Robert Burns wrote “A Man’s a Man for A’ That” over 200 years ago, and I'm not gonna lie, he made me cry a little... Because guess what, not much has changed, we are reliving the same bull over and over! Arrogance is a sign of stupidity, and it matters, maybe more than ever. 

Burns was inspired by the Scottish Enlightenment and the democratic ideals of his time, but I think the song’s message transcends history, politics, and borders. It is not about a revolution through violence, but about dignity through truth. It is a call for character to outweighs privilege and power, in a world gone bananas... Sound familiar? ;) 

In the United Sates, it is statistically fair to say that the socio—economical divide is only getting worse everyday, because greedy and entitled a-holes confuse privilege with rights, and don’t even think twice about the meaning or value of #equality, human dignity, and justice. (RIP, Equal Opportunity Employment Act, 1965-2025). This song matters no matter your skin color... and blessed be Burns for daring to say what few would: wealth and status mean nothing—what truly matters is a person’s integrity, wisdom, and kindness. Personality, aka our “true color”, is so underrated… 

So, WHAT is he saying that matters heh?

- Wealth and Rank Are Just an Illusion – Social status is just a stamp on a coin; real worth comes from the gold within—our character and deeds.
-  Dignity in Hard Work – Whether rich or poor, those who live honestly and work with purpose are kings in their own right.
- Power Does Not Equal Wisdom – A man may wear ribbons and medals, but that doesn’t make him great—wisdom and strength of mind do.
- Hope for a Just Future – Burns believed that one day, justice and reason would win, and that all people, regardless of class or background, would stand as equals.
- A Vision for Universal Brotherhood – The song’s most famous line, “That man to man, the warld o’er, shall brothers be for a’ that”, is a call for unity, compassion, and human dignity across nations.

Burns saw beyond his time and envisioned a world where honor and intelligence, not gold and crowns, define greatness. That dream isn’t just history—it’s still worth singing for. Maybe now more than ever.

And, WHY care? Because it's your story too...

- In an era of rising inequality, where wealth and fame often overshadow true worth, Burns’ words remind us that status does not define a person.
- As leaders and elites gain power through privilege, not merit, his message calls us to value wisdom, honesty, and justice above empty authority.
- In a world that too often divides people by class, race, or borders, A Man’s a Man for A’ That stands as a timeless call for fairness, unity, and human dignity.

—

@bananasutra original lyrics adaptation: 

Is there a man who walks with pride, 
Though poor and worn, and all that? 
The coward bows, but we’ll abide, 
We dare be free for all that. 

For all that and all that, 
Our toil and sweat and all that, 
The crown is but a stamped disguise, 
A man’s a man for all that.

What if our table’s plain and bare, 
Our coats are thin, and all that? 
Let fools delight in silks so rare, 
A man’s a man for all that. 

For all that and all that, 
Their pomp and gold and all that, 
An honest heart and mind so free, 
Are worth far more than all that.

You see that man they call a lord, 
Who struts and stares and all that? 
Though many bow before his word, 
He’s but a fool for all that. 

For all that and all that, 
His stars and stripes and all that, 
A man who stands with mind unchained, 
He laughs and walks past all that.

So let us hope the day will come, 
(And come it will, for all that,) 
When sense and worth, not birth and gold, 
Shall lead the world, and all that. 

For all that and all that, 
It’s coming yet, for all that, 
That man to man, both far and wide, 
Shall brothers be for all that.

A Man’s A Man For A’ That • Revolution MANTRAsutra (1)

Desperately looking for sanity and humor in a dystopian world outta control? Yeah, #metoo
And since I'm a nerd, I made a dystopian quiz, for fun, you kow 😏🤳 

This EPx15 starts with one song x4 in grand bananasutra Circus Jazz Burlesque style, and then goes steady for 11 more tracks, using 9 different songs lyrics inspired by the quiz intro, all riding an acoustic honey bluesy Trip Hop Banjo Circus Soul mood kinda soundwave... 

