#only the pre-chorus is relevant

[whirlybirbs]

I DIDNT ASK YOU TO CARE ABOUT ME 😭😭 YOU KNOW WHO

;   —   webs && whispers    |    miguel o'hara

summary: set pre-atsv. he's the hero. you're the villain. but, that's been changing, hasn't it? pairing: miguel o'hara / villain!reader (gender neutral) tags: pre-established 'situationship' aka hero v. villain, enemies to lovers, sexual tension thick enough you can cut it with a butter knife, established reader pseudonym a/n: ... the people asked, so the people got *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

EARTH-928B. NUEVA YORK. MANHATTAN. WEST & 13TH. 11:56 PM.

"You're a hard spider to find these days."

Miguel feels irritation slip up his spine long before the phantom shift of your voice meets his ears. It's a hazy sound, like a chorus of susurrations converging into one. 

In the last few months, he's grown accustomed to it. 

Miquel, however, isn't sure he'll get used to the way you slip in and out of space like the flea on the tightrope. Here nor there, always lurching between the frames in reality, always ephemerally present. And the sound — voices of past, present, and future all overlapping at once, then: silence.

In a disjointed stutter, you're suddenly close — encroaching on his personal space in a way that makes his lip curl. A flash of fangs emerges beneath his mask. 

His back is still to you.

"I'm not in the mood, Whisper."

Beneath your mask, your face twitches. He sounds exhausted — though that isn't entirely new for Nueva York's un-friendly borough-stalking Spider-man. 

"Are you ever?" you quietly chirp as you stalk up beside him; you cross your arms, "I'm inclined to think you're avoiding me."

Up here, on a penthouse roof backlit by the nightlife above and below, you watch tension ripple into his shoulders as he rolls his posture back. That black mask hasn't left the horizon. Tar-black eyes stare out over the city, only narrowing slightly at your accusation. 

"We aren't friends."

He turns to walk away.

In a rush of hushes, you appear directly before him.

"Mierda—!"

"Sorry."

"We talked about that, Whisper," Miguel leans his weight onto one leg, reaches up, and pinches his brow through his mask, "It's called personal sp—"

You roll your eyes. You straighten up and move to step back, but — instead — shift a meter backward. You talk over him.

"Personal space, right, sure, Spidey," you slip towards the edge of the building, planting a boot on the lip of the ledge. You wind your arms tighter around yourself, "You're ignoring my question."

"You never asked one," he grits; against his better judgment, he moves to your side at the ledge.

"It was implied."

"I've been busy."

"Too busy for your nemesis?" you tsk and click your tongue. 

He's looking at you now. 

"Please. 'Nemesis' is hardly the correct title."

You scoff. Your shoulders bob. "Oh? C'mon then, Spider-bite, what is?"

It's a fair question — one that Miguel wasn't sure he has the answer for. 

In the beginning, this little tango was rife with explosive violence, scalding anger, bloodied knuckles, and sworn endings. You were a terrorist, fated to exploit and destroy the people whose mistakes made you: Alchemax. He was the hero, destined to protect and serve the people of Nueva York. Good and bad. 

Constant. Like the rise of the sun and the fall of the moon. Spider-man versus Whisper. Frontpage headlines. Time and time and time again.

Then, something shifted. Miguel can't remember when it began, or why... But, the collisions of fists became a tandem of fists. A team-up brought on by — was it Mysterio, maybe? You never liked the guy. 

Lyla remembers. She remembers everything. The footage from the incident is shaky — blame the multiple CCTV views all meshed together in a hot tangle of the canon-relevant plot. 

Spider-man is down on his luck. On his knees. Mysterio: laughing. Vitals: dropping. Three ribs: broken. Mask: compromised. Lyla's footage swivels inward, the sight of Miguel's one eye. A rageful carnelian smithed hard into a pained gaze. 

Then, you. Standing: tall. Voice: rageful. Fists: lit with power and already cracking across the opalescent globe of Mysterio's helmet.

SPIDER-MAN IS MINE. 

Yours. 

When did that happen? When did you begin to see his side, when did you begin to admire the safe consistency he built in this city? When did you envy it? When did the rage fade at the thought of him? When did something more tepid, more comfortable crawl in?

You turn your face upwards; there's a when moment your masked gazes connect. For a moment, things are still. Slow. There isn't danger here, nor hatred nor anger. The tension is different. Palpable still, but it feels like swallowing roses more than blood.

He looks away first.

"Try 'Number One Annoyance'."

His voice is distant.

You hum. "Care to enlighten your 'Number One Annoyance', then? You've been gone. People have noticed."

He was afraid of that.

Miguel exhales tightly. "Get out of here, Whisper."

He can feel your scowl. Then, your physical form flickers for a moment. A wash of emotions is present — a tell. In the past, that was how he knew you were going to snap. Now, in this context, he isn't quite sure what to make of it. There's a rush of voices, smothered quickly by a grounding inhale. 

You're quiet for a long moment then. Miguel's chest is tight — it's guilt.

"I'm only asking because I care," you finally say; it's like it's been wrenched out of your chest by his own clawed fist. It's an admission as quiet as the shadowed hushes that follow your every warp through space. 

He reacts coldly. The only way he knows how to these days. "I didn't ask you to care."

The claws twist. 

Another fast crackle, transparency pulsing quickly through your spine and nerves. Here nor there. Ephemerally calm. Like the ocean before a storm. Your face twists fast to his. Mask be damned. Miguel can see anger. 

Guilt. And the dawning realization this was a mistake. 

"It's better if I do this alone," comes the follow-up. It's... gentler. Still cold. Harsh. 

You look away. "Do what?"

Your eyes stay affixed to the horizon. Spider-man doesn't move. The stirring in your chest hurts. Hurts worse when you realize he's right. After all, he's the hero and you're the villain. You both have roles to play. Parts to act. The show must go on. 

"...A part of you knows I can't tell you that."

You sigh, rolling your neck, "You're right."

"...And a part of me wants to tell you."

It's quiet. Nearly inaudible. But you hear it. And you can't help the loose grin that flashes across your face at the admission. Your scoff is more like a huff. Gloved palms slip to your hips as you step back from the ledge. 

Suddenly, the tension is different. Lighter. Like it was a handful of weeks ago before he disappeared into the woven stream of time. 

