In all of humanity’s tenure, Too much weight is given to bloods quality, From the lordly to the lowly, From the scabbiest urchin, To the most dignified earl, Our blood drips all the same, From the same fresh wounds, Financial elitism is not a virtue, Poverty is not a character flaw, In this bleak world though, We are taught very different, That humanity comes in tiers of quality, But it’s a farce, That wines quality is not derived from status, But from the purity of ones actions, That is all that defines us.
That time at the lake, As the mist looked on expectedly, When I cried sad crystals, And they flew skyward, Joining hands with constellations, It was then that I knew, As my eyes still spilled celestial ink, That the night sky was built on hurt lovers, Cosmic beauty derived from pain, The night was an anthology of romantic tragedies, A sky of stories, A landscape painting of bloodily cut diamonds, Bled on to the firmament by the brush of our tears.
So another week is here eh? How’s it been for you? 2022 thrown any spanners at you yet? I certainly hope not, that would be rather rude. I’m really not enjoying the winter, I’ll admit. I’ve had a stinking cold yet again. It’s more annoying than debilitating at this point. It also seems like almost everyone I know is getting similar things. It’s not the great plague either, just the time of year I suppose. Still, it’s not stopped me writing at least.
So, it’s time for part 118 of the Harlequins writing music. I wonder if one day I’ll get to a thousand parts of this series. That’s quite an insane thought, even for me. Did anybody see my clue earlier today? I revealed that I’m showing off a single band in todays edition. Did anybody work out who the band was?
Yes, that’s right! It was Paddy and the Rats! Now, they are a band I’ve listened to for a couple years after finding them purely by accident on the great tube. They are a rather distinctive band from Hungary that take a lot of inspiration from the likes of Celtic and folk music. At times they can sound like a fairly standard punk rock band, but then throw in an accordion, electronica and a variety of instruments I don’t even know the names of. They have their fair share of upbeat jigs, but then are quite capable of slower, more sombre melodies. I’m going to try and show you guys just how broad their music chops can go. Let’s go, shall we?
Join me as we delve into the musical minds of Paddy and the Rats!
Paddy and the Rats – That’s My Nature
Paddy and the Rats – Join The Riot
Paddy and the Rats – My Sharona
Paddy and the Rats – Dark After The Night
Paddy and the Rats – Ghost From The Barrow
And there we go! Quite a varied array of songs eh? I could listen to these guys all day to be honest with you. It wasn’t actually too easy to narrow down my choices to only five songs, but I could hardly put the bands entire discography on here. They even did their own version of the song ‘Drunken Sailor’! It’s really good! As always, I’ll include a link to their website here for your perusal. I hope you check them out, they really deserve the love!
Speaking of links, I ought to include my own eh? The asylum has a page over on Facebook, an account on Instagram and even a Twitter page! Please consider following me over on those as well, it really helps! Also, if you enjoy what I do here at the asylum, please consider supporting me over on the Ko-Fi page as well! Cheers for everything!
Let me tell you a story, A yarn of spies and the spied upon, Of a world under our own, A world of shadow and masks, A world we are not privy to, For the better,
She is a woman, But also an agent, A clandestine weapon with fake lashes, All false wigs and suppressors, A dame of deception, She had slain tyrants while wearing unfamiliar faces, She once had a lover, But the flag stole him under its yolk,
He is a man, But also a tool, An extension of his nations left hand, All handguns and sabotage, An artist of wetwork, No foreign dossier is safe from his gloves, He longed for a normal life once, But the flag kept drawing him back,
It’s a tale of two nations, A love story spelled out in gunshots and dead drops, Of two souls under opposing masters, Once brought together by their humanity, But rent asunder by the flags inhumanity, Forced in future to kiss via crosshairs.