The Dystopian Quiz will answer the question “Which Dystopian Reality do you Live In?” and suggests the reality-fiction (previously called science-fiction) book you should (re)read next; it's an anonymous Google form with 10 questions, and you can take it here, if you're curious:  https://forms.gle/bpUcCwxxNJPDVDrM6 

--
Hello, and welcome, dear slippery soul.

The world’s weird, wired, and weary, and here is the QOTD: Which Dystopia Are You Living In? Are you trapped by fear? Distracted by glitter? Numbed by tech? Devoured by bureaucracy? 

Welcome to the Pentagon of Dystopian Fears, where questions matter more than ever, and yet to be banned bibles (I mean, you know, stories, or books) hold valuable answers... Which dystopian reality visionary church do you go to? 

- Orwell, who feared that what we hate would control us—through surveillance, censorship, and oppression 
- Huxley, who feared that what we love would sedate us—through pleasure, distraction, and superficiality.
- Bradbury, who feared that we'd stop caring—becoming indifferent to knowledge, leading to self-imposed ignorance.
- Ballard, who feared that our own desires would lead to self-destruction—through the psychological impacts of technology and modernity.
- Kafka, who feared that we'd be crushed by absurd systems—trapped in incomprehensible bureaucracies, leading to alienation and helplessness.

Enjoy reflecting on these 10 absurdly serious BananaSutra Quiz questions and find out. I'll even suggest what book you may want to (re)read next! Hugs.

PS: This quiz is entirely anonymous, because I'm old school like that, and no, man, I don't do basic baiting--not asking for your email, and not planning on personally profiting from your answers, I promise. Can you believe it? It's all for the LOVE literature, and critical; thinking! To me, it's all poetry anyway... Go figure  :)


The Dystopian Quizz Song v3-2 ★ Blues Circus SOULsutra

EM 4.0 Set

[01] Question Di Kingdom - Dub's the Path (Truth is the riddim) - Ragga DUBsutra

"Queer Almighty" is a seminal (not bollocks) bananasutra question... Got answers? Please do share! Blessed be the brave, blessed be the kind (like Francis). Ordo Amoris matters 🙏

[06] Queer Almighty - Queer Enough to Cabaret - BANJOsutra

@bananasutra lyrics inspired by Naomi Shab Nye poem

Kindness (single) VOL. 04

Once upon a time, Stalin's Purge and Hitler's SS commandos and Night of the Long Knifes, for example, were the source of much American arrogance, and spite. This sense of superiority resulted in much complacence, and they became increasingly cocky, uneducated, and bigoted... 

And then, a deeply amoral, cruel, greedy, deadly Felon Rapist TV reality populist yazi jerk rigged the elections, and started methodically implementing the grift of the century, aka #project2025 , wiping his ass with the constitution, and rejoicing in the victory of lies and violence as a new default modus operandi. He did not care to govern, only to ruin things and control people, for undisclosed, shallow, sociopathic reasons--beside hubris and greed. He succeeded in less than 6 months, he destroyed Democracy, Constitution and Environment included, and started the duck purge with MASS DEPORTATIONS. 

But this was just a warm up... he couldn't wait to get to the better part, i.e. MASS INCARCERATIONS! How such an idiotic prick could run the grift of the century, I'll never understand, but he sure is, with no opposition. The general apathy or complicity of the majority have been just as heartbreaking, to be fair... What I do know tho, is everyone's freedom and safety are now at great risk, FOR REAL--THIS IS NOT A DRILL-- and I personally am too sensitive, and have too much integrity, empathy, and familiarity with his type of personality to hope I may be able to adapt, and survive... And so, I say, IF YOU CAN, NOW, RUN!!