Miguel follows suit. Beneath his own mask, his expression has lightened. 

"Yea?" you ask, stepping back like a prey recognizing the hunt. 

Miguel steps forward, shrugging easily. His voice is almost playful. "Yea. But, y'know, last I checked you're wanted on a new charge of grand larceny—"

"Oops. Sticky fingers," you chitter with a waggle of your hands. He watches you slip downward and through the fabric of space. You emerge behind him in a whisper of wind. 

Miguel is quick, he catches your hand with a web and tugs. You let yourself land in his grip — his black-gloved hand wraps around your wrist. He knows you're allowing this. You could easily wash away through the air, manifest around him in any three-meter radius. 

The closeness is tight.

"While the Spider's away..." he tsks.

Your glove slips around the web and tangles it tightly in your fist. You push back and move around him. He's allowing this. His arm crosses behind his back. You absently admire the ripple of muscle there. 

Then, you unceremoniously kick the back of his left knee and he crumples. The grip on his hand is tight. Miguel grits his fangs. 

"Play nice," he warns.

"I've known you long enough to tell when you're stalling, you know," you let slip the chirp with a sly look at the black and red Spider-man. 

On cue, there's the hum of a patrol copter over your shoulder. A few blocks away, still, but it's coming. Somewhere, in the bowels of the city, sirens begin. 

[ BOLO ALERT, MOST WANTED. ALIAS: WHISPER. ]

"If you leave now, you'll beat them by a minute," he says slowly, "Sixty-five floors is quite the trek."

You loosen your grip and gently shake the web from your hand. Miguel rolls his shoulder. You slip through time, landing before him in a low squat.

Your voice is sincere. 

"Try not to be a stranger."

"No promises."

"I'd never ask for one," you call over your shoulder as you stand and move towards the far ledge. Your costume, as pitch-black as the darkest night, is light in red and blue from the arriving patrols.

Just like that, in a haze of voices and a whisper of time, you're gone. 

And Miguel is left to himself on that rooftop, again.

#webs & whispers #spider-man x reader #spiderman x reader #miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel ohara x you #miguel o'hara x y/n #miguel o'hara reader insert #spiderverse reader insert #spiderverse imagine #miguel o'hara imagine #atsv x reader #atsv

[oboetemasuka]

"I Love You" and "The Purge March" comparison

If you recall my Amane and Mahiru mashups, you might have noticed that I included everything from the second, softer "chorus" onwards. (I called it a "prechorus" in "I Love You", but anyway)

How well would the entire songs mash up together? (For the sake of my own sanity, I won't actually be mashing them up)

(I'll reblog with relevant links eventually) (edit: I realized I missed the second "zettai zettai zettai"... I put that in. It's five bars)

Intro/Verse 1:

I Love You: 20 bars - 4 in opening instrumental; the fourth bar is only 3 beats - 8 bars in the first two stanzas - 2 bars that are honestly quite disorienting - 6 bars in the rest of the verse

The Purge March: 26 bars - 2 bars drum rolloff - 8 in intro - 8 in verse 1 - 8 in prechorus

Prechorus/Chorus/Postchorus:

I Love You: 16 bars (8 in (pre?) chorus, 8 in (post?) chorus)

The Purge March: 16 bars (8 in chorus, 8 in postchorus)

Verse 2:

I Love You: 25 bars - 8 bars of instrumental - 8 bars of singing - 8 bars of the verse 1 rap (the "ishokujuu" stanzas) - 1 bar of siren

The Purge March: 13 bars - 8 bars of verse (the latter four are the first verse, spoken) - 5 bars of prechorus

Last Prechorus/Chorus/Postchoruses:

(From this point on, I already did the mashup. They're the same number of bars)

I Love You: 32 bars - 8 bars of the softer (pre?) chorus - 8 bars of the last (pre?) chorus (new lyrics!) - 8 bars of (post?) chorus (DAI DAI DAI DATTE SUKI SUKI) - 8 more bars of (post?) chorus (Sorry about that, it's just so catchy)

The Purge March: 32 bars - 8 bars of the softer chorus - 8 bars of the last chorus (new lyrics!) - 8 bars of postchorus - 8 bars of postchorus (new lyrics!)

In conclusion:

If you wanted to do a full mashup, First, account for the key changes. The first verse of "I Love You" is in C minor (3 flats). The verses of "The Purge March" are in E major (4 sharps). Everything else is in G Major and has a similar chord progression, which is perfect for mashups. The beginning would be difficult to sync, but you could block Mahiru's lines into Amane's intro/verse 1 or verse 1/prechorus. The chorus is pretty straightforward. For the second verse, you could put Amane's first verse in front of the second verse to give the same effect as Mahiru's second verse. And I've already made the last bit.

But I feel like such a mashup would be very, very cursed.

#milgram #mahiru shiina #amane momose #music analysis

[loupy-mongoose]

You’ve mentioned before that the song “I’m here” from Sonic Frontiers is one you’ve heavily associated with Randy and the Linden Roots saga. They recently came out with two new versions of the song for The Final Horizon DLC—the orchestral and revisited—so which one do you think suits him best? Alternatively, which one’s your favorite?

(PS: from that same DLC soundtrack, the vocal version of the song “I’m with you”? I could absolutely see Randy singing that to the kids. Or even Akoya.)

For y'all's convenience, here's all the relevant songs. ^w^ (There could be spoilers for the recent Sonic Frontiers DLC present, so be aware of that.)

I'm Here--Original I'm Here--Revisited I'm Here--Orchestral Version I'm With You

Having spent dozens if not hundreds of hours listening to the original, while only hearing the new versions like, one-and-a-playthrough times… I’m a bit biased. XD (That and I'm not much a fan of metal elements in music, which Revisited adds.) The orchestral one sounds amazing, but it was kinda grating on me that it only played the first pre-chorus/chorus over and over. My brain demands that it go further! XD

The new ones are alright, but my heart lies with the original. (I do, however, appreciate Revisited clearing up that a part of it is “Blessed and bleak”, and not “Rest and bloom” XD)

I also feel the vibe of the original fits Randy best—the new ones are too “climactic” while the original felt more like a journey, which is how I see it applying to him.

