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Gom Jabbar’s Guide to the Galaxy

https://youtu.be/u_OVRim8YXg

Friday night, turn the radio on 
my beer is stone cold  
my favorite country song
fills the air in my truck 
makes my baby momma swoon...

they interrupt 
my perfect small town cool 
another crazy city fella
shot up another school
and now they’ll come for my guns 
just because
sometimes the Devil
grabs a loon

It ain’t fair to be persecuted 
for what another man done did
you see a problem 
you straight up shoot it
it’s what I was taught
it’s what I will teach my kid

I’m sending you my thoughts & prayers
now let me tell you what those are:
I thought of you gettin' mauled by bears
and I prayed you'd get run over by a car!

'f you been huntin’ all day
you need to spray them
wanna ask those Newtown actors
who paid 'em
cause God’s honest truth
don’t need to mess with no facts

(oh, don't you hate them fa*s)

trigger makes me happy
barrel makes me hard
them boys keep the Free World free—
I do my part
ain’t no government wrote me a check
that I didn’t cash!

ain’t wrong if you didn’t ax
(it ain't wrong)
 
I’m sending you my thoughts & prayers
now let me tell you what those are:
I thought you might get mauled by bears
and then I prayed you'd get run over by a car

or bears in a car
(don’ matter the kind of bear)
(don’ matter the kind of car)

I thought it’s too much work to pretend to care
and I pray they don’t have mainstream news
on any TV’s in the bar...

Thoughts & Prayers

https://youtu.be/MqcydGGDitM

people
na-na-na-na

we got Christians and Muslims and Hindus
all agree that our essence is love
but then we lock our doors and shutter windows
knowing what all we're capable of

yeah we got Shakespeare, Voltaire and Sartre
they taught us what it is to be good
(everyone wants to be good)
yet we're scared when somebody darker
jogs around our neighborhood

now, we've come a long way
since some proteins made connection
(lo-lo-long way)
we've gotten real good
at not dying from infection

we're just not too good at being people 
na-na-na-not so good at people
most of us (people) make terrible people
and all the worst people
are people like us

na-na na-na-na na

silver lining in our situation
we're just failing our own QA process
got high hopes for the next generation
stuff their baggage with our secret sauces

and we know they mostly don't work
every saint was a consummate jerk
every prophet—betrayed by his own people
and every leader who slayed his own pe-op-le...

now! we've come a long way
since a strange fish left the ocean
we've gotten real good
at playing guitar with distortion

but we still suck at being people
na-na-na-na
na-na-na-na

the only evil I've seen lives in people...
just like me

People

https://youtu.be/OKai3vc2a0c
[original guitar score by @john-byrne-117035719]

4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - IGNITION!

A final lap dance, one last drink
but baby don’t feel sorry for me.
'bout to ditch the thing
that makes your boobs swing,
back up the well to where the rocks roll free.

‘Cause I’m an asteroid miner (ooh-ooh!)
like my daddy and my paw-paw was.
And yeah, I wear manliner (ooh-ooh!)
just so you would know I’m not your earthworm cuz.

I’m an asteroid miner. (miner, miner, wooh-ooh!)
I’m an as-te-ro-oid mi-i-i-i-iner (ooh)

[break]

Yeah, baby, yeah, baby, yeah!
You're part of my therapy (ye-eah!)

Out in the Belt I’m closer to God
and I thank Him for pressurizing my pod.
I shoot from the hip and trust my gut
and gut anyone that tries to steal my cut!

‘Cause I’m an asteroid miner (wooh-ooh!)
born on a hull where we drink our piss.
But I wear designer (oh-ooh-ooh!)
just to let you know I’m not your broke-ass sis.

As-teroid mi-ne-er—mine that asteroid... (owww!)

I know who to sell to, who to bribe, and who to rob.
No Martian robot’s gonna steal my job.
Got a powerful lobby in the Solar Alliance.
We say, give us better ships
but fuck your science! (yeah, fuck your science!)

And I’m not gay, not even bi-curious.
When I sleep with other men it’s because I’m “Mercurious”
It’s okay to want a penis—
just pray it away when you slingshot from Venus.

Asteroid miner—pillar of the Solar economy
Asteroid miner—never a pillar of salt for sodomy (that was never me!)
Asteroid miner—never covet my pilot's wife
Asteroid miner—but my pilot’s torso makes me feel alive...

