QOTD: what is most hardcore, at the core?… The fact humans decided infantry (i.e. the predatory act of killing innocent civilians) is a holy necessity, the fact humans decided intimacy (i.e. the celebratory act of loving one another) is an evil blasphemy, or the fact such existential questioning essentially feels like absurd folly? Ha #ahem 

—
What you call sacred, tell me who’s really blessed? 
The march of innocence – we line ‘em up for death 
What you call holy – ain't holy to me 
Sending kids to battle, while love’s the enemy

[Chorus] 
(Hard core!) What you think it means? 
(Hard core!) Is it peace or pain? 
(Hard core!) Yeah, I wanna know, 
What you call the real show?

 Privacy, privacy – is it just a disguise? 
Smoke and mirrors for the games we hide 
Manipulate – can’t say it out loud 
Behind closed doors, the truth gets drowned

[Chorus] 
(Hard core!) When you twist and lie, 
(Hard core!) Calling it alright, 
(Hard core!) While you play these games, 
Is love really the shame?

What’s the truth? What’s the score? 
Tell me, tell me, what’s hardcore?
 Is it fair or is it foul, 
Bend the rules and make ‘em howl

Not playing fair or just not playing well? 
Lines get blurry, only time will tell 
What’s most hardcore? Is it love or is it hate? 
Is it protecting peace, or just sealing fate?

[Chorus] 
(Hard core!) The lies you keep 
(Hard core!) Sold under deceit 
(Hard core!) Where’s the real shame? 
Yeah, you know the name…

(Hard core, hard core!) Just tell me what’s real 
(Hard core, hard core) what’s the holy deal? 
(Hard core, hard core) tell me what you see, 
'Cause hard core – ain't what it used to be.
—

“Hard Core” QOTD dedicated to Respect, Aretha Franklin, and all humans curious and #brave enough to dare ponder the hard questions—like, our shared understanding of rights, wrongs, and hard limits—as needed to help foster more empathy, unity, and harmony 🕊️ (amen:) #GROWsutra 



#4 Hard Core : Burlesque Honeysutra

Because no matter the religious holiday, play time matters, and some ---- are more --- than others... merry @bananasutra lyrics inspired by and dedicated to:

- Voltaire: “God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.”  
- Kurt Vonnegut: “We are here on Earth to fart around. Don’t let anybody tell you any different.”
- Mary Oliver: “Why not let the soft animal of your body love what it loves?”
- Dr. Seuss: “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
- Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne): “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”

Some Songs Are More POOH Than Others : DUBsutra

Vive l'égalité (ahem heh) ⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎ meanwhile, why not let some triple burlesque dub tunes play through? (yo:) 🍌

--
@bananasutra (circus cabaret) lyrics

Yo, what’s the deal with double standards?
Breasts get censored, but guns ain’t handled?
War on the news, try explainin’ to kids,
While sexism’s cool if your mom’s in the mix.

They ban the skin, but not the sin,
Songs that degrade, yeah they let ‘em spin.
Power trips kill, they don’t even blink,
Humans don’t know, don’t grow, don’t even think.

[Chorus]
Why we can’t be brave? Why we can’t be kind?
Stuck in a cycle, lose your soul, lose your mind.
Integrity’s callin’, humility, too,
GROWsutra vibes, let the banjo come through!

Corporate censors, what’s their goal?
Silence the light, but they bankroll the cold.
Generations lost, all for control,
Who feels entitled to destroy a soul?

They ban the skin, but not the sin,
Songs that degrade, but they let ‘em spin.
Power trips kill, they don’t even blink,
Humans don’t know, don’t grow, don’t even think.

[Chorus]
Why we can’t be brave? Why we can’t be kind?
Stuck in a cycle, lose your soul, lose your mind.
Integrity’s callin’, humility, too,
GROWsutra vibes, let the banjo come through!

Banjos strummin’, dogs are savin’ lives,
Acoustic delight, yeah, the music thrives.
Truth in the rhythm, justice in the flow,
Grow, glow, and show what humanity could know.

Yo, it’s time to rise, drop the fear and lies,
Let bravery shine, kindness energize.
Banjo Sutra vibes, keep the message tight,
GROW, be bold, and rewrite the night

--
** double standards are for cunning cowards ONLY.