And I totally agree about I’m With You and will definitely be drawing from that sometime! OwO I feel like it pretty well expresses his feelings after he's ghostified, and the mental freedom that comes with it. <3 (Gahh, I'm tearing up thinking about it. QwQ)

#jadeandroses #ask

[dilatorywriting]

I'm sorry if any formatting is wrong, this is the first time I've done this. SPOILERS(?) for 2016's Falsettos

I absolutely LOVE your Reaper Rook. I was originally a bit iffy with him (the character), but your characterization of him made me fall in love!

After I found you a few days or so ago, I binge read all your posts (your Valentine's special, Teacher's Hero vs. Villain, and Monster Mayhem Malleus have all found special places in my heart) and everytime you update I'm over here in a flash. Anyway, your answer to "What if Baker!Yuu got a bounty placed over their head?" got me thinking. And I'm dangerous when I think. I also connect any brainrots in my head to a song; the song I thought of for this brainrot was 'You Gotta Die Sometime' by Andrew Rannells from the 2016 musical Falsettos.

In both of the pre-choruses, Death is personified. In the first, it's more platonic/slightly romantic.

'Death is not a friend/but I hope in the end/he takes me in his arms/and lets me hold his face/he holds me in his arms/and whispers someting funny/he lifts me in his/and tells me to embrace his attack/then the scene turns to black'

I feel like this is kind of how Baker!Yuu thinks of Rook. He's not their friend, but more of someone who is just there a lot of the time; a friendly acquaintance. If they were to have a bounty over their head and Rook had to kill them, they'd hope it was peaceful and that he'd be nice about because of their relationship (if it was this early on).

The second pre-chorus is more sexual/romantic.

'Death's a funny pal with a weird sort of talent/he puts his arms around me/and walks me to the bed/he pins me up against the wall/and kisses me like crazy/the many stupid things I thought about with dread/now delight/then the scene turns to white'

The first line is self-explanatory. Moving on from the very obvious first line, the next verses Baker!Yuu would only think if they were given the time to fall in love with Rook. Now, they probably wouldn't think this exactly as they're more dry than dramatic like Whizzer is (the man singing the sing), but they'd think something similar if they were attracted to the reaper.

Another few verses that strike me as relevant that are early in the song are 'Death's gonna come/when it does, screw the nurse/I'll be eating hors d'oeuvres.' It makes sense that when Rook comes over, Yuu isn't that freaked out as it's become part of their daily routine. Though, I don't think there would be any nurse involved.

I'm sorry for how long this is. I've had this stuck in my head and needed to get it out. Originally, there were two more paragraphs about the plot of Falsettos, but I didn't want to bore you. Hope you can make sense of my word vomit. Please take care of yourself and drink water!

I've never seen/listened to Falsettos, but that all does sound like it matches up CRAZY well. I am a massive sucker for personifications of death in media (I mean, obviously enough that I had to vomit up one of my own with the help of a very lovely anon lol) I always get super excited when songs and things manage to line up with something I'm brainrotting about.

And thank you!! I'm glad Reaper!Rook managed to drag you into his clutches too ;)

#Asks #Monster Mayhem #Rook Hunt

[thaminho]

How Dreamcatcher’s ‘Demian’ took inspiration from Hermann Hesse’s 1917 novel of the same name

A short lyrical analysis by thaminho (~700 words)

Just looking at the title alone makes it easy enough, for someone who knows the book, to come to the conclusion that it had to have been an inspiration while writing the lyrics, although it still took me a day to make that connection, but what exactly are the thematic and textual parallels?

To start off here’s a quick summary of Hesse’s novel Demian (it’s extremely short and leaves out details not relevant for this analysis):

The book follows the protagonist Emil Sinclair’s life from his early school years up until young adulthood. He starts off as having a strict dialectical world-view: His secure and familiar home-life represents the proper and devout, the unfamiliar, forbidden and sinful side however seems more alluring to him; Sinclair is first confronted with this second side by being bullied in school.

Eventually an older student, Max Demian, saves him from this situation and becomes a sort of mentor figure for him. Over time, guided by Demian, Sinclair begins questioning the current antiquated world-views and societal norms, straying more and more from Christianity/Christian purity. While meeting more like-minded individuals he realizes, that a fundamental, societal shift of the whole system has to happen and that it can only happen through its destruction and eventual rebirth.

Trying to find his own path in life, free from conditioned thinking and biases, still guided by Demian (among others) this shift happens: The First World War breaks out. Demian and Sinclair both get recruited and wounded in battle. Seeing Demian pass away Sinclair realizes he doesn’t need him as external guidance anymore, he has become one with him, having taken an important step of individuation.

Now to compare the book plot to the song lyrics. As reference I used my own translation of the song which you can also find on my blog or through the link at the bottom of this post; the text in 'air-quotes' are literal quotes from that translation.

In both works you can find a personal plot line as well as an over-arching more general one; I’ll start with the former:

As in the beginning of the novel the speaker of the song is in a miserable situation, their ‘mind obscured’, and looks towards a Demian to guide them (Verse 1: ‘Stay with me tonight this is a nightmare’). They want him to ‘stay with [them] forever’ until ‘the end of the world’ because they are ‘only filled with rage’ and need guidance.

However, they are hinting at a future without someone to guide them by implying their Demian ‘seem[s] like a fantasy’ but will disappear eventually, as ‘reality is spiteful’, thereby referencing Demian’s death and the speakers need to find their own path alone, which in the situation the speaker is currently in still seems unachievable.

Interwoven between these verses are the ones referencing the novel’s more general plot of societal change: They need to ‘break this elaborate [system]’ in order for it to change, this dysfunctional system putting people in ‘difficult situations’ that make them ‘corrupt each other’, where there is ‘evil growing on its own’.

While in the novel the system refers to an extremely traditionalistic, Christian puritan culture devoid of any so-called earthly pleasures, room for creative development and ultimately humanity, the system in this song might refer to the pollution of earth as driver for climate change, thereby tying the song to the rest of Dreamcatcher’s Apocalypse albums. That’s also the reason for the appeal-like verses telling the listeners directly never to stop fighting as small action are all it takes to continue (see Verse 2).

Lastly the line ‘breaking the egg’ in the pre-chorus might seem weird at first or like a translation error, however it is directly referencing the most famous quote of the novel.