[instrumental break]

Lap dance over but don’t worry about me—
I’m headed to a place where everything hangs free.
It’s pretty cool if you like huge diamonds.
I’ll introduce you to my best friend Simon...

Ooh, Simon! He’s my favorite asteroid miner.

Support John

Asteroid Miner

how fleeting... fleeting...
just how fleeting we are...

I don't go for pomp & pantomime
and though we walk in a world full of wonders
no spirit animal will be my guide
if you ask me all of us have spirit in abundance

how about a better way to see what's out there?
but only what is out there, and no more than is there...
be tough for anyone to run us scared
if we could pray with a different kind of prayer:

we are each other's shepherds & lambs
this world's tenants, creators & destroyers
the only fate stamped onto our hands
is how fleeting we are, and just how much we know this

now let me tell you about the magic within:

when you slip into another person's view, even a tiny bit
it's cause they're more than a bit like you
knowing this should make it much harder to hate
there's no need for final judgment at a pearly gate

I know you asked me where we go after we pass...
we go back to where we came from—
somewhere peaceful, outside of space & time

the only thing we might say lasts 
is the here & now in which you make your choice 
and I make mine

now will you sing along?

[chorus: repeated]

fleeting...
just how fleeting we are...

Just How Fleeting We Are

Title track of a 2023 EP that can be purchased at https://gomjabbar.bandcamp.com/albums/some-ancient-power

Some Ancient Power

it's alright / you'll feel better
it's alright / it's a feel-better song

it’s gonna be alright if you let it go
and alright if you give it all you’ve got
it’s gonna be alright if you let it be
and alright whether you let it or not

it’s gonna be alright if you just hang on
alright if you follow your dreams or you heart
it’s alright to feel good from this feel good song
whether you sing along with every cliché or not

you're gonna be alright...

hey, you!
don’t feel blue when life’s got you by the throat
why down when you can up?
with a feel good song that I wrote just for you
and oh hey, hey look
I’m even gonna throw in a soothing hook
when your workdays are bleak
and the world is at war
the only way out is to woh-ooh-ooh-ooh-oh

yeah, it’s alright if you can’t catch a break
it’s alright because you can always eat cake
and it’s alright to let it all out (mama, mama, it's alright!)
there’s a place for every grievance⁠—it’s called The Cloud

I mean it’s alright baby and it’s alright chile
most of your likes and dislikes are on file
we’ll never stream anything you haven’t requested
it’s alright and when you sing along, you’ll manifest it

it's gonna be alright even when it's wrong...

hey, you!
when you’re feeling down and out, or just royally screwed
we have the perfect mix for you
and a chorus with a clear-ringing platitude
you’ll be sharing how this made you feel better
and in a decade how it changed your life
just remember we did it together—
you told us to tell you it’s gonna be alright

here's a pleasant mini-break
before the final refrain
for you, for you...
for you!

[chorus: repeated]

it’s alright to feel alright when the vibes hit home
if you pay us we'll keep singing how nothing is wrong

yes, it’s gonna be alright if you pick yourself up
and totally fine if you let everyone down
alright if you keep on and don’t give up (mama, mama, it's alright)
and even more than alright if they jerk you around

it’s gonna be alright when one thing sucks you dry
there’s always another that somehow draws more blood
and always another band banging it’s alright
when all of the evidence suggests not

but it's alright cause you'll be fine!
(not)

Alright! (Not)

oom-ba-pa / chi-tat-ah
oom-ba-pa / chi-tat-ah

any given tree is more important
than all the songs we've ever sung about love
and any given rock is destined to travel further
than all the words and all the names we've ever known of

la-la lai-la
la-la lai-la la

it's so easy to waltz around with big thoughts in our head
like what if this is all just a dream
and why not color the world in the way I feel
when so often I feel like the only thing that's real?
except...

any given tree is more important
than all the novels we've ever written about love
and every little pebble is destined to travel further
than any idea we've had the faintest of

oom-ba-pa / chi-tat-ah
oom-ba-pa / chi-tat-ah
la-la-lai-la
oom / ah

it's so magical to sing about blackbirds and nightingales
until all we can hear is ourselves
see our face on the moon and our toes in the garden
years in the tree rings and dates in the carbon
but then we all know...

