A Word on the Song:
Funny how seemingly mundane, even childish beginnings can result in a timely cultural hot potato. This song was written just before the #metoo movement and was not inspired by personal events. It was more like I wanted something to rhyme with the line, “…and a scarf so red you’d think Christ had opened a vein on it.” What rhymes with “on it”? I mused…Bonnet! And then the whole thing promptly tumbled out.
This song hasn’t been widely distributed or even recognized, I have no personal experience with domestic abuse, and I don’t know many people who are open about their experience with domestic abuse…in short I have little business penning a song like this. But “on it” rhymes with “bonnet,” and I have an imagination, and trying to imagine a viable circumstance in which a bad guy discovers in a bad way that his proclivities are not socially acceptable in his own herd is, I think, a thought experiment worth indulging. Or mentally exploring what act of bravery (like confronting an abusive partner in a public space) could result in the sudden cessation of a vortex that ultimately ends in death (if not the body then certainly the spirit)…Or pondering what groups of people might take matters into their own hands in an extreme and immediate situation…
We all like solutions. We don’t always have the time, energy, or resources to rummage for them. I think maybe one of our jobs as artists is to do the rummaging through options on the behalf of those who are disproportionately occupied in hiding themselves – their thoughts, their bodies, their pain…folks traversing where, “but for the grace of God,” I might also.
A Word on the Crew:
Adam Gust wanted IN, and boy was he welcome (and always will be)! Providing not only his interstellar and intensely creative and innovative drum skills, but also his studio, his hospitality, and even his favorite engineer, Bob Biles, we packed this puppy into a four-hour session and called it a day! Fierce musicianeers Hal Cragin (who has previously been heard on “Rake,” #21!) and Nate LaPointe backed us up effortlessly, lending the blazing funk attitude I felt was so desperately needed on this track. This was a dream band, and they are all so much taller than I am (not saying much but still wow)…
Recorded at 68 Sound in Los Angeles, CA
September, 2017
Guitar — Nate LaPointe
Bass — Hal Cragin
Drums — Adam Gust
Engineer — Bob Biles
Olivia Brownlee — Vocals, Song
Become a Patron! Click “Patronize Me!” to pledge a monthly amount for Downloads, Lyrics, and Tiered Rewards!
Songography 