The Band Midnight

Interesting song lyrics but sound a little to death like I was a good one but otherwise commonly found lyrics try living them up a little by not repeating the same line over and over right after eachother.

VEGANGELICA

Hi, The Band Midnight,
Thank you for giving your feedback on my lyrics. You are right, I do sometimes repeat the same line over and over frequently. This was actually intentional in "Avatar" because I was hoping it would have a humorous effect. The whole song is supposed to be a joke song, because I am describing the avatars of some of the people currently part of MB. Plus, MB members often complain about so many songs that are posted being cliche love songs, so I wanted to make a gushy love song that isn't actually real...a spoof of a love song, if you will.

Hey, I noticed you haven't gone to the Community section yet (look below the Artists' Corner) to post you own thread in the Introduction section. If you do this, then the whole community will know you have joined! More people will also learn, then, about your band's desire for original lyrics.

I visited your teen band's website and enjoyed listening to your cover songs (such as "Stairway to Heaven," "Pieces of Me," and "Schools out for Summer"). It is wonderful that you all are using your musical skills together in a band and performing professionally at such a young age! I am impressed. When I was 13-15 years old, I would have been too shy to even consider playing in a rock band (although I played violin in ensembles, but somehow that is different, probably since one is less exposed:-)
--Erica

VeggieLover

I just spent the last hour of my life reading your entire thread, laughing and frowning etc. I've been a vegetarian for more than 3 years now (vegan for 6 months, sadly, not longer) but have recently been struggling to stay that way. Your lyrics definitely reinforced my convictions! Though incredibly long, your songs capture a certian imagery without relying on metaphors, which while effective seem to me to be overused. Very inspirational overall I'd say, though I'm having trouble hearing them in my mind's ear. I'll have to listen to a few of your recordings when I get the chance.

VEGANGELICA

Hi, VeggieLover,
Thank you for reading the whole thread. You are probably the first person to do so at MB! It makes me happy to hear that the lyrics reinforce your convictions, because I am writing my songs partly to share my vegetarian journey with other vegetarians or those who are interested in vegetarianism, hoping the songs will remind them that they are not alone.

I was a "spontaneous" vegetarian, by which I mean that when I first became vegetarian in 5th grade, I didn't know anyone who was vegetarian and I didn't even know the term/concept. (My vegetarianism that first time only lasted one summer until the public school lunch program began again.) I know it can be hard in an animal-eating society to reduce the consumption of animals, even when one really wants to (and my philosophy is that any reduction is better than none). Every time I turn on the TV, there is either a commercial for some hamburgers, steakhouse, fish, etc., or a newscaster gnawing happily on the ribs of some corpse at a pork fest (which are frequent in Iowa, where I live). For most people, eating animals is a non-issue.

You are very right...my songs are incredibly long by most song standards! And you are also right...and I am pleased you noticed...that I have not used any metaphors at all in the songs I've posted (except for "Free"). I actually love metaphors and enjoy using them in poems, but with the vegetarian songs I am trying to be bluntly realistic. One person wrote in the thread that the songs seem "too death," which amused me, because of course the songs ARE all about the killing of animals!

I'll be curious what you think when you hear some of the lyrics (like "Dichotomy," "Free," and "Wring") as songs with your real ears and not just your mind's ear! I am preparing to re-record all the songs I've posted using improved hardware (and hopefully improved singing and playing, too). Still, what I have posted should give you a good idea of the basic sound of the songs.

Thanks again for reading the thread. I look forward to reading what you will (I hope) post in yours!
--Erica

FooFighting

DICHOTOMY" by Erica

That's a bloody good song.

VEGANGELICA

Hello MB people,

As Thanksgiving (aka "Tofurkey Day" among many vegetarians/vegans) approaches in the U.S., I decided to share the lyrics of a song, "Miles," that I wrote last year based on a true story. I have been intending to shorten the lyrics because the recorded vocals last almost 7 minutes (!), but the pages have sat around for over 12 months without me making any cuts...and so I think if I really wanted to I would have shortened the song by now.

I think the reason for my inaction is that I want the song to stay as true as possible to what actually happened, including all the details. Why? Probably because I know most people wouldn't care for a second about what happens to the song's hero...so the least I can do for him is give him a 7-minute song, which is more than most people ever get. Somehow that feels to me like a little bit of justice.

Before I share the lyrics, though, I want to say thank you, FooFighting, for reading "Dichotomy," which you called a "bloody good song" using that amusing and vivid British/Australian slang term that I've always felt is very interesting. "Dichotomy," like "Miles," was inspired by Thanksgiving and is yet another song of mine that would deeply consternate and trouble my many relatives who don't mind eating blood but don't like to talk about it.

