New Single!: Staring At Ruby

wredfright · Staring At Ruby

This song is about the modern corporate habit of having virtual meetings.  I've been in some of these things with hundreds of people, and they are usually ridiculous wastes of time wherein the company could have just sent an email out and saved lots of money instead of having everyone stop doing productive work and waste an hour listening to the CEO talk some drivel.  In this song, the main character gets a crush on one of the coworkers and enjoys the virtual meetings because he can stare at her in a way that one could not do in real life without making someone quite uncomfortable, all the while thinking, "She's so pretty."  I bet this sort of thing goes on a lot and is probably one of the few good things about virtual meetings.  Musically, the song is vocals, guitar, and drums, though I also made good use of the toy piano mat.  I opted not to use the lyrics in the third input part on the recording, but I may throw it in live from time to time.  Lyrics are below:

There are 400 people on this call with Zoom,
but only one who makes my heart go boom, boom, boom!

I'm staring at Ruby.

I don't hear a single word the CEO speaks.
I could stare at her beauty for weeks and weeks.
If people knew I was taking this long of a peep,
they're embarrassed by love these days, so they'd probably call me a creep, but I'd still be staring at Ruby.

She'll never see her very own face,
just the reflection that takes its place.

She's got those 21st Century eyes,
and she's got me full of sighs.
She might even be ruthless, but I'm ruthful.
I'll never meet her in person, life can be so cruel, but I'm happy
staring at Ruby.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp! 

New Single!: Republican Cereal

wredfright · Republican Cereal

This song is about people who become so obsessed by politics that everything, even the morning cereal bowl, becomes political.  I suppose one can make the argument that everything is ultimately political, but when it's this explicitly political, and there are Republican facts and Democratic facts and Third Party facts instead of just facts that everyone agrees on and maybe has different opinions on, life tends to get worse.  We're seeing this in the larger culture currently, and you may even know people like this in everyday life.  Musically, I had fun with some of my son's old toys that he was getting rid of.  Otherwise, it's the usual guitar and drums, though I worked a new drum machine also into the mix.  The track has that old school Severe Platter Damage hiss to it because the mastering tool I use to remove the hiss from my cheap Radio Shack mic couldn't handle it this time.  Some people like the hiss as it has a bit of what people describe as warmth when speaking of analog media such as vinyl, but my recordings tend to be noisy enough that I don't want a snake hissing underneath everything as well.  However, not unlike the obsession with politics by too many people currently, more hiss may be in our future if I don't figure out another way to remove the noise without harming any of the sounds I want to keep.  Lyrics are below:  

I liked it better when Election Day was just once or twice a year.
Now every single day, you're yammering politics in my ear.

She won't eat Republican cereal.
He won't drink Democratic milk.

As you set the cereal bowl on the counter next to the kitchen sink,
you tell me you just don't talk with people who don't think the way that you think.
Well, with an attitude like that, you're going to find yourself all alone.
Maybe you should stop doomscrolling so much in that echobox you call your phone.

When you look at people, you just see the sectarian divide,
everything color-coded and primed to collide.
You've got your partisan spoon, and your friends all spoon it up the same way.
You don't like getting your ideas challenged, so there's no breakfast today. 

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Partying By Myself

wredfright · Partying By Myself

While I'm waiting for the distributor to get Fallout Shelter Ran Out Of Beer out to Spotify and the rest (apparently, there's a 22-working day leadtime currently--and that's assuming they don't tell me it needs to be remastered, and I have to remind them it's not K-Pop; if it ever gets out, I'll let you know, though it's not like you can't listen to it on Bandcamp or Soundcloud already), here's a new single to tide us over.  This one's an ode to having fun by yourself, though I suppose it could also be interpreted as being sad.  The singer sounds a bit happy though in this version though; maybe someone can cover it with a downer arrangement sometime.  It's the usual vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums, though I had fun playing around with a drum machine instead of playing drums live, so programming or whatever they call it when Ministry or somebody uses a drum machine on a recording?  Lyrics are below:

Have another drink.
It's always nice to see you.
I tell the mirror.
There's no one else here.

'Cause I'm partying by myself.

Put on some tunes.
It's a good time.
If the rest of the world wants to be miserable,
then I don't mind.

And if there's any melancholy,
I'll drown it in my drink.

