Consumer Analyzed-
We are Media slaves.
CD track 2
EP side one/ track two
Released on Concrete Jungle Records, Germany (click here)
I have decided to go through catalogue on album at a time and explain what each song is about, as well as to share the lyrics for each. There is usually a back story, and I see no reason to let that all die with me. I have released lots of albums, and EPs, and even a single now and again. I wrote lots of songs, so I would imagine this will keep my busy for a long time. I think I will stick with songs I wrote the lyrics to, but I will share impressions and stories regarding others' songs, as well. More than likely this will continue to be an online diary, as no one but me seems to read it anyway, ha ha. So, let's see if I can actually make this happen.
