Category Archives: acoustic

I don’t care — I believe in you, anyway [What Promises Mean Today]

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What Promises Mean Today

 

 

 

 

 

I know what promises mean today
I don’t care I believe in you anyway

I wrote those lines in 1973 or 1974, a time when promises really didn’t seem to mean much.

People felt betrayed by every institution from politics to religion, burned by every emotion from hate to love.

previous AYoS version (Oct 27)

What Promises Mean Today

I know what promises mean today
I don’t care I believe in you anyway
I don’t care what anyone says
I’ll believe in you until I’m dead
But at the rate things are going
That could be any day
I don’t care
I believe in you anyway

You say you’re my lover
my sister my brother my friend
I’m surprised you don’t claim
to be my mother my father
and the priest that the church said they’d send at the end

And I still don’t care what anyone says
I’ll be loving you until I’m put in my grave
but at the rate things are going
that could be any day
I don’t care I believe in you anyway

I know what promises mean today
I don’t care I believe in you anyway

(C)1974, TK Major

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I’m gonna write a soap opera and you’re going to be the heroine

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Soap Opera

I always figured I’d grow up and be some kind of Madison Avenue type. I liked their style in the movies. They seemed to have the prettiest wives — or the hippest bachelor pads if they weren’t married.

And, from my studies in front of the television, I knew that Mad Ave types had more sophisticated ways of dealing with sticky interpersonal entanglements — and particularly creative and craftful ways of dealing with situations that might see the less sophisticated resorting to insult, invective, or even violence.

What better way, I always thought, of doling out a little comeuppance than to put a troublesome ex-love or a friend who has betrayed you smack in the middle of his or her own soap opera, you know, a real TV soap opera. Finally a chance to argue it all out before the court of public opinion — all, of course, without the ex-friend’s input, which would only get in the way of the poetic truth of the situation.

A note on today’s song: Today’s entry is a bit different. It’s still highly informal, but it’s more a full band demo for a possible project.

[revised mix posted Sunday, 2006-03-19 23:30 UTC]

previous AYoS version (Jan 23)

I’m Gonna Write a Soap Opera

I’m gonna write a soap opera
you’re gonna be the heroine
I’m gonna show the world just how ya think
I’m gonna write a soap opera
I won’t have to make up a thing
When we get the ratings back
you know I’ll take you out for a drink

I’ll get a famous model
to play your part for you
I was gonna ask you but you’re always busy
We’ll get a famous model
I know she’ll do real good, too
When the plot gets thick
She’ll be skinny enough to wriggle through

I’m gonna sell the rights
everywhere I can
there’ll be games and dolls and underwear
I’m gonna sell the rights
I suggest you buy up while you can
I said I’d make you famous
I think by now you understand

(C)1990, TK Major

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The root of all evil… [The Gospel of Greed]

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There’s enlightened self-interest.

And then there’s greed.

If you imagined that there was a self-interest organ (and I think they have found a brain chemical that correlates to aquisitiveness) then greed would be like a viral infection of that organ, pumping out more toxins that further inflame the organ, weakening it, and allowing the viral infection to proceed.

Anyhow… I think the metaphor/simile section of my brain is inflamed.

As I explained when I posted the previous version of this song, it was smack dab in the middle of the Greed Is Good Era that this song was written. It should be noted that I’m a businessman, myself, and don’t think there’s anything wrong with making money in fair transactions. I think sensible self-interest is good. It’s what separates the ants from the grasshoppers, I guess.

That said, there’s nothing I like better than doin’ a little fiddlin’ on a late autumn afternoon.

Metaphorically speaking.

previous AYoS version (Nov. 16)

Gospel of Greed

It’s the Gospel of Greed
used to call it the Age of Me
but it isn’t just I
Honey, it’s them and thee

Now it’s natural to want to
take care of yourself
but when you take too much
you steal from someone else

and if you think they’re gonna take it lying down
you must be some kinda politician or TV-preacher clown
riding around in your Mercedes Benz
givin money to hookers and screwing your friends

(You’re singing)
I don’t care if the Eskimos freeze
long as they don’t sneeze on me
I don’t care if the starving survive
long as they don’t try to make a feast of a slice of my pie

(C)1990, TK Major

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Let’s not talk about lonely nights [Let’s Not Talk About Girls]

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Let's Not Talk About Girls

This song sprung out of conversation and, of course, is also a reference to the Chocoloate Watchband song, “Let’s Talk About Girls.”

It was originally much longer and more overtly tongue in cheek… it started feeling like a fraternity drinking song toward the end.

This much shortened version is less overtly jokey. I sort of wanted something that could be taken a few ways. The problem with jokes in songs is that once you’ve heard the joke, you pretty much don’t care to hear the song again. (Well, I don’t.)

previous AYoS version

Let’s Not Talk About Girls

let’s not talk about lonely nights
or waiting for her to come home
we all know what it’s like
don’t think that your’e all alone

let’s not talk about girls
let’s not talk about broken hearts
let’s not talk about love and
how love can tear you apart

let’s not talk about togetherness
hearth home or family
let’s not talk about how it all falls apart
for all the world to see

let’s not talk about girls
let’s not talk about broken hearts
let’s not talk about love and
how love can tear you apart

(C)1980, TK Major

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