I have a daughter who turns 17 in April. She lives with her mom 2000 miles away and I haven't seen her in a long time and she doesn't want to talk to me. She said that the song "Perfect" by Simple Plan sums up how she feels. I wrote and recorded this song as a response and apology.
When I was a perfectionist I tortured myself if things didn't come out as planned. My life was full of stress because I tried to control the uncontrollable. Sometimes I just didn't have the resources to do what I wanted. Finally I learned this key to living a happier life: Do what you can, with what you've got, where you are. That's all we can expect from ourselves and others.
Is it too late to tell you I'm proud of you?
Or will you just stand there rolling your eyes?
I'm man enough to admit to my mistakes
so I wrote this song to apologize
I thought I was a gardener pruning his prize rose tree
instead I left you feeling like an amputee
I never expected perfection
Do what you can with what you got where you are
I had to leave but I never gave up on you
I know it made you angry, confused, and sad
no matter how far away or how old you get
You're still my daughter and I am still your dad
in my imagination you're still a twirling little girl
but you've become a smart and confident woman of the world
I never expected perfection
Just do what you can with what you got where you are
That's all I ever expect from you
Showing posts with label Songs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Songs. Show all posts
27 March 2014
10 December 2013
I've Got a Bomb
The first Palestinian Intifada (uprising) against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories began on 9 December 1987. The previous day an Israeli army tank transporter crashed into a row of cars containing Palestinians returning from working in Israel killing four Palestinians and seriously injuring seven others. Hundreds of Palestinian laborers returning from work witnessed it and soon rumors started that it was an intentional retaliation. Protests included civil disobedience, strikes, boycotts on Israeli products, graffiti, and barricades. Most media coverage showed the contrast between demonstrators with stones against heavily armed Israeli troops.
Since I was in topical song mode at the time this complicated issue called for a naive response. That response was the bluesy "I've Got a Bomb". I recorded the version found on "This Machine Eats Bacon" in my bedroom. I thought my parents were out of town, but my dad came in and interrupted after the second verse.
You better look out
because I've got a bomb...
I've got a bomb
I've got a bomb
I've got a bomb on your front lawn
I've got a bomb
I've got a tank
I've got a tank
I've got a tank on the West Bank
I've got a tank
I've got a plane
I've got a plane
I've got a plane so don't you complain
'cuz I can do anything that I want
I've got a bomb
I killed a little kid
I killed a little kid
I killed a little kid so I could move into your neighborhood
21 September 2013
Your Kid Got AIDS
Another "topical song" as Phil Ochs called them. This one was inspired by a story about the Ray family from Florida who had three hemophiliac children that contracted AIDS through blood clotting medicine. It was similar to the story of Ryan White a few years earlier but the neighbors were even more reactionary.
Pediatric AIDS first came to the public's attention because of Ryan White, a hemophiliac that contracted AIDS through a blood treatment back in 1984. Doctors reassured people that he was not a risk to other students, but since AIDS was not understood at the time parents protested his return to school. His situation showed the public that AIDS wasn't just a "gay disease" and the media exposure helped the public understand HIV better. Though given only six months to live, Ryan lived five years longer than predicted and died in April 1990, one month before his high school graduation. Here's an interview with Ryan from 1986.
You would think that by 1987 people would be better informed, but the Ray family of DeSoto County, Florida found out otherwise. The Ray children, two brothers and a sister, were all hemophiliacs who were thought to have become infected with the AIDS virus through contaminated blood-clotting drugs they were being treated with. The parents took the school system to court to force it to admit their children and a federal judge ruled that they be admitted to school. Neighbors protested and attacked the family. Finally a "suspicious" fire started in the children's bedroom destroying their house so they decided to leave town. You can read the original article HERE.
This has been called the best Vlad song ever by music critics. OK, by one music critic. Well, RMC works for a radio station and he can be critical sometimes. But he was just articulating what I'm sure is obvious to anyone who knows my music. With "Your Kid Got AIDS" my songwriting took a new turn--it had a point, it was carefully crafted and executed. It told a story rather than just being clever and provocative.