any given tree is more important
than all the poems we have written about love
and any grain of sand is destined to travel further
than all the sweet melodies we know of

la-la la-la-la-la
la-la la-la-la-la

Any Given Tree

I love the smell of bread
the way that dandelions ride the wind
and sitting barefoot on a rock
as the sea lashes out to draw me in

I love the sound of rain
descending like a veil across the lake
the staredown from a crow
the chisel marks of revenant mistakes

and these are not all the things that I love

there’s the play of shade and light 
when a shiny car slinks down a row of trees
there’s the first sip from the coffee cup
and all the conversations had by strings and keys

the mossy darkness of the cellar stairs
just close your eyes
and every monster will smell of wine and cheese
fermenting plums and pears
those village skies
painting a stampede of galaxies

I love a bridge of stone
its arches getting stronger as we pass 
two lightnings crossing paths
running fingers through damp disheveled grass

I love a narrow street
with balconies parading many lives
slow Sunday afternoons
the chugging of a train when it arrives

and these are not all the things that I love

there’s the pepper and the salt
raining down on a steaming bowl of stew
birdsong threatening the morning calm
ships shimmering far off into the blue

the distant clamor of a busy square
just close your eyes
and every plan will seem made of matchstick hopes
with scotch-taped prayer
you hold your own hand
and even that’s not guaranteed

I love a mighty, fallen tree
that’s generously rotting in the shade
discolored postcards from long ago
rough carpets with edges that are frayed

and these are not all the things that I love
no, these are not all the things that I love
not all the things
not all the things

Not All The Things

Things are better than they used to be
much better than they used to be
it’s time to stop trying
to make things better than they used to be
much better than they used to be
in large part thanks to me
it’s time to take a victory nap

Seems like I can never be woke enough
No, it’s never enough.
I've had enough! I’m done with this nonsense
and I’m going back to sleep.

Less violent than we used to be
Break out the bubbly
It’s time to stop trying
just wake me up when we’re already there!

Same old messages bore me
checked off acting nobly
What else do you got for me?
I called the pot and the kettle
so where the hell is my medal
for getting that one right?
(it’s getting late in the night)

Wake me up when we’re already there
I’m too worn out from pretending to care
might slip and say what I think you all are...

Wake me up when we’re already there
Let someone drive who enjoys this sad affair
I’ll always feel like we might have gone too far...

Seems like I can never feel man enough
I’m physically tough, made of the right stuff
but that’s not enough
in a world that’s attacking me mentally

More equal than we used to be
Break out the bubbly
It’s time to stop crying
wake me up when we’re already there

Same old messages bore me
checked off acting nobly
What else do you got for me?
I called the pot and the kettle
so where the hell is my medal
for getting that one right?
(it’s getting late in the night)

Wake me up when we’re already there
I’m too worn out from being forced to care
might slip and say what I actually believe...

Wake me up when we’re already there
Let someone drive who enjoys the truth or dare
I’ll always feel like I’m not allowed to grieve...

Wake Me Up

when the leaves on the trees turned white
it was the most instagrammable blight
and when a virus jumped across from bats
so many died the most tweetable deaths

now somewhere along the road to decimation
we got so tired of the all-bad news (bad-on-bad news!)
we must be free to bite it if we choose
must be free to headlong into annihilation

we might be going extinct (tinc-tinc-tinct)
but it’s still hard to care about every single reason
it could be something we did
but it’d be so much nicer if it isn’t...

baby, let’s go extinct!
or at least take a selfie from the brink

we’ll never level up, we’ll never not give up
so many of us racing hot to meet their maker
look in my rational eyes, you’ll see me rationalize
it’s not my fault, I vaguely tried then I tried vaguer, and vaguer!
 
now we all, we all long for a simpler explanation
my gut tells me things will sort themselves out (or not)
we must be free to run amuck about
it’s the economy, stupid—our sexiest creation

we’re going extinct (tinc-tinc-tinct)
but it’s still hard to agree with the secular reasons
it could be something we did
but it’d be so much nicer if, be so much nicer if it isn’t...

yeah, we should go extinct (tinct-tinct-tinct)
cause then we won’t have to hear about every little impact
we’re all interlinked
but there is money to be made while saying that we think that

baby let’s go, baby, let’s go extinct!
or at least let’s take a selfie from the brink-brink-brink

[instrumental break]

let's go extinct—
we'll make sure we only do it for reasons we believe in
if it's not at all what we think—
well, at least the final score is kind of even

when the ice caps swelled up the seas
we were psyched to stream it live on our feeds
and when the skies caught on fire, for kicks
we took a lot of really meme-able pics

subscribe and follow, react, comment below, tell us what you think
and let’s go, let us just go extinct!

