Part 2 of the rock opera Over The Line by Brian O'Connell. 

In this sequence of songs we recount the process of indoctrination experienced in youth by our hero, Sleepy Doormat. 

To learn more go to: http://www.brianvincentoconnell.com/overtheline.cfm

HISTORY Part I  

In this land and with this word 
The voice of our God our fathers heard  
This promise is our just reward
For this we wage unending war

We are the chosen ones
The seed of kings
Our time has come

Gather stones into a pile
Ten thousand seeds cast across the miles

***  

CHOSEN PEOPLE
                       
This is where I live 
This is what I give
My contribution to society
There's nothing wrong with that, in fact it's where it's at
I've worked and paid for all that you can see 

But you don't understand the lessons of this land
All the things we fought and paid for in blood
And you don't know because you don't salute the flag
You should just go back to where you came from

I work hard to get ahead. My job's a bitch I know
But I don't finance welfare queens and bums
We salute the flag, blood of the patriots
Don't forget that they died for your sins

This is the car I drive, these are the reasons why
I've worked all my life to get ahead
And you can do it too we all have an equal chance
Except for some like you know who

We are free, and we are the chosen people
We can see that they just don't understand
We have faith and we believe
We are free and we are strong
We pave the way for truth and freedom
We know mercy and we belong

We are free
To be what we will
To buy what we want
Pepsi or Coke
Freedom's no joke

***

HISTORY Part II  

Columbus sailed the ocean blue In the year 1492
An explorer with a brilliant mind  
He never could have committed genocide

Lincoln freed the slaves
JFK and Reagan gave us grace
The founding fathers where so brave 
And they only owned a few hundred slaves

Brian O’Connell - bass, guitars, keys, synth, glockenspiel, percussion, vocals
Joel Ockenheim - keys
Justin Kleya - guitar, vocals
Kevin Silvia - vocals
Sam Ward - drums
Dave Scandurra - percussion, glockenspiel, vocals
Colleen Kleya - vocals, percussion
Jenna O’Connell - vocals
Kara-­‐Lynn Petrucci - vocals
Kat Arrants Petrucci - vocals

History Part 1 / Chosen People / History Part 2

Part 3 of the rock opera Over The Line by Brian O'Connell. 

At this part of the story our hero Sleepy Doormat meets a social justice activist on the street one day. Sleepy has a challenging conversation with the activist that begins to trigger a confrontation within himself. This track features Dave Scandurra on lead vocals. 

To learn more go to: http://www.brianvincentoconnell.com/overtheline.cfm

POLITICIANS LIE

Politicians lie
And the media will hypnotize
It's easy to hypnotize
We gotta see through their disguise

The truth is there to see
And the lessons of history
Can you see it's you and me
We gotta spread democracy

We are WMD's
Setting terrorism free
Be all that you can be
But be afraid to disagree

I've seen you hiding 
Behind the starts and stripes
I've heard you using
Their names in vain

Meanwhile we the people are sleeping
Meanwhile, we the people are dreaming
You have to be sleeping 
To believe the American dream

Soundbites sent to kill
Our thoughts and all our will
Into our heads they drill
This propaganda, we've had our fill. 

I tell ya red and blue is a lie
And they've sold us down the line
The well is running dry
And we feed into the lie

And the ice is melting soon
And we're running out of room
And when we finally learn
Even our money won't cure the burn

You've got two good eyes
What do ya see
Two good ears
What do ya hear

Meanwhile we the people are sleeping
Meanwhile, we the people are dreaming
You have to be sleeping 
To believe the American dream

Politicians lie
And the media will hypnotize
It's easy to simplify
We gotta see through their disguise
Dave Scandurra -lead vocals
Brian O’Connell - bass, guitars, keys
Joel Ockenheim - keys
Justin Kleya - guitar
Kevin Silvia - vocals
Sam Ward - drums
Colleen Kleya - vocals, percussion
Jenna O’Connell - vocals
Kara-­‐Lynn Petrucci - vocals
Kat Arrants Petrucci - vocals

Go to the website www.brianvincentoconnell.com to learn more about the storyline, listen to and download free tracks from Over The Line. 