The problem with bars is any jerk can walk in.
That's why a party is better,
and this is an exclusive party.
If you aren't me, you aren't invited.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Crossing Guards Often Have A Thing For Me

wredfright · Crossing Guards Often Have A Thing For Me

This is probably the final single for a while since there's a new album coming out this summer.  I experimented with fading this song out, both by playing quietly and then by actually fading out on the recording.  Musically, it has the usual vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums, but I think I couldn't find a good hi-hat sound I liked on any percussion, so I just used vocals for that.  I'd buy an actual hi-hat, but I probably have too many musical instruments as it is.  Maybe someday.  Lyrics are below:

Crossing guards often have a thing for me.
I prefer to jaywalk, but they like to cross me safely.
When I was a boy she just held my hand.
She holds something else now that I'm a man.

She helped me across the street of love.

Make the traffic stop.  Make my heart go.
She whips her stop sign up from below.
If she were at the ocean, she could hold back the tide,
but she can't hold me back when I'm inside.

If we stay in the lines, we could do it in the street,
but a crosswalk romance can get trampled under people's feet.
The light may change and people may shout,
but she still puts more than just her arms out. 

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: The President Shit His Pants

wredfright · The President Shit His Pants

If you haven't shit your pants at some point post-infancy, then consider yourself lucky.  This song consoles anyone who has suffered such a misfortune.  Musically, it has the usual vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums, but I added some fun noise and keyboards as well.  Lyrics are below:

The president shit his pants.
Now he's doing a squirmy dance.
It happened on live tv.
It could happen to you or me.
Maybe it was something he ate,
or he just overdosed on hate.
Maybe it was a voodoo curse,
or a pill his wife hid in her purse.

It could happen to anyone.

The richest man in the world fell on his ass.
He wasn't watching where he was walking in the grass.
He fired the employee who laughed,
and then brushed the grass from his calves.
Maybe his expensive shoes were too shiny,
so he slipped and fell on his heinie.
Maybe he forgot gravity still applies to him,
or maybe the lighting was just too dim.

The valedictorian ended up on the street.
Now she needs something to eat.
She had some bad bad luck,
and nobody seems to give a fuck.
Won't somebody lend her a helping hand?
She just needs a safe place to land.
At the very least buy her a beer,
so she can forget, for a time, the fear.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: But At Least You're Not Bitter

wredfright · But At Least You're Not Bitter

I wanted to write a grunge revival song for some reason.  I'm actually surprised the grunge revival never happened.  I expected it in the teens the same way retro music usually becomes popular 20 years down the road (the '70s in the '90s, the '80s in the '00s, and so on), but nope, nothing happened, so I had to write my own grunge revival tune.  At least I'm not bitter, I guess . . . Musically, it's the usual guitar, fake bass, vocals, and drums, though I clearly had fun adding extra noise in the middle.  Lyrics are below:

She was waiting for the grunge revival.
If it doesn't arrive soon, she thinks she'll die-o.
And her friends all listen to crappy pop music.
She left her bad boyfriend
at the fast food drive-thru.
He's just a boy, and she's no longer a girl.

People ask her why, and she just asks them why not?
People ask her what she wants, and she just says, what you got?

Her neighbors all keep their curtains closed.
They never see the sun, just the electric glows.
They all think it's a scary place, the world.
And she stopped wearing makeup.
And she deleted all the photos of you.
And if she could she'd delete you too.

She dreams of Mark E. Smith at Marc's.
It's 1979.  How much are the tomatoes?
Inflation.  Inflation.  Inflation.
She puts her keys and money in the fridge.
Answers the door when the phone rings.
What can you expect from an American?

But at least you're not bitter.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Terri Cockring

wredfright · Terri Cockring

This was originally more caddish, but at some point the song turned into a sweeter look at an old maid, kind of like a Shane MacGowan mix of nasty and nice.  Musically, it's vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums.  It's fun to play, so I can see playing it live sometime.  Lyrics are below.

Terri Cockring was the last girl at the party.
She thinks it's long past time she departed.
And all the boys offer to walk her home,
but Terri would rather be alone.

Oh, Terri you never let me kiss you, but that's OK.
Terri, I've kissed many prettier women than you since those days.

Terri Cockring reads all the cheap romance novels.
She wonders how she ended up in this hovel.
She used to make all the boys turn their heads.
But that was years ago, and now they're half-dead.