„Der Vogel kämpft sich aus dem Ei. Das Ei ist die Welt. Wer geboren werden will, muss eine Welt zerstören“, which translates to

“The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who wants to be born has to destroy a world”

It symbolizes the epiphany, that the necessary massive societal change is tied to an equally massive sacrifice at the expense of the current system. While in the novel the anachronistic, stiffly conservative culture is destroyed by the First World War, one can only imagine what kind of destruction event the lyricist of this song had in mind for the current capitalism-based pollution system.

#dreamcatcher #demian #dreamcatcher demian #lyric analysis #songtext analysis #dreamcatcher demian lyrics #dreamcatcher demian analysis #hermann hesse #small orange dragon creates

[waterparksdrama]

I’m begging for a Fandom track by track pls

ok ok i've been delaying it for a while so why not for you anon. i have a lot of personal opinions about this one so it's probably gonna be way more biased than other track by tracks lol

cherry red - an intro that gives off this sort of dreamy epic 80s vibe if you weren't paying attention to the lyrics much. he uses a lot of color imagery entwined with the happenings of their relationship to lament it at this point and begin this cycle between mourning the relationship and getting caught up with living with being perceived by the public eye all during this. it's a good intro and i like the instrumentals - 8/10

watch what happens next - see this is one of those songs i'd like better as a song if the message didn't age badly and didn't make cringe really hard. the first lines already Aged. a criticism of fan consumption of their music and their place in the scene as rockers. blah blah blah awsten wants money and doesn't like the need for the rock scene to undersell themselves for approval but also i think some of your expensive clothes are ugly as shit awsten so what now. not to mention the poorly aged second verse about hiphop and genre mixing (specifically with a jealous dig at old town road) considering the other factors associated with hip hop and how the soundcloud emo rap scene of the time slowly evolved into the "emo revival" we see today that bolstered parx's current relevancy tbh (they opened for my chem and are playing wwwy fest this year hello). but anyways as a song it's fine; the sassy guitars pull more punches than the lyrics end up doing and maybe i'm proving the point of the lyrics even if they're poorly aged but god shut up sometimes awsten - 5/10

dream boy - this is legitimately the only fandom song i can listen to regularly LMAOOO. i heard this in public before because they put this on radio disney it was terrifying. anyways back to the song. it's a poppy song about fan expectations and how awsten exists differently in fans' heads than in reality. i think this is one of the few songs that i think hit the mark of satirizing fans completely bc. i won't lie i do this completely whoops (i'm an rpf writer and run this blog what else do you expect of me). i don't think some fans realize the irony of using this song against each other whenever some awsten related drama comes up considering they usually have an even more warped view of him but. i digress. also justice for glitter times your pre chorus will forever live on here... - 8/10

easy to hate - another song about the breakup hence all the color imagery and apparently originally a friendly reminder song. not much to note here; it's a catchy little song that plays with some of the elements he used to write about ciara in the past to get this anti love song. i guess you could argue the chorus could also apply to parasocial relations hence the music video and everything but yeah. fine song. intro synths remind me of an old ringtone. - 7/10

high definition - i get the ode to imogen heap's hide and seek with this song and i can appreciate that but for me it's just so...eh. lyrically it's a song that follows awsten's struggles with trying to find love in a post-ciara world. there's some interesting lines here and there but nothing truly hits for me and sometimes i think about the lyric "now i'm canceled, i'm whatever" at random times and cringe.

not to mention the extreme cringe i get from what he said about the song in the rocksound track by track:

There’s a song that’s all, ‘Back then hoes didn’t want me, now I’m hot hoes all on me’ [Mike Jones’ ‘Back Then’] – but not in like a bragalicious way. It’s an, ‘I’m like really lonely, I hate all of this’, kind of way. It’s like that.

why. you do not have hoes. shut up. get ready for more of awsten's white ass making cringey rap references bc there's one later on none of us are gonna like. i think i have personal beef with this song bc i had a sign for wwdff at my show, he looked at it, and then he did this in complete and nothing else. - 4/10

telephone - a love song (about some girl he never talked to at a target). considering he has all this written about a person he made up traits in his mind, it makes sense why all the true love songs by parx are probably just about the concepts of people that aren't technically real if you think about it. musically, its piano riffs takes its cues from 60's pop before evolving into this sparkly fun chorus. tbh it's just fine to me and i used to think the obsessive love song thing about a stranger was weird but now i've written 10x more messed up fanfic about him so i can't even judge that too hard. blah blah can also tie into themes of fan perception and falling in love with a concept once again yeah i think it's just a fine song. i just like when otto says the ending at live shows. - 6/10

group chat - this isn't even a fuckin song. and according to the genius lyrics page this is what it means:

He strongly implies that the song is about fake friendships between famous figures, where people may often pose as friends purely for the sake of sharing it online. This phenomenon that has grown more rampant in the modern world as those in the public eye partake in this practice as a means of boosting popularity on social media. This also occurs within the music industry itself, when companies chose to featuring artists purely to maximize the buzz surrounding the song.

i'm just more focused on the fact that this is the first time otto's been mentioned by name in the parx discography and it wasn't even by awsten. isn't that fucked up. - n/a (not a fuckin song)

turbulent - i can distinctly remember my first time listening to this with my friend after choir class and we both came to the same conclusion: the song was stupid except for the ending when he stopped singing. this is still how i feel about the song. that opening line is so goddamn stupid and i still don't think patrick stump knows he's in this song or who waterparks is. did you know if ciara didn't like fall out boy as much he probably would've compared himself to ryan ross and brendon urie? nightmare. this is one of the songs i pit to at live shows because when you pit, you don't actually listen to the song. it has better energy live than it does recorded but i'm not rating the live version though. i think the production is much cooler than literally anything else in this stupid song with it's breakcore beats and random dogs - 5/10

never bloom again - remember when awsten teased this song for years saying this song would be the one making people cry and now years later no one talks about it that much. "all the girls in los angeles look like you from a distance", honey you date the same blonde clone with different mental illnesses every time i don't know why you're so surprised at this. i think there are some interesting lines here and there, i just feel like its strengths are staying simple in its verses because the chorus feels kinda corny with the extra stuff on top of everything because of that cervini style of big production. - 5/10