The version found on "This Machine Eats Bacon" was recorded in my bedroom with overdubbing done by bouncing between tape recorders through a mixer. I was listening to folk music at the time so you may notice a hint of "Greenback Dollar" by the Kingston Trio and close harmony inspired by the Everly Brothers.
you live in a nice suburban home
but somewhere down the line
things went wrong
your kid got sent home from school today
the neighbors said you'll have to move away
because your kid got AIDS
from a blood transfusion
now he's bound for expulsion
the neighbors want you out of town
or they will burn your house down to the ground
education is what they lacked
because you can't get AIDS from casual contact
you can't get AIDS from someone while you play
and you can't get AIDS just because your friend is gay
and your kid got AIDS
from a blood transfusion
now he's bound for expulsion
the neighbors want you out of town
or they will burn your house down to the ground
the junkie got AIDS 'cuz a needle he did share
his friends ignore him
and his family doesn't care
a kid got AIDS 'cuz a condom wasn't worn
and a baby got AIDS on the day that it was born
but your kid got AIDS
from a blood transfusion
now he's bound for expulsion
the neighbors want you out of town
or they will burn your house down to the ground
the parents try to get your kid expelled
they put your family through a private hell
they march around in a little picket line
a rock comes through the window
the phone rings off the hook
the woman at the market
gives you a dirty look
because your kid got AIDS
from a blood transfusion
now he's marked for execution
the neighbors want you out of town
or they will burn your house down to the ground
and they did burn your house down to the ground
Pediatric AIDS first came to the public's attention because of Ryan White, a hemophiliac that contracted AIDS through a blood treatment back in 1984. Doctors reassured people that he was not a risk to other students, but since AIDS was not understood at the time parents protested his return to school. His situation showed the public that AIDS wasn't just a "gay disease" and the media exposure helped the public understand HIV better. Though given only six months to live, Ryan lived five years longer than predicted and died in April 1990, one month before his high school graduation. Here's an interview with Ryan from 1986.
You would think that by 1987 people would be better informed, but the Ray family of DeSoto County, Florida found out otherwise. The Ray children, two brothers and a sister, were all hemophiliacs who were thought to have become infected with the AIDS virus through contaminated blood-clotting drugs they were being treated with. The parents took the school system to court to force it to admit their children and a federal judge ruled that they be admitted to school. Neighbors protested and attacked the family. Finally a "suspicious" fire started in the children's bedroom destroying their house so they decided to leave town. You can read the original article HERE.
This has been called the best Vlad song ever by music critics. OK, by one music critic. Well, RMC works for a radio station and he can be critical sometimes. But he was just articulating what I'm sure is obvious to anyone who knows my music. With "Your Kid Got AIDS" my songwriting took a new turn--it had a point, it was carefully crafted and executed. It told a story rather than just being clever and provocative.
The version found on "This Machine Eats Bacon" was recorded in my bedroom with overdubbing done by bouncing between tape recorders through a mixer. I was listening to folk music at the time so you may notice a hint of "Greenback Dollar" by the Kingston Trio and close harmony inspired by the Everly Brothers.
you live in a nice suburban home
but somewhere down the line
things went wrong
your kid got sent home from school today
the neighbors said you'll have to move away
because your kid got AIDS
from a blood transfusion
now he's bound for expulsion
the neighbors want you out of town
or they will burn your house down to the ground
education is what they lacked
because you can't get AIDS from casual contact
you can't get AIDS from someone while you play
and you can't get AIDS just because your friend is gay
and your kid got AIDS
from a blood transfusion
now he's bound for expulsion
the neighbors want you out of town
or they will burn your house down to the ground
the junkie got AIDS 'cuz a needle he did share
his friends ignore him
and his family doesn't care
a kid got AIDS 'cuz a condom wasn't worn
and a baby got AIDS on the day that it was born
but your kid got AIDS
from a blood transfusion
now he's bound for expulsion
the neighbors want you out of town
or they will burn your house down to the ground
the parents try to get your kid expelled
they put your family through a private hell
they march around in a little picket line
a rock comes through the window
the phone rings off the hook
the woman at the market
gives you a dirty look
because your kid got AIDS
from a blood transfusion
now he's marked for execution
the neighbors want you out of town
or they will burn your house down to the ground
and they did burn your house down to the ground
21 February 2013
Underwear Sometimes
"When I was a youth, much youthier than I am today..." I probably wrote this song after reading Lawrence Ferlighetti's poem "Underwear". I owe much to the Beat Generation writers that I read so much of in high school. When I lived in San Francisco, I would see him at a coffee shop in North Beach up the street from his City Lights Bookstore. Never had the courage to speak to him, but we nodded politely at each other once.