Terri, can you believe we're this old?
Oh, Terri, would you still swat away my hand now?
Oh, Terri, with your parents gone that house must be so cold.
Oh, Terri, do you need a hand to hold?

Terri, I bet you still go to church.
And at night with the tv on, on your recliner you perch.
Oh, Terri, I think that I could have saved you,
and maybe you could have saved me too.

Oh, Terri, I hope someone kisses you before it's too late,
and they shovel in the dirt on your grave.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Unreported News

wredfright · Unreported News

Some folks who pay too much attention to the news think the world is a much more frightening place than it actually is.  This song looks at the little stories the news seldom ever notes.  Musicwise, it's the usual vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums.  Lyrics are below.

Bob held the door open for someone today, and Janet smiled.
And people went to work and did their jobs, and someone laughed.

It's the unreported news.
It's not on the radio or tv.
It's the unreported news, and it might make you happy.

And Mark and Wilfreda fell in love, and Dylan read a good book.
And someone checked the mail and was really excited by what they got.
And Jimmy skipped school to hang out at the library, and Teisha made a new friend.
And someone shoveled the snow off the sidewalk, and a cat purred.

And Sarah paid off her mortgage, and Ryan had a nice nap.
And someone saw their last sunset, but they don't know that yet.
And Laronda thought her new recipe was delicious, and Jason got over his cold.
And in 9 months someone will be born, and someone said "Good morning" to a lonely person.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Dance Party At The End Of The World

wredfright · Dance Party At The End Of The World

This song is about having a good time while the world's exploding.  It had a funky version and a punky version, and I ended up doing them both because they were each fun to play.  Musicwise, it's just vocals, guitar, fake bass, and drums.  It's a fun as well as grim song.  The lyrics are below:

She was fat, but her skin was thin.
It has to end, so it had to begin.
It was a good time while it lasted.
But now it's time to get your ass on the dance floor!

See you at the dance party at the end of the world!

Don't worry about getting dressed up.
We only have 15 minutes
before the missiles arrive
and we're blown to bits--yeah!

Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom!

Couldn't stay lucky forever.
Somebody was going to press the button.
They just couldn't figure out how to share,
so now the bombs are in the air.

For more Wred Fright music, give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Childhood Friend

wredfright · Childhood Friend

This is a little sweet song about those friends from early childhood.  You may forget them for years, you may never see them again, and you may think of them rarely, but when they do come to mind, if you're like me, you get a warm feeling.  Musically, I had some fun with the synthesizer here, plus the usual vocals, guitar, fake bass (also guitar), and drums.  Lyrics are below.  They're pretty simple just like an early childhood friendship.

Do you ever think of me the way I think of you?
When I remember those days the skies are always blue.

Childhood friend.
Our love was not pretend.

Oh, the fun we had when we would play and play.
That went on and on until I had to move away.
I always hoped we'd see each other again some day,
but as the years have passed, it seems separate we're going to stay.

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Scatological Scat

wredfright · Scatological Scat

This song is fairly sophomoric, but it makes me giggle, so here it is.  Maybe it will make you giggle also.  This area of songwriting is little explored except for GG Allin and Screaming Jay Hawkins and maybe some others who find toilet humor amusing (Zappa?).  It's mainly fake bass (low notes on a guitar with the bass turned up on the amp) and drums (including a wooden toolbox whacked with a steel pipe).  Lyrics are below.  Be aware that the song is catchy, so be careful if you are humming it at work tomorrow; don't sing the lyric unless you want to get fired or something.  

We have to talk.
There's something I have to tell you.

Better call the Marines!  There's something in my butt!
Better call the Army!  There's something in my butt!
Better call the Navy!  There's something in my butt!
Better call the Air Force!  There's something in my butt!

There's something in my butt!

Better call the Space Force!  There's something in my butt!
Better call NASA!  There's something in my butt!
Better call the NSA!  There's something in my butt!
Better call the CIA!  There's something in my butt!

Butt Butt Butt Butt Butt Butt Butt Butt and scat

Better call the mayor!  There's something in my butt!
Better call the governor!  There's something in my butt!
Better call the president!  There's something in my butt!
Better call the pope!  There's something in my butt!