Let's Go Extinct

if you’re one of those people
who go crazy over Christmas
tell me do you know 
what Christmas is even about?
why don't I tell you what Christmas is about
it’s gonna get a little bit choppy
so grab on to me...

some folks decorate an evergreen tree
none can agree
on what the trees symbolize
some say renewal
others say eternal life
or could be just the way 
we shake down nature for a prize

it’s either Jesus or it’s pagan

some people sing carols 
about reindeer in the snow
to celebrate a certain Middle Eastern birth
and some sing “I don’t want
a lot for Christmas”
as they max out their credit card

it’s either St. Nick or Coca-Cola

so let’s gather round family and friends
then look at others for what triggers or offends
that’s because what Christmas is all about
is telling others what their Christmas
should be about

me tell you all about Christmas
(he'll tell you all about Christmas)

many hate their own tradition’s Xmas
let alone vestiges of Roman Saturnalia
for some goody-two-shoes it is a chance to flex—
must rally hard for all demonic practices to go belly up
 
you know the Yule log’s probably Satan

Western kids write to Santa
and ask for massive presents
the same guy who used to beat up
naughty children with a stick
(he could really jingle bells, jingle bells)
he owns a factory up North now
and skims from his elves’ wages
I guess a useful lesson—it pays to be a dick

does he ever make it down to Angola?

gather round, my dear family and friends
let’s look at the neighbors for what triggers and offends
we know too well what Christmas is about
It’s about judging others and calling the heathens out!

All About Christmas

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRENma7K/

fu** the rich
motherfu** the job-creatin'
carbon-churning rich

must they, must they be
helping the sun kill us?

fu** the poor
motherfu** deforestatin'
fossil-burning poor

must they, must they be
helping the sun kill us?

fu** the middle class
the understanding
overshopping middle class

must we, must we be
helping the sun kill us?

fu** the economy
it’s gonna be
booming when we all have passed

must we, must we be
helping the sun kill us?

and fu** the doomsday clock
who the fu** can measure out
all the ways we suck?

must we, must we be
helping the sun kill us?

fu** this vibe
motherfu** this righteous
useless, bloviating vibe

must I, must I be
helping the sun kill us?

Helping The Sun (Kill Us)

aren’t you worried we’re a
thin scum layer (layer!)
not just us—all the life we’ve ever seen

and yet we’re acting like
the sole purveyor (veyor!)
of meaning, truth, and beauty, we’re so cutely keen
 
and no-one’s worried we’re a
thin scum layer (layer!)
jitterbugging on a nickel ball hurtling through space

we may be common or
extremely rare (rare?)
are we reaching for the stars or falling flat on our face?

when you take off in an airplane
note how quickly the temperature drops
our comfort zone is just a membrane 
you dip a toe outside it, it freezes right off

and when you fret over your boyfriend
and while you plot a better life for your child
our only layer’s getting poisoned
don’t ask the Universe to keep that curry mild

the heat is up!
when we’re done emoting how unfair
the heat is up!
we’ll be baked inside our own eclair

well, I’m worried we’re a
thin scum layer
lindy-hopping on a groove we can’t handle at all

and while we’re puttering
in song and prayer
we fail to change even the few things we control

I’ve been accused of dark & deep despair
that’s just the opposite of what I feel
so when next you take a little breath of air
don’t let that buster grab your wheel

time to take heed of our ghostlike presence
spike the tea with all the right kinds of fear
milk our frailty for its effervescence
and learn to take care of our thin, thin layer

thin. scum. layer.
thin. scum. layer.

let’s get busy on our
thin scum layer (layer!)
we’ll need it with us for however long

this could be our only
soul conveyor (eya!)
‘cause there’ll be no-one left to grieve if we get this one wrong…

layer, layer
pa-da-ba-doo-ba-da-ba-da-pam-paya

Thin Scum Layer

Clarinet by Brian Campbell: https://www.campbellsjazz.com

oh will you hold me
when we are old in
years of gold when
knees are wobbly
that would be lovely

and will you scold me
when I'm being a jackass
or only fill up my glass
and make it salty
that would be lovely...
that would be lovely!