The version you'll hear on the 25th Anniversary album "This Machine Eats Bacon" features the four-piece Universe I mentioned in a previous post. I later added the keyboards to give it a fuller psychedelic sound for the only post-Ypsilanti release "The Hot Melting Ones vs. the Pleasure Goddess" in 1990.
When I was a youth much youthier than I am today
I had a pair of polyurethane pants
and I thought that God lived in the sky
trembling shaking hands with relatives
fifth floor second floor
are you possessed by evil?
why did you set my shoes on fire?
restless parasite drifting in the sea of life
tell me, did you find your sould this time?
I know that I can't read your mind
but I can see your underwear sometimes
although I cannot see your face
underwear makes the world seem like a better place
I can hear things in my mind
small children and sirens
a big band plays "That Old Black Magic"
stretch your hands into the darkness
you will find a naked body
when your conscience goes on a vacation
is there anything to take it's place?
hopeless terrorist
she doesn't know what she wants from this life
it's just a place to be absurd
The version you'll hear on the 25th Anniversary album "This Machine Eats Bacon" features the four-piece Universe I mentioned in a previous post. I later added the keyboards to give it a fuller psychedelic sound for the only post-Ypsilanti release "The Hot Melting Ones vs. the Pleasure Goddess" in 1990.
When I was a youth much youthier than I am today
I had a pair of polyurethane pants
and I thought that God lived in the sky
trembling shaking hands with relatives
fifth floor second floor
are you possessed by evil?
why did you set my shoes on fire?
restless parasite drifting in the sea of life
tell me, did you find your sould this time?
I know that I can't read your mind
but I can see your underwear sometimes
although I cannot see your face
underwear makes the world seem like a better place
I can hear things in my mind
small children and sirens
a big band plays "That Old Black Magic"
stretch your hands into the darkness
you will find a naked body
when your conscience goes on a vacation
is there anything to take it's place?
hopeless terrorist
she doesn't know what she wants from this life
it's just a place to be absurd
19 February 2013
Guns in the Closet
His oracles are much too cryptic
he's in a bathrobe on the stairway drinking soda pop
hot water drips from the shower
he's waiting for the revolution riding the bus every day
there are bugs in his apartment
there are guns in his closet
and he's waiting for the landlord to fix the faucet
marshmallow maple syrup Marx & Engels
sardines and socialism
caffeine and nihilism
his eyes are full of wonder
his heart full of hope
his mind is a sponge
it's 100 degrees
he has a nightmare:
this hand smells like mercy
this hand tastes like pain
razor wire and goose-stepping
and a bullet to the brain
31 January 2013
Squirrelier Than Earlier
Maybe it was a midlife crisis? I don't know, but I decided to write and record some new songs. When I composed this song, I knew it was the title track. Many of you may remember "The Squirrel Babies Wave Goodbye" and the many other sciuridae references throughout my songs.
I've been out of my tree
a couple of times
I lost a few nuts while trying to climb
I'll admit my tail is getting gray
but I'm squirrelier than earlier
and I won't go away
I ran across the road without injury
I've been chased by dogs
but they couldn't catch me
I've got a dozen babies
in a hollow log
I'm squirrelier than earlier
so read it on my blog
summer's almost gone I can tell
by the weather
some things mellow with age
while others get (better/bitter)
I feel at peace in my
heart and my brain
I'm squirrelier than earlier
(now back to the refrain...)
I'm squirrelier than earlier!
I'm squirrelier than earlier!
