Everything Is Fucked (Keep On Going)

A wrote a little pep talk, for myself and for anyone else who needs one, as we wade through the fuckedness of all this. Catchy and short and angry and upbeat and exactly a minute long.

I've been having trouble finding song-writing direction in general lately, and have wanted pretty badly for the last week and change to find something musical to say about where I am mentally and emotionally.

Afternoon cup of coffee kicked in today and this is what came out in a sort of gonzo blur of writing and recording. Everything may be fucked but it was a nice, needed spike of catharsis. Now to just keep on going.

• play
• pause
• min volume
• max volume

posted by cortex (30 comments total)

Lyrics:

Sometimes everything is fucked
Sometimes everything's
An unrelenting pile of shit
Sometimes you don't know what to do
Where to go, how to be
How you're gonna get through this

Well, you write it down
You sing it out
You don't give in
You don't tap out
You just keep on going
Even when everything is fucked

You keep your eyes open
You keep your chin up
You keep your eyes open
You keep your chin up
You keep on going
You keep on going
Even when everything is fucked
posted by cortex at 6:26 PM on November 20, 2016 [22 favorites]

Wow. If you do any shows, cortex, I think you've found your new closing song.

I wish I could hear the organ sound a little bit longer at the end, but I know you had to shorten it to fit within a minute (I had the same issue on the song I'm working on). In any case, what a great arrangement.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 11:58 PM on November 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

I really like this!
posted by charmedimsure at 12:24 AM on November 21, 2016

I love listening to the songs where you harmonize with yourself. This sounds great and is my mantra for today.
posted by jessamyn at 9:09 AM on November 21, 2016

I love this. It makes me feel better!
posted by rtha at 9:17 AM on November 21, 2016

Perfect.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 12:33 PM on November 21, 2016

Love it!
posted by frenetic at 6:02 PM on November 21, 2016

This is the best. Thank you, I didn't know I needed it but now I realized it's exactly what I needed.
posted by xicana63 at 6:41 PM on November 21, 2016

thanks cortex, this cheered me up.
posted by benk at 8:04 PM on November 21, 2016

I am on MF nearly everyday and stopped going to Boing Boing quite a while ago. And yet I got to hear this courtesy of Cory Doctorow's link. Thanks, Cory, and thanks cortex! I'll be listening to this a lot, it's the perfect pick-me-up for recent days. Yay you!
posted by Bella Donna at 8:20 PM on November 21, 2016

Nice job. Especially when the drums kick in. Very well structured, compact, you have the question, and the answer, and then the "Na na na hey jude" part, all in a crisp minute without seeming rushed. In fact, it has a really excellent balance to it.

Wow. If you do any shows, cortex, I think you've found your new closing song.
I think this should be Springsteen's closer! I could totally picture him drawing this out more slowly, and letting it build until an E Street Explosion carries us for the last half of the song. An anthem for 2016!
posted by not_on_display at 9:13 PM on November 21, 2016

Spotted on BoingBoing.
posted by Harald74 at 11:31 PM on November 21, 2016

Cortex, I applaud you sir. Topical, listenable, and the perfect soundtrack while screaming into a pillow. I really enjoyed this.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 8:58 AM on November 22, 2016

Thanks, y'all. Felt good to get manic and put it together, I haven't done that in a while. Currently chewing on a glum-as-fuck song about DAPL so am not sure this whole songwriting thing is entirely improving my mood, but it's something to do at least.
posted by cortex at 12:06 PM on November 22, 2016

High... fricking... five, dude.
posted by greenish at 3:25 AM on November 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Thanks for this. It helps.
posted by pibkac at 9:21 AM on November 23, 2016

I needed this.
posted by zachlipton at 3:03 PM on November 30, 2016

This is relevant to my current situation.
posted by nickthetourist at 10:10 AM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

I keep returning to this and re-playing it. Last week I volunteered to be a precinct chair and today was my first protest rally.

Thanks Cortex. This helps.
posted by endotoxin at 10:23 PM on January 21, 2017

After lurking for years, I finally got myself an account just so I could tell you how much I love your song. I come back to it again and again when I need a bit of what-have-we-got-to-lose wry determination. Thank you.
posted by eafm at 12:36 PM on January 22, 2017 [4 favorites]

Thanks so much for the kind words, y'all.
posted by cortex at 12:55 PM on January 22, 2017

Yes.
posted by sol at 8:18 PM on July 31, 2017

I listened to this again today and it gave me shivers the whole minute through. It's great.
posted by brainwane at 1:11 PM on September 25, 2017

This will never NOT be my favorite thing on MetaFilter. Ever.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 11:30 AM on November 7, 2017 [3 favorites]

🙂
posted by matthewmcvickar at 9:34 AM on November 8, 2017

I come back to this page at least once a month
posted by zerolives at 6:02 PM on January 9, 2018 [7 favorites]

This song is on the little music player I take to bed, in case I want to hear it to help me on my way to sleep. Thank you.
posted by brainwane at 6:03 PM on June 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

"NEVER GIVE UP... THAT SHIP!"
--The Old Philosopher
posted by not_on_display at 10:58 AM on July 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

Cortex has saved a lot of days, lives, marriages, and who-knows-what-else with this little song.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 9:53 PM on November 3, 2020

Cortex made a difference again today with this work of genius.
posted by vers at 12:17 PM on March 13, 2022 [1 favorite]