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Soundcloud, Spotify, or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Forget Me Fondly

wredfright · Forget Me Fondly

This is a bit of a strange track (of course, to people who listen to American Idol or whatnot, all my tracks are probably strange).  Originally, I had a short song and decided to use it as the "third input" in another song (the third input being the bridge or middle eight that breaks up the monotony of the verse and chorus repeating ad infinitum), something I've never done before.  Then during the editing process, pretty much all of the main song disappeared, so you get this really weird short song.  Musically, it's an oddball as well.  I am drumming on a book, specifically Why You Like It:  the Science & Culture Of Musical Taste by Nolan Gasser, which is no doubt interesting to read maybe, but does work great as a percussion instrument since it's a thick hardback book.  Then the guitar part is played with a vintage toy Matchbox car.  Fake bass on guitar completes the process.  Lyrics are below (lyrics I ended up using anyway):

A pair of dentures.
A ratty knit hat.
A can of ginger ale.
A picture of a dead cat.

An old man's things. 

A black cane.
A paperback about World War II.
Last month's newspapers.
An empty can of beef stew.

If you forget me, forget me fondly.

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Spotify or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Stop Communication

wredfright · Stop Communication

I was looking through some files the other day and came upon some old letters from old friends, and I was struck by how little people today communicate when compared with the letterwriters of yore.  It's especially ironic considering how many new avenues of communication have opened up in the decades since those letters were written.  People could email the equivalent of the letters, but they almost never do.  Most emails I get are from businesses or organizations, not from people.  People could even still send letters if they wanted to, but they don't.  That's what inspired this song.  I took the title from my old pals Radar Secret Service who had an album called Stop Communication, but from what I recall never a song of the title.  Musically, this tale of a lack of communication between two old friends?  lovers?  acquaintances? is me drumming on a table along with this goofy cheap door alarm my father had.  Lyrics are below:

You could stop over and chat, but you never do.
You could call me on the phone, but you never do.
And if I left you a voicemail, I'd still never hear from you.

Stop!
Communication.
I guess you have nothing left to say.

You could send me a text, but you never do.
You could zip me an email, but you never do.
And if I left a comment on your Website, I'd still never hear from you.

All the new modern technology and nobody communicates--they just shout at each other and complain they're lonely.

You could write me a letter, but you never do.
You could send me some smoke signals, but you never do.
And if I ever see you again, I'm not going to say boo.

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Spotify or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Kaurismaki

wredfright · Kaurismaki

I am fond of the films of Aki Kaurismaki.  If you're aren't familiar with him, he's a director from Finland.  In this song, I utilize various elements that often appear in his films.  Maybe The Leningrad Cowboys can cover it sometime!  I probably butchered his name in the chorus, but I don't speak Finnish.  Musically, this was composed very strangely for me, just using a tiny drumset I had.  The bass (fake bass, it's a guitar) and guitar were almost afterthoughts.  I've been composing on the guitar for so long that it was time to try to write songs on different instruments before I just fell into a rut.  It's been very interesting doing so.  I am certain I will return to the guitar at some point, but it may be some time.  Lyrics are below:

I moved from the country to the city.
I got a dog, and it was not pretty.
I smoked a cigarette down by the river.
If I keep on drinking this way, I'll need a new liver.

Kaurismaki

I got mugged, so now I have no money.
Can't find a job, and that's not funny.
I met this femme.  She said she's going to help me.
That's good because sleeping in doorways isn't real healthy.

A cop came around asking some questions.
So I stepped into a nightclub and caught some late night sessions.
I'm going to sneak out of here on a boat.
If I ever go to Finland again, I better bring a warmer coat.

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Spotify or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Black Walnut Season

wredfright · Black Walnut Season

The last part of the garden to come in around here is the black walnut.  Basically, citrus-smelling tennis balls start dropping from the tree much to the delight of the local squirrels and myself.  The song uses the conceit of the arrival of black walnut season to portray a summer romance that has run its course, though the lovers have tried to push the love into the autumn.  Musically, it's the usual voice, guitar, keyboard as bass, and drums.  The weirdest aspect is using black walnuts themselves as a bit of percussion (the shells are very hard).  If Mudhoney liked to garden, they might sound like this maybe.  Lyrics are below:

When the insects stop singing at night we know the summer is truly gone.
The black walnuts start falling from the sky.
The end of the harvest means our time has passed.

It's too late.
It's too late for us,

Winter's coming.

This isn't a love affair that can survive the cold.
Though the sun still shines in the winter, we're too far away to feel the warmth.
I can feel a chill from you already.

Black walnut.
Black walnut season.
Grab your nuts and run.