I've been out of my tree
a couple of times
I lost a few nuts while trying to climb
I'll admit my tail is getting gray
but I'm squirrelier than earlier
and I won't go away
I ran across the road without injury
I've been chased by dogs
but they couldn't catch me
I've got a dozen babies
in a hollow log
I'm squirrelier than earlier
so read it on my blog
summer's almost gone I can tell
by the weather
some things mellow with age
while others get (better/bitter)
I feel at peace in my
heart and my brain
I'm squirrelier than earlier
(now back to the refrain...)
I'm squirrelier than earlier!
I'm squirrelier than earlier!
02 January 2013
She was a Monster
Confession: I enjoyed being deliberately provocative. If you were a fan of Vladimir's Universe you probably knew that already. If something was subversive, kinky, twisted, or controversial it probably made it into a song. That's pretty cliche in 2013, but back in the 80s it was avant garde. At the same time I was romantic and sentimental, a puppy dog more than a wolf.
If this song was about a real woman, years of therapy have erased her from my mind. I was listening to blues at the time so I played with the theme "I got a woman..." and this is what happened.
Recorded in my bedroom with guitar and drum machine the version appearing on "This Machine Eats Bacon" originally showed up on my tape "Make Lunch, Not War".
I knew a girl who was possessed
and she wore a yellow dress
I knew a girl with glowing eyes
she gave me pain
she told me lies
I don't think that I will forget her
she looked real good in leather
she gave me love
and she gave me pain
she had a monster living in her brain
she had long nails
she'd scratch my back
'til she drew blood
and I would scream
blood on the sheets
blood on the bed
the road to pleasure is stained with red
I don't think that I will forget her
she looked real good in leather
she gave me love
and she gave me pain
she had a monster living in her brain
If this song was about a real woman, years of therapy have erased her from my mind. I was listening to blues at the time so I played with the theme "I got a woman..." and this is what happened.
Recorded in my bedroom with guitar and drum machine the version appearing on "This Machine Eats Bacon" originally showed up on my tape "Make Lunch, Not War".
I knew a girl who was possessed
and she wore a yellow dress
I knew a girl with glowing eyes
she gave me pain
she told me lies
I don't think that I will forget her
she looked real good in leather
she gave me love
and she gave me pain
she had a monster living in her brain
she had long nails
she'd scratch my back
'til she drew blood
and I would scream
blood on the sheets
blood on the bed
the road to pleasure is stained with red
I don't think that I will forget her
she looked real good in leather
she gave me love
and she gave me pain
she had a monster living in her brain
17 July 2012
Southbound Train from Concord
On 1 September 1987, Brian Wilson (not the beach boy) and several other Vietnam veterans were starting a hunger strike on the tracks leading out of the Concord Naval Weapons Station. They were there to block arms shipments headed for the Contras in Nicaragua. More than 40 protestors to stop, but the spotters and engineers aboard the munitions train ignored the screams. The train running at 17 mph (three times the legal speed) would not stop. Two of the veterans jumped away at the last second, but Wilson was run over by the 200,000 pound locomotive. He lost both his legs and ended up with with multiple broken bones and a plate in his head.
I'm the conductor of a weapons train and
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Taking these bombs to Central America
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
I see you there with your picket signs and
don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
I'll speed up as I come near 'cuz
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Ran you down but the others got away.
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Drag your body for 25 yards 'cuz
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Mangled your foot and crushed your legs.
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Along with "I'm a Contra" this was another attempt at writing a "topical song". When I read the story I decided to approach it from the perspective of the train conductor. He was probably "following orders", maybe he even believed in the cause of arming the "freedom fighters".
The original appeared on my tape "The Squirrel babies Waved Goodbye", but the version found on "This Machine Eats Bacon" was recorded live at WQBR-Ypsilanti on Rob McLean's Collide-a-scope programme. Jimmigator Nichols played drums and does a nice solo in the middle of the song. DJ Kurt B. Smith can be heard on train whistle.
I'm the conductor of a weapons train and
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Taking these bombs to Central America
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
I see you there with your picket signs and
don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
I'll speed up as I come near 'cuz
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Ran you down but the others got away.