i miss having sex but at least i don't wanna die anymore - i miss when this title leaked and we thought this was fake. i hate this song and everything it stands for i'll just say it. the true beginning of awsten using annoying blunt lyrics out of fear of being misinterpreted because media literacy in most places has gone downhill and it's supposed to be honest by making fun of what fans want of him as well as airing out his relationship in a way. god he sounds so annoying in here and i get that's supposed to be the point but goddddddd. musically it's just some pop folk song but none of you care about that i know you want to know the other stuff. this song is probably the start to the end with it going viral on tiktok and beginning the divide between fans that became fans through the scene and fans that found them through tiktok. i fucking hate this song and its impact on parx today and the fact that it's their most popular song and a mainstay of the setlist will forever make me bitter because they have so many better songs and also christmas is more popular on tiktok and he still refuses to play it because he is a pussy - 0/10

war crimes - ok back to songs i can stomach. a driving song about awsten dealing with his peers in the scene and his isolation with his real friends being back home in texas while he moved to la. along with this, he still has to balance his feelings with the breakup all while being perceived by the public. it mostly deals with awsten truly having to become independent of all of these things and stand up for himself (no i still don't know who the coke thing is about there's too many people). musically, it shifts a lot of different ways from the light chorus to the more brooding verses. good song. - 7/10

[reboot] - he's white boy rapping again. this is never a good thing. it's literally just a breakup song again shocker. throws a lot of digs at ciara with wordplay that i can't really hear unless i read the lyrics because it sounds he's scatting. i just remember this song bc i remember he made a whole deal about how he was trying to avoid being misogynistic on this album bc of the subject matter (specifically calling girls a bitch) and then he used the chew toy metaphor to indirectly call her a bitch anyways. yeah. i think some parts of the production are interesting specifically the stuttering halts in the second verse but other than that. whatever. - 3/10

worst - i remember when the original demo leaked because it was around the same time of the felony steve mixtape. it was a weird time. has some of the Lyrics of All Time and i mean this in a bad way. remember when i said awsten makes some cringy rap references this is one of the ones i mean:

why. why. why. this is not a line that works when you're white. i think the chorus in the album version sounds more interesting at least production wise. does that mean it's a good song? no. this is a song that makes me hold the bridge of my nose and go "oh god why this is clearly something you wrote in the moment" - 4/10

zone out - a chiptune reprise of the dream boy chorus. awsten says that putting it at this point in the album is meant to come off sarcastic, but to me i feel like it sounds more defeated than anything. more of a "what now?" moment. i like it, sue me. - 6/10

i felt younger when we met - the beginning and ending to the cycle of his relationship with ciara and his fans watching. here, he mourns the things he misses about her and the things he did for her. it's the emotional core of the album combining the heavy electronics strung throughout the album with the big guitar led chorus leading the album back to the beginning because things just don't stop at that point. it's a great closer that does its job of being the emotional crux of the album of losing someone you end up making up and missing over and over - 8/10

i'll be honest with you i haven't listened to fandom in full since it actually leaked in 2019. i brushed off the album at the time because me and my friends had our own little drama with awsten (and his la friends who aren't even his friends anymore ironically) because he was tiring. trying to preach ideas and people that would do the same things he hated because he was away from his real friends back home. i was tired of what he was trying to come off as.

nowadays i'm still tired of him sometimes, but i think his time offline has made the idea of him more palatable; when he's not trying to quip with the sardonic teens that make up his fans today, it's easier to remember him as a person. when he's not online, he's probably buying groceries or having lunch with a friend, working and writing music in his apartment or a studio.

it begs the question on an album named fandom (that doesn't call out its fanbase nearly as much as deal with the emotional turmoil of a breakup) on how we perceive each other and how that can come crumbling down when reality hits. i can try and compartmentalize awsten the ideal and awsten the reality in my head, but do most people even realize that divide should be there?

it's probably the thing to comment on considering the existence of this blog, the way it lives in surveillance from both fans and the band + associates themselves because we say things that aren't nice but are true or just straight up fuck around for fun. the fourth wall between fans and creators grows more blurred and blurred with each day. there's something to comment on this about cycles of hypocrisy from everyone on all sides but i'll leave it at this: whatever we do on here, whether make a joke or point, becomes some fodder for spectacle in the same way awsten posts on any of his accounts. it's a cycle.

i won't lie, i still think this album sucks. most of the songs just don't hit the mark for me or are just straight up embarrassing and half the time i want to shake awsten and tell him “you are not kanye west, you are a bitch ass white boy from cypress”. however as an album, it does feel like one big piece all puzzled in together. it loops from beginning to end.

and the cycle keeps going on and on..... - iz

#i can't promise most of this makes sense but. it's here #track by track

[astraeasilvers]

I'm a hobby-author currently posting fics on AO3. I have a story ongoing on Wattpad as well, but have been struggling with writing that one, so only the prologue and first chapter are up.

I mostly write Eyeshield 21 HiruSena ship fics. I hope you all enjoy! Thank you for sticking with me!

Currently working on:

Silver Phoenix - Wattpad

Lightspeed Heartbeat - AO3

Arpeggio 21: The Devil’s Chorus - AO3

Beyond the Veil and into the Dark - AO3

In Your Company - AO3

Coded - AO3

The Guardian from Hell - AO3 | (To Be Posted 27/3/24)

What Lurks in the Heart - AO3 | (To Be Posted 8/5/24)

I've started uploading Music Compilation/Playlist Videos onto my YouTube! Feel free to check them out!

Check out my Linktree for more fun stuff!

Videos:

A Deimon Devilbats Vibes Playlist [Eyeshield 21]

A Sena Vibes Playlist [Eyeshield 21]

A Hiruma Vibes Playlist [Eyeshield 21]

A HiruSena Vibes Playlist [Eyeshield 21]

Lightspeed Heartbeat [A HiruSena Fic Playlist]

Arpeggio 21: The Devil’s Chorus [A HiruSena Fic Playlist]

🤫 [Pre-Shared/In-Progress] Arpeggio 21: The Devil's Chorus Mentions Playlist

I try to be active on updating you guys here, but I've got the memory of a goldfish, soooo...

A Little About Me:

I go by they/them or he/him pronouns. I'm Genderfluid. Specifically Demiboy/Agender.

I'm also Ace/Aro! If that isn't already obvious by how I write certain scenes... (take that as you will)

I have two cats! Well, technically four, if you count my sister's

I have major ADHD and forget to be active on social media, so when I am, its in spurts of chaotic energy.

