This song was sparked by last week’s federal election and my attitude toward the voting system. I happen to feel strongly about the need for partial proportional representation, and after another “deja vu” election result, my frustration has only increased.

Obviously this song is political, but I hope it’s political in an easy, light way. Written yesterday, and quickly recorded after work today. First time on the acoustic-electric guitar that plugs into my preamp directly, so that was neat, and it’s a much cleaner sound! I think this one would work well live.

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Throwaway Vote

Today is election day
When the common folk hold sway
It’s time for us to raise our voice
Go to the polls and make our choice
For the better…or so we hope

So here I am walking to the school
To add my fire to the fuel
Even so
that it means nothing, I know

I’m just a throwaway vote
A sad little throwaway vote
Throwaway vote
A sad, insignificant, meaningless throwaway vote

Now here’s the basic situation
The same that’s happening across the nation
The problem is that each election day
My riding always goes the same damn way

So all of us going against the grain
Our votes mean nothing to the whole campaign
And all they do
Is give our party a dollar or two

Throwaway votes
Sad little throwaway votes
Throwaway votes
Sad, insignificant, meaningless throwaway votes

Now I’ll still vote, don’t you misunderstand
Because I love my home and native land
Now I am glad we have democracy
But if we’re looking at things honestly

Every one of us should have an equal say
To choose the politicians that decide our fate
‘Cuz all we’re left with is a deja vu
And everyone who wants a change is rendered mute

Throwaway vote
Poor little throwaway vote
Throwaway vote
Sad, insignificant, meaningless throwaway vote

Comments (2) Oct 20 2008

This song was written during the “Feast” challenge during 50/90 that also bred “Formate”, “Chocolat Chaud” and “Inertia”. It took about 20 minutes to compose and record.

Indeed, that makes it is a back up song. Lest you think that I’m being lazy and not writing songs, I am. In fact, this weekend, two were finished. I’m just saving them for November because they’re NaNoWriMo themed!

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Tattoos
I want to paint tattoos on me
In colours of the moving sea
So I can be a reference point
When I am cold and still

I want to glue the wind to me
So that I am perpetually
Flying far, so far from here
When I am buried deep

I want to tape my tears to me
And have my laughter echo me
So you can read my life on me
When I am finally dead and free

Comments (5) Oct 13 2008

I know I’ve been heavy on the 50/90 collaborations lately, and part of the reason is that I need to minimize the recording I’m doing to give my voice a break, because it REALLY doesn’t like me! But on with the song….

Back in August, one of the guys started a thread on the songwriting forums looking for others to create a faux boyband. They wouldn’t let us girls in and we got pissed, so 7 of us (Ankari, Elaine, Helen, LaChaCha, Meg, Nancy, and myself) decided to create a fabulous girlband to compete with them! Then one of the guys (Swampjaw) asked if he could be our back-up dancer, and we accepted. Turns out it wasn’t that hard to beat the boys, as they never ended up putting the band together. As the High Fructose Corn Syrup Girls, we wrote several songs, and here is our debut single!

On vocals: Ankari, Elaine, Helen, LaChaCha, Meg, Nancy, and myself.
On drums and synth: Elaine
On bass: Helen
On banjo: Nancy
On ukelele: Meg

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You’ve Got Cooties
High Fructose Corn Syrup Girls

Ooooh, we’re so kewl!
Ooooh, we’re so hot!
Ooooh, we so don’t know what temperature we are!
Ooooh, we’re so yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!

Ooh we’re so sexy, but you can only watch from afar, cause
You got cooties you got cooties you got cooties
Even though I don’t know what those are anyway
I know you got cooties so go far far away
And keep your cooties to yourself!

Ooh, we’re so great, gonna put the boys in their place
Even though we don’t even know what that is anyway
They try to compete but they can’t win
Cause they don’t even have a band, yeah yeah yeah
Therefore we’re a lukewarm number one!

You got cooties you got cooties you got cooties
Even though I don’t know what those are anyway
I know you got cooties so go far far away
And keep your cooties to yourself!

Elaine plays the drums and she thinks you boys’re crap
Helen plays guitar and she likes to rap
Ankari sings like a bird down in Mexico
Nancy from Madison is strumming on the banjo, yo
La Cha-Cha and D hail from the T-dot
Their harmonies and beats always hit the sweet spot
Bluenoser Meg plays the uke, given half a chance
Now ladies break it down
And watch the Swampjaw dance!

[Swampjaw dancing!]

We got girl power, cause we can’t spell “feminism”
f-e-m-e-m-eminism
We got girl pride, cause we can’t spell “negatism”
n-e-g-e-g-eggitism

We know what we’ve got – do you?
Yeah we know what you’ve got too

You got cooties you got cooties you got cooties
Even though I don’t know what those are anyway
I know you got cooties so go far far away
And keep your cooties to yourself!

You got cooties you got cooties you got cooties
Even though I don’t know what those are anyway
I know you got cooties so go far far away
And keep your cooties to yourself!

You got cooties you got cooties you got cooties
Even though I don’t know what those are anyway
I know you got cooties so go far far away
And keep your cooties to yourself!

… Keep your cooties to yourself!

Comments (4) Oct 06 2008