Words and music have always had a long and healthy relationship. The word song itself is from sonnet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnet Sonnets are long poems with a strict rhyming structure. To help remember long epic tales, Bards would put their tales to music, so they could more accurately pass the tale on to the illiterate masses. To this day, the big companies put their messages to music, to be digested by todays illiterate masses; “ba da ba ba ba - I’m Lovin it!” but i digress…

For example, who doesn’t know all the words to Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A -Lot? Strange example, yes, but that song wouldn’t be anything but a sweet beat without those rhymes! Thats a poem people! Led Zepplins Stairway to Heaven? Poetry! Sting, lead singer of The Police, was an English teacher. Gordon Downie? lead singer of the staple in every Canadians diet, The Tragically Hip? An incredible poet, two words: Nautical Disaster.

Lately, I’ve been appreciating the lyrics to All Hell for a Basement by Big Sugar, a Canadian band from Alberta. The song is about Maritimers and Newfoundlanders who come to Alberta to make a half decent pay check.

Who here hasn’t been feeling down on their luck, stuck at a call centre or a shit job making nothing an hour and dreamt of going to Alberta for the hope of something better? Ever notice the part of that song that sounds like an oldtime Maritime/Newfoundland folk song? That part represents us. The lyrics and the music come together and make a kick-ass song - a comment on Canadas economic state, a tale of a tragic reality for many of us.

Take some time, and look up the lyrics to your favorite song…what is the artist saying? How is the music composed to strengthen their words? Or are the words strengthening the music? What do you think the artist wrote first?

If you think your song is lacking in the lyrics department maybe its not the words themselves, but the sounds the words make that make your tune “catchy”. You can appreciate lyrics in entirely different languages this way.

Point is, lyrics are an important part of song, and song an important part of our culture, and our lives.  Lrics should not be ignored, but listened to.

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“All the world ’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.”As You Like It. ACT II Scene 7. 
People are tragedy, comedy and history.  Thats all you need to know.   You think you have things figured out?

Well, “There are more things in heaven and earth,…Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Hamlet. ACT I Scene 5.

So stop playing warcraft and read Shakespeare….then maybe play some warcraft.

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Its Halloween - i have a third eye painted on my forehead. I’ll attach a pic someday when i can get access back.

Internet - what the hell did we do before it>??

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Ugh i’m so Itchy…even tho my folks house is flea free - i still can feel them on my body. I feel dirty. The word “Lousy” actually comes from “to be ridden with lice”  I feel lousy. BUT tomorrow the exterminator is coming in to eradicate the flea threat, and bring a new era of peace and flealessness to Charlotte street. 

This has been the month from hell btw, for so many reasons…SO MANY REASONS… but you know, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” and, well, im not dead yet - so i’m so motherfucking kickass strong, I feel I can take on anything.  THATS RIGHT.

Whats next for natalie?, you may ask. Well, I need to find a better job…I’m thinking Social Services. Non-Profit stuff. I feel i can be a voice for people…people, maybe, suffering from a flea infestation, for example…

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Im tired of bars and drunks and drugs and late nights at a call centre.  Im tired of pay cheque to pay cheque, student loans and lonely stops at coffee shops.   Im tired of broken hearts and bad timing and wrong directions, and anti- depressants…

all ive got is my gonads and strife

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