Feb 2022 piano end-of-the-world ennui insufficiently-clever-lyrics
I am naturally a pessimist, and pessimism and environmental catastrophe make excellent bedfellows.
The words for this needed to be really sharp, and I didn't have time to really think them through before the kid's came home, so we're stuck with this. For the time being at least.
I came up with the piano part tinkling on an actual piano yesterday (well, Yamaha electric), but I'm not good enough at that so did it pianoroll style. I am in two minds about the keychange chorus; I think probably it was a mistake. I'm not sure.
Why should I care about tomorrow
When everything burns today
Why should I fuss and fight and furrow
When we are five minutes from Pompeii
the everyday folk bought a pig in a poke
and only the rich will get away
Why should I care about the horror
When everything's fine today
Why should I feel an ounce of sorrow
When everyone's skin is turning grey
The rich and the strong made the rest come along
Now the whole world's in disarray
Let the world burn down
It's gonna anyway
Let the word burn down
I don't know what I'm trying to say
Why should I try to change tomorrow
When before I was born they started to mourn
Should I try hard with the paper and card
When Children of Men is months away?
Let the world burn down
It's gonna anyway
Let the word burn down
I don't know what I wanted to say
I don't know what I wanted to say
@richaaaay Feb 2022
Genius. I listened the other day but for some reason never commented. Enjoyed revisiting this now. Love the vocals, just lovely.
@p3t3h4rv3y Feb 2022
lead here by 'Hospital' to find an equally interesting tune..
Jake Thackray? what's Children of Men, more food for thought..
glockenspiel
@n24 Feb 2022
Mmm the reverb on the keys is lovely! I love the tender delivery of the lyrics especially in contrast to the quite dark lyrics! I love the slow tempo, it really emphasises the delivery. Absolutely love the ukulele(?) and glockenspiel-esque additions that comes in on the choruses and I love the little capture of 'shit' in between chorus/verse. This is actually splendid, you should feel super proud of this one!
@mctown Feb 2022
Almost an end of the world lullaby...
@davidtaro Feb 2022
I thought this was corker. It reminded me of Randy Newman's Political Science, not so much in the sound, but in that terrifying spirit of cheerful nihilism. Screw it, we're all doomed, let it all burn down anyway. The key change chorus works really well, largely because it's not an overt, Westlife getting off their bar stools at the end of the song, key change. It's a polite, sensitive key change, and all the better for it. I also really enjoyed the bit just before the choruses - the 'rich will get away' / 'world's in disarray' - where your voice does a little jump. Oh, and of course the mumble-swear over the solo is glorious!!
@thedutchwidows Feb 2022
I think this is really charming for a song about the end of everything. I love the harmonies on the ‘why should I care’ part. Really pleasing! I like the key change choruses - the first particularly sounded really effective. Was there a cheeky swear in there? A mumbled aside over the piano solo? I loved the casualness of that, felt like it caught a natural moment.