Politicians Lie

Part 4 of the rock opera Over The Line by Brian O'Connell. 

After having a conversation with an activist on the way home from work one day our hero Sleepy Doormat becomes greatly confused. He can't reconcile the cognitive dissonance in his head. Sleepy sits in front of the TV, his laptop, and his smartyphone and digests an overwhelming amount of mainstream media information.

To learn more go to: http://www.brianvincentoconnell.com/overtheline.cfm

LIE TO ME

All the dirty hippies
And the filthy punker children
Are climbing down from their ladders
To the stars

They're finding newer dwellings
Closer to the ground
They're trading their fears 
For security this time

Strong emotions, fueling revolution
Stop on a dime
New age old solutions
Forced fed lies

Digging earth, growing lives
Masks, faces, and illusion
Growing pains, maturity
Force fed society 

Why don't you lie to me
Tell me what I want to hear
Why don't you lie to me
Tell me what I need to know
Again and again
Again and again

Staying up one night very late
Flipping through the TV stations
Found a channel where they sell
The name of your generation

In the new age
In the new world
What can one person do
Living through the ghosts inside the tube

Why don't you lie to me
Tell me what I want to hear
Why don't you lie to me
Tell me what I need to know
Again and again
Again and again

What is going on
I don't even know
But I think I care
Does it even matter anymore? 
The circle is fading

What is going on
I don't even know
But I think I care
Does it even matter anymore
The circle is fading


Brian O’Connell - bass, guitars, piccolo bass, keys, synth, vocals
Joel Ockenheim - keys
Justin Kleya - guitar, vocals
Kevin Silvia - acoustic guitar, vocals
Sam Ward - drums
Dave Scandurra - percussion, glockenspiel, vocals
Colleen Kleya - vocals, percussion
Jenna O’Connell - vocals
Kara-­‐Lynn Petrucci - vocals
Kat Arrants Petrucci - vocals



Lie To Me

Part 5 of the rock opera Over The Line by Brian O'Connell. 

Our hapless hero Sleepy Doormat falls asleep, mesmerized by the hazy glow of the TV set.

To learn more go to: http://www.brianvincentoconnell.com/overtheline.cfm

REMOTE CONTROL

Nobody knows
Of sin and crimes
But you know 
That's how it goes

Smiling TV
It loves you
It knows 
That you'll always agree

Freedom we love
They hate us
And you know
We will rise above

What can you do
Only you can tell 
What is really
The truth

Remote control
Is in control 
Remote control 
Has got your soul

Brian O’Connell - bass, guitars, keys, synth, percussion, vocals
Joel Ockenheim - keys
Justin Kleya - guitar, vocals
Kevin Silvia - acoustic guitar, vocals
Sam Ward - drums
Dave Scandurra - percussion, glockenspiel, vocals
Colleen Kleya - vocals, percussion
Jenna O’Connell - vocals
Kara-­‐Lynn Petrucci - vocals
Kat Arrants Petrucci - vocals

Remote Control

Part 6 of the rock opera Over The Line by Brian O'Connell. 

Our hero Sleepy Doormat now wakes up to find that he is trapped in a dream world. Three primordial Goddesses from his ancient pagan past approach him and begin to speak. Later, as if out of nowhere, the voice of the shadow intrudes in on the conversation only to be beaten back by the voices of the Goddesses.

To learn more go to: http://www.brianvincentoconnell.com/overtheline.cfm

INTO THE UNDERWORLD

(The Goddesses)

Lay down your guard
We mean you no harm
Put your opinions down
Lay your fears on the ground

Who are you? 
Is this true?
Where is your revolution now? 
Who holds the truth who holds the crown?
The plan, the answer to it all,
We want to know.

You say that you have got the plan. 
And they just cannot understand. 
They lie, they cheat, 
Misguided fools who keep us down. 

But we know that 
All must change
And we can rearrange

There is no Time to waste
Cast off Doubt
Escalate
 
We call out to those who believe 
Who work each day to pick apart 
The system that destroys free will
The will to live. 

