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New tune -- "Not in My Town"


dhanners623

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Owning a slope Gibson, I have an obligation to write a protest song now and then. It's the law. Protest songs are part of a slope Gibson’s DNA that runs from Woody and Cisco to Dylan to Billy Bragg to Steve Earle to Tom Morello. I wanted to write about Charlottesville and the big question is, “Where to start?” I was reading a interview with a BLM member from Charlottesville and she was speaking about community defense. When asked about the planned march by bigots, she said, “Not here. Not in My Town.” Well, that’s your song right there. These are perilous times.

 

“Not in My Town” isn’t the best song I've ever written -- it should probably have a snappy sing-along chorus -- but it doesn’t have to be the best. It is meant to capture anger and to have a line that is repeated over and over so the listener will get it. Not here. Not in my town.

 

http://youtu.be/0rwhDwa0-aw

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I guess I'm not sure political songs are appropriate fodder for most people who come here.

I could see comments to your post opening a can of worms and introducing into the forum the same divisiveness your protest song seems to be concerned with.

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The world nor this country will ever be the utopia so many wish it to be........not as long as it's populated by humans. There will always be differences of opinion on any subject you can name........some of those opinions will be defended in a more radical way than current culture is willing to accept. The "not in my town" sentiment could easily be applied to the other side of the particular situation your lyric describes.....comes down to ones' perspective on the issue, yes? Those that control the present control the past. Someone smarter than I once said something to that effect and while it may be true, it is nonetheless sad to think that denying our past will somehow make the future better. Is it not the past that informs the future? Without a true perspective on the past will we ever come to grips with the future? As I wrote in Me & Eddie, "....knowin' where you're goin' is mostly knowin' where you have been." [mellow]

 

And David.......I hear your pick hand fingers banging the guitar top as you pick this one out, adding a percussive facet to the sound. I do this as well.....it's due to an open fingered pick hand attack. For me, this open style gives my pick hand a physical point of reference to the strings. I see so many strummers with closed fingers and no contact with the top.......I cannot make this work for me. In this tune as in many others, this percussive element adds to the overall performance. But I've also found that in some of what I do this additional sound is not desirable and is better suppressed by further opening the fingers to let the flesh of the fingertips glide over the top rather than the knuckles and nails striking it. Just an observation of technique. Strum on, brother!

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Owning a slope Gibson, I have an obligation to write a protest song now and then. It's the law. Protest songs are part of a slope Gibson’s DNA that runs from Woody and Cisco to Dylan to Billy Bragg to Steve Earle to Tom Morello. I wanted to write about Charlottesville and the big question is, “Where to start?” I was reading a interview with a BLM member from Charlottesville and she was speaking about community defense. When asked about the planned march by bigots, she said, “Not here. Not in My Town.” Well, that’s your song right there. These are perilous times.

 

“Not in My Town” isn’t the best song I've ever written -- it should probably have a snappy sing-along chorus -- but it doesn’t have to be the best. It is meant to capture anger and to have a line that is repeated over and over so the listener will get it. Not here. Not in my town.

 

http://youtu.be/0rwhDwa0-aw

 

 

Yeah, the lyrics are pretty obvious. It's like you watched CNN and transcribed it.

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Like any situation

It's not necessarily the man who sings the song it's the reaction that starts the row

If something 'offends' me I tend to just tut and walk away

 

But by the same token , I wouldn't be standing on a street corner in charlottesville singing this song tonight . If you do , my hat comes off to you .

 

And I like a protest song

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Thanks for the kind words, guys. That said, I wouldn't think a song in which the bad guys are white supremacists, white nationalists, the KKK and neo-Nazis should be that political. I mean, we all agree they're bad guys, right? Right?

 

Obviously nobody thinks Nazis or white supremacists are good guys... but that's a very simplistic view of what's going on. A lot of "white supremacists" in Charlottesville were just people against the removal of the statue. I don't think the statue should have been removed and I'm certainly not a racist or a Nazi or a white supremacist.

 

The left has been calling anyone who disagrees with them a "fascist", "nazi" or "white supremacist" for the past year so those words have lost all meaning. To hear them tell it there's a Nazi hiding behind every bush when the reality is it's a few rednecks. We've always had small numbers of klan rallies or white supremacists but before people protested them, they had their rally and then they went back to their trailers. Now? Social media is whipping everyone into a frenzy and it's going to end with people getting killed.

 

I keep seeing people saying "they came armed"..,,.yeah, everyone at these events is armed now because of the violence. Did you not see Berkeley? A lot of people ....on all the sides...,,going to these events now are going just to fight.

 

But no matter how abhorrent racism is and racists are they had a permit to hold their rally. We have freedom of speech in this country, not freedom of speech YOU personally agree with.

 

What's more is we've had identity politics shoved down our throats for years. What did people expect to be the end result of identity politics? You keep telling people they're to blame for everything, that they're privileged, that their ancestors were evil, that this country is founded on racism etc etc etc and what do you think that's going to result in? Everyone holding hands and saying how much they love each other?

 

Your song is a very simplistic version of what happened and why it happened. Did I just miss the verse about the dressed in black black mask wearing thugs attacking people because they don't like what they are saying? Did I miss the verse about the police standing down and doing nothing to prevent the bloodshed? I guess that's Ok "in your town".

 

Lastly.....you wrote a protest song.....about current red hot political events.....but you didn't think it "should be that political"? How would a political event..... that someone died at....that the whole country is outraged over ......and divided over .......not be "that political"?

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Obviously nobody thinks Nazis or white supremacists are good guys... but that's a very simplistic view of what's going on. A lot of "white supremacists" in Charlottesville were just people against the removal of the statue. I don't think the statue should have been removed and I'm certainly not a racist or a Nazi or a white supremacist.

 

The left has been calling anyone who disagrees with them a "fascist", "nazi" or "white supremacist" for the past year so those words have lost all meaning. To hear them tell it there's a Nazi hiding behind every bush when the reality is it's a few rednecks. We've always had small numbers of klan rallies or white supremacists but before people protested them, they had their rally and then they went back to their trailers. Now? Social media is whipping everyone into a frenzy and it's going to end with people getting killed.

 

I keep seeing people saying "they came armed"..,,.yeah, everyone at these events is armed now because of the violence. Did you not see Berkeley? A lot of people ....on all the sides...,,going to these events now are going just to fight.

 

But no matter how abhorrent racism is and racists are they had a permit to hold their rally. We have freedom of speech in this country, not freedom of speech YOU personally agree with.

 

What's more is we've had identity politics shoved down our throats for years. What did people expect to be the end result of identity politics? You keep telling people they're to blame for everything, that they're privileged, that their ancestors were evil, that this country is founded on racism etc etc etc and what do you think that's going to result in? Everyone holding hands and saying how much they love each other?

 

Your song is a very simplistic version of what happened and why it happened. Did I just miss the verse about the dressed in black black mask wearing thugs attacking people because they don't like what they are saying? Did I miss the verse about the police standing down and doing nothing to prevent the bloodshed? I guess that's Ok "in your town".

 

Lastly.....you wrote a protest song.....about current red hot political events.....but you didn't think it "should be that political"? How would a political event..... that someone died at....that the whole country is outraged over ......and divided over .......not be "that political"?

 

Sorry you thought the song was simplistic. I guess by your standards, "We Shall Overcome" or "This Little Light of Mine" are downright brain-dead....

 

I've read and heard about the events in Charlottesville, including from people who were actually there. I'm satisfied my take is the accurate one. When you post your song about the event, I'll be all ears.

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Sorry you thought the song was simplistic. I guess by your standards, "We Shall Overcome" or "This Little Light of Mine" are downright brain-dead....

 

When you post your song on current events, I'll be all ears.

 

So I did just miss the part about the dressed in all black mask wearing thugs?

 

And the part about the police standing down and doing nothing to prevent bloodshed?

 

And the part about the 1st Amendment being violated?

 

You wrote a 1 sided simplistic song that you figured everyone would just agree with. You said you didn't think your "protest song" was political......like I asked..how would a song about a political event that just happened and the whole country is outraged by not be political? It isn't like the event you're writing about was a townhall meeting.

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So I did just miss the part about the dressed in all black mask wearing thugs?

 

And the part about the police standing down and doing nothing to prevent bloodshed?

 

And the part about the 1st Amendment being violated?

 

You wrote a 1 sided simplistic song that you figured everyone would just agree with. You said you didn't think your "protest song" was political......like I asked..how would a song about a political event that just happened and the whole country is outraged by not be political? It isn't like the event you're writing about was a townhall meeting.

