BAD AUTHORITY

at the end of this post is a link to a new song. for various reasons, i've chosen not to include it on the upcoming album, but wanted to share the demo version with you. not putting it on the album has nothing to do with me not liking it. i like this song, but it doesn't fit into the 'big picture' as well as some of the others do. the production value also isn't that great since everything was recorded at home on my computer. for the most part, i had no idea what i was doing.

but now i present you with a choice.

you can either 1) read the following - a short reflection / defense / description of the song, 2) scroll down, click the link, and skip the obiter dictum, or 3) close this window and do something else. if you want to learn before you listen, the first option may give you a bit of insight. if you want to be surprised, i suggest the second. no option is better than another. that is unless you choose the last option and go drop-kick a puppy or something. the choice is yours.

this song is called BAD AUTHORITY.

i wrote it sometime in december 2004. bush had just won the election, our band was falling apart, and i was generally pissed off and depressed. i turned on my drum machine one morning with the intention of writing something loud, dark, and aggressive. i guess i was upset. i wrote and recorded the rhythm tracks, then layered bass and guitars on top of it, then added words over the next couple days. i felt a new sense of energy after i had finished everything, but was also confused at the fact that i had never written anything like this before. this was a new direction from the songs i had created in the past, whether as part of CIF or bands from high school. but it also left me with a 'what the hell was all that about?' sort of feeling. nevertheless, it was purged from my head for whatever reason as an outlet for how i was feeling at the time about 'the state of things.' it was me or some version of me in december 2004. and that's it. as far as what the actual words mean, i'll leave that up to you to decipher. here they are. the link for the song comes right after them. and whether or not you enjoy this, thanks for reading. and listening...

BAD AUTHORITY

is the keeper of the uncarved
always searching for a blade?
has the ism that you've trusted
now become a masquerade?
do you think there's something out there
coming for you in the night?
won't you tell me, what's your pleasure sir,
out of mind or out of sight?

oh, they're watching over me!
i'm ready to betray the bad authority!

does confusion from messiahs
leave you nothing to control?
do you think there's something better
than just doing what you're told?
can't you see the soldiers marching
as you scream your favorite tune?
is there reason to believe
when all you see is sun and moon?

oh, they're watching over me!
i'm ready to betray the bad authority!

so come away with me tonight
we'll travel at the speed of light
we'll drop our faith to join the craze
our dreams are full of golden rays

oh, they're watching over me!
i'm ready to betray the bad authority!