I know your love is something I can't win at
of course I've been at
it plenty of times
I know we've yet to find the thing I'm good at
oh, no, could that
thing be rhymes?!

and even though it's fairly useless
when the pushes
come to shove
I like the way you work it—
get all your kisses 
from being tough

mmbop-pu-bam
mmbop-pu-bam
ba-dam-pa-day

will you console me
when my thoughts get silly
squat upon a diddly
and my reasoning faulty
that would be lovely

and will you hound me
if I'm napping on a Monday
snoring like a runway
or will you ignore me?
that would be lovely...
that would be lovely!

don't even try to fight the feeling
the thought alone is killing me right now
as long as we can break a ceiling
I'm more than willing
to moan & howl

and even though it's fairly simple
many of us will fail the test
mama said knock you out
mama said knock you out
still like the way you work it
as we walk in fields of gold...

[instrumental break]

oh will you hold me
when my vision gets blurry
nose & ears furry
will you chide me softly
yeah, that would be lovely

and will you serve me
(serve me?!)
a final notice when I'm lazy
short of pushing daisies
yeah, you own me
and it is lovely

yeah, it is lovely!

Lovely

A springy, ethno-jazzy walk in nature to replenish the spirit.

In Nature

A respectfully irreverent reimagining of Frédéric Chopin's Waltz Op. 64 No. 1 aka Valse Du Petit Chien aka Minute Waltz.

the first and last feeling is "helpless"
with a lot of "helpless" in between
I wish I could say
some things don’t decay
how I wish I could tell you
our efforts have value
but judging from everything that I’ve seen
the brave & depraved
the selfish & selfless
it’s best if we feel all festive & glad
given we range between
helpless & mad
yeah we'd better be
incredibly un-upset and un-sad
given the difference 
‘tween helpless & dead

my child, my sweet
my yellow-brown flower
when the woods gonna burn
not a winter can stop it
we’ve all got this 
suboptimal urge to control
but the what where when how
& why are not in our power
yeah, shut down the garden

the first and last feeling is "helpless"
then a lot of helplessness in between
I wish I could tell you
oh, one more rebellion
for wisdom & might
to make things alright
but lying to you 
will not change the theme

my love, my cold blue 
spring in the desert
when the sky’s gonna turn
not a beauty can tempt it
we’ve all got this contemptible 
urge to decide
and the stab wounds & scars
are not even a lesson—
we just muck about in our gardens

our first and last feeling is "helpless"
and it doesn’t change much in between
as you spin in your circle of fairness
remember to hum with the theme
how lucky regardless
of getting punched down
trees in the forest
enjoying their sound
so what does it matter how
tiny my reach?
as long as I’m honest
you’ll pardon my speech
the aimless & friendless
the babbling saved
the bumbling faithless
the child who’s behaved
we rhyme the same reason
we write the same song—
ain’t none of us has to be
helpless alone

Helpless (with Chopin)

Support John & Gom

The Guard Tower

someplace, somewhen
we’ll never meet again
this moment’s pinned up onto time
the razor now
will cut and split our thens
and even stars will fall in line
and little you and tiny I
oh we are just as unrepeatable
we only got to run it once
in all of this someplace-somewhen

you know those ripples
in the oxbow lake
repeat never again
we’re not all evil
when we make mistakes 
we hope to fix them all somewhen

no we
don’t need
no reason for the jubilee
no harm
no foul
no lent or saint for a carnival

no we
don’t need
no reason for a jubilee 
no harm
no foul
no miracles for a carnival

one place, one when—
a trickster of eternity
neither will crease nor bend
at least not for you & me

so gather all your rosebuds while you may
this is why you came
(of course it’s not okay)
just gather no regrets
somehow, someway...

someplace, somewhen
we’ll never meet again
this moment’s once in all of time
the razor now
will cut and split our thens
and even galaxies will fall in line

you know that levee
where we drank and wept
will not repeat again

no we
don’t need
no fancy math for a jubilee
no harm
no foul
no speed bumps for a carnival

someplace, somewhen
someplace, somewhen
we got to happen once
and never again

Someplace, Somewhen

Go fish somewhere pretty and nevermind if you catch anything!