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Drag your body for 25 yards 'cuz
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
Mangled your foot and crushed your legs.
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for nobody!
I don't stop for nobody! I don't stop for you!
06 July 2012
It's My Trip
The next song on the new release "This Machine Eats Bacon" was fun to perform. The lyrics are meant to be childish nonsense and the chorus is simple, but so catchy that everybody sang along. I almost didn't include it on the collection, but it was such a part of my live performances and usually would be heard when I'd play the weekly open stage night at Cross Street Station.
The original version appeared on my tape "Children with Pets". This version is from a live performance at radio station WQBR-Ypsilanti on Rob McLean's Collide-a-Scope programme. Jimmigator Nichols played drums. My remix features some trippy delay effects and backward messages.
I looked up and saw a little bird
the little bird told me a special word
the word was "love"
it was written on his head
then someone shot him
now he's dead
Yeah, Yeah, it's my trip
I don't care cuz I'm too hip
I saw you and you saw me
you saw me up in a tree
in my hand I held a rose
but I fell down and hurt my nose
Yeah, Yeah, it's my trip
I don't care cuz I'm too hip
There is something in my eye
love and peace will never die
hatred is a compliment
fear is just an accident
Yeah, Yeah, it's my trip
I don't care cuz I'm too hip
The original version appeared on my tape "Children with Pets". This version is from a live performance at radio station WQBR-Ypsilanti on Rob McLean's Collide-a-Scope programme. Jimmigator Nichols played drums. My remix features some trippy delay effects and backward messages.
I looked up and saw a little bird
the little bird told me a special word
the word was "love"
it was written on his head
then someone shot him
now he's dead
Yeah, Yeah, it's my trip
I don't care cuz I'm too hip
I saw you and you saw me
you saw me up in a tree
in my hand I held a rose
but I fell down and hurt my nose
Yeah, Yeah, it's my trip
I don't care cuz I'm too hip
There is something in my eye
love and peace will never die
hatred is a compliment
fear is just an accident
Yeah, Yeah, it's my trip
I don't care cuz I'm too hip
01 July 2012
I'm a Contra
While working at a record store I came across Phil Ochs. His songs inspired me to write some "topical" songs. This was one of the first that really caught on with the audience. 1987-88 was the height of the Iran-Contra scandal with Col. Ollie North testifying to Congress and the whole document shredding thing. Today I guess I would write a song called "Operation Fast & Furious".
Rather than just make a left-wing diatribe with a beat, I took on the persona of a Contra, hanging out in a bar, bragging to a girl about all the stuff he does as a "freedom fighter". Thus the catchy chorus "I'm a Contra, I'm a Contra, baby!" The verses are based on actual news events.
The version found on the 25th anniversary album "This Machine Eats Bacon" is a remix of the version found on my tape "Children with Pets". It was recorded live at Cross Street Station in Ypsilanti, MI with me on a 4 string tenor guitar backed by Jimigator Nichols on drums. I remember a military vet playing darts once commented: "I don't agree with him, but that's a darn good song!"
There's a bus coming down the road
full of women and little kids
they're headed for the clinic
so they can get a checkup
but they won't ever make it
because weapons came from America
I'm gonna blow it up
and shoot a pregnant lady in the head
Cuz I'm a Contra
I'm a Contra, baby
killing for America
I'm a Contra,
I'm a Contra, baby
killing for Uncle Same
Cuz I'm a Contra
I'm a Contra, baby
an American funded terrorist
I'm a Contra, I'm a Contra, I'm a Contra
Gonna take a late night trip
to the school out in the country
gonna plant a bomb or two because
I'm a freedom fighter
I killed my brother cuz he was a farmer
and I killed my sister
cuz she was a nurse
I killed my father cuz he was a farmer
then i ran across the border into Honduras
Cuz I'm a Contra...
19 June 2012
Purity of Essence
One of my earliest songs with music composed on a Commodore 64 computer. This album version starts off with the original track then transitions into a much later version featuring the expanded Vladimir's Universe. Various versions appeared on the tapes "Purity of Essence", "Spitting Flesh Across the Room", "Love X=0", and "Toast & Color".