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"MILES" by Erica

Driving down the road, she took a sudden turn
at a livestock farm to see what she could learn.
She’d passed them often, for miles and miles and miles.

No answer at the farmhouse door, so she went
across the dusty yard to see in the confinement,
one of many for miles and miles and miles.

The barn was open so she stepped inside
to see a sea of white stretching far and wide.
It seemed to go on for miles and miles and miles.

Ten thousand doomed eyes gazed up at her and then
she looked down and saw a baby bird inside the pen,
no longer distanced by miles and miles and miles.

What would you do to save a life?
Would you pick a baby up, would you put down your fork and knife?
How does a person decide who counts?
She saw friends others valued just in cash amounts.

Without a second thought about what she’d been taught,
she picked the baby up, whether that was right or not.

She tucked him in her coat and took him to her car.
When faced with choices, we find out who we are.
She chose the road of mercy and she traveled for miles.

Never looking back, she put the distance between
this little bird and his future she’d seen.
The road to freedom went for miles and miles and miles.

When they stopped at last, they shared a good long look.
She named him Miles for the journey he took,
his one chance to flee for miles and miles.

She made him a cosy and comfy home,
with a bed on the porch and a garden to roam,
much more than anyone had ever offered to Miles.

Can you steal someone someone shouldn’t own,
like a sentient being whose life should be his own?
How does a person decide who counts?
She saw a friend others valued just in cash amounts.

Miles grew quickly with the yard to explore,
with sun and trees and the grass he’d never known before.
It was a life full of wonder and joy for Miles.

Happiness for him was sitting in her lap,
closing his eyes and taking a nice, long nap.
Being with his friend was important to Miles.

When a year had passed since Miles was in his egg,
she saw a swelling growing in his lower leg
where an infection was starting to spread through Miles.

Since he was ill, she took him to the vet,
who laughed when someone said, “Hey, that’s dinner, not a pet!”
They couldn’t see any reason to care about Miles.

Funny how people ridicule
compassion, mercy, and the Golden Rule
to do unto others as you’d have done to you.
Our feathered friends and beasts of burden are others, too.

Strange how people pray for heaven and rebirth,
and yet for animals create a hell on earth.
Odd how people claim they’re thoughtful and kind,
when whom they eat never crosses their mind.

She took Miles home and gave the medicine to him,
but the infection went throughout his system
through his veins and capillaries traveling for miles.

He huddled on the porch and cuddled by her knee
as she gently smoothed his feathers soothingly.
The vet said there was nothing more to do for Miles.

The tragedy is he was bred to die.
People stole his family, his ability to fly.
They stole his future against his will.
Why breed longevity in someone you’re going to kill?

What would you do to save a life?
Would you open your heart, would you put down your fork and knife?
How does a person decide who counts?
She loved someone others valued just in cash amounts.

When morning came and Miles didn’t wake,
she sat and pondered how quickly death could take
away the warmth and the joyful friendship of Miles.

She buried him in a sunny spot in the yard.
He would have liked it there. Maybe dying’s not so hard
when you know that you are loved like Miles.

Turkey. People laugh at the word,
but he was more than just a beautiful bird,
Miles, Miles, Miles, Miles, Miles.

**************************************************

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VEGANGELICA

Hello again, MB,

Based on the number of replies to my previous post, I can tell that a ballad about a bird may be a hard sell to the general public, as represented by MusicBanter. So, for a slight change of pace, today I am posting lyrics of a song, "Common Ground," about people's cruel treatment of each other.

I wrote "Common Ground" last month in response to trolling during arguments I observed on MB. When I say people are trolling, I am referring to people who are unable to, or choose not to, control their desire to express derision of others whom they feel are inferior to themselves.

One question I have about the lyrics is whether the line, "Why do they power trip and fall," has been used before in other songs. I Googled "power trip and fall" and came up with nothing, but since it is such an obvious play on words I would expect to find it in other lyrics. If you know of a song that uses the phrase, "power trip and fall," please let me know!

Erica's MUSIC RATING SYSTEM rating for "Common Ground" is SCGM, for "Social Critique of the Gladiator Mentality."

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"COMMON GROUND" by Erica

Shields raise, swords graze
their flesh, now bleeding,
trying to reach the one goal
they share: defeating.

Opponents united,
at odds even though they agree
they so desire justice,
they feel animosity.