Go Fish!

come over and bring your bottom lie
and we’ll each pour a glass
straight away drink half
and then we’ll set them both aside
under exaggerated sky

yeah bring your lifelong lie
and we will make it last
fret the way time passed
then we’ll put them back inside
our old dilapidated I

as the drones rain fire
and the warm ocean’s coiling to pounce
you and I both feel
this movie is named after us

lend me some of your ire
and I’ll ship you steel by the ton
so we can spin in our reel
we are stars made of much more than dust  

but when we talk
our cameras decide to pull wide
and when you laugh
the extras dissolve far behind
when we cry
we each have to take a quick turn
why deny
we were chosen to watch the world burn

go on now bring your bottom lie
and we will sip it slow
regret the way winds blow
and how they cast us both aside
a cruel and ever-changing sky

bring your sweetest lie
and we will make it glow
although both you and I we know
it is no match for any tide
too late to plant another lie

your stratagems inspire
as the grind shaves us down to a bolt
we’re not ready to keel over
we are still written in gold

and when we pause
the camera will want to close up
who else can play
our roles when we finally stop?

so bring your bottom lie
to hop onto and catch a lift
you get bedazzled I be-spiffed
and we will nail our final lines
as the ruins fade to white

bring your innermost lie
and we will make it work
with a bit of glue and a little luck
we’ll write to whom it may it concern:

you and I were here 
to watch the world burn

Your Bottom Lie

This inevitably happens when a daughter asks you to re-watch "Whiplash" with her.

Store Your Data (In More Than 1 Place)

"Awakening in the Woods" by Friedrich Burgmüller, beautifully butchered.

Awaking in the Woods (with Burgmüller)

We’re back in time
Rebuilding the kingdom
De-freaking the sanctum, baby!

A loop is fine (a loop divine)
Can’t un-fool a fool
The Gullivers rule the sea

When you roll over you
Will you stand with me
And we can bring back now

It’s a long long winter
But the seagulls won’t be crying defeat
Don’t trade your bangs for a whimper
A sturdy sail is never obsolete

Well I guess all of this earth was not enough for us
We wore our hardest hats and ground it back to dust
Our final score was high, we took it all with us
There were some lovely moments in between
We made love between wars and art between lies

Chorus: repeated

And when you roll over you
Will you stand with me
So we can take back now

We’re dumbing down
To fit the zeitgeist
The memers won
The Kraken’s free

No-one can save us
We’re the sirens
Just singing to our rock
Too scared to put to sea

Buncha redwoods going it alone
Who’s it gonna be, 
Who’s it gonna be
When the axe done fall?
It’s unimaginable
We were asked to be nicer
By some woman I saw
Kicking the Kaiser
Who promised us a wall
(Wall off our rock from sailors)

We're back in time

Chorus: repeated

When you roll over you
Will you sail with me
And we can journey back to now

The Gullivers Rule

A respectful butchery of Frédéric Chopin's Waltz in B Minor, Op. 69, No 2.

On The Shoulders of Giants

Interbellum (with Chopin)

(basely loosed on Waltz Op. 64 No. 3 in A-flat by Frederic Chopin)

it slips away
my darling
one dip in the hot sun
then gone back where we come from

it slips away
my darling
one lick and we're done for
don't think it will stop for you

your rage won't throw off the night
though if you're doing it right
you'll wish you could go for one more
round on the carousel

sit still and go around
can't get off the carousel
sit still and go around

it slips away
my darling
one dip in the hot sun
then gone back where we come from

it slips away
my starling
one blink and we're done for
don't think it will stop for you

rage won't turn off the night
though if you've done alright
you'll wish you could go for one more
round on the carousel

Carousel (with Chopin)

An 87% accurate rendition of Liebestraum S. 541 No. 3 by Franz Liszt.

On the Shoulders of Giants

Liebestraum (with Liszt)

raise a glass to the roar of the city
pouring concrete into your fists
the wind in its tunnels can lift the
vain & the hungry, the gentle, the gritty
who fall for its kiss

escape the humdrum
come play & be someone
your portrait in hectic
dreams sizzle electrically
word is out on the street
prayer's crowding the basements
sea of prodigal faces
rocked by shuffling feet

raise your mast for the squall of the city
swelling circuits of angular mist
the trains in its bowels can fit the
homeless & hopeful, the heartless, the needy
who pay for its kiss
(pay down the rent on its kiss)

complete the long-drawn
defeat of your hometown
the traffic caresses
all six of your senses
you breathe
the mass of the steeply
stacked office spaces
they brace for renaissance
lives will bend to their beat!

think fast on the clock of the city
crack some skulls for the room to exist
don't wait for its edges to nip the
grapes that you came for
only grow in the city
and drink from its kiss

Roar of the City

When every war is lost
And every hatred spent
Some folks will throw a ball
And some will boo
With nothing left to feel & do

Hep hep-hep!

