This will be a somewhat abbreviated post because I’ve actually written my song for February 4th and I want to get to it before I lose the muse. Let’s quickly go over this one, though.
My writing day got started a little later than usual. My morning was largely spent writing a blog entry, fixing some style things on the website, and other musically-non-productive things. Then it was dog park time. And then the dog wouldn’t come to the gate when it was time to leave and I had to chase her down over a five+ acre park. And then I was in a foul mood because I’m a functioning adult who holds grudges against dogs.
- Keep My Head Down Ray Toler 4:05
Mid-afternoon I finally got into the studio. The first order of business was to fix my project template that I’d changed before writing I Don’t Really Want To Today. I’ve tried a lot of approaches over the years, but I’ve settled on a largely empty template with modular bits I can drag in when I need them. This is primarily a time-saver, but I’m also always looking for better ways to organize the project, both in terms of data archiving and the actual production process.
But this time, I’d moved tracks into positions that, while making sense in one window, were a complete disaster in another. I also disabled certain tracks trying to eke out another 0.5% of CPU efficiency but that ended up massively pissing me off when I couldn’t find something or didn’t understand why the vocal I just recorded wasn’t playing back.
I’m not overly upset at having to do another revision – that’s just part of the process, and you normally won’t know if something works until you try it in a live project. The results of today’s song seem to indicate that I got things in better shape. We’ll see after a few more days.
STFU
My musical direction was in some sort of electronic, dub-steppy, EDM-y, angry direction. I came up with the synth riff that plays throughout and figured I’d find some samples. I really wanted two in particular – someone (probably a valley-girl type) saying “I dunno… I just love talking politics!” and another with someone saying something on the order of “The great thing about social media is that the entire world can hear my opinions!”
Honestly, I’m soooo tired of it all. I’ve bitched about this ad nauseam in the past, so I won’t belabor the point other than to say that I am completely dumbfounded how so many of my intelligent friends have turned into paper-thin versions of themselves that would be right at home in 1984 given how much doublethink they engage in. Something that’s 100% awesome when their “side” is in power becomes 100% a sign of the apocalypse when the other “side” does the same thing. It’s sad that there’s not enough critical thinking left to see the innate hypocrisy, but I’m done trying to argue, debate, or convince. There’s no point. “People don’t want to hear your opinion. They want to hear their opinion coming out of your mouth.”
I hadn’t decided if I was going to actually record/sample a screaming, “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” or not, but “STFU” was sure as hell going to be the title. Actually finding those samples is a needle and haystack ordeal. I spent too long trying to use AI to make the samples, and then listening to various political recordings, but decided that if it was this much trouble to get the soundbites, the concept was probably flawed in the first place.
I also remembered that one of my guidelines for this month is to be more vague. Those lyrics that can’t be immediately deciphered (even if you think you can) seem to last a bit better for me.1See: A Tiny Thing, I Am Not Here, and Look Away from the Water.
Guitar Hero
I was also determined that I was going to play guitar again, and it sounded awesome when I was just riffing a bit with the loops, but by the end of my production process, things were so full that there just wasn’t room for it. There’s probably a good remix in there, though.
The lyrics were actually kind of a surprise. I hadn’t intended to write a song today. The pivot to writing wasn’t too difficult and the words weren’t overly evasive. The melody, though… that was an awful process and I’m still not really happy with it. At one point, since it had turned industrial, I decided to just speak the words in a low, guttural, Rammstein-ish voice. I finally stumbled upon the melody you hear and it was good enough. The clock is still ticking.
Initially, I had written “Keep your head down” as the opening of the chorus, but I couldn’t find anything else to say. Then I re-read the verses I’d written so far and thought it might be better as “Keep my head down” since that’s largely been my approach to modern politics. My job is to avoid the system (and all of the people supporting it) as much as possible. I hate the term “weaponized” but politics really has become that in the age of social media. People are being whipped into a frenzy without really understanding what they’re frenzied for. And it’s making them unhappy. I’ve spent a long time being unhappy in the past, and I’m tired of it.
“I’d far rather be happy than right any day.”
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
“And are you?”
“No. That’s where it all falls down, of course.”
“Pity”, said Arthur. “It sounded like rather a good lifestyle otherwise.”
I went back and forth between writing and arranging. I got the vocals recorded in two or three takes because they’re not really the kind of thing that need a super-awesome performance. A little sloppy is part of the vibe.
Polishing or Sculpting?
I haven’t decided whether or not this one was polishing a turd or sculpting an elephant.2”Sculpting an elephant is easy. You just chip away all of the things that aren’t an elephant.” – lots of people in various phrasings. The song is ok, I suppose. I’m actually really happy with how the arrangement and production turned out. I could do a lot more with it in the future. I’m not sure the core of it all is fantastic, but time will tell.
One final thing. As I was listening back and reading the lyrics after posting to the Song-A-Day site, it occurred to me that a lot of people would probably think I was talking about something specific and that I agree with them. Which I’m not, and I don’t. As I said in my first song last year, this isn’t what you think it is.
Lyrics
Nothing but hate Nothing but power
Nothing but lies Nothing but death
Close my mouth Take my chances
Shut my eyes Hold my breath
Nothing but love Nothing but joy
Nothing but fears Nothing but greed
Hang my head Lose restraint
Cry my tears Fill my need
Nothing but money Nothing but left
Nothing but time Nothing but right
Forget my reason Walk away
Commit my crime Find my light
Nothing but force Nothing but fools
Nothing but wrong Nothing but cake
Kill the world End my story
Play my song Earn my take
Keep my head down
Copyright © Ray E. Toler, Jr. All rights reserved.
www.raytoler.com
Colophon
Instruments & Samples
Serum 2, Hive 2, Chromaphone 3, Omnisphere, Bass Station 2, BT Phobos, XO
Effects, Mixing, & Mastering
H3000 Factory, Kraftur, Gullfoss, FabFilter, Valhalla Delay, Gullfoss
Notes
- 1
- 2”Sculpting an elephant is easy. You just chip away all of the things that aren’t an elephant.” – lots of people in various phrasings.