DiSTANToblivion

Nice work, I happily await more writing because you are good at what you do.

VEGANGELICA

Hello People,

First, thank you, DiSTANToblivion, for commenting:

Below is a vegan song I wrote over the winter holidays. The song is based on the 20th Century proverb, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

I've always liked this saying because, though I'm not religious, it encourages people to imagine how life feels if one were someone else and to have compassion, empathy, pity, and mercy for that individual. I decided I wanted to make a secular song based on this proverb to encourage sympathy for others rather than steely, unemotional unconcern.

ERICA'S MUSIC RATING SYSTEM RATING for "Lot" is "AAPP" for "About Animals including People in Poverty."

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"Lot" by Erica

There but for the grace of chance go I,
gone all assumptions on which I rely–
that I’ll have peace and security,
gifts only mine through serendipity,

for I’m no more deserving than you,
but there you are
far from the plenty surrounding me
with the delights of life
while yours is empty.

You do not deserve your lot.
You didn’t pick the short stick
for the long to give me
the pleasures of freedom
while you’re in captivity.

You do not deserve your lot.
You didn’t ask for the task
of surviving each day
only to die
when the powerful say.

There but for the grace of birth go I,
gone all assumptions on which I rely–
that I’ll have nothing denied to me
(health, life, love),
gifts only mine due to inequity

for I’m no more deserving than you,
but there you are
caught in a brutal existence,
no fault of your own
that you are of no consequence!

You do not deserve your lot.
You didn’t pick the short stick
for the long to give me
the pleasures of wealth
while you suffer in poverty.

You do not deserve your lot.
You didn’t ask for the task
of surviving each day,
struggling to live
while the powerful play.

Guilty of nothing requiring repentance,
you’re still confined to a life sentence.

There but for the grace of love go I,
gone all assumptions on which I rely...

You do not deserve your lot.
You didn’t pick the short stick
for the long to give me
the pleasures of freedom
while you’re in captivity.

You do not deserve your lot.
You didn’t ask for the task
of surviving each day
only to die
when the powerful say.

You do not deserve your lot.
You didn’t pick the short stick
for the long to give me
the pleasures of wealth
while you suffer in poverty.

You do not deserve your lot.
You didn’t ask for the task
of surviving each day,
struggling to live
while the powerful play.

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VEGANGELICA

Howdy MBers,

While I continue to work on recording a song for AwwSugar, I've been writing "Freethinker" about a certain atheist Iowan whom I met through MusicBanter. Some of you may remember him. He used to visit my thread.

Although some vegans probably have religious beliefs that inspire them to be vegan, in my case being an atheist and knowing everyone will die permanently is one reason I'm vegan: I do not want to harm other animals or end their one chance to experience life. The person for whom I'm writing this song is definitely not vegan...but I still like him.

ERICA'S MUSIC RATING SYSTEM RATING for "Freethinker" is "S" for sacrilegious.

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"FREETHINKER" by Erica

Living on the straight and narrow
with a clean-cut, conventional image
was never you.

Giving into mass delusions
just because others follow them
is something you could never do.

You know wishful thoughts aren’t reality.
People can be blind when they think they see.

Finding your own direction
is how you deal with life
being directionless.

Placing no hope in anybody’s resurrection,
you see when beliefs are just
someone’s guess.

You know fantasies can fool the mind.
You don’t make up answers when they’re hard to find.

Tales of old say judgment’s waiting,
but you see they were made by man.
You are free to challenge, disagreeing
when people claim gods say you can’t or can.

Walking by the highway where cars pass,
you watch the roadside
shake its plumes

of lavender thistles, sun-baked grass,
and Queen Anne’s dancing,
lacy white blooms.

Cattails stir as the breeze blows through
and from the milkweed’s rough pods silky seeds spew.

Red-winged blackbirds sing
and swoop to perch on posts
on every fence.

Soon the prairie remnants ring
with songs and sweet sounds
join sweet scents.

All of nature procreating
and you see no celestial goal.
You exist, you’re free to just be matter
alive within without a soul.

Tales of old say God’s the answer,
but you see lack of evidence
for a maker who designed existence
to save the saint and sinner who repents.

(BRIDGE)
Wrong and right are yours to define.
You don’t need commandments to tell you.
All can be debated using the mind's
ability to argue.

All of nature procreating
and you see no celestial goal.
You exist, you’re free to just be matter
alive within without a soul.

Tales of old say God’s the answer,
but you see no omniscient plan
that survives the scrutiny of reason
dispelling myths designed by man.

All of nature is proclaiming
divinity illogical.
You exist, you’re free to just be matter
alive this moment beautiful.

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t3hplatyz0rz

I just read "Lot", and I think that it was good. I think that in some ways, it's streingths were it's weaknesses. I liked that you made the species ambiguous, but it left me wanting more details about the condition of the creature.