Double (decking) Standards VOL. 1 • DUBsutra

Special ROCKsutra single release, inspired by the tragiculous rise of bullies as "winners", and dedicated to you (and you) and your mother, your brothers, your sisters, and (most importantly) all the brave, kind, and sensitive kids out there... Blessed be their holy voices, praised be benevolent truth aka transparency, equality, and accountability. Because wow, seriously, just sayin' wtff?! I just can't help to wonder... how can I help good kids understand right & wrong, and all that history taught us? How can we help create a better future, for everyone, maybe even Make America Blessed Again? 
--

Blessed be your voice, let it rise,
Ain’t no chains to hold what’s wise,
The power’s in the truth you sing,
Let your words fly on free wings.

Blessed be your voice, let it break the silence,
In a world that’s hard, we need no compliance.
Raise it high, let the truth unfold,
Respect your voice, it’s purest gold.

Don’t you know, silence is their tool,
They’ll try to keep you quiet, play the fool.
But in every breath you take, you’ll find,
Power in the words that speak your mind.

Blessed be your voice, let it break the silence,
In a world that’s hard, we need no compliance.
Raise it high, let the truth unfold,
Respect your voice, it’s purest gold.

In the silence, war will grow,
When words fail us, don’t you know,
It’s the battle for your soul,
So, speak up loud, make yourself whole.

Blessed be your voice, let it break the silence,
In a world that’s hard, we need no compliance.
Raise it high, let the truth unfold,
Respect your voice, it’s purest gold.

Blessed Be Your Voice ☆ ROCKsutra

Here, please have a crisp peachy blue sky Sunday mocktail moment on me 🍑 it is served with lyrics for one out the 4 different songs included in this (fatass:) EPx16 release--but(t) I'm happy to share all the wonder tho, always... so if you do happen to wonder and care for all the words, please tell me, simply dare :)

@bananasutra “Who’s she tryna mesmerize?” ooh la la lyrics: 

... They say, “Oh, you dress to impress, that’s clear.”
But I’m just a dreamer, dear
Feathers, ribbons, velvet lace
Spinning through life in a world I create

Oh, you think I’m playing just to steal the scene?
Baby, I’m the story—call me the queen

[Chorus]
I’m a silly girl, funny cat, hearty queen, white rabbit—ooh la la!
Dancing through the city lights, Paris brings that je ne sais quoi
Not for love, not for show, just a spark that’s set to glow
Dressed in wonder, head to toe—darling, that’s just how I flow!

Tilt their heads, they analyze
“Who’s she tryna mesmerize?”
But I just twirl and tip my crown
Living this magic, won’t tone it down

Oh, you think I’m dressing just to turn some heads?
Baby, I’m a fairytale, born and bred

[Chorus]
I’m a silly girl, funny cat, hearty queen, white rabbit—ooh la la!
Dancing through the city lights, Paris brings that je ne sais quoi
Not for love, not for show, just a spark that’s set to glow
Dressed in wonder, head to toe—darling, that’s just how I flow!

So next time you see me all dressed to the nines…
Just know, darling—this fairytale’s mine.


[02] In my wonderland ooh la la • psyQueen of Authentic • BANJOsutra

[01] Dressed in Wonder • psyBLUES BANJOsutra

"Because the Light" @bananasutra lyrics rhythmically inspired by Patty Smith’s “Because the night” song… but(t) about a world where "success" requires most be shamelessly ruthless, and disasters pretend to be "natural", so glory seems hopelessly gory... and then, in that strange reality, "madness" ain't always badness, on the contrary-just ask #cypresshillbillies

PS: the butterflies are dead too, it's all a bloody joke ha #sorrynotsorry

—
@bananasutra lyric V1
“Delete Your Butt”

Take me now, the world’s insane,
Glory’s gory, soaked in pain,
Ruthless dreams, they rule the show,
“Natural” disasters—what a joke, you know.

(Chorus)
Because the night belongs to shameless,
Because the fight rewards the nameless,
Because the light pretends it’s painless,
Delete your butt, no hope, no greatness.
(…)

—
@bananasutra lyric V2

“Because the Joke”

Take me now, in this cruel disguise,
Where “success” and lies, they compromise,
Ruthless hearts, they rise, no shame to feel,
While disasters fake their spinning wheel.

Chorus:
Because the joke belongs to fools,
And glory gory breaks the rules.
Madness, it ain’t badness here,
Butterflies dead, the joke’s so clear.
(…)

—
@bananasutra lyric V3
“Because the Fight”

[Verse 1]
Take your pride, but leave your shame,
This ruthless world don’t play fair games.
Disasters strike, they call it “natural,”
While glory’s gory and collateral.

