The Trade
A small boost in ego
A big taste of guilt
A big chance of destruction
A discretion of corruption
A sad self seduction
To choose to abuse the trust of the few
To please and pamper the willing and shamed
To hurt the co-conspirators
To spread around the pain
To be selfish and self-destructive
For no reason really righteous
For no particular lust
For no particular desire
For shameful weakness and pettiness
For indulgence as I liar
All in the face of comfort
All in the press of the page
All in absence of mind and logic
All a mistake
All a mistake
A small boost in ego
To be selfish and self destructive
For indulgence as a liar
All a mistake
All a mistake
The Trade
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
A bit of writing I came up with
Something I'm cooking up. Thought i'd get it out.
I'm not sure if it will be a poem or a song yet. I kind of lost the rhythm I had in my head as well as the melody.
Really not sure what kind of tempo i had in my head in poetry terms.
I figured it would be good to get some of it written down.
It was better in my head.
Dancing on Graves
we're standing on the train
where we starved in pain
many many years ago
we came to make a statement
that we got through the grey
that we weren't defeated
that we're standing today
we're dancing on the graves
to tell them we're alive
as we smile and wave
we know what we survived
I'm alive I'm alive
and i'll dance through the night
I survived I survived
no matter how much you tried
to deny me the right to continue my life
we're dancing on the graves of ....
I'm not sure if it will be a poem or a song yet. I kind of lost the rhythm I had in my head as well as the melody.
Really not sure what kind of tempo i had in my head in poetry terms.
I figured it would be good to get some of it written down.
It was better in my head.
Dancing on Graves
we're standing on the train
where we starved in pain
many many years ago
we came to make a statement
that we got through the grey
that we weren't defeated
that we're standing today
we're dancing on the graves
to tell them we're alive
as we smile and wave
we know what we survived
I'm alive I'm alive
and i'll dance through the night
I survived I survived
no matter how much you tried
to deny me the right to continue my life
we're dancing on the graves of ....
Monday, August 16, 2010
Boat People
This is a short Blog about an issue in the election that is annoying me.
The good ol' aussie Xenophobia is back in a big way around this year's election in the form of 'Boat people' boogeyman.
I would just like to point out that 'Boat people' is a red herring of sorts, a distraction that is satisfying the Australia LCDs need to keep foreigners while acting as a basis on which to justify their stance against immigration into the country.
I am not here to discuss my views on Immigration, both legal and illegal but I am just trying to get people to see through the rhetoric.
The politicians are announcing policies on Boat people as it is a hot topic, it is not, however, inclusive of their policies on other forms of immigration. If most of these boat people haters are completely honest with themselves, they are opposed to mass immigration into the country, both legal and illegal. The boat people issue is NOT an immigration policy. It is a policy regarding the actions taken to enforce something that is already illegal. The politicians are satisfying your xenophobia under the assumption that the public will associate a boat people policy with a restriction of immigration.
Just something to think about.
This entry is not about my philosphies on racism or immigration restriction, I am just trying to identify political rhetoric for y'all. Just because an issue has noteriety and is dramatic does not mean that it the biggest issue, Boat people are a small factor in immigration. They're just a more interesting aspect.
The good ol' aussie Xenophobia is back in a big way around this year's election in the form of 'Boat people' boogeyman.
I would just like to point out that 'Boat people' is a red herring of sorts, a distraction that is satisfying the Australia LCDs need to keep foreigners while acting as a basis on which to justify their stance against immigration into the country.
I am not here to discuss my views on Immigration, both legal and illegal but I am just trying to get people to see through the rhetoric.
The politicians are announcing policies on Boat people as it is a hot topic, it is not, however, inclusive of their policies on other forms of immigration. If most of these boat people haters are completely honest with themselves, they are opposed to mass immigration into the country, both legal and illegal. The boat people issue is NOT an immigration policy. It is a policy regarding the actions taken to enforce something that is already illegal. The politicians are satisfying your xenophobia under the assumption that the public will associate a boat people policy with a restriction of immigration.
Just something to think about.
This entry is not about my philosphies on racism or immigration restriction, I am just trying to identify political rhetoric for y'all. Just because an issue has noteriety and is dramatic does not mean that it the biggest issue, Boat people are a small factor in immigration. They're just a more interesting aspect.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Religion in music - Ed Kowalczyk
Time for some controversy.
Unless you've been living under a rock (or aren't awesome) you would be aware that my favourite band LIVE have broken up. following this break-up 3 of the members have joined some other awesome rocks to form 'The gracious few' while the lead man Ed Kowalczyk has gone down the path of solo music.
I'm not in denial and I am aware that the past few years of Live have sucked and it has pretty much been a solo project for Ed anyway but his newest single Grace has left a bad taste in my music which has lead me to doubt whether I will buy his album or go to see him when he comes to Sydney.
The song itself has all the tools to be successful on Radio, however, it doesnt do a good job of hiding the fact that it is designed to be a hit (I hope you understand what I mean) it is completely formulaic with smooth verses and 'heavy' chorus. There is a nice melody in the chorus it is, however, the lyrics which have turned me off.
The lyrics start off harmless enough in the first verse and chorus. I was a little uncomfortable with them as I'm not a religious person but Ed has always sung about the spiritual and I have enjoyed it. The reason I have enjoyed it is that it has always centred on the individual's communion with the universe including nature, his fellow man and his spirit. A song like Run to the water for example has some great metaphor for running to the spiritual release of nature and the universe. Grace, I feel crosses a line from being a 'spiritual song' to being a religious or even 'Christian' song. I'm talking Hillsong style Y'know? "Praise him" and all that jazz. The lyric that epitomises this is "Every time I feel the sunshine I thank the lord up above for seeing something I couldn't see at all". This has alienated me as a non religious fan and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
The difference between a song like this and 'heaven' for example is that Heaven has a personal touch and is about the singer's feeling that heaven is manifested in his daughters in other words. The song is about his daughters with heaven being a metaphor for how deeply he loves them etc and this is beautiful. Hell even a song like 'Love shines' puts religion in a position of objectivity talking about how the different prophets are a great example of how to treat each other.
While that lyric in Grace may sound personal. There is nothing new about it. Ed might as well have gone to Church and taken notes from the priest and written them down. This is nothing we haven't heard before from CHRISTIAN bands who are at least up front about their intentions. I expect better from Ed and i demand deeper meaning than surface 'faith' in music that is suppose to address the spirit.
Now there is why I may refrain from buying the album.
Here is why I'll avoid the concert.
The reason I would go is to hear my favourite Live tunes played by one of the greatest songwriters ever. While his acoustic show was a little bit corny, it wasn't horrible and it was a nice communal feeling in the audience. Here is the big turnoff - On the Fans of live message board I have heard word that Ed has been changing the lyrics to old Live songs to follow in with his newly realised christianity. Thats right folks, Apparently the lyrics to selling the drama "And to christ, a cross and to me, a chair, I will sit and earn a ransom from up here" have been replaced with "and to christ, a cross, and to me, a chair, I will sit and praise him from down here"
Obviously Ed doesn't feel those old songs represent his anymore. If this is the case he shouldn't play them. It isn't like these songs are completely blasphemous to start with. They just throw questioning and personal angst and perspective to these issues. I feel that Ed is shitting on his legacy and if anything is reducing his chances of opening up his audiences spiritual eyes by being some obvious.
To me, these factors have demonstrated that it may be that Ed is all spirit and no soul.
Unless you've been living under a rock (or aren't awesome) you would be aware that my favourite band LIVE have broken up. following this break-up 3 of the members have joined some other awesome rocks to form 'The gracious few' while the lead man Ed Kowalczyk has gone down the path of solo music.
I'm not in denial and I am aware that the past few years of Live have sucked and it has pretty much been a solo project for Ed anyway but his newest single Grace has left a bad taste in my music which has lead me to doubt whether I will buy his album or go to see him when he comes to Sydney.
The song itself has all the tools to be successful on Radio, however, it doesnt do a good job of hiding the fact that it is designed to be a hit (I hope you understand what I mean) it is completely formulaic with smooth verses and 'heavy' chorus. There is a nice melody in the chorus it is, however, the lyrics which have turned me off.
The lyrics start off harmless enough in the first verse and chorus. I was a little uncomfortable with them as I'm not a religious person but Ed has always sung about the spiritual and I have enjoyed it. The reason I have enjoyed it is that it has always centred on the individual's communion with the universe including nature, his fellow man and his spirit. A song like Run to the water for example has some great metaphor for running to the spiritual release of nature and the universe. Grace, I feel crosses a line from being a 'spiritual song' to being a religious or even 'Christian' song. I'm talking Hillsong style Y'know? "Praise him" and all that jazz. The lyric that epitomises this is "Every time I feel the sunshine I thank the lord up above for seeing something I couldn't see at all". This has alienated me as a non religious fan and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
The difference between a song like this and 'heaven' for example is that Heaven has a personal touch and is about the singer's feeling that heaven is manifested in his daughters in other words. The song is about his daughters with heaven being a metaphor for how deeply he loves them etc and this is beautiful. Hell even a song like 'Love shines' puts religion in a position of objectivity talking about how the different prophets are a great example of how to treat each other.
While that lyric in Grace may sound personal. There is nothing new about it. Ed might as well have gone to Church and taken notes from the priest and written them down. This is nothing we haven't heard before from CHRISTIAN bands who are at least up front about their intentions. I expect better from Ed and i demand deeper meaning than surface 'faith' in music that is suppose to address the spirit.
Now there is why I may refrain from buying the album.
Here is why I'll avoid the concert.
The reason I would go is to hear my favourite Live tunes played by one of the greatest songwriters ever. While his acoustic show was a little bit corny, it wasn't horrible and it was a nice communal feeling in the audience. Here is the big turnoff - On the Fans of live message board I have heard word that Ed has been changing the lyrics to old Live songs to follow in with his newly realised christianity. Thats right folks, Apparently the lyrics to selling the drama "And to christ, a cross and to me, a chair, I will sit and earn a ransom from up here" have been replaced with "and to christ, a cross, and to me, a chair, I will sit and praise him from down here"
Obviously Ed doesn't feel those old songs represent his anymore. If this is the case he shouldn't play them. It isn't like these songs are completely blasphemous to start with. They just throw questioning and personal angst and perspective to these issues. I feel that Ed is shitting on his legacy and if anything is reducing his chances of opening up his audiences spiritual eyes by being some obvious.
To me, these factors have demonstrated that it may be that Ed is all spirit and no soul.
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