I think that your second song, "Freethinker", was rather interesting. I'm feeling that it has a very negative vibe. I love writing about characters who think negatively, so I'm not saying that's a bad thing.
It can be very hard to write a song about atheism which can have a positive vibe, because it is based on believing in the lack of something, something which is generally considered positive. But that isn't to say that it can't be done. I've always thought that a positive atheistic work would not proprose evidence against god, but instead focus on the achievements of man which have gone against what was considered god's will at the time.
I think that the great thing about this song, though, is that it inspired me to write that. If you are causing discussion, you are succeeding.

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VEGANGELICA

Thanks, t3hplatyz0rz, for reading these and giving feedback! I see in your thread that you are also interested in religious/faith issues. I'll read through your whole thread and give you some feedback soon. I see you haven't gotten much yet. I'm sorry I haven't visited your thread before, since I know how much fun it is to hear what people see in your works.

You are right that "Freethinker" is about someone who is sometimes angry over irrationality in religion, but who also feels life is very beautiful...so I tried to include references to the beauty of nature in Iowa and to the chance to experience life, even for a short while, as a beautiful experience. I agree that the lyrics have a negative-feeling vibe. The actual song is definitely not a happy-sounding song (it's in a minor key, for example). I just recorded the preliminary vocals and electric guitar today, which was a lot of fun. I see you are working on recording your songs, too!

Atheism: the one song that gives what I think of as a positive atheist view is "Imagine" by John Lennon, one of my favorite songs. I was actually just thinking yesterday how I need to write some optimistic positive songs...not only about the happy benefits of being vegetarian, but also the benefits of being an atheist.

About "Lot": I'm pleased you noticed that I tried to make the species ambiguous. This was intentional: I hoped to confuse the listener so that her/his feelings of sadness over people in poverty might inspire a few feelings of sadness for the brief, impoverished lives of livestock animals who, like people in poverty, face early deaths. Also, some people in the past have not liked my blatant lyrics that describe in detail what people do to livestock animals and why I don't like it. They feel offended that I say I don't like it that they want to have animals killed. Apparently words are more offensive than actions.

Thanks again for your feedback and for taking the time to think about what I've written and reflect it back to me, to show me what you see when you read the lyrics.

I also like your idea of a song describing the achievements of man which went against the will of god at the time.

~ Erica

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VEGANGELICA

Dear AwwSugar,

At long last I am posting my lyrics to “Evergreen,” which I wrote for you back in November, 2009, but haven’t put up yet because I’m still not satisfied with the recording. However, I decided today I might as well post the lyrics, since I don’t know when I'll be done with the recording. Also, since I might die tomorrow (you never know!), I’d rather die knowing I shared the lyrics with you. ("Plan for the worst; hope for the best!"--that's my motto.)

"Evergreen" is about dealing with the loss of someone beloved (though not due to death...instead, just due to the death of a romantic relationship).
I originally planned for the song to be a funny one, but then after reading in your member’s journal that “Dethbed” by Alkaline Trio made you sad, I wanted to write a song that shows someone acknowledging the feelings of sadness and abandonment yet moving beyond them, back into a feeling of stability and life...as opposed to lying in despair in the street.

Now if you recall, AwwSugar, "Evergreen" is based on a chorus to a fake song, “Ya,” that I wrote for you last July to try to lure you back to my songwriting thread. Here is the visitor message conversation we had about “Ya” last July:

Well, heh heh, I started to think about “Ya,” and began to get tickled by the idea of actually building a whole song around it for you, because, you see, I like a challenge. Could I make you cry a little, but in a good way? I knew one challenge would be how to take corny lyrics and maybe turn them into something not completely corny. I decided to just accept the corniness and take it even further (by using the pun “pining” in conjunction with ”evergreen”), in the hope that the corniness would end up making the song honest but sweet. Like you.

ERICA’S MUSIC RATING SYSTEM Rating for “Evergreen” is “MRSSA” for “Mushy romantic song of survival written for (but not about) AwwSugar.”

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“Evergreen” by Erica

The sweet sound of your voice seeping through me
as I curl up in my chair is a memory
I like to recall when leaves of autumn fall
in crinkled piles on the bare earth.

Did the blush of my cheeks ever capture your eyes
more than the supposed connection of our minds?
I wonder as snow drifts over
the front walk where you used to stand and smile.

And I try to let the feelings go
like leaves fading away under the snow
since I know you’re never coming back,
though I wish I knew the reasons

you don’t come around any more.
It just isn’t like before.
You didn’t even say goodbye –
just left me asking why

your colors changed on the branches,
but that’s just how romance is –
sometimes it ends despite all you’ve done
without any resolution.

I see you from afar but I hesitate:
I know anything we’d say would be too late
if there was never a moment we spent
when words would have made a difference.

And you look happy now to me
so I try to let go graciously
of all my expectations
for explanations.
I keep my distance.

But it’s hard to be deciduous
when I’m like an evergreen thinking of us.
I find myself pining for you
throughout the seasons.

I try to let the feelings go
like leaves fading away under the snow
since I know you’re never coming back
though I wish I knew the reasons.