[Pre-Chorus]
Madness ain’t badness, it’s clarity’s form,
Truth is twisted in this raging storm.
Ask the Cypress Hillbillies what they feel,
They’ll tell you what’s fake and what is real.

[Chorus]
Because the fight belongs to warriors,
The hopeless dreamers and the storytellers.
Because the fight, oh, it tears us apart,
But saves our souls, restores our hearts.
(…)

[02] Because the Fight ⭐︎ MellO BANJOsutra

Please trust my shame ain’t tiny, ha... It is in fact overwhelmingly sickening. 

But(t) the very foundation of my faith requires such (true American Horror) Stories be told; this song exists because see, to live in #peace, we must first agree on Rights & Wrongs. This is what #KNOWsutra and #BLOWsutra are about… History matters, the facts in question facts simply cannot be denied, ignored, nor forgotten, and a song is a witness that cannot be suicided. 

And I mean, OH BOY, what a trifecta of wrongs we have here: felon elite protection, rape convict culture, and now, some good old underage loving too (not to mention child trafficking) heh!? Enough said. I'll just never ever understand why Murica allows a convicted rap¡st to lead the nation, to say the least. And wow, cognitive dissonance is such a freaking b!tch. But(t) now, more importantly, please note: 

#PSA : the very safety of American women—no matter their age—is officially under great predatory threats 🚨🚨🚨
So, please be kind, please be smart, please remember, we MUST speak up against those Making America Abusive Again... while we still can!

--
@bananasutra lyrics: 

Pedo Nation (Felon Nation Redux)

Is Murica hopeless
bamboozled, breathless? 
A failed state of “greatness” 
Built on pain and faithless.

Where truth gets gagged, 
and justice sleeps, 
While predators smile 
with secrets they keep.

This is a song for the silenced girls
Trauma wrapped in ribbons and pearls. 
Private jets to secret places, 
Rich old men with masked faces.

Classified flights, 
Blackmail nights, 
Rooms of doom 
and paid-off rights.

[Chorus]
Pedo nation! 
Where daddies buy their alibis. 
Pedo nation! 
Where the truth gets buried when witnesses die.

Famous men with tiny shame, 
Hiding behind their power and fame. 
Fraudsters, rapists, billionaires
Teflon-slick and justice-impaired.

Felons rigging rules they wrote,
Trafficking kids like trading notes. 
Consent erased, replaced with lies
Pussy-grabbing crowned as wise.

They groom, they gaslight, 
Then grin on TV. America, 
land of the free... 
...for predators with impunity.

[Chorus]
Pedo nation! 
Golden showers, hush campaigns. 
Pedo nation! 
Where every death smells like Epstein's name.

When daddy’s horny, he plays the king
A tantrum, a mistress, another hush ring.
A girl goes missing, a story gets blurred, 
Another name redacted, another truth unheard.

This ain't a metaphor. 
It’s blackmail and bribes. 
It’s teenage bodies
on Lolita flights.

It’s dungeons of silence, 
and dollars for pain. 
A nation that worships 
the predators’ name.

[Final Chorus]
Pedo nation! 
Built on secrets, greed, and shame. 
Pedo nation! 
Where justice dies to protect their name.

No shame, no blame
just hush and fame. 
Classified sins in a gilded frame.


[02] PEDO Nation • Psy Banger BANJO

The trending, apathetic mutism of online citizens watchers, who follow and/or visit often, but(t) never ever engage, simply mystifies me—in the creepiest ways! I mean, hello, what (TF) are you doing? What are you afraid of, and/or interested in? Why are you here if you don't like or feel anything? Why follow someone, or repeatedly watch stories (for example), yet never ever react to anything, publicly or privately? I mean, EEEW... this caption + song are for you, BOO ;)

✯✯✯
Public Service Announcement (redux): I understand my artistic aesthetics may strike you as a bit eccentric or even dramatic, and I’m so French, so unapologetic, haha! I’m also deeply authentic, and imho that’s the opposite of problematic…

Meanwhile, however, the enigmatic ghostly followers who frequently watch my stuff but(t) never ever share a word or reaction back, for YEARS now, well THAT is kind of traumatic—bc whoTF are you and WTH are you doing here? Are you human? Or just robotic? Idiotic? Too narcissistic? I dunno what makes you click, but(t) I do know that if you’ve got time to lurk again and again, you have time for a like, a word, a silly emoji—that would be as simple and quick as fantastic! 

