My Civilization’s Dying

When I was a teen/tween, music kept me alive and sane. One of my favorite bands was the Zero Boys. This song crystallizes that moment in time:

The really fucked up thing about the song is that it could be written today:

Civilization’s dying
And no one’s realizing
The position of hate stuck inside the gun

Civilization’s crying
And I won’t try to deny it
We got a problem son,
Something’s gotta be done

With the Pope
And the president
And the big rock star who made a lot of money
All got one thing in common
They know it ain’t no fun to get shot with a gun

Civilization’s dying
And no one’s realizing
The position of hate stuck inside the gun

Civilization’s crying
And I won’t try to deny it
We got a problem son,
Something’s gotta be done

Civilization’s dying
And no one’s realizing
The position of hate stuck inside the gun

Civilization’s crying
And I won’t try to deny it
We got a problem son,
Something’s gotta be done

With the Pope, and the president, and the big rock star who made a lot of money
Made a lot of money, made a lot of money, made a lot of money
Yeah!

I get to feeling like shit, like we’re stuck in this fucking negative loop of corruption, stupidity, and hatred. And then…

I watch this:

Nickelback and The Roadrunner

I’m laughing my ass off at one of my favorite artists, Amanda Palmer. Recently she wrote a song called “Drop Me” and dedicated it to her record label. You can see it here:

I’ve never liked them myself since I joined one of their Street teams and they spammed me with stuff that wasn’t related to the Dresden Dolls.

Reading Amand Palmer’s blog has allowed me to see more into the life of a traveling artist. It isn’t a life that holds as much glitter as it once did. She not only exposes herself in her music, but on her blog. So many people in the music business try to do a blog or a journal, but no one follows them. Usually the die an ugly, abandoned death. But Amanda breathes as much life into her blog as she does into her music.

And I really have to respect someone that doesn’t sacrifice their art on the alter of popular culture. Her actions in relation to her art remind me of the movie, V for Vendetta.

Specifically:

“It seems strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years I had roses and apologised to no-one. I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch but one. An inch – it is small and it is fragile, and it is the only thing in the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us.”

If you’re wondering what she means, she’s talking about her self respect and her beliefs. In the end, it’s the only thing in your life that cannot be taken from you without your consent. I’m glad to see Amanda Palmer is protecting her inch. That is always a beautiful thing to see.

A Beautiful Soul Sings

My good friend, Cinnamon once said “you’d cry at the opening of a supermarket.” While I agree with her, these songs really do hit me right in the heart.

Annie Lennox, you are wonderful.

and my personal favorite: