One night I lay down with headphones on and listened to the whole of The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. I hadn't heard it for years, and I thought, Wow its good.
But nobody listens to long stuff anymore. Everyones attention span is so short. All songs are 3 minutes-ish.
So, to buck the trend I set out to write a concept album but ended up writing this one long song. It took a year to write, record, mix, master and publish.
I hope you enjoy the journey. I did!
Michael Scott Wilkie
-----------------------
lyrics
The Genius
We think you’re joking, they said as I led them down the garden path
First you’re born and then you die
They said that Life is short, but they were wrong
Coz life is made up, of several lives - and so it’s long
We know you wonder, bout all the things that you did to me
First you cried and then you died
They said the world would last, but they were wrong
Coz it is made up, of several lies - and it is wrong
Pieces of wisdom on a Friday Night
Time takes its toll, now you can pay it at the garden gate
Lines are drawn upon your face
They said they’d leave, if you apply this cream
But still they stayed those lines upon my face - more than a trace
Pieces of wisdom on a Friday Night
Losers cry, and winners gloat
Be a good loser they said
Why, he cried as he bled
On the path to nowhere
Take the bull by the way and lead him to the grass.
Don’t cry just because it hurts
For the power behind the throne is just a motor powered by hot air
Like lemmings they ran towards the cliff
But Cliff wasn’t ready
Stop, he cried, and turn back now
For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory
For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory
Like rabbits they multiply themselves
But the world wasn’t ready
Stop, he cried, and turn back time
Or else you will kill all the creatures in the world
Or else you will kill all the people on the planet
Flying through the light of speed
Tumbling down towards the town of sound
Holding your tiny pet in your tiny hands
The sun bounced across her fluffy skin
The clouds surrounded by a tempting dew
Holding their tiny pets in their tiny hands
It’s a ragamuffin paradigm
A ragamuffin super-crime
It’s a ragamuffin super-crime
A ragamuffin paradigm
Flying through the speed of light
Running up towards the sound of town
Squeezing your tiny pet in your tiny hands
The moon danced around her gorgeous face
The girl running t’wards a tempting jew
Squeezing their tiny pets in their tiny hands
It’s a ragamuffin paradigm
A ragamuffin super-crime
It’s a ragamuffin super-crime
A ragamuffin paradigm
25 hours they fit in a day
With only one designated for play
Now go to Heaven
Now go to Heaven
Now go to Heaven’s…Hell
Took the dog for a ride to town
The cat was not well pleased
The mouse ran up the clock and down
The frog spoke French and teased
Try as they might to put them down
The People fought and won the day
So now they had an eighth
In which to rest and play
Who said that gambling never paid, who said that gambling never paid
Proud they were that they stood up
To fight for what they thought was right
But who’s to say what’s right and wrong
The leaders killed the mighty throng
Who said that gambling never paid, who said that gambling never paid
It’s like the blind leading the partially sighted
History will show who’s wrong or right
But then, is history right or wrong
Coz it’s the winners that always write it
Who said that gambling never paid, who said that gambling never paid
Went down to a place up-town
Where the cats all began to dance
The pigs came out from behind their cars
And the frogs went back to France
Who said that riding never hurt, who stripped that back right off your shirt
Who said that gambling never paid, who said that gambling never paid
Take him down to the power of the people
To put him down
Back up. Down town
Chookachakachookachaka
Chookachakachookachaka
Time to go with the rhythm of the people
Who want to go to the place where nobody knows your name
Take a drink of life and gulp it down like its your last
Forget the past, it didn’t exist, its just a figment of your implantation
Fighting never helped… secure the meaning of a true blue nation
And in the end the splintered mind
Took away all there was to say
And left a pile of dust behind
Ready to begin again
It was the end of the life of Brian
He cried, Lets do it again
But there were no friends there
And so, he fled across the sea, the sea, the sea….
released July 7, 2023
Sean Harkness: Guitars
Naja Corbett: Vocals
Shaundé: Vocals
Michael Scott Wilkie: Everything Else
Special thanks to Nicola Cornwell for cover design and all her support x
With definite influences from the powerful Esbjörn Svensson Trio and The Bad Plus these three guys create a wonderful range of rhythms and sounds. Amazing! The Pikey Project
Described as “an ecological history of humanity,” this sparse, tense suite of songs perfectly balances melody and chaos. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 28, 2018
