Originally Posted by mb stonehouse

Everything else aside,I like the way you put words,thoughts and feelings together.That's what captured my attention.Well done.

Originally Posted by Sljslj

Wow. Long time, no chat, Erica. Good to see you're still going strong. I don't have any criticism for any of your work in particular, but I will later when I have more time to read your new stuff.

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Hi there, gentle reader,

Below are lyrics for a song, "Void," that I started over a year ago, inspired by MusicBanter. At the time I had been reading quite a few lyrics in the songwriters' section in which the writers were describing being saddened to the point of despair by unrequited love or love gone wrong.

I wanted to write a song that gives people a thought-process they can use to try to feel more accepting and less traumatized when a relationship doesn't work out. Not that I haven't felt traumatized by break-ups! But over time...and after enough break-ups ...I realized that I'd survive and the ending of the relationship was probably for the best anyway:

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"Void" by Erica

He’ll do what he needs to do.
She’ll do what she needs to do.
They’ll do what they need to do,
even if it’s not being with you,
to be happy, to be happy,
and now they’re gone.

Sure, you’re missing him.
Sure, you’re missing her.
Sure, you’re missing them
and the dreams you had that never were
making him happy or making her happy
like you all along.

Now you’re trying to get yourself in order.
You feel like a vacuum and life’s a mess.
Remind yourself they had nothing to offer
and why would a vacuum want emptiness?
You don’t need emptiness.

He tried the best that he could.
She tried the best that she could.
They tried the best that they could
and it didn’t work, but at least now it’s good
that he’s happy and she’s happy
and they’re moving on.

Sure, you’re missing him.
Sure, you’re missing her.
Sure, you’re missing them
and the dreams you had that never were
making him happy or making her happy
like you all along.

Ignore the voice that says you’re worthless
and feel like a vacuum with life a mess.
Remind yourself of all that you offer
and you don’t need anyone’s emptiness.
You don’t need emptiness.

Have no regrets when it comes to love.
We all just feel what we can.
No one should expect to receive
what another doesn’t have to give.
We can’t love on demand.

Have no fear when it comes to love.
When you feel it give as much as you can.
If you’re holding back to avoid the cost,
you’ll never love, but think what you’ve lost,
for love doesn’t grow by command.

He’ll do what he needs to do.
She’ll do what she needs to do.
They’ll do what they need to do,
and now you will be doing that, too,
to be happy,
you’ll make your life happy,
and you’re moving on,
you’re moving on,
oh you’re moving on.

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

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Hello, All! This is Erica, a songwriter, singer, and beginner guitarist who is making vegan vegetarian music under the name of Vegangelica. I am writing to share some of my song lyrics to find out how other vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians perceive them and to hear any changes you recommend. I have included the lyrics from three songs in this first post, and additional songs in later posts. Thank you in advance for whatever feedback you are able to give.

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"DICHOTOMY" by Erica

He was raised to believe things were either, or.
Always one or the other, never less or more.
He could choose heaven or hell. There was no between.
He was taught to follow a being unseen.

Earth was a weigh station, a proving ground,
a gift from God in whom all joy was found.
Nothing around him existed of its own.
All was attributed to God alone.

Animals are low, they said, with humans above.
Maybe beasts had feelings, but they couldn’t love.
Our duty was to use them. It was their fate
to feed and clothe our kind as we procreate.

His family loved animals but only cooked well through.
They liked them alive but just for what they do for you.
They felt it was righteous to dominate,
with utter disregard for whom they ate.

And they cried,
“Praise the Lord for our earthly banquet,
the tender lamb on our dinner plate,
all of gracious God’s designing.”
No room for debate.

And they prayed,
“God, bless our family and our meal.
Come and sit at our table’s head.”
But if the meal were truly blessed,
the boy thought, it would still be alive, not dead.

What kind of god would ever design
the cruelty on which they dine?
What sort of god would ever intend
for creatures to come to this beastly end?

He had a sacrilegious tendency
not to see dichotomy
but a matter of degree.

He pushed away from the table, ran as far as he could,
out to the stable where he went in his childhood
with the ghosts of the goat and the somber sheep
who used to comfort the child when they heard him weep

because he knew precisely what their end would be
but he was not allowed to set them free.
The lamb would settle by his side. The farm dog nuzzled his hand.
They had no need for words to understand

he had a compassionate tendency
not to see dichotomy
but a matter of degree.

He’s a grown man now, buys his own table fare,
a vast cornucopia of fruits that plants bear.
No animals are used or killed to meet his needs
because he nourishes his life with the goodness of seeds.

If God gave “every green plant” for food,
then why do people think it’s rude
when you say that killing’s not nice,
and it’s cruel to sacrifice

all these beautiful beings whose birth
makes them our fellow travelers on earth,
sharing love and pain and joy,
which he already knew when a boy

because of his wonderful tendency
not to see dichotomy
but a matter of degree.

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

"I" by Erica

I used to like bacon frying in the pan.
I used to raise the meat supply with my demand.
I loved burgers on the grill.
I used to eat my fill.
Taste was all that mattered to me.

I used to like tuna from a can.
I used to like hotdogs from the stand.
You’d think with all of these I’s in my life,
I would have had the eyes to see
what people were doing to you
to turn you into food for me.

But I didn’t realize. I never thought to care.
Now I wish I’d loved things less. Wish I’d been aware.
And you, you, whom I didn’t think about before,
I wish I’d loved you more.

I used to like spiced ham and eggs.
I used to like chickens’ wings and legs.
I didn’t think about you.
You were too far from view.
All I thought about was me.

I used to like ice cream cones.
I used to like veal and breaking wish bones.
You’d think with all of these I’s in my life,
I would have had the eyes to see
you had a life of your own
and it didn’t belong to me.