And FWIW, if you think that request of mine is remotely pathetic, or #godforbid narcissistic, then just know I know you are indeed a creep-tastic deeek #fosho 🍌🥹 #wholikescreepyshit #notmeee #unfollowme #kthxbye

✯✯✯
@bananasutra lyrics:

Hey, you…
Yeah, you, who you tryna fool?
What you doin’, standing cool?
Why you starin’, like a spy?
What’s the reason, tell me why?

Oh, you,
I know you feel my eyes,
Catchin’ every little vibe,
Silent, like you’ve got no voice,
Like you never had a choice.

(Chorus)
Hey, you,
Yeah, you, where’s your mind at?
Heart beatin’, or you flat?
Got guts, or just a mask?
Does your conscience even ask?

So why,
Why you actin’ shy,
Playin’ like you’re sly?
Tell me what you tryna hide,
Or are you empty inside?

(Chorus)
Hey, you,
Yeah, you, where’s your mind at?
Heart beatin’, or you flat?
Got guts, or just a mask?
Does your conscience even ask?

So hey,
Screw you,
Let me make this clear,
Ain’t no room for you in here,
Leeches never get a pass,
Creepers don’t deserve a glance.

Yeah, you,
Time to disappear,
This is where I make it clear,
No more games, no more fear,
You don’t belong, that’s real.

✯✯✯✯✯


[08] Hey, You - BLOWsutra Indie Vocal JAZZ

The more I use the SUTRAS in my daily life, the more I find them helpful—they not only allow me to increase my own awareness (of my intent, perspective, and focus or priority at a given point in time), they also allow me to influence my thoughts and feelings, by rooting them into a chosen, conscious mindset, to better regulate and balance my moods… and this song is a great example of me doing just that.

Originally written as a mellow trip-hopy BOWsutra song, a humble reflection on unconditional love and the concept of death, this adaptation of the song shifts the energy into SHOWsutra and FLOWsutra—to honor the wild love and lighthearted fun flowing energy dogs aka our BFFs bring into our lives, forever ❤️‍🔥 

This song is like a mighty power punk rock pep talk reminding me/us balls matter, and “Grass is for pooping, and also rolling” LOL ;)

—
​⁠ @bananasutra  lyrics

[Verse 1]
Oh, the wagging tail's like a sermon in motion,
The nose in the wind, a lesson in devotion.
They give us patience, they show us trust,
They teach us to sniff before making a fuss.
Oh, why rush? Why stress?
When every breeze is a brand-new guest?

[Chorus warm, kind, quirky]
Blessed be the dogs!
They know, they blow, they grow, they glow.
Blessed be the show!
Dogs love, dogs live, dogs let it flow.

[Verse 2]
They say, “Watch with your balls, listen with your nose,
“Every tree’s a story, and puddle got prose.”
“Grass is for pooping, and also rolling”
“And a belly-up rub in the sun is the best thing"
“Don’t hold a grudge, don’t waste the fun”
“Chase what you love, watch your balls run!”

[Chorus]
Blessed be the dogs!
They know, they blow, they grow, they glow.
Blessed be the show!
Dogs love, dogs live, dogs let it flow.

[Bridge]
Life is a game of fetch my heart
Throw it far, far, make it an art
Chasing no fame, not asking why
Sniffing the ground… I swear, it's nearby.

Patience in a wag,
Pardon in the bag,
And gratitude, dog attitude
That’s a full-body wiggle of joy
like love leaped in the middle, oh boy.

[Final Chorus]
Blessed be the dogs!
They know, they blow, they grow, they glow.
Blessed be the show!
Dogs love, dogs live, dogs let it flow.

(Let it flow… Let it flow…)

☰☰☰

[02] Blessed Be The Dogs • SHOWsutra Post-Punk Burlesque ROCK

Another KNOWsutra EP, with 12 variations of 3 old songs, about truth and religion—inspired by this quote from the (brilliant, deep, subtle, and lovely) one and only Joseph Campbell: "Every religion is true one way or another. It is true when understood metaphorically. But when it gets stuck in its own metaphors, interpreting them as facts, then you are in trouble"... because, oh boy, ain't that true, heh Murica?! ;)

@banasutra lyrics x3:

—
(V1) Metaphor’s Edge

[Verse 1]
On the edge of belief, we teeter and sway,
Caught between fact and the words we obey.
But a story untold is no story at all,
Yet frozen in truth, it leads to our fall.