Can you shine your
Love light? 
Will you shine? 
Shine light, sing truth. 
Expose the lies that keep us down. 

***

(The Voice of the Shadow)

How many sins have you committed
How many time have you lied
It's not that you gave up early
It's just that you never did try

And what's the use of trying
We can never get back what you stole
A failure from the beginning
What an asshole
 
You're a failure
You're a fake
 
Who did you think you where fooling
What makes you think times on your side
What is it that you are smoking
What is it you're trying to hide 

We know everything about you
We know all the thoughts in your head 
You need to comprehend
That someday you too will be dead
 
You're a failure
You're a fake

***

(The Goddesses return)

Can you shine your
Love
Light

Will you shine
Shine light
Dig deep in side your soul
Your choice
Your move

Brian O’Connell - bass, guitars, piccolo bass, touch guitar, keys, synth, glockenspiel, loops 
Joel Ockenheim - keys
Justin Kleya - guitar, vocals
Kevin Silvia - acoustic guitar, vocals
Sam Ward - drums
Dave Scandurra - percussion, glockenspiel, vocals
Colleen Kleya - vocals, percussion
Jenna O’Connell - vocals
Kara-­‐Lynn Petrucci - vocals
Kat Arrants Petrucci - vocals

Into The Underworld

Part 7 of the rock opera Over The Line by Brian O'Connell. 

The Goddesses now lead Sleepy Doormat through a series of questions on the subject of good and evil.

To learn more go to: http://www.brianvincentoconnell.com/overtheline.cfm

SAINTS & SINNERS 

Tell me of the nature of the human mind
Is it basically evil, or basically kind
Is it really true that people will always fight
Or are we all constructed out of towers of light

Mother Theresa, Ghandi, and all the saints
Hitler and Mao, Bin Laden, all had their day
Do you believe in original sin
Is there a devil that is hiding within

Or are we all angels inside
Moral and pure only corrupted by lies
Or is there a darkness that hides
Deep inside us there's room for both of these kinds 

***

It's all inside us, and there's more
The shadow, the saint, the sinner
The pure child, safe in mommas arms
A little devil. A towering pillar of light 

This darkness, buried deep
Gets darker, down the deeper we go 
Touch the dark side, and proceed
Let the light shine, down on you and me
Let the light shine, down on you and me

Brian O’Connell - bass, guitars, keys, synth, glockenspiel, percussion, vocals
Joel Ockenheim - keys
Justin Kleya - guitar, vocals
Kevin Silvia - acoustic guitar, vocals
Sam Ward - drums
Dave Scandurra - percussion, glockenspiel, vocals
Colleen Kleya - vocals, percussion
Jenna O’Connell - vocals
Kara-­‐Lynn Petrucci - vocals
Kat Arrants Petrucci - vocals

Saints & Sinners

Part 8 of the rock opera Over The Line by Brian O'Connell. 

The Goddesses teach Sleepy Doormat another lesson about subject and object, here and there, inside and outside. He's beginning to get it, he's a clever little boy. We watch in amazement as Sleepy is brought full circle through the vortex of consciousness to a new place, which is right back where he started.  

To learn more go to: http://www.brianvincentoconnell.com/overtheline.cfm

BETWEEN THE LINES

When we draw the line in the sand
Between the subject and the object
Between the mind and the world at large
Between the self and the other

How does one tell the two of them apart
Where one stops and the other begins

At what moment does food become a person
At what point are your thoughts my ideas
If we think about it more it is certain 
We'll find many more examples like these

Focused on ourselves the world becomes our mirror
We only see what we want to see 

It's inside, it's outside, it's behind
It's in front of us and we barely have the time
To know of the connection between the eye and the object
The hand and the touch

***

The self is born from the womb of the object
The mind expands across the whole universe
Nature and nurture fight it out over dinner
Which came first, the chicken or the egg


Round and round we go, the wheel of confusion
Where does it stop where does it begin

It's inside, it's outside, it's behind, 
It's in front of us and we barely have the time
To know of the connection between the eye and the object. 
The hand and the touch. 
There is no reasoning which sheds a light on the idea that
We are all, separate from the world. 
And here we go digging deeper down into the world of the self. 
And soon begin to stop across 

The line in the sand
Past duality. 
What's behind that let's take a look see. 
Is it making sense according to our story? 