I'm autistic. So I do not handle social cues well at all. So keep that in mind if you interact with me LOL

I intend to write a lot of fics, but I try to keep myself limited. Yeah, well that doesn't always work, seeing as I'm now at four, and promised myself only one.

Tags:

#alt account (for when I reblog any of my posts from my general writing account @astraeawritingarchive )

#my polls (for any polls I make, usually for feedback)

#astraea's thoughts (for my thoughts, comments, and such)

#astraea writes (for the passage shares and chapter teasers!)

#astraea txt (for my thoughts mid-writing)

#astraea's life (for any updated going on in my life that will affect my uploads and posting)

#upload schedule (for posting what my intended AO3 uploads will be for a certain month. Subject to change)

#meme recreation (for things I turn into ES21 memes)

#fanart (for the rare occasions someone makes fanart of my fic!)

#future fic (for any ideas I have that I want to turn into a future fic, and want to share the idea of)

#fanfic writers | #ao3 author (for any posts where I want to share that LOL)

#fanfic (for general usage on all my fanfic updates, or reblogs of others fics)

#hirusena (for all my fandom geek-outs)

#hirusena music (for all playlists I make, and any songs that make me think of them!)

#hiruma yoichi (for all posts where he is relevant)

#sena kobayakawa (for all posts where he is relevant)

#supernatural au | #mafia au (for use on my fic, Beyond the Veil and Into the Dark)

#slice of life au | #horimiya au (for use on my fic, In Your Company)

#music au (for use on my fic, Arpeggio 21: The Devil's Chorus)

#racing au | #initial d au (for use on my fic, Lightspeed Heartbeat)

#sword art online au | #gamer au (for use on my fic, Coded)

#advanced player au (for use in my fic, The Guardian from Hell)

#vampire au (for use in my fic, What Lurks in the Heart)

#HiruSena #fanfic #initial d au #ao3 stuff #archive of our own #fanfiction #ao3 #hiruma yoichi #sena kobayakawa #writing #ao3 link #ao3 author #fanfic writers #authors #eyeshield 21 #hirusena #music au #music reference #linktree #link #youtube #youtube video #playlist #songs #youtube channel #music compilation #supernatural au #mafia au #slice of life au #horimiya au

[eldritchmochi]

yeah I am pretty young lmao, I'll spare you from another playlist by just naming some artists that gave me inspiration for god knows at some point

first off you mentioned Hozier, which I kinda only mention because he released a new album recently. Arctic Monkeys and Father John Misty are kinda in the same boat as him. More like the same lake.

The Amazing Devil and The Oh Hellos never fail to give me some sort of D&D/character inspiration. Ghost does?? something??? as well with characters, but specific ones. Same with Steam Powered Giraffe.

other than that, Library Magic by The Head And The Heart is very Wizard, along with The Magician by Andy Shauf. and because I just can't go without mentioning it, Queen is my favorite band. :)

that's all! with any luck it'll end up being useful somehow lol

hozier is one of those artists who i dont listen to on purpose like ever i dont thinki could name a single song of his with confidence BUT i know his voice starkly as one i really lusted after pre-t. i saw he just dropped a new album and i HAVE to give it a listen to especially the video of sssomething or other (full album mv??? pLEASE) because it stars domnall gleeson and i am still horny for that man even after all these years (he's the actor for hux for context lmao)

queen is also one of my long time favs, though definitely a band i dont know in and out the way i do with a lot of more modern punk bands lmao. freddie has and always will be Gender (god the video for i want to break free was IT for me in like 8th grade right around when i came out)

ive seen spg live before!! they are *great* experience even if you're not deep into the lore (i had friends who were big lore fans). i have heard precisely One And A Half Ghost Songs and im keeping it that way on purpose because its just sooooooo funny that im not into them because aesthetically they are way up my alley (and one of my sibs, a number of irl buddies, and MANY artists i follow are all nuts for them)

ive some passing familiarity with the artic monkeys, enough that i can pick out a number of their more popular songs on the radio even if i cant name them (i am garbage at song titles tho so)

i'll have to check out the rest, especially good Wizards Songs 👀

in response!! further things to check out:

FUNKY.FM - playlist by alexmoukala who is one of my FAVOURITE video game composers. i know him primarily through twitter where he posts snippets of remixed or reimagined video game music... but FUNKY (this one is particularly relevant to u based of ur playlist shared w me)

ye old spooky club 1995 - playlist by unnerving governess who i am 90% sure is gothic charmschool. i know i got the link thru her but i thiiink she also made it (another playlist that may vibe w u based off your playlist)

creature feature, especially the album "the greatest show unearthed" (ookey spooky rock with a lot of vincent price era horror camp and a lot of really impressive technical skill. i want it to be halloween damnit)

the mind electric by the miracle musical (behold, the essence of the inside of my brain but in tangible form. it is. incredibly ominous. do recommend headphones for max goosebumps (includes a lot of records played backwards type sounds and other distortions))

dance monkey by tones and i (one of my big essek songs since i get a lot of that vibe where he's beholden to his station for *so much* that its a disservice to his growth as a person)

bottom is a rock by mother mother (my m9 as a whole song. the chorus has a line for each of them i stg and if i could reliably draw i would do an old school lyricstuck to it)

my verdict on ur playlist btw is that it is very solid and cohesive a+, but *just* to the left of my tastes, largely because a lot of it skews 70s/80s which just by nature of the beast lacks the bass i like (because it was mixed entirely different compared to modern music, which is better suited for sounding big when played digitally through smaller speakers. ive heard some of these bands on big sound systems and theyre MUCH more in line with my tastes then lmao)

#mochi rambles #mochi music #dragonknuckles #public reply since no links and also these recs are great imma make people look at em lmao #i have definitely pilfered a couple songs tho

[criticalbeauregard]

okay someone asked me to elaborate so here’s the imodna teenage dream post:

minor spoilers for campaign 3 below the cut (only explicitly up to episode 23)

i will preface by saying this is not something i’ve been thinking about for very long. it just came on shuffle while i was cooking earlier and i ran in my room and made that post. also, i usually do character song analysis just for myself in google docs (which i did a lot during c2) so i’m going to try to make this comprehensible and just point out the most relevant lyrics (because if i talked about all the lyrics, which i could, this would be way too long)

verse 1: most important lines are “I know you get me, so I let my walls come down” and “before you met me, i was alright, but things were kinda heavy” which to me is specifically imogen pov. she has specifically used “letting walls down” imagery to refer to her powers and talked about how meeting laudna was important because she was different from everything else (musical), here meaning “not heavy”. 