In the movie "Dr. Strangelove" General Jack D. Ripper explained his reasons for sending bombers to Russia: "God willing, we will prevail in peace and freedom from fear and in true health through the purity and essence of our natural fluids. God bless you all."
For this remix I had the idea to use samples from the movie, then remembered Ronald Reagan's joke about outlawing Russia. It occurred during a sound check on NPR in August 1984 that never aired, but was recorded and later leaked. The Soviet army actually went on alert when they found out (not sure if they took the most beautiful women in Russia to an underground bunker or not).
i am here
listening
though i don't want to
my life is happy
my mind is twirling
i can't control
my actions
i joined the left-wing faction
i want to be a nice boy
but want to have fun
all the world is riding
on a skateboard
the collapse of sanity in this world
i was a nice little boy until
you corrupted me
i was a nice little boy until
you set me free
purity of essence
purity of essence
purity of essence
In the movie "Dr. Strangelove" General Jack D. Ripper explained his reasons for sending bombers to Russia: "God willing, we will prevail in peace and freedom from fear and in true health through the purity and essence of our natural fluids. God bless you all."
For this remix I had the idea to use samples from the movie, then remembered Ronald Reagan's joke about outlawing Russia. It occurred during a sound check on NPR in August 1984 that never aired, but was recorded and later leaked. The Soviet army actually went on alert when they found out (not sure if they took the most beautiful women in Russia to an underground bunker or not).
i am here
listening
though i don't want to
my life is happy
my mind is twirling
i can't control
my actions
i joined the left-wing faction
i want to be a nice boy
but want to have fun
all the world is riding
on a skateboard
the collapse of sanity in this world
i was a nice little boy until
you corrupted me
i was a nice little boy until
you set me free
purity of essence
purity of essence
purity of essence
12 June 2012
Kill Me in Cleveland
Ohio is the promised land!
I wrote an Ohio Trilogy: Kill Me in Cleveland, Youngstown, and Red Toledo. Living in Michigan we usually travelled south through Ohio whenever we went on a roadtrip. I guess I associate Ohio with the beginning of an adventure. I lived in Toledo from 1995 to 2005 and rather enjoyed it--the city did not disappoint me.
When I was in high school people would make fun of me for my peculiar style. I would either growl or say "Kill Me in Cleveland". The song is based on those teenage years. The duck in the song was a small plastic duck and the fish named "Alfred" was a dead little fish I found on a Lake Erie beach that had dried in the sun. I kept them in a black case that I carried all my stuff in.
The first recording of this song was on my third tape "My Damn World" made in high school around 1985-86. A "club mix" dance version was on the tape "Watching My Dreams from a Lawnchair" while a studio version appeared on "Freinds, Poets, and 100 Dead Enemies".
This was another favorite to perform, and a crowd favorite. The audience would scream along: "Aaaaaaagh! Kill me in Cleveland!"
The recording found on "This Machine Eats Bacon" is from the T.V. Silvia sessions. Tom V. Silvia was a local musician who built a recording studio in a garage. He offered to produce some songs and captured the raw sound of Vladimir's Universe well. Tom also gave me many tidbits of sage advice about writing, singing and performing.
He dressed like a beatnik when he was a kid.
He carried a duck and a fish named Alfred.
He walked through the school with a big black box
and when they laughed he sang this song:
Aaaaagh! Kill me in Cleveland!
Ohio is the promised land.
He always wanted to be a dictator.
He wrote a bunch of songs and some propoganda.
He was ridiculed for thinking too much.
and when they laughed he sang this song:
Aaaaagh! Kill me in Cleveland!
Ohio is the promised land.
I wrote an Ohio Trilogy: Kill Me in Cleveland, Youngstown, and Red Toledo. Living in Michigan we usually travelled south through Ohio whenever we went on a roadtrip. I guess I associate Ohio with the beginning of an adventure. I lived in Toledo from 1995 to 2005 and rather enjoyed it--the city did not disappoint me.