Don't start assumin'
What makes us human

Huh huh-huh
Chet-chet
Hey-ey-ye pom

When I was a child
I did believe, I did believe
In Socrates
And all the Greeks 
Who said that we could all be good

I sat and smiled
As teachers taught we were the greatest
Fought the hardest
Just to win back
A tiny fraction of what used to be ours

It's understood
The meek & mild must toughen up
When something greater is at stake
A martyr acts
when lemmings leave

No wreaths for cowards!
It took the dying of a world to make it clear
A Holy War rings 
The gold in someone's purse

We did some bad things
But soandso did so much worse...

When every tribe is lost
And all the money spent
Some folks will drown in song
And some will jeer
With no-one left to kill in fear

Hep hep-hep!

Got caught presumin'
What makes us human

Huh huh-huh hek
Chet-chet
Hey-ey-ye pom

I'm still that child
But many reasons and excuses later
I just try to keep afloat without
Kicking my neighbor down

And failing bad
Do I blame the strings that have us tangled
When the strings were made by
Drowners like myself?

What if it's something we can't help?

What Makes Us Human?

Music inspired by The Red Violin III. Oxford, the Gypsies - Journey Across Europe

here they come now
here they come
wearing masks
not even they will know 
what they have done

here they come now
here they come
wear the mask
not even you will see
what you have done to me

the finches
can anyone tell
when they screech woefully?

the righteous
keep scrubbing that blood off
their hands

have patience
he said as he took 
my children away

I'm faceless
and all of my story
is written on sand
yeah, written on sand
sand

there they go now
there they go
it's all your fault
that's what happens 
when you break the law

something you should have known
god must've told you so
we're not the animal
we're not the animal!

you might just
never have to see blood
on your hands
and there's more than one mask
you can wear

but the cages
they still have to be manned
and there will be 
damnation to spare
when the children tell it...
(sand)

it's been written on sand
it's been written on sand

here I come now
here I come
wear the mask
not even I will know 
what I have done

here I come now
here I come
wear a mask
not even I will see
what I have done

here we go again
here we go again
not sorry
your story
will be written on sand

Written on Sand

Warning: listening to Bach's Gavotte in G Min while in a jazzy mood may have unlisted side effects.

A Night Out (with Bach)

Now hear this:
Gom Jabbar steppin' upon the dancefloor.
Fire!
Zoom. Bah! Zoom. Bah!
Uh-huh
Fire!

You look mighty fine
I want you by my side
I know it doesn't rhyme
but I don't really care!

You dance mighty fine
I want you in my life
I know it doesn't rhyme
but I don't really care, do you?

Fire.
Zoom-Bada-Naina
You like it? I like it.

You look mighty fine
I want you for my wife
I know it doesn't rhyme
but I don't really care.

You sing mighty fine
I want you in my life
I know it doesn't rhyme
But I don't really care, do you?

What do you mean I'm just a friend?
You'd set your friend on fire?!?

Zoom-Bada-Naina (Can't you feel it?)
Zoom-Bada-Naina (You're settin' me on fire!)

Fire - Fire
ai - ai - ai

You look mighty fine
I wanna make you mine
I know it finally rhymes
but I don't really care!

Fire! Fire! Fire!

All cause you look mighty fine.

Mighty Fine

PA: "Aliens from galaxies near and far,
welcome to Earth's Visitor Center.
We have the fluffiest clouds
and some of the cowiest cows in the quadrant.
Please watch this brief orientation video
to help you enjoy your stay."

Welcome to our humble world.
We may not be the brightest but we're the most spiritual!
Yeah, we're cruisin' in the Goldilocks.
We wrote the book on dashing infants 'gainst rocks.

We've had not one World War but two.
Then we make scary movies about what you *might* do
even though we're the craziest
in a 100-parsec radius.

Genocide is not just a concept—
it's something we've practiced plenty of times.
If you come on vacation
you better be rich or Caucasian white.
(These are the kinds of alien we like.)