Your head is as hard as the shell.
You just won't listen to reason.
We took a summer romance into the fall, but now it's black walnut season.

Winter's come.

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Spotify or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Hank Rose And The Rank Hos

wredfright · Hank Rose And The Rank Hos

I started writing this song over 20 years ago because the transposition in the words amused me, but it never made it further than the chorus.  Set aside for many years, it came to mind while working on a new song and then grew its verses and whatnot and finally arrived.  It's about an unemployed adult film star complete with his casual misogyny and life regrets.  For the music, I employed my kid's keyboard which has a fun cat meow option.  At first, the singing sounded like a Happy Flowers song, but I added in crooning (you can still hear the original singing in the mix though).  Otherwise, it's the usual voice, guitar, keyboard as bass, keyboard and drums.  Lyrics are below:

I wanted to do Shakespeare.
Instead I just did Judy in Apt. 3B.
It wasn't supposed to happen this way,
but I had to pay the bills.
Maybe you can relate.
Always some asshole nipping at our heels.
I can't make a living with my dick anymore.
That's ok; we're all fucked anyway.

Hank Rose and the rank hos.

They have cameras everywhere these days,
but there's nothing worth watching.
When did everyone get so boring?
Everyone's got a stick up their ass.
I bet you do too.
This whole country is a damn death cult.
I read old magazines.  It was a better world.
What happened to the future?

I've got the pornstar blues,
so they make me take the red pills,
but the drugs aren't fun anymore.
I can still get it up, but no one wants to get down.
They want to make love a crime.
I overhear them in the bars.
They just talk shit and don't buy me a drink.

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Spotify or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Courtesy Flush

wredfright · Courtesy Flush

This song is about pettiness in the workplace.  The semi-deranged narrator gets revenge for how he or she has been ill-treated by refusing to do a courtesy flush in the restroom of the small office.  For those unfamiliar with what a courtesy flush is, basically one flushes as soon as the excrement lands in the bowl so any resulting smell is negated by the instantaneous flush.  Not great for saving water, but if you work in a small office, it is quite nice not to have to smell poop all day.  In this case, office politics have resulted in ill feelings and a lack of the courtesy flush.  The worker's strange fecal protest doesn't mean that the management or boss is innocent.  He or she is probably also semi-deranged.  Such is the state of work in America (and probably the world today).  In any case, I had fun with this song.  In keeping with the lyrical theme, the instrumentation includes a toilet (both the flush and its use as a drum), a pencilholder as a drum (I think it actually is a drum but I've been using it as a pencilholder for years, so this is the first time it has perhaps been used as originally designed), and staplers as percussion.  Other than that, it's the usual voice, guitar, and keyboard as bass.  I like the chorus.  It reminds me of Black Flag.  Lyrics are below:

Work is starting to piss me off.
Don't know if I can make it another day.
Got my fuck-you money, my freedom fund,
so I can just walk away.

The office manager's on a power trip,
but she should know better than to give me any lip.
In the small office, there's a hush.
Nobody's getting the courtesy flush.

It don't matter what they say.
We're going to have a great day.

Office politics, collective guilt,
and only one restroom.
Used to be polite and flush right away
so the smell wouldn't linger all day.

But now they can fire me; I don't give a shit.
Well, I did, but I left it in the toilet.
Can't wait to read the passive aggressive email from the lush.
There's no more courtesy flush.

Middle management is quite useless.

I have to work to pay my bills,
but I am no one's slave.
Finks rise to the top of the hierarchy,
then they think they don't have to behave.

Asskissers, yesmen, and The Peter Principle
explain a lot about society.
But until assholes learn to blush,
there will be no courtesy flush.

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Spotify or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Having Fun In The Former USA

wredfright · Having Fun In The Former USA

And I had fun making this song and track.  I stuck a microphone in bubblewrap and rubbed the wrap for the chorus percussion.  That's probably the weirdest instrument, though beatboxing like The Fat Boys for the hi-hat sounds and beating on a suitcase for the bass drum aren't too common either.  Other than that, it's the usual voice, guitar, keyboard as bass, and drum.  Lyrically, the singer seems to be either coming from the future when the USA actually has fallen apart like the old USSR or he feels like an alien in his own country, a metaphorical former USA.  Either way, I'm not sure I believe him when he says he's having fun.  It sounds more like he's trying to convince himself.  On the other hand, if he is having fun, then that should be a source of comfort to anyone worried about a second civil war.  Like The Beach Boys playing a gig in an apocalyptic wasteland, there are still some good times to be had!  Lyrics are below:

My father likes to sing when he thinks that nobody is listening.
Meanwhile, almost everybody else is talking about their new social media strategy.
I have one as well.  It's called deleting all my accounts.
Because I'd rather have no friends, then a thousand fake ones.