[Chorus]
Oh, take the edge, the metaphor’s kiss,
Find the meaning that others may miss.
Don’t get stuck in the riddle’s disguise,
For only the open can truly be wise.

[Verse 2]
Wolves in the sheep’s clothes, prophets of gold,
Tell you the gospel, but the message grows cold.
The tale is the journey, not the walls that confine,
To walk with the wind is to walk with the divine.

[Chorus]
Oh, take the edge, the metaphor’s kiss,
Find the meaning that others may miss.
Don’t get stuck in the riddle’s disguise,
For only the open can truly be wise.

—
(V2) Sacred Shadows

[Verse 1]
Whispers in the dark, they speak of heaven’s gate,
A tale so ancient, but twisted by fate.
We worship the shadows, forget what they’re for,
In the light of the moon, we must search for more.

[Chorus]
When the sacred becomes stone, the spirit slips away,
You’ll lose the dance of night for the brightness of day.
But it’s in the shadow that truth comes to play,
Hold the sacred as fluid, don’t let it decay.

[Verse 2]
The stars above speak in riddles, in shapes we misread,
We build temples of answers, but they’re just what we need.
To feel safe in the chaos, to feel known in the void,
But if you make it concrete, all the magic’s destroyed.

[Chorus]
When the sacred becomes stone, the spirit slips away,
You’ll lose the dance of night for the brightness of day.
But it’s in the shadow that truth comes to play,
Hold the sacred as fluid, don’t let it decay.

—
(V3) The Song of the Universe

[Verse 1]
Every story’s got a secret, hiding in plain view,
It’s a mirror for your soul, shaping what you knew.
But you’ll drown in deep illusion, if you take it word for word,
When metaphors become the law, meaning gets blurred.

[Chorus]
Oh, the trouble with truth, when it’s set in stone,
Is that it loses its mystery, leaves you all alone.
Dance with the shadows, don’t hold on too tight,
For the song of the universe shines in metaphor’s light.

[Verse 2]
Priests and prophets, saints and fools, all walk the same line,
But the more they cling to “truth,” the further from divine.
The symbols are the guideposts, not the end of the road,
But some mistake the map for the meaning it showed.

[Chorus]
Oh, the trouble with truth, when it’s stuck in the past,
Is that it forgets it’s a tale, not a spell meant to last.
Dance with the shadows, don’t hold on too tight,
For the song of the universe shines in metaphor’s light.


[06] Joseph Campbell's Truth Metaphors Edge - KNOWsutra Kindness is in the Depth in BLUES

… because life on earth is a Psychedelic Cabaret, and “music is the only religion that delivers the goods” (like Frank said). 

To be clear, all I really know is I dunno shit about fck (like Socrates said:)—music and songwriting included. But(t) I feel it, the music, so damn deeep in my soul! I’m just a humble existential fool, a silly banana who likes to play and share, to question and learn. Words are my oldest best friends, hearing myself sing is a freaking miracle (trust me on that lol), and I believe curiosity and #gratitude are the keys to happiness… So voilà, there’s that.

Also, (if you’re curious) BananaSutra is not just a made up BS brand kinda word, it’s actually the name of my DIY Bible—a collection of songs telling true stories of faith, to help me (and perhaps you) make sense of a world gone wild, like bananas gone foul in shallow ignorance and deadly malevolence… Think of it as an agnostic testament of sorts, an audio book of songs with quirky lyrics about things that matter, like the definition of right and wrong, and the meaning of truth, joy, justice, peace, grace, and awe 🕊️

Some call it Artificial Intelligence, but(t) I call Authentic Imagination, Alternative Ideas, Augmented Innuendos, Abstract Illogisms… hopefully, you get the gist? The point being, life is the story we tell ourselves and LYRICS matter—each @bananasutra song has a wondering root and a loving purpose, guided by one of (my) 7 (bananas) sutras: 
- KNOWsutra : is it fair?
- BLOWsutra : is it foul?
- SHOWsutra : is it fun?
- GROWsutra : is it fear?
- FLOWsutra : is it free?
- GLOWsutra : is it fab?
- BOWsutra : is it awe?