Aliens, keep your distance!
You know we don't like visitors
who don't speak English—now that's just odd—
cause we're the greatest planet like you would not believe!

Aliens, keep your distance.
You know we don't tolerate visitors
who love their math more than our God
who made this planet just for our needs!

Not yours, it's not yours,
it's ours, it's not yours.

That tiny top of the food chain—that's us.
Bet your tentacles taste good with soy sauce!
When it comes to a-shootin', we don't need a reason.
You should see what we did once to a pigeon.

Yeah, we're proud to be the shadiest.
Burned to a crisp the most scientists,
sent to hell the most atheists,
deviants, non-conformists, activists.

When it comes to global pollution,
we've outdone ourselves.
We like to misunderstand evolution
as f*** everyone and everything else.
Yeah, f*** everyone in this Universe.

It's not yours, it's ours!

Aliens, keep your distance.
You know we don't take prisoners.
And when we do, we torture them
'cause we're the greatest planet
that's ever formed from dust.

Aliens better keep your distance.
No, thanks, we don't need your assistance.
You steal our jobs, we'll deport your ass.
We built this planet just for those who look like us!

Not yours, it's not yours.
It's ours, it's not yours.

Aliens, better keep that distance.
Oh, we know you don't celebrate Christmas
But don't worry, when we come to visit
we'll drop some books together with our bombs...

Aliens, Keep Your Distance!

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36n3WV0

Open up dem window to the soul
Lose your mind till you lose control
I got them diggy-bom beats from a haul
so save that flavor for the rigmarole

Take the mashup to the place unseen
magazine load a mega-magazine
butter bass make it fat make it lean
now brace yourself for the microphone fiend

Open up dem!
Op-

Open up dem window to the soul
Lose your mind till you lose control
I got them diggy-bom beats from a haul
so save that flavor for the rigmarole

Take the mashup to the place unseen
magazine load a mega-magazine
butter bass make it fat make it lean
now shake a leg for the mic
for the microphone fiend

Open up dem!
Op-

I got the diggy-bom beats
diggy-bom-bom beats
beats

Roll the drums in a sweet ragga ball
change the rhythm 
change the game 
change your soul
Is that a badda-bing-bang in your flow?
Blows your mind drastically
if at all

Take the mashup to the place unheard of
Zing a zong zing a zong zinger word-a
Make them radicals scream bloody murder
Every particle vibratin' with the word up

Open up!

I got the diggy-bom

Open up dem window to the soul (open up)
Lose your mind till you lose control (open up)
I got them diggy-bom beats from a haul
so save that flavor for the rigma-role

Take the mashup to the place unseen
magazine load a mega-magazine
butter bass make it fat make it lean
brace yourself for the microph-
the microphone murder!

Open up dem!
(the mashup to the place unseen)
(magazine load the mega mega murder)
(butter bass butter bass)
Open up dem!
Op-
Open up!

Open Up Dem

Lyrics Video: https://youtu.be/HNdnTTtcBeA

ooh-oooh-oooh oooh
ooh-oooh-oooh oooh

you will break out
of the house where the people and toys
and even the walls know your name

you will stake out
a new claim on an old and abandoned mine
all collapsed and decayed

then you’ll wait for your plot to start twisting
plant seeds in the rot
trust your system

but a movie is not how we roll
we just hang from the cliff,
never get back control

this world is so much smaller
than the movies would have you believe
and love—so much more of a mess
than the movies would have you believe

your talents—
they're worth so much less
than the movies would have you believe

you’ll need to grow much taller
than the movies would have you believe

there’s no payoff—
what you think you deserve will be gone in a blink
with the surf in an ocean of rain

you can’t stay off—
there’s no armor or charm or a prayer
or a spell that can spare you the pain

no plot when the years start twisting 
and seeds grown in the rot
look to you for some wisdom

when you take on the voice of the pilot
will you color their skies in blue or in violet?

this world is so much smaller
than you think
so much more fragile
and a lot more insane

ooh-oooh-oooh oooh
ooh-oooh-oooh oooh

this world
has more superpower
than the movies would have you believe

and love—
so much more of a test
than the movies would have you believe

dreams—
worth so much less
than the movies would have you believe

you’ll taste a lot more that is sour 
and even more that is sweeter
than any old movie would have you believe

The Movies

Unapologetic musical calamity from around the world. The only way to support: https://gomjabbar.bandcamp.com

Gom Jabbar

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