Oh, I'm having fun living in the former USA

It's where they tell you you're crazy if you start to think for yourself
instead of following the advice of so-called experts and buying your opinions off the shelf.
It's where they like to smear everything so no one can see,
and the more they talk about freedom, the less we're free.

The rot of empire has a tremendous opportunity cost
Sections of Cleveland look like The Russians bombed them already, but it was just us.
I have one uncle left, and he told me to start calling him Samantha.
I feel like we're dreaming together a book called Finnegan's Wank.

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7" or give his latest album a listen or download at your favorite digital music site such as Spotify or Bandcamp!

New Single!: Put Me On Your Shopping List

wredfright · Put Me On Your Shopping List

I once read a linguistics article that noted how love was often conflated with food, exemplified by the nicknames that lovers give to one another such as "honey", "sugar", and whatnot.  In this song, I make that connection explicit with the singer of the song desiring to be put on her or his crush's grocery list.  I guess this singer is disagreeing with The Beatles about not being able to buy love, and, indeed, a strong connection does exist between economics and romance, let's be honest.  Musicwise, we're drawing from The Ramones, The Undertones, Danko Jones, or something else pretty primal here, though the third input reminds me of something The B-52s would have done with Fred.  It's the usual voice, guitar, keyboard as bass, and drums.  The weird instrument is a metal coffee cup with coins in it (I guess the crush paid in cash and got some change back).  If you end up serenading someone with this song, please let me know if it works, but you don't get your money back if it doesn't.  Lyrics are below:

You've got to get some milk.
You've got to get some bread.
You've got to get some medicine
for the pain that's in your head.
But there's just one thing you forgot.
For the pain that's in your heart!

Put me on your shopping list.

You've got to get some juice.
You've got to get some fruit.
But you don't need to buy any makeup
because you're already too darn cute.
In fact, there's just one more thing you need.
To spice up your life!

On sale this week only:
2 for 1 special.
Don't forget your coupons.
It's love!

Now some people say shopping's a drag,
but you might as well put those folks in a bag
because they'll never have any fun,
and you can't spend money when you're done.
If you want to be happy, then there's one more thing you need.
And that's me!

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7"!

New Single!: My Heart Is An Occupied Territory

wredfright · My Heart Is An Occupied Territory

The new single compares love with an armed struggle as the singer of the song attempts to free the territory of the singer's heart from the emotions of the old love.  Lyrically, this is an old theme as the idea of love as war is pretty ingrained in language with expressions such as "captured my heart" or people hitting on someone and being rebuffed being described as "shot down in flames", but this song makes the comparison more explicit.  The lines about the children come from a time when I was involved with an organization that helped children injured in a war zone, and I always thought that kids not being able to be kids and play outside without worrying about being shot or something was one of the worst things about war (and there are a lot of bad things about war and little good).  Musically, it's the usual guitar, voice, keyboard as bass, keyboard, and drums.  For fun, I threw some bell sounds in from a cat keyboard (the keys are the cat's teeth) my kid has.  I like the way the instruments come in throughout the song, building to the end.  I tried to sing it somewhat deadpan, as the subject matter was melodramatic enough already.  Lyrics are below:

My heart is an occupied territory,
but I'm going to break it free

You think that love is warfare and one of us has to win,
but with an idea like that we've lost before we begin.
No more dictators!  No more tyrants!  I'll have no more of hearts of tin!
I'd rather have no love than a love that's imposed.

The sun is shining,
and the street is quiet,
and the children look in disbelief
as the soldiers are gone.

From out of the rubble, I'm going to build myself anew,
and I'm going to dig and dig and dig until I've rooted out every last bit of you,
and then finally you and I--there is no we--will be through,
and the children will play in the street again.

My heart was an occupied territory,
but I broke it free.

Thanks to The Tinnitist for adding the previous single, "All The Onions In The World" to a recent playlist!

For more Wred Fright music, listen to the Yeast? 7"!