But I didn’t realize. I never thought to care.
Now I wish I’d loved things less. Wish I’d been aware.
And you, you, whom I didn’t think about before,
I wish I’d loved you more.

You were a piglet when I was five.
You were so playful, so alive.
I could feel the joy in your step.
I could sense your curiosity.
Now I wonder, were you one of them
whom I ate unthinkingly.

Oh, I realize now. I use my eyes to see.
Now I don’t love things. They mean less to me.
and you, you, whom I didn’t think about before,
now I love you more
I love you more
I love you more
I love you more!

I don’t dismiss your pain. I don’t use you for gain.
I don’t raise you to eat. I don’t need eggs, milk, or meat.
I don’t cut your life short. I don’t kill you for sport.
I don’t slice you apart. I don’t harden my heart.

I don’t make you feel fear. I don’t taunt you or jeer.
I don’t crush you as chicks. I don’t beat you with sticks.
I don’t shoot you with bows. I don’t stab you in shows.
I don’t exploit the meek. I don’t torture the weak!

I don’t harvest your seed. I don’t force you to breed.
I don’t stuff you with grain. I don’t bludgeon your brain.
I don’t chop off your head. I don’t cook you when dead.
I don’t pay people to do these awful things to you!

I don’t kill you as lambs. I don’t smoke you as hams.
I don’t boil you in stew. I don’t barbecue you.
I don’t lure you with calls. I don’t mount you on walls.
I don’t sever your limbs just to satisfy whims.

Because I love you more.
I love you more.
I love you more.

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"BRILLIANT TRAGEDY" by Erica

Civilization is going to decay.
All that we treasure will crumble away.
Our planet’s future will burn out with the sun.
It’s written in the stars. There’s nothing to be done.

Uncountable religions will be conceived and die
as people try to answer the age-old question, why?
Why is there something instead of nothing at all?
Why did the universe arise just to fall

with natural law and mortality
the fatal flaw
in this brilliant tragedy.

Some people say there is an author of this play,
someone who wrote it all and still directs today.
The only stage hands I see though are our own.
I think that we write and perform this play alone.

Our death is preordained. There’s no use to pretend.
All of our lives come to the same sad end.
Nothing we do or make is ever going to last.
I didn’t sign up for this role in which I’m cast

with natural law and mortality
our fatal flaw
in this brilliant tragedy.
But....

CHORUS
There’s no need to give up hope:
There’s a way that you can cope
even though the end is clear.
What you do matters now
and to all who will be here.
When you spread your love and joy,
treating others caringly,
trying to help them so their lives
are as good as they can be,
we can still find meaning
even though we see
we are stars
in a brilliant tragedy.

We are a walking fatality.
Such is life: what won’t be will be.
But there is good news: you’re not dead yet.
No need to have a pessimistic mind set.

How fortunate we are to be in this tale,
a creative production of amazing scale.
Though we will never see the end or start,
each one of us gets to play our part

with natural law and mortality
our fatal flaw
in this brilliant tragedy.
And...

CHORUS: REPEAT

All life on Earth will die. Nothing can flee
the sunlight’s increasing intensity.
Oceans will boil and evaporate.
The life-giving sun will now exterminate.

Red Giant enlarging, scorching and bright,
before contracting into night.
No survivors. All we’ll leave is space debris
in a universe expanding for eternity

since natural law and mortality
were our fatal flaw
in this brilliant tragedy.

Originally Posted by The Virgin

wow. that was really nice. i had fun reading the lyrics and could pretty much relate to some of the lines. keep up the good work!

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Well, MB . . .

It took me almost two years to complete the song and YouTube video for "Wring," which I wrote back in 2009 after being inspired by Stone Birds' recommendation of cheese as a song topic: http://www.musicbanter.com/song-writ...tml#post690176

My other "muse" was AwwSugar, who told me that the only rhyming poem to work with death as a theme was "Ring around the Rosie." And so I decided to create a creepy, rhyming song about cheese (and eggs) based loosely on that tune.

"Wring" shows my reasons for choosing to be vegan.

This vegan song has special meaning to me because it gives glimpses of experiences I had when I was five years old and first realized the horror of how people mistreat animals. Also, I am fond of the recording because I recorded the cello part the day after I received my Cheap Chinese Cello in the mail. I was so excited to be playing a cello that I wanted to use it right away in a song!

Vegangelica - "Wring"



* * * * *

Originally Posted by The Virgin

what? i don't understand you. farming is for vegetables, not for meat. if ou disagree with a farming practice, you disagree on a vegetable. unless you have a different definition of farming.

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Vegangelica - "Wring"

Originally Posted by RoxyRollah

IMO I don't know jack-**** though so don't listen to me.

Originally Posted by Franco Pepe Kalle

The problem is that most police officers in America are psychopaths.

Originally Posted by The Batlord

You're a terrible dictionary.

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I love that song it was really great but the whole time I was watching the video I just kept thinking that I'm craving a cheese burger right about now. I haven't had one in weeks.

Originally Posted by The Virgin

what? i don't understand you. farming is for vegetables, not for meat. if ou disagree with a farming practice, you disagree on a vegetable. unless you have a different definition of farming.

Originally Posted by Il Duce

that was pretty nerve-wracking - I couldn't really continue watching the images - but the song is ace - two thumbs up from me

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I love that song it was really great but the whole time I was watching the video I just kept thinking that I'm craving a cheese burger right about now. I haven't had one in weeks.

Originally Posted by RoxyRollah

IMO I don't know jack-**** though so don't listen to me.

Originally Posted by Franco Pepe Kalle

The problem is that most police officers in America are psychopaths.

Originally Posted by The Batlord

You're a terrible dictionary.

Originally Posted by djchameleon

and hamster enjoying his carrot