dhanners623 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 I recall reading an interview once with somebody -- maybe it was Dave Van Ronk? -- in which he said he didn't like doing topical songs because they have "a short shelf-life" and I tend to agree. But I was watching the news last night and this one just came out. Some member of the Tree of Life synagogue was being interviewed and he was askèd what he was feeling, and he said, "I feel angry and I feel confused." I'm guessing there are a lot of people who feel that way, and "After Pittsburgh" just kind of tumbled out from there. Some lines need ironing out. It's not a complex tune and the melody is pure cowboy chord simplicity. But it says what I wanted it to say. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tEL7IzHxwD0 After Pittsburgh © 2018 by David Hanners You can be angry, you can be confused You can be the light or you can be the lit fuse There’s lot of hate out there so we better get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh Darkness and silence have fallen across the land The blame rests with everyone, not just one man There is injustice so we better get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh They’ve tested this city, tested its soul Once you strike the match of hate it always burns a hole The match can light 11 candles if we get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh We heard their chants, we saw their torch parade But history teaches us you can’t fight hate with hate Our hearts are stronger but we have to get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh From Squirrel Hill to Charlottesville and across the fruited plain We’ll stand against the wind and we will stand out in the rain They’ll cleanse with justice only if we get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoSoxBiker Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Well done and well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 Well done and well said. Thanks. Edited my post because my spellcheck changed "Dave Van Ronk" to "Dave Von Rock." Maybe that could be my stage name..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Great job..enough said. Sad we have to see and live in such a violent and hate filled world. well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 Some months ago, I swore I was going to let a new song rest a few days before posting a video because I ALWAYS wind up editing it. Naturally, I broke that rule here and have since edited the song. The current lyrics: You can be angry, you can be confused You can be the light or you can be the lit fuse It's time for courage so we better get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh Darkness and silence have fallen 'cross the land The blame rests with everyone, not just one man It's time to speak out so we better get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh They’ve tested this city, tested its soul Once you strike the match of hate it always burns a hole The match can light 11 candles, then we get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh From Squirrel Hill to Charlottesville and across the fruited plain We’ll stand against the wind and we will stand out in the rain Justice will rain down only if we get to work There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh There’s no time to waste after Pittsburgh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NighthawkChris Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Hi nice job with everything. Let me be the first to say I do not commend hatred in any form. It has no place on this Earth the way I see it. It undermines what we need to accomplish and keeps us in complacency. This are my beliefs - YMMV. I believe it needs to be stated to address the root causes of this all, and I guarantee my words will not be taken lightly here. I know that there will be some that think this is out of line, but you know, the truth be told... I don't believe in "alternate" facts. I have no allegiance to one individual. My allegiance is to all my neighbors and to do good to them. Anything/anyone that promotes rage, hatred, evil, I stand against, because it is all that. Win or lose in my mortal form, I stood against this, and my children will not regret the person I am. Let me be the first to say that America is a diseased culture (not that many places in this world today are much better...). Pornography, gambling, reality TV (or just garbage TV in general), drug abuse, hate-fueled fascism and racism (just some of the problems in this country)... These are all evils of the flesh and they are rampant in the world today - especially in America in much of our daily life these days. We cannot avoid it... American is an empire in decline and it will only get worse. We are victims of corporate totalitarianism, and America's leaders are supporting it to hollow out the country via capitalism. We allow corporations to pollute our air... to poison out water, dump into our oceans, destroy our natural ecosystems - all for what - MONEY... The thing is we pay for all of these - not the corporations - and our childrens' grandchildren will pay more dearly for this. We live in a world where the powerful feed us lies and we eat it happily - because we cannot accept the reality, so we run to our magical crisis centers I like to call them believing magic Jesus is going to save us all - and in extremes that there is one true breed of human. Reality check, we are nothing to the cosmos. We are nothing but a phenomenon in nature as far as we can tell. Faith set aside, I