When I was in high school people would make fun of me for my peculiar style. I would either growl or say "Kill Me in Cleveland". The song is based on those teenage years. The duck in the song was a small plastic duck and the fish named "Alfred" was a dead little fish I found on a Lake Erie beach that had dried in the sun. I kept them in a black case that I carried all my stuff in.
The first recording of this song was on my third tape "My Damn World" made in high school around 1985-86. A "club mix" dance version was on the tape "Watching My Dreams from a Lawnchair" while a studio version appeared on "Freinds, Poets, and 100 Dead Enemies".
This was another favorite to perform, and a crowd favorite. The audience would scream along: "Aaaaaaagh! Kill me in Cleveland!"
The recording found on "This Machine Eats Bacon" is from the T.V. Silvia sessions. Tom V. Silvia was a local musician who built a recording studio in a garage. He offered to produce some songs and captured the raw sound of Vladimir's Universe well. Tom also gave me many tidbits of sage advice about writing, singing and performing.
He dressed like a beatnik when he was a kid.
He carried a duck and a fish named Alfred.
He walked through the school with a big black box
and when they laughed he sang this song:
Aaaaagh! Kill me in Cleveland!
Ohio is the promised land.
He always wanted to be a dictator.
He wrote a bunch of songs and some propoganda.
He was ridiculed for thinking too much.
and when they laughed he sang this song:
Aaaaagh! Kill me in Cleveland!
Ohio is the promised land.
06 June 2012
Eating Bacon
Ear-worms are songs that get in your head and take up real estate. My song "Eating Bacon" is such a song. It's fun to play as well. Whenever I pick up my guitar it's the first song I start playing. Back in the Cross Street Station days it was obligatory for me to perform my signature tune. So, of course it starts off the new album and is alluded to in the title (with a hat tip to Woody Guthrie).
The song is based on real events. I took a girl out on a date and the next day I called her to see if she wanted to go get some breakfast and she said she had to mow the lawn. It was that simple and innocent.
Now you can find bacon blogs, bacon novelties, bacon perfume--it's everywhere. I am proud to have been ahead of the bacon surge.
The earliest version appeared on my tape "Toast & Color" and was recorded live at Cross Street Station. A ballad version featuring The Rubbles showed up on the tape "Watching My Dreams from a Lawnchair". An unreleased recording of a funk version occurred in 1991 at a bar in Oakland, CA featuring a stage full of musicians.
The version appearing on "This Machine Eats Bacon" was never found on any of the official tape releases. It was recorded during an in-studio performance at WQBR-Ypsilanti on the Rob McLean Collide-a-scope programme. It captured the manic live sound of Vladimir's Universe in our prime. I did a little tweaking to enhance the sound.
Now you can find bacon blogs, bacon novelties, bacon perfume--it's everywhere. I am proud to have been ahead of the bacon surge.
The earliest version appeared on my tape "Toast & Color" and was recorded live at Cross Street Station. A ballad version featuring The Rubbles showed up on the tape "Watching My Dreams from a Lawnchair". An unreleased recording of a funk version occurred in 1991 at a bar in Oakland, CA featuring a stage full of musicians.
The version appearing on "This Machine Eats Bacon" was never found on any of the official tape releases. It was recorded during an in-studio performance at WQBR-Ypsilanti on the Rob McLean Collide-a-scope programme. It captured the manic live sound of Vladimir's Universe in our prime. I did a little tweaking to enhance the sound.
I'm eating bacon! I'm eating bacon!
There's a girl on a tractor mower
and she's just so adorable.
But what's she doing out of bed so early?
She's cutting the lawn
I'm eating bacon! I'm eating bacon!
A girl like that shouldn't have to mow the lawn.
A girl like that should be laying on a pile of pillows
having peeled grapes fed to her
while she strokes a persian cat.
She's a queen!
She's a goddess!
She shouldn't have to mow the lawn.
I'm eating bacon! I'm eating bacon!
There's a girl on a tractor mower
and she's just so adorable.
But she shouldn't be out mowing the lawn,
she should be eating breakfast with me.
I'm eating bacon! I'm eating bacon!
©1986 David Samuel Thomas
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