 

I'm not sure your interpretation of the events on the ground fits the known facts and besides, it's my song. Nobody's First Amendment rights were violated; if you can show me an example of government censorship last weekend, I'm all ears. As I'm sure you'll recall from your civics classes, the First Amendment only speaks to government conduct, not the actions of individuals or groups. If my group shouts down your group, your First Amendment rights haven't been impacted. The protesters -- allegedly there to "defend" Confederate monuments -- were fully exercising their rights under the First Amendment when they chanted, "Jews will not replace us!" and, "Blood and soil." I'm sure you'll recall those were the chants of the Nazis that my late father spent his early 20s in Europe fighting until VE Day.

 

All I know is somebody got ran over by a car and the car didn't drive itself. And, like I said, post your song and I'll offer an honest critique.

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I'm not sure your interpretation of the events on the ground fits the known facts and besides, it's my song. Nobody's First Amendment rights were violated; if you can show me an example of government censorship last weekend, I'm all ears. As I'm sure you'll recall from your civics classes, the First Amendment only speaks to government conduct, not the actions of individuals or groups. If my group shouts down your group, your First Amendment rights haven't been impacted. The protesters -- allegedly there to "defend" Confederate monuments -- were fully exercising their rights under the First Amendment when they chanted, "Jews will not replace us!" and, "Blood and soil." I'm sure you'll recall those were the chants of the Nazis that my late father spent his early 20s in Europe fighting until VE Day.

 

All I know is somebody got ran over by a car and the car didn't drive itself. And, like I said, post your song and I'll offer an honest critique.

 

Here's some of those "protesters" you're defending:

 

 

There's more videos of the BLM goons flowing the "white nationalist" goons down the street threatening them, which of course ends in violence. If you need a link,I'll be happy to post it. A lot of the BLM at the event weren't there to d monstrate or protest for equal rights or justice, there were there to fight and cause trouble just like the idiot racist rednecks.

 

What's more is yeah, if you go to a lawful assembly and threaten, intimidate and create violence to keep people from having their demonstration you are violating their first amendment rights and breaking the law.

 

It doesn't matter how vile what they're saying is.....they have a RIGHT to say it. You can protest but you can't attack or intimidate with threats of violence.

 

Now I'll ask one last time, where was the part of your song about thugs in masks or the police standing down to allow violence?

 

BLM had goons there, Antifa had goons there, the racists had goons there. They're all GOONS. I don't condone violence based on whether I agree with someone or not. And there was more than one person ran over by a car, but only one single person was driving that car and responsible for that.

 

As I said, you, people like you and the media keep escalating the hysteria, "Nazis" everywhere, anyone you disagree with is a "fascist", etc etc etc......what do you think is going to happen? ,it's a miracle full on gun fights haven't broken out.

 

Again I'm wondering why the police keep standing down at these events instead of doing their jobs. There's no excuse in blindly swallowing the MSMs version of events in this day and age. You can go to YouTube and watch video of the event all day long and see who was causing trouble....you know .....since the MSM is presenting it as a one sided event?

 

And thanks for the offer of helping me write songs but your "protest" song there doesn't exactly much confidence as far as your writing abilities go.

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I'm not sure your interpretation of the events on the ground fits the known facts and besides, it's my song. Nobody's First Amendment rights were violated; if you can show me an example of government censorship last weekend, I'm all ears. As I'm sure you'll recall from your civics classes, the First Amendment only speaks to government conduct, not the actions of individuals or groups. If my group shouts down your group, your First Amendment rights haven't been impacted. The protesters -- allegedly there to "defend" Confederate monuments -- were fully exercising their rights under the First Amendment when they chanted, "Jews will not replace us!" and, "Blood and soil." I'm sure you'll recall those were the chants of the Nazis that my late father spent his early 20s in Europe fighting until VE Day.

 

All I know is somebody got ran over by a car and the car didn't drive itself. And, like I said, post your song and I'll offer an honest critique.

 

Also that's great your late father fought Nazis, so did both of my late grandfathers. They also fought to keep our country free which includes freedom of speech.

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Although many of your comments are getting far afield from discussing the craft of songwriting, thank you for your opinions. Perhaps you should drop a line to Neil Young and recommend he add a verse to "Ohio" to tell the story from the National Guard's viewpoint. Similarly, Bruce Springsteen would probably appreciate your insights on how to add the NYPD perspective to "American Skin (41 Shots)". Were Woody Guthrie still with us, I'm sure he would've been happy to tell the story in "Deportee (Plane Crash at Los Gatos)" from the point of view of the immigration agents.

