New Song By Stationary Nomads - A Mind Is A Terrible Thing

I have a new song uploaded at bandcamp called A Mind Is A Terrible Thing which you can download for free or just stream it. It's a spoken word style vocal delivery and I had the idea for at least the last few years. Aaron had sent me some songs he had already recorded and one night as I listened to them over and over and over I realized that one had the perfect tempo and tone for my idea. I knew I had to bust my butt to come up with the words that would match the music. Thus did "A Mind" move from idea to reality.

If you're wondering how I first thought about this strange subject, well, there used to be a show called In Living Color that ran in the early 90s. It was where Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, Damon Wayans and many others became very well known for their comedy. Daman Wayans had a character that would talk gibberish and it always seemed like he was making fun of people who would use big multi-syllabic words (see what I did there?) without actually knowing what they meant or how to properly use them in a ssentence.

I in turn thought it would make an interesting idea for someone to sing gibberish strung together for no good reason. So I did and now you can hear it. Ain't life grand?

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

My Mind Has Been Blown

2015 was a year of firsts for me. I got in front of an audience and told a story and later actually won. I started a zine thereby self-publishing my thoughts and ideas. I wrote a song and recorded it doing the vocals. All were very cool things that I want to do more of in the future. This year I’ve got another first. Allow me to explain. The week before leaving I had found out about the Rutten and Ranallo podcast and subscribed to it. Bas Rutten and Mauro Ranallo were an announcing team for the Pride Fighting Championship, a Japanese MMA company that at its height challenged the UFC for supremacy in the MMA world before succumbing to scandal.

 

Recently Bas and Mauro started a podcast and at the end of it they talked about how they were accepting music submissions from fans to play at the end of the episodes. The night before going on my four day road trip I quickly sent the mp3 file from the song that I had done (Conflict Registered) with some personal info and hoped that maybe in the near future they might play it on their show. Since I was on vacation though I didn’t check my email until yesterday, eleven days after I had sent my song in. However once I read my email I was in shock. Not only did they use my song, they used it on their very next show.

 

My mind was sufficiently blown and after listening to the episode and hearing my name mentioned on this bigtime podcast as well as other info it was completely destroyed. I’ll admit, as I sat there in awed silence some tears almost spilled out from my eyes. That’s how big of a deal this is to me. I’m the guy that has suffered from low self-esteem all of my life, who never thought he was good enough to do a song (or anything else) and despite myself I’ve done it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I’ll become famous or anything like that. It’s just that receiving such positive affirmation after decades of doubt and procrastination makes me feel a little bit good about myself. That’s a good thing.

So if you want head over to their site and you can find several ways to listen or even download the eighth podcast episode. Showing them some love is the right thing to do since they showed me some. Going even further go to bandcamp and download the song for free. I’m rather sure it won’t hurt you and it’ll make me even happier than I already am.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Thrown Into A Holiday - New Lyrics

Well I got inspired at work and off of one phrase I ended up with the first draft of a some new lyrics. It shouldn't take a major effort to understand what this one is about although there are a few subtle nods to other things hidden away. I always say creativity spawns creativity and it continues to be true for me. There is still work to be done, especially when I can get someone to start on the music for it but it's not bad for a first draft if I don't say so myself.

          Thrown Into A Holiday

 
False feelings of utter cheer
Turned into commercial sneer
Feel like I’m being thrown into a holiday
It’s just another day
 
Just down the national store
Looks the same no matter where
I go searching in vain but
Question and answer remain the same
 
Strangled throughout by boredom
Originality fades into tedium
Keep the smile plastered on
Gotta make my appearance stun
 
How long can this go on
My gaze only rests upon
A better time
A better place
How long can this go on
Thousand yard stare rests upon
A better time
Out of this space
 
Every year it starts earlier
Every year it goes longer
To voice it is too political
Better to live and yet yearn
 
Plaster on a smile insincere
Make the small talk clear
My hearts does palpitations
At the thought of being shunned
 
I need to be the person I am
False fronts tired old scam
Bring nothing to the table
My story fades into another fable


Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

New Lyrics - Faded Past

So I've been listening to a fair amount of punk lately, a lot of the Kpunk podcast, and this one came out. I hear it set to punk music but who knows? Maybe Tommy can find a kernel of something here to use for Alloy. I guess the motivation for this is apparent. Maybe it's just me though.