pre-chorus: the pre-chorus is mostly fun and i read as the life they could have together/want to have past all the bad stuff (”laudna, lets move here when everything is done!”). a notable line is “you and I, will be young forever” which could be kind of melancholically interpreted as a nod to the fact that laudna will never age. 

chorus: there’s a lot here. the idea of the “teenage dream” is something i found interesting and didnt even make the connection of imogen having literal dreams when i made the original post. however, i think the “you make me feel like i’m living a teenage dream” is from both of their pov because neither of them got a normal childhood/teenage life. love is something neither of them expected to experience. a more literal approach for imogen is the fact that she is racked with nightmares all the time but laudna can be her waking “dream”. “let’s run away and don’t ever look back” of course references laudna going from town to town and eventually finding imogen and taking her away from her home where she was struggling. “my heart stops when you look at me. just one touch, now baby i believe, this is real” i see more from laudna’s pov. laudna’s heart is something references a lot in fanfic (i’ll talk about this more at the bridge), specifically that it beats very slowly so the heart stopping being read as literal is funny to me. the next part of that lyrics comes from my own interpretation of laudna’s feelings. i don’t think laudna would ever believe imogen (or anyone) could truly love her romantically, so it would take a real “touch”/a explicit confession or move for her to “believe this is real”.

verse 2: more cute stuff, i see this as a recounting of their time on the road before bell’s hells and realizing how well they work together.

bridge: “i’ma get your heart racing” is just such a fanfic imodna line. a lot of the time in fanfic i’ve read laudna’s heart “racing” is written as it just beating at a normal human speed. i find it endearing to imagine imogen taking this (or laudna’s ability to blush, which is also used often) as a “challenge”, for lack of a better word. “let you put your hands on me” i think could go either way but i generally hear as more of an imogen line as well. whether this is because imogen seems to be less physically affectionate than laudna, with people that aren’t laudna (perhaps because of her powers and how being close to people makes them worse). but it’s also worth nothing the fact that laudna is generally viewed as scary or potentially harmful, especially in relation to her hands at times (long nails, black ichor, more recently breaking the stone etc.) so imogen saying she wants laudna to “put her hands” on her is important. 

i think that’s all for now! the rest repeats the pre-chorus, chorus and bridge. like i said i thought of this today so if i think of anything else to add i will later. overall just the idea of a “teenage dream” and the imagery it has makes it a kind of fun pop imodna song that can actually be sad if you examine it but doesn’t have to be. if you read this whole thing you’re insane but i love you if anyone has anything else to add feel free to do so. also if someone has posted about this/put this on an imodna playlist before pls lmk! otherwise if you think my takes are way off and you want to tell me about it please be kind. <3

#this got so long why dsfkgh #you guys should see my beau garden song analysis #this is for the 4 people that enabled me <3 enjoy #im sorry for this and also you're welcome #imodna #imogen temult #cr laudna #critical role #music analysis #lyric analysis #teenage dream #katy perry #imogen x laudna

[boy-subtraction]

layers!! details!! the foundations, if you will!!!

i wanna talk about the way Foundations is written, because looking at it closely there are a lot of layers. i love the way gerard writes!! it's so much fun to dig into, there's so much rich detail and worldbuilding. this is gonna be one of a few posts i think because i have WAY too much to say about this song, so stay tuned if u feel so inclined.

ok lets go!

the first sort of frame we have is in the 3rd person:

the narrator is talking about "the man" here, whose identity is revealed in the second verse:

this verse details the conception of the band and its origins, but more about that in a later post prolly. the "he" is gerard!

there's also some 1st and 2nd person narration going on in the choruses:

so, we have these 3 different frames of narration going on. who's the "our" though? in the second verse, we get 1st person narration again:

so, because the 2nd verse focuses on the origins and eventual end of mcr, it's implied that the "we" and "our" of this song refers to mcr as a whole.

so then, what's up with the "you"? the narrator of the song is talking to someone. back to that in a second though, i have to set up some other stuff first.

I want to know who the narrator is. the song starts out with this vignette of gerard, as described by the narrator. the narrator seems to know a lot about him, telling us what he dreams of ("all the battles won") and just basically what's going through his head.

to me, this implies the narrator is also gerard (which makes sense, because he wrote the song, at least in part), looking at another version of himself.

back to that "you". throughout the song, you have these different voices talking to each other. specifically in the bridge, we can see this really clearly. it becomes more apparent when you listen to the song because different vocal effects are applied to either part.

(note: not particularly relevant here, but i believe that the first line is "against faith (antihero)" as sung live, correct me if i'm wrong)

earlier in the song though, we can really see this conversation taking shape:

the transition from "he was there" to "and we would all build towers of our own" is like Narrator Gerard is looking at gerard ("standing on the hill" as it were) and talking about his experiences, and then Hill Gerard jumps in to add to the story!! and then it switches again, only this time Narrator Gerard is talking directly to Hill Gerard!! he is having!! a conversation with himself!!

Ok this is getting really really long but there's one more thing i want to place emphasis on in terms of the framing of Foundations.

there are a few changes in tense along with the changes in pronouns. The song starts off in the present tense:

Narrator Gerard describes Hill Gerard in the present tense, which means their conversation also takes place in the present tense, but the third line begins to hint that they'll go deeper into the past. "Had" is the transitional word here, switching from present to past tense.

In the verses of the song, it's like these two versions of gerard are looking back on the band, how it began and ended, and they're just reminiscing. they're reflecting together on "the battles [gerard] has won" and the ones they and the band lost.

This changes in the pre-chorus, chorus and bridge though, with a more critical tone being taken, but more of that in a different post. my brain is melting.

So, to recap:

There are three distinct frames in this song

the first is Narrator Gerard, talking about Hill Gerard, and by extension the rest of the band

the second is Hill Gerard, talking about himself and the band to Narrator Gerard

The third is Narrator Gerard responding to Hill Gerard

This song is one of reflection on the past, and one of moving forward. More to be written on that.

Holy shit if u made it through this entire fucking post you deserve an award or some shit. my sincerest apologies.

