Blog Six: Humanity, Hurtling and Hugging
- Lizard Brain
- Oct 12, 2020
- 2 min read
Hi all, life grumbles on with its various peculiarities. Some of it has a grinding quality. It may require persistence in the face of adversity. But as Richard was saying after our previous release Featureless Zone, our children have enough food. We are not being shelled out of our homes, struggling on two thirds of the minimum wage or in lockdown with an abusive partner. We may be in the same storm but we are not all in the same boat. The three of us can see all around us those in greater need and experiencing greater hardship.
So we will still hear artists singing about broken hearts when there are people on the other side of the world with broken heads. And if we have that middle-class privilege of being able to moan about seemingly less urgent concerns then we’re gonna use it. With two single releases this Friday 16th October. Yes two, both at the same time. I know, right? The first is Round And Round featuring Tony Jenkins on vocals and with Tony’s lyrics. Words that keep going round and round inside my head… words and lies, just promises and lies… going round in my head. Mark wrote the music and was thinking of kids whizzing round endlessly, dancing dervishes. For me, and I can’t remember where the quote is from, it reminded me of the couple who only ever had one argument. But trouble was they just kept having it, over and over again. Richard thought it was about politicians. Of course it could be about whatever speaks to you. But after seeing the presidential debate between Trump and Biden last week I’m more convinced by Richard’s interpretation. How did democracy ever get reduced to this?
Which of course makes it an ideal running mate for our release Othering as we hurtle towards the possibility of a second term for Donald Trump Jnr. This is a song about reducing other people’s humanity, because of their beliefs, or skin colour, or sexual orientation, and so the list goes on. We make them less than. Of course we know what‘s right for us. We know how to behave properly. So we know what’s right for everyone else too, and can tell them exactly where they are going wrong. In a rapidly changing world it gets confusing, never more so than now. Do we still belong? Are we starting to feel alienated or marginalised? Is the world moving on without us? Othering can help. It’s so tempting. We can be sure we belong precisely by pointing out those that don’t. I have a big list I’d like to add to most days! But I don’t. And to be honest that Donald has always looked like a man that needs a hug. I’m not being ironic. It may not help him but we might feel better ourselves anyway.
So in advance of the upcoming US elections in November let’s all take a moment to give Donald a big virtual hug…
Much love
Lizard David
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