Unedited description + 22 tracks list dump, to harmonize with the local chaos ya know, ha... #bewoke


RUN v5 (2) [ordo duende amoris]

Raw lyrics from that time a stream of loving consciousness poured out of my heart  <3

Please feel free to question my empathy
If I dare say poetry is an absolute necessity 
Messenger of a creativity only found in individuality 
Essential workers now, in times of growing insecurity, 

It is an irreplaceable act of human expression, 
to explore and share genuine stories of humanity
In a Society where everything viral is a commodity 
Poetry breeds humility, curiosity, creativity

(I believe) Poetry matters, like eating and planting seeds
Now more than ever, poetry’s the trend you need (ha)
To connect, beyond the standardization of narcissism 
To resist the homogenization of global capitalism

With all due respects to churches and pyramids, 
Christian creed, Maslow’s universal hierarchy of needs,
And the importance of all indeed deemed a necessity,
(I believe) It is in vulnerability, with little or no safety no stability
That poetry thrives, bare, humble witness of our holy fragility 

(I believe) It’s about balancing capitalistic dehumanization
To foster empathy, celebrate alterity 
To learn through to the voice of others, 
To trust in our own transformative powers 

(I believe) It’s about denouncing narcissistic manipulation
To resist dark forces of division
To exist above their toxic oblivion 
To share meaning, brave discussions

(I believe) It’s about ending cycles of doom and revenge, 
To live with nothing to prove, no ego to avenge
To build more bridges beyond artificial divides, 
To find the magic and awe in everyone’s stride 

You know it when you see it, its flow,
The poetic voice, you feel it, it’s raw, 
It sings meaning, understanding and connection
It brings wonders, maybe even a heart palpitation

It captures the texture of human experiences
It pictures the allures of perceived differences
beyond canyons and cultures, 
it’s not about acting demure

It’s a humble language made of ordinary
That proved to be holy, possibly salvatory
It can fills the absence of a warm human voice, 
Like, love is god, and music is not even a choice…

(I believe) That is why poetry is necessary
A mean to an end, and "a language for a new century," 
A way to grow our sacred individuality, our soul, dignity 
A chance to bow , to celebrate, life, all the damn beauty

[01] Poetry Duende - DUBsutra

[03] Poetry Duende - DUBsutra

Feel the riddim, and let poetry carry you, it will set you free <3

@bananasutra(i) lyrics:

Question me, if you feel the need  
But poetry, yeah—it’s food, it’s seed  
It’s that voice inside, don’t chase the feed  
Only found in soul, where the real ones bleed  

Truth-tellin’, when the world feelin’ shaky  
Expression deeper than what they make me  
In times where the viral feel so empty  
Poetry slow burns—soft, deadly  

No trend, no brand, just spirit alive  
A low voice echo in this dubwise tribe  
Not for show, nah—not for fame  
But to name the ache and sing the flame  

[Chorus]  
Poetry, love—it’s necessity  
Like roots in ground, like rice and tea  
It humbles me, makes me see  
In a world so loud—it sets me free  

All due respect to the creeds and towers  
To hierarchies, gods, and ivory powers  
But this here, this voice, this vulnerability  
Is the only thing that truly carry me  

See—poetry don’t wear no disguise  
It sit in wounds, it look in eyes  
It rise when safety’s nowhere near  
It speak the holy things we fear  

[Chorus]  
Poetry, love—it’s necessity  
Like rhythm and smoke, like memory  
It brings us close, makes us believe  
In a language deeper than what we see  

It fights back hard—against division  
It cracks the lies, the cold precision  
It builds in silence, burns tradition  
It’s love, it’s rage, it’s intuition  

No revenge, no pride to defend  
Just bridges built that never end  
Across the lines they say divide  
I find the awe in every stride  

[Chorus]  
Poetry, love—it’s necessity  
Not some artform, it’s therapy  
It’s touch, it’s taste, it’s clarity  
It’s what they miss in their prosperity  

You feel it when it hit you raw  
No filter, no pose, no law  
It sings us back to where we came  
No ego—just fire, soul, and name  

Love is god, and music’s the choice  
But poetry, woman, that’s my voice  
Low and smoky, steady and slow  
Just one riddim, deep and low  



[01] Poetry Slow Burns  - Gold DUBsutra

[05] Poetry Slow Burns - Sweet DUBsutra

… 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?

A Man’s A Man For A’ That • Revolution MANTRAsutra (1)

bananasutra

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