There's a War On

Post-traumatic stress syndrome is a bitch. Pre-traumatic stress syndrome? Well, that can just wreak havoc on your marriage. Let's just hope this song is a relic from those bad old '08 days. (It's proggy-punk-grunge, if you're looking fer a genre)

honestly, this song is my new years resolution:
after this, no more angsty punk songs about the gov'ment. no more walls of angry noise. no more shitty over-complicated fake drums. fuck, it took me three months to finish this fucking fruityloops track and i still don't like the drums.

So let this be the end of all that '08-style mess.
oh, and this is based on a true story:

the banner read brand_new_best_defense, while the crowd had become an audience. hard to say yes or no and mean it, when you're watching the whole world go to shit every night before bed.

so, soldier boy what'll it be tonite? tell me where it hurts. show me why we fight:

for waves of castanets and horns that crash on tv sets, the sigh of AC vents against the screech of clothes-hanger choirs. it's an acquired taste. you saw my name and his, dated 1996 in a heart carved in the back pew at the newbury courthouse.
that's longer than i've been in love with you, so sometimes i just don't know what i'm supposed to do.

there's a war on

they told us, let's have some volunteers. you stood up, on back patting and cheers. the weekdays spent training for front lines, but the weekend was a war of a different kind for you curious types.

i always talk you up, with a chain of ifs and buts. i think your flaws cut a dashing figure oh but still i'm a good friend, tell me i'm a good friend. i carved my name and yours, dated 2004 in the picnic table top by the playground where we met for the first time. always had a good time.
but some nites those hospital beds still have you, so tell me what the hell am i supposed to do.

there's a war on

so you do what you got to do. by next fall you'll be good as new.
but some nights those hospital beds still hold you in.
so te ll me...

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by es_de_bah (8 comments total)

"but still i'm a good friend, tell me i'm a good friend"

That line stuck out to me. What kind of music are you gonna make now? (I loved 'Skipping Stones', by the way! I only just heard it.)
posted by Corduroy at 9:37 PM on January 7

good show, corduroy. that was the first line i wrote for this riff, and i kinda ret-conned it into the lyrics after i twigged what the song was about. As for future posts here, i hope to write softer, simpler songs and assemble an actual flesh-and-blood band to play the thicker stuff.
posted by es_de_bah at 9:53 PM on January 7

Dude, this is fucking fantastic. I love it.
posted by clcapps at 10:39 PM on January 7

This is great. I didn't realize that it was fake drums on 1st listen!
posted by ianK at 10:02 AM on January 9

Billy Bragg-ish. Nice.
posted by monocultured at 5:56 AM on January 12

Or rather, Billy Braggish + Courtney Lovish + Bloc partysh?
posted by monocultured at 5:57 AM on January 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

Wow, this is friggin epic, man! I love it, and your title is my tag line at work. There's a war on, dammit!
posted by snsranch at 4:12 PM on January 12

billy bragg is new...i'll take that as a big compliment...
posted by es_de_bah at 8:19 PM on January 12