Stashed in this dark cubicle, Like a vintage speaker inoperable, I languish in pained silence, No more does poetry and music escape these lips, No longer do I monologue,
I am alone, No incoming voices, No mechanics come to fix me, Just perpetual let down after sore event, Spurring me to depressive inaction,
With each crank of the dial, I am less myself, Turned down in volume, A muted soul, No longer to produce a syllable nor tune,
Atop a statue once depicting liberty, Perches a foul creature, An avian actor, Decaying piece by ruinous piece, A scavenger feigning regality, A vulture wearing the feathers of an eagle, Mould and droppings falling upon a flag,
Nonetheless this animal is loved and reviled both, Regarded in both sycophantic and tyrannical aviaries, It wants not for fodder, The carcass of a republic lies below, So it rends at putrid meat no longer protected, Picking at the scraps of the citizenry, The flesh of a populace with potential,
Each wing of this beast is dyed an opposing shade, One crimson, The other a dull blue, Battling over which part to gnaw at, Even as they rot and fester, But make no mistake, Both factions are wings of the same rotten vulture.
Do you feel that bass? That tone in the atmosphere, A low hum in sequence, Pounding like artillery, You begin to sway at the sound, Intoxicating as it is, It’s a legal high, A sonic assault upon your composure, A hysteria of the limbs, It threatens to shatter your shell, Make you move against your judgement,
It’s only a matter of time, The beat continues unabated, You’ll dance to this bassline, With a grin that’d make the joker blush.
The waves are the embodiment of mystery, An oblivion of crushing weight and shadow, More unknown than the dark side of the moon, Though its wane and wax has a rhythmic aria to it, The abyss has a song all its own, A dread tune, Like tentacles licking at your eardrums, Distorted static of whalesong, The crunch of crabshell underfoot, Its lyrics manifest as thalassophobia, A warning in the mind, Sharks teeth and squid beaks upon your nape, Salt and brine on your tongue, The knowledge that man is not welcome.
I know that monitor is not just a device, I know what it means to you, It’s your social safe space, The real world was always too bitter, You met these souls without seeing their faces, Side by side exploring myriad galaxies, Across battlefields rendered in digital space, Amicable rivalries upon podiums that never were, They were and are real, They are not mere pixels and handles, They are friends, Past and present, And perhaps future also, People not profiles, Place a hand upon the screen, You can feel their palms against yours.
Happy new year! I know it was a few days ago, but that was for everyone I hadn’t got the chance to wish well. I hope you all had some grand celebrations. I think you all deserve it after the last couple years eh? Did many of you have to nurse a monster hangover afterwards? I’m genuinely curious. I had a bit of a quiet one myself. Not due to lack of invitations, but rather a distinct lack of energy. As it happens, it was also my birthday on the 2nd as well. Happy birthday to me and all that. Another year closer to the grave eh? Haha!
So, it’s time for the first edition of the Harlequins writing music of 2022! I wish I could claim I’m going to do something special, but alas, not this time my friends. It’s going to be a pretty standard showing. I hope that isn’t the negative it sounds in my head. Did anybody see the clue earlier today? I quite liked that one as I’m rather fond of that kind of artwork.
Well, now for the “big” reveal! Todays musical theme is the macabre! I don’t know if you knew this, but the generally grisly, morbid and darkest things have informed much of my creativity for years. Poetry about the undead, monsters, death and yes, those darn serial killers. Sure, much of my work is political, philosophical, satirical or just generally wacky in nature but I find it hard to conceal my interest in the macabre. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but the darker aspects of the world and human experience are not to simply be shirked. They are as real and unavoidable as the reaper itself. Art is not always aesthetically pleasing. I watch a lot of horror movies and shows alright? It’s not my fault. So, want to hear some music inspired by the darker aspects of the mind? I knew you would!
So, join me as we delve into the musical minds of ghastly artists the world over!
And there we have it once again! Some interesting artists there no? I actually tried to avoid the obvious macabre choice of just loads of gothic bands. That would have been a little too easy I feel. Cradle of Filth, Tiamat or Behemoth wouldn’t be bad choices if you’re into those kinds of bands. Also the Tiger Lillies and Creature Feature! I hope you find something that you enjoy here anyway. Check them all out, they all deserve the attention you know!
Speaking of attention, mind if I have some? I have social media sites you know! The asylum has a page over on Facebook, an account on Instagram and a page on Twitter as well. Please consider checking out those pages for random stuff! Also, if you enjoy what I do here at the asylum, please consider supporting me over on the Ko-Fi page too! Thanks for everything!
WorldofHarley 