Oh it’s hard to be deciduous
when I’m like an evergreen thinking of us.

(Musical interlude)

The sweet sound of your voice seeping through me
as I curl up in my chair is a memory
I still recall when winter snow falls
in rumpled piles on the cold earth.

Then the frozen layers start to melt away.
Icicles drip in the warmth of day.
The brittle pond opens slowly to the sky
like a giant eye reawakening.

And after a while crocuses outside
seeking sun become too intriguing
for me to live in the past
into which I finally stop retreating

since I know you won’t come around any more.
We will never be like before.
You didn’t even say goodbye,
but I can live on never knowing why

your colors changed on the branches,
‘cause that’s just how romance is –
sometimes it ends despite all you’ve done,
without any resolution.

But it’s hard to be deciduous
when I’m like an evergreen thinking of us.
I find myself pining for you
throughout the seasons.

I’m trying to let the feelings go
like leaves fading away under the snow
since I know you’re never coming back
though I wish I knew the reasons.

Oh it’s hard to be deciduous
when I’m like an evergreen, thinking of us.

It’s hard to be deciduous
when I am evergreen thinking of us.

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VEGANGELICA

Hello MB,

I have hesitated to post "Hide," which I finished months ago, because I realize both meat-eaters and some vegetarians may find it offensive.

I started the song in 2008 but had troubles figuring out the direction to take the lyrics until my discussions with The Unfan on MB made me think to focus the song on handsome farmboys and farmers I have known or observed over the years.

I don't want to hurt people's feelings, but I also wanted with this song to show livestock producers as I see them. In my experience, livestock producers have no qualms at all about killing animals or raising animals to be slaughtered, and they feel they are solely doers of good.

ERICA'S MUSIC RATING SYSTEM ranking for "Hide" is VSO for "Vegan Song that may Offend you."

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"Hide" by Erica

Nothing gets to you inside.
I can’t break through your toughened hide,
hiding away what’s sensitive –
the child in you who died.

Remember seeing your 4-H calf
whose soft brown eyes looked up to you.
You sold her out, betraying her trust
to sate your money lust.

Hate is sad. Anger drives people mad,
but what seems most appalling
is that you do these dreadful deeds
and don’t feel a thing!

Hang your rabbit’s foot for luck
in your rundown farmer’s truck
stocked with guns and traps you own
to snap your victims’ bones.

Drive the corn rows of your land
by barns of swine whose death you’ve planned
as you’re forcing them to feed
this sordid life you lead.

Hate is sad. Anger drives people mad,
but what seems most appalling
is that you do these dreadful deeds
and don’t feel a thing!

What could make you change,
give you the conscience you lack,
callously trying to arrange
to take what you can’t give back?

What could make you feel,
stirring your dead empathy
for all the lives you steal,
causing atrocity?

People once made tattoo lamps,
wove felt and yarn from human hair,
concentrated lives in camps
where death was in the air.

People still make leather lamps
and clothes from feather down and hair,
concentrating lives in camps
because they just don’t care.

You’d be a handsome man
except you chill me to the core.
Why can’t you love yourself less
while learning to love others more?

What could make you feel,
stirring your dead empathy
for all the lives you steal,
causing atrocity?

(Intro music again)

Hide behind that hide of yours,
the one so thick it makes me sick,
draping yourself in suede and furs
that cut me to the quick.

Lounge back on your leather chair,
cross your boots of someone’s skin.
I don’t know how you can bear
to wear the hide you’re in.

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DiSTANToblivion

Hi Erica,

I can see why you would feel apprehensive about posting 'Hide'. Offending or upsetting someone isn't something you want to do, that's very understandable. You should never feel afraid of having a voice, and using it. Freedom of speech is something we all take for granted. Ironically enough, when we speak our mind there will be people who shoot us down, telling us that we can't. You passionately portray your strong beliefs, with much aggression, and that's what makes 'Hide' one of my favourites of all your lyrics. I think people have the right to voice their opinion, anyone that dismisses those opinions and say that they hold no relevance (when they do) need to think a little more.

While I don't share all of your thoughts on the subject I am aware that it can be quite barbaric the way these animals are treated. 'Hide' is one of the most passionate pieces of writing I've read in a long time, I'm so glad that you posted it...

I particularly love the last stanza.

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deviantART

VEGANGELICA

Thank you, DiSTANToblivion, for your words and support...for seeing my aggression and anguish and not dismissing them, even as you have a different viewpoint in some ways.

I also value freedom of speech very, very much and feel sharing our views and feelings...especially about topics on which people are divided...is the foundation of a civilized and sane human society.

The last stanza is my favorite also. The last two stanzas were actually the ones I wrote first for this song.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. They were very meaningful and helpful for me to hear, and I appreciated them greatly.

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Arya Stark

Yayy for lyrics!
I love love love the song.
And these are my two favourite parts:

This part had the strongest emotional appeal:

This part was cute and I like the play on words:

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