Faded Past

What good is it to look back
On times when I was young
My only thoughts were of fun
You can't go home anymore
Still I like to remember when
Those times when I was thin
Didn't have a care in the world
Thought I had it all under control

             (Chorus)
So I sit alone and have another
Wasted hour wasted day
There's nowhere left to go
Wasted hour wasted day
The records stores closed anyway
Wasted hours wasted day

All my friends have come and gone
Leaving me all alone
Won't see my weep for the lost
Not at the excessive price it costs
Can't try and move forward
If I'm living in the past
Scratch the surface wash the dust
Memories fold together and fade away

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

First World Problems

Another rough draft of something I came up with this week. Not sure I've nailed it down but the idea is in there somewhere. I call it First World Problems even though the only things listed are really found in Third World countries, at least for now that is. It's kind of a reverse thing.

First World Problems

I didn’t wake up today dreading

The fear of what could come

No dogs hung from a street light

No menacing messages attached

no electricity to light my way

because the plant blew up again

Nobody in my neighborhood

Disappeared into a van

Never to be seen alive again

My first world problems don’t include

The fact that my house is four poles

Covered by plastic walls and a tin roof

No running water, no heat, no air conditioning

Nature gives all that is available

I wasn’t abandoned by my family

Or made to work instead of school

Scraping by to have enough to eat

Grateful for the crumbs that fall to me

My first world problems don't include these

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

More Than Just Time

I was listening to some Will Hoge tonight and got inspired. This is what came out:

More Than Just Time

Needed a job so I signed on the dotted line
Spent eight years in the ranks
Before I decided to move on
One wife came and went
Took almost as long to leave her behind
 It ended up costing me more than just time

Away from everything I’ve ever known
My life has been left behind
Traded my view of right and wrong
Stood in my booted feet in the shifting sand
Wasn’t supposed to have chambered a round
Never had to kill my fellow man

My father served as his did before
When I look in my son’s eyes
I don’t want this to go on anymore
Some secret man hiding behind secret walls
Send the best off to die somewhere else
Always with profits in his eyes

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Actually

This one came to me somewhere around the 6th of November. It's been a good month or so for me as far as writing lyrics at least. If you can guess what it's about then you're probably not much of a mind reader. I think it's rather clear and to the point unlike most of what I write. Still, by the time it gets worked on for an actual song it will probably change a lot. Once it does I'll try and remember to post it and contrast what it is from what it was.     You always talk a good game Open your mouth and Expect me to follow Snap your fingers and Tell me to listen not Do what you do.................actually   Is this the dream life you thought of Clashing verbiage when you fall down Surrounded by moments of joy Is this how you bury your sorrow.......actually   The things I do that you hate Are fine enough for you to imitate the looking glass never shows the truth Your eyes are covered by a mask........actually   Multiple cult of personalities gather Behind the curtain of dark gray matter Do the linguistic dance mix patter Blame it all on cultural diversity......actually   Conflicting interests far too frequently Never claimed to be a mind reader Come down off the pedestal you chose Come join me in a real world alliance....actually

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

See What Listening To Punk Music Can Do For You?

Yesterday I listened to a few punk podcasts and out came some lyrics, but can you guess the impetus for them? It's not what you think.

Keep It Simple

 

Walked in the door got blindsided again

Tell me the order of what to do

Shifting priorities from day to day

Who am I to talk who am I to say

Change it up move it around

Talk as if the picture’s crystal clear

Not enough time not enough space

Chastising me is such a waste

Keep it simple keep it plain

Let me be lord of my domain ( terrain?)

I want to make everything fine

But you keep crossing the line

(Tell me what to do)

Perhaps a little clarification might

Help me realize the error of my ways

Some subtle understanding draws

Illuminate the size of my enormous flaws

Piece it together from here and there

Daily inventions amass piling over

At my wits end revealing it all bereft

It’s no wonder I’ve got no hair left

 

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Day To Day

I hear your anxiety muttering

Coming from under your breath

Afraid of what the future holds

Lamenting who you have become

I’m an easy target for you

The source of all that’s gone wrong

Before me there was only good

Now only scars of what’s been

When your anger has burst

Boiled over from a long simmering

Normality somewhat returns

The story changes until next time

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Trying So hard

What we do isn’t conversation

You’re only talking at me

Not interested in what I have to say

It can’t be good anyway

What we do is more like competition

Talking over each other

Trying to make our points

Nobody really wins by the way

Then you tell me

Do the best that you can

Believe me baby I am

Trying so hard

Trying so, so hard

Life is filled with false ideas

Freedom is only an illusion

You only think that you know

The truth cannot set you free

I don’t want to see this end

But nothing lasts forever

Sometimes it’s necessary

Still I don’t want to disagree

If you’re too old to enjoy it

What was the purpose

Everything was ventured

And nothing was gained

I’m convinced waiting for

Life to get better than this

Will be the death of me

I want better than this

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.