No love, no friendship,
it’s no use –
they’re beyond trying.
They simply want to fling abuse,
all blame denying.

And I’m watching in the stands,
thinking what sorrow is this
where people issue cruel commands –
thumbs down and the weaker one loses.

Why do they power trip and fall
making each other suffer
when they could just apologize,
hold onto truth, let go of lies?

They think they have nothing in common,
but in the end they’ll learn they’re wrong
for when their blood is seeping down
they’ll finally find common ground.

Each tries to claim the upper hand.
Others say it’s none of my business.
I call out stop and understand,
understand and give in to forgiveness.

Put all these differences aside...
but they’re beyond trying.
They’d rather feed their rage inside,
complicity denying.

Why do they power trip and fall,
making each other suffer,
when they could just apologize,
hold onto truth, let go of lies?

Always in conflict, clashing,
over injustices they see,
they fault each other, lashing out
because of their hypocrisy.

(BRIDGE)
What is the aim of all the fighting
that they’re choosing?
Killing the best off in themselves
both of them are losing!

Shirts drench, teeth clench,
their knives are drawn.
Sheathed only if one wins,
the other gone.

Opponents united,
at odds even though they agree
they so desire justice
they feel animosity.

No love, no friendship,
it’s no use –
they’re beyond trying.
They simply want to fling abuse,
all blame denying.

And I’m watching in the stands,
thinking what sorrow is this
society anger commands –
thumbs down and the weaker one loses.

Why do they power trip and fall
making each other suffer,
lacking the strength to apologize,
thinking it’s weakness when it’s wise?

Why do they power trip and fall
trying to show who’s tougher?
Never absolved of guilt they feel
inflicting wounds, they never heal.

They thought they had nothing in common
but at the end they both were wrong
for as they lie blood seeping down
they finally find common ground.

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Arya Stark

Hahaha, I like how you warn ahead of time, now. xD

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MB Journal.
Azucar y Especia. My blog.

VEGANGELICA

Hello, people,

Following Stone Birds' suggestion of writing a song based on a picture, I chose his photo of the windmills at sunrise or sunset under a cloudy sky. This is the scene described at the end of "Windmill" below (such a creative title, I know). As you will see, once again my lyrics are completely literal...in other words, I am using no metaphors at all, unless one counts the cliche, "rearing its head," as a metaphor, which I don't.

One detail that may help in following the narrative of the song is that a thrush is a type of songbird who, like most songbirds, navigates during its nighttime migration by using primarily the position of stars.

The "Music Rating System" rating for "Windmill" is DD for Death and Destruction. (My warning system is improving.)

“Windmill” by Erica

You fly through the air. You’re a bird on the wing,
a thrush on migration, returning in spring,
when something before you is rearing its head
and soon it will strike you and you will be dead,

for it’s going round, blade after blade,
too fast to see and to evade.
No time to shriek. No time to call.
Your body slashed, you start to fall.

You’re tumbling, descending. You couldn’t prepare
for the knives still invisibly slicing the air.
You evolved to see life and your eyesight was keen
but at night there was no way to see this machine

as the blades are going round and round
you’re lying, dying, on the ground,
your final moments agony
so we have electricity.

Your bones have been crushed and you’re thrashing in vain
like the thousands of other birds who have been slain
by the urge of insatiable humans for power,
who measure your value in kilowatt hour

for they turn their pleasure into pain
you suffer while they just see gain.
At least you only killed in need
while they’re epitomizing greed.

The mill goes round, blade after blade,
too fast to see and to evade,
your final moments agony
so we can watch big screen TV.

(Musical interlude)

The sun is now rising. You look in the sky
as the blood mats your feathers. You’re starting to die.
Through the clouds you see stars that were guiding your way
and you want to fly on, but they’re fading to gray...

And the blades are going round and round.
You’re lying, trembling, on the ground,
distorted, mangled, as you are
for someone’s electric guitar.

We turn our pleasure into pain
you suffer, while we just see gain.
At least you only killed in need
while we’re epitomizing greed.

The blades are going round and round.
You’re lying, dead, upon the ground,
deprived of the one life you get
so we can surf the Internet.

The blades are going round and round.
Your seeping body stains the ground,
your final moments agony
so we have electricity.

(vocals fade...)

The blades are going round and round.
You’re lying, gutted, on the ground,
distorted, broken, as you are
for someone’s electric guitar.

They’re going round, blade after blade,
too fast to see and to evade,
your life ending in agony
so we can watch big screen TV.

Stone Birds

ok you said something about this song in relation to your song please explain (i don't really understand)

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