 

You do get that a protest song takes a point of view, right?

 

You write your songs. I'll write mine. Deal?

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Although many of your comments are getting far afield from discussing the craft of songwriting, thank you for your opinions. Perhaps you should drop a line to Neil Young and recommend he add a verse to "Ohio" to tell the story from the National Guard's viewpoint. Similarly, Bruce Springsteen would probably appreciate your insights on how to add the NYPD perspective to "American Skin (41 Shots)". Were Woody Guthrie still with us, I'm sure he would've been happy to tell the story in "Deportee (Plane Crash at Los Gatos)" from the point of view of the immigration agents.

 

You do get that a protest song takes a point of view, right?

 

You write your songs. I'll write mine. Deal?

 

I don't quite think your song is in the same league as Young's, Springsteen's or Guthrie, but it's cool that that's what you're comparing yourself to.

 

I get that you seem to be more interested in writing a song instead of being accurate or telling the truth. You went for the easy low hanging fruit without any regard to what actually happened in Charlottesville. Congrats on writing propaganda.

 

BTW the difference in the National Guard shooting college kids and a bunch of thugs showing up to fight and cause trouble should be obvious even to you.

 

Like I said let me know if you need a link to the videos of BLM threatening, intimidating and following the "Nazis" down the street. Charlottesville wasn't some grand battle against "Nazis", it was a bunch of violent idiots doing what violent idiots do.

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I don't quite think your song is in the same league as Young's, Springsteen's or Guthrie, but it's cool that that's what your comparing yourself to.

 

I get that you seem to be more interested in writing a song instead of being accurate or telling the truth. You went for the easy low hanging fruit without any regard to what actually happened in Charlottesville. Congrats on writing propaganda.

 

BTW the difference in the National Guard shooting college kids and a bunch of thugs showing up to fight and cause trouble should be obvious even to you.

 

Like is said let me know if you need a link to the videos of BLM threatening, intimidating and following the "Nazis" down the street. Charlottesville wasn't some grand battle against "Nazis", it was a bunch of violent idiots doing what violent idiots do.

 

Wasn't comparing myself to Young, Springsteen or Guthrie. I was citing their works as examples of the genre. I'm still not sure you get the concept, although I think we are all now quite clear on where you stand on the weekend's series of events. No need to keep repeating yourself.

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I quite like the percussive tapping – bit of a Tom Morello/Nightwatchman vibe there.

 

I don’t really go for songs about specific events (and politics generally churns my stomach), but do like social commentary songs so prefer to write about ‘themes’ from a given perspective rather than specifics. Here’s an example of one (or the latter two thirds thereof). For the record it was written around 2015 to the best of my knowledge before any candidates for any subsequent elections were even nominated, and about metaphoric walls. If life choses to imitate are then maybe that adds poignancy, but that’s the truth of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joQIzbkTMkY

 

Part of the reason I prefer that approach is that I have no love for the media, and accept that we are fed biases and half-truths to suit the politics of their organisations and the drive for advertising revenue rather than a balanced perspective. Such is life. My song about the media…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doc54yfPyB8

 

apologies for lack of acoustic content good people, but it seems the discussion here is referencing the value of tolerance, so….

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I quite like the percussive tapping – bit of a Tom Morello/Nightwatchman vibe there.

 

I don’t really go for songs about specific events (and politics generally churns my stomach), but do like social commentary songs so prefer to write about ‘themes’ from a given perspective rather than specifics. Here’s an example of one (or the latter two thirds thereof). For the record it was written around 2015 to the best of my knowledge before any candidates for any subsequent elections were even nominated, and about metaphoric walls. If life choses to imitate are then maybe that adds poignancy, but that’s the truth of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joQIzbkTMkY

 

Part of the reason I prefer that approach is that I have no love for the media, and accept that we are fed biases and half-truths to suit the politics of their organisations and the drive for advertising revenue rather than a balanced perspective. Such is life. My song about the media…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doc54yfPyB8

 

apologies for lack of acoustic content good people, but it seems the discussion here is referencing the value of tolerance, so….

 

Trollin troll be trollin.

 

[laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

 

rct

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sorry man, I don't get the joke. [confused][unsure]

no ill-intent whatsoever.

 

I think one of the principles referred to you as a troll in a thread in which you were doing nothing but providing some experience. Of course, I completely concurred with his accusation in order to try to keep it interesting but alas, nobody bought it, you as a troll.

 

rct

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