What is the story? 
That we tell to each other. 
What is the story? 
That we tell to each other. 
What is our story now? 
What is our story now? 
What is our story now? 
What is our story now? 

OUT OF THE UNDERWORLD 

Now, here we stand, at the edge of the universe.
Time, has no meaning here, in the underworld, down deep.  
We know, the shadow, the dark spaces. 
 
In the underworld, we confront our fears,
And become ourselves. 
 
Becoming whole is the key to being free and thinking
For ourselves, it all comes down to that. 
And we don't want our hopes and fears to be manipulated
By the power of the media machine. 
The State and corporation, propaganda mind control. 
We reject it and we refuse to buy in. 

We're gonna start today to build a better world. 
For all the unborn generation the people who carry it on. 


Brian O’Connell - bass, guitars, keys, synth, glockenspiel, vocals
Joel Ockenheim - keys
Justin Kleya - guitar, vocals
Kevin Silvia - acoustic guitar, vocals
Sam Ward - drums
Dave Scandurra - percussion, glockenspiel, vocals
Colleen Kleya - vocals, percussion
Jenna O’Connell - vocals
Kara-­‐Lynn Petrucci - vocals
Kat Arrants Petrucci - vocals

Between The Lines / Out Of The Underworld

Part 8 of the rock opera Over The Line by Brian O'Connell. 

Our hero, after a night of strange dreams involving personal tests and ancient Goddesses, finally awakens from his dreamworld. The Goddess and Shadow are gone but the lessons remain. He realizes that he is in control of his thoughts and emotions and he walks out into a new dawn of realization. He sorts out his head and takes to the road.

To learn more go to: http://www.brianvincentoconnell.com/overtheline.cfm

LIE TO ME

Don't believe all I hear on the radio
Don't believe all I see on the TV show
Don't believe all I read in papers and magazines
Don't believe all the lies that they're feeding me

Time, time to sort it out
Time, time to sort it out
 
Walking down the street feel concrete underneath my feet
Walking down the street each thing itself is each complete
Walking down the street hear cars and birds and people talking
Walking down the street it's me I'm there and I'm just walking

Time, time to sort it out
Time, time to sort it out

Incoming message beaming in bright from my news machine
Incoming message yes I think I know just what you mean
Incoming message think I'll change the channel on my TV set
Incoming message no I'll turn it off that's better yet

Time, time to sort it out
Time, time to sort it out
Time, time to sort it out
Time, time to sort it out

Brian O’Connell - bass, guitars, keys, synth, vocals
Joel Ockenheim - keys
Justin Kleya - guitar
Kevin Silvia - acoustic guitar, vocals
Sam Ward - drums
Dave Scandurra - percussion, glockenspiel, vocals
Colleen Kleya - vocals, percussion
Jenna O’Connell - vocals
Kara-­‐Lynn Petrucci - vocals
Kat Arrants Petrucci - vocals

Sort It Out

This is a homespun composition/jam that I put together in late 2013, in late 2014 I remixed it and touched it up a little. The lead guitar that takes the solo is actually a bass guitar tuned up one octave. 

Written and recorded by Brian O'Connell who plays all instruments including: 

bass guitar, piccolo bass, keyboards, glockenspiel, drum programming, percussion

www.brianvincentoconnell.com




Upstairs Downstairs

This is a spooky but funky track that I did new year's eve night of 2010-2011 while I was at home sick as a dog. It features the Juno 6 and a Korg drum machine through a bunch of stomp boxes, with some Touch Guitar swells in the background for good measure. The levels are a little too hot but it still came out nice. 

Changling

I am primarily a bassist who likes to compose, jam out on improvised proggy-fusion-rock, and loop on the touch guitar. My interests and influences are diverse and I have performed widely. 

My other Soundcloud page featuring my ambient/looping/weirdness tracks is at: https://soundcloud.com/the-prometheus-dream-book

vinniechops