am basing this statement on the reality of the physical world we can quantify and qualitatively describe. I am not ashamed of my words, and I say them with conviction, because I am not going to be silent when my children will suffer for the mistakes of the masses down the line. We need to look up instead of looking with red at our neighbors because they have different color skin, talk with a different language... Rhetorically, what makes you so much better than an oppressed individual? Your DNA is the same... This "pride" we have in America is nothing but a sham, and it is killing those consumed with it from the inside and extending outward which creates victims. I commend your efforts to recognize the evil in this event, but I'm tired of it all... If no one starts to stand up to this with more PASSIVE FORCE and let those know who that we need to radically change our thinking, our motives, our goals, we are going to continue to wage senseless wars, breed hatred, consume ourselves cannibalistic-like. Life is not getting better - and the economy is a tool that is held over our heads by the corporations to oppress the masses - to silence us. America will NEVER be great again because I see no light for this. If the climate change doesn't consume us first within the next couple decades, we shall watch the decline of this country, and I will not feel sorry for it. If anyone doesn't like my input, then go back to your crisis center and ask for magic Jesus to fix it all for you - and don't be surprised in the result or lack of. The fact is that what I claim is going to happen and the basis for it is justified IMHO. America lives in illusion... and there is no sign of relenting in sight. So expect more mass death, suffering, pain... hatred. There is more hate in this country than it can contain. As much as I hate to say it, this isn't over - not even close. Like the Roman empire that faltered through unadulterated military conquest that ultimately let to its decline, watch America follow the same fate. An empire in decline, and it didn't start in 2016 like I hear many say. 2016 was symptomatic of the previous events that have taken place for decades. When America focuses on job and income equality, healthcare, eliminating poverty, or in general improving the quality of life (education, affordability to sustain families, investment in the future of mankind such as the environment we ALL share on this one and only Earth we have been gifted by the cosmos), then it will take a turn, but will it be too late? I just have 0% faith that this will happen, but I will support my cause of bringing the good in the midst of the evil shroud that covers this country. Nothing religious here, just do good, and it will beget the goodness in our neighbor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Hey Where’d everybody go ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoSoxBiker Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Some months ago, I swore I was going to let a new song rest a few days before posting a video because I ALWAYS wind up editing it. Naturally, I broke that rule here and have since edited the song........ I have the same rule, bur for a different reason. I need to not here a song for a few days in order to hear it's audio blunders. A woofy kick or maybe I notched out too much sibelence, etc, etc. My normal writing process is likely inadvisable. I write a song sith or without a many musical theme in mind. Last few years has been mostly with a guitar. Then I start recording all the parts. Once I have the basic instrument set for the song in place, I'll trying singing to it to find out what fits and doesn't fit. Then I re-write the lyrics that need to be re-written as I finish up the song. Vocals go in last. One of the two I am working on right now does have initial vocals recorded because I decided to do a guitar and vocals only song. The sound tests in the proof of concept phase severely lacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Very direct and powerful, David. "You can be the light or you can be the lit fuse" is going to be my new mantra. More people should hear this. Is it OK to share your video on social media? I'd like my friends to hear it. Fantastic job. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbpicker Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Good thoughts, well articulated. Thanks for sharing this. Great job. Rb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 Very direct and powerful, David. "You can be the light or you can be the lit fuse" is going to be my new mantra. More people should hear this. Is it OK to share your video on social media? I'd like my friends to hear it. Fantastic job. Red 333 That's high praise coming from you, Red, and I appreciate it. Feel free to share it wherever you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Good words and thoughts, David. Sadly, we have always been this way and always will be. There will always be someone deranged and willing to kill others for things the vast majority discuss, debate, sing about, and can even laugh about. Humans are great at killing each other. It's who we are and all the laws, threats, and prayers in the world won't change it. It's history and it has always repeated itself.............Keep writing your songs of human compassion. I like hearing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 31, 2018 Author Share Posted October 31, 2018 Here is the edited version: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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