#the amount of time i spend thinking about this song #tbh this BAND #unhealthy prolly #mcr #foundations #foundations of decay #rhetorical analysis #can u tell im a comparative lit major #bog's foundation analysis #my chemical romance #gerard #gerard way

[lordmayokcorner]

NewJeans Discography Review

-- up to 5/4/23 --

-- image: soompi --

NewJeans. A really, really, big name in 2023. Their sound is light, dark, and smooth, incorporating elements of old school k-pop and blending it with smooth production and clean vocals. In a world full of loud powerful girl crush groups, a group like NewJeans is a breath of fresh air for many. Despite some controversy with the age of some of the members, they remain not only one of the most popular 4th generation kpop groups, but will certainly be influential and relevant for years to come.

I’ve heard some songs more than others, but I’ve heard all of them at least 3 times. Each song will be rated on a scale of 1-10 with 5 being completely neutral, 1 being my least favorite song, and 10 being the best songs ever. Please take my rating with a grain of salt, my goal is to be honest not to spread hate :)

Attention - 9.5/10

Vocal chops and soft keys lead this smooth R&B style track. The verses are tight and neat, and the chorus blossoms into a beautiful array of texture, timbre, and harmony. The percussion only takes this song to a higher level. I absolutely love this song. I’m a sucker for R&B, I always have been. It’s like they took Le Sserafim’s Impurities and made it even better. Also reminds me quite a bit of Why off LOVESTRUCK! by Kep1er.

Hype Boy - 10/10

More vocal chops at the start of this song. The difference is that this beat immediately has more drive. Honey-soft vocals blend with the thin synth sound of the verse, creating a relaxed but entertaining buildup to a chorus unlike any other in kpop. The vocals in the chorus are absolutely stunning. Clear, raw, and powerful. One of my favorite songs, period.

Cookie - 6/10

A polyrhythmic synth beat starts off this song. The style is much more hip-hop inspired than the first two tracks. The clean and simplistic vibe continues, though at times it can be boring. Unfortunately, the lyrics of this song are very questionable, particularly for someone as young as Hyein. I know they’re technically about fans, but we all know what it sounds like. For those reasons this song doesn’t do as much for me, but it’s still pleasant.

Hurt - 7/10

Hi Bruno Mars! More vocal chops and more R&B feel. Classic boots-and-cats type beat. As usual, smooth and molasses-like vocals. Like Cookie, it can get slightly boring, but it’s nice to listen to. I like it more than Cookie but definitely less than the rest of the songs I’ve rated so far.

Ditto - 7/10

Ethereal and iconic “ooh-hoo-hooooo” starts off this one. Sing it anywhere in public if you’re brave and at least one person will start singing along. The snares and sustained pads are aesthetic to say the least. Unfortunately, in my opinion the vocals are less magnificent, and the melodies are a bit lackluster. Needless to say, this song is still iconic.

OMG - 8/10

More of the iconic synth sound, only here there’s a bit more resonance. More backup vocals as well. It feels like the other songs are ODD Front and this song is Girl Front (LOONA OEC) if that makes any sense. More backups, more substance. Less addictive than Hype Boy but is nonetheless a masterpiece. The “they keep on asking me who is he” backup vocal is so iconic and amazing. Despite the more involved production, this song doesn’t have too much direction and the vocals are only great rather than incredible. Solid 8.

Zero - 10/10

A glitchy arpeggiated sine synth leads the verse, and soon after a jungle beat and smooth synth bass kick in. The vocal processing is impeccable, and the surprisingly simple melodies are simply addicting in the context of the song. The drop in the melody before the tastefully chopped up pre-chorus perfectly set the stage for the uh…“Coca Cola is tasty, here’s some Coke.” A bit cringe, but it is a promo after all. Words cannot express how much I love this song though. This deserves more than a 10/10. So, SO, amazing!

Final Thoughts

Okay so yeah I am in love with NewJeans. Their concept is amazing, their vocals are amazing, their visuals are amazing, their sound is amazing, it goes on and on. Out of their discography I definitely like Zero the most, but Hype Boy and Attention are close. This is the first time I’ve given every single song on an album/collection over a 5/10. Congratulations NewJeans, you’ve set records on the charts, and records in my ears.

Thank you for reading this review! Let me know what you think!

- Maya

#newjeans #review #album review #music review

[hellkat808]

KARMA IS MY BOYFRIEND, TOO.

https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-karma-lyrics

[Verse 1]

You're talking shit for the hell of it

Addicted to betrayal, but you're relevant

You're terrified to look down

'Cause if you dare, you'll see the glare

Of everyone you burned just to get there

It's coming back around

[Pre-Chorus]

And I keep my side of the street clean

You wouldn't know what I mean

[Chorus]

'Cause karma is my boyfriend

Karma is a god

Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend

Karma's a relaxing thought

Aren't you envious that for you it's not?

Sweet like honey, karma is a cat

Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me

Flexing like a goddamn acrobat

Me and karma vibe like that

[Verse 2]

Spiderboy, king of thieves

Weave your little webs of opacity

My pennies made your crown

Trick me once, trick me twice

Don't you know that cash ain't the only price?

It's coming back around

[Pre-Chorus]

And I keep my side of the street clean

You wouldn't know what I mean

[Chorus]

'Cause karma is my boyfriend

Karma is a god

Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend

Karma's a relaxing thought

Aren't you envious that for you it's not?

Sweet like honey, karma is a cat

Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me

Flexing like a goddamn acrobat

Me and karma vibe like that

[Bridge]

Ask me what I learned from all those years

Ask me what I earned from all those tears

Ask me why so many fade, but I'm still here

(I'm still here, I'm still here)

[Breakdown]

'Cause karma is the thunder

Rattling your ground

Karma's on your scent like a bounty hunter

Karma's gonna track you down

Step by step, from town to town

Sweet like justice, karma is a queen

Karma takes all my friends to the summit

Karma is the guy on the screen

Coming straight home to me

[Chorus]

'Cause karma is my boyfriend (Karma is my boyfriend)

Karma is a god

Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend (Weekend)

Karma's a relaxing thought

Aren't you envious that for you it's not?

Sweet like honey, karma is a cat

Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me

Flexing like a goddamn acrobat

Me and karma vibe like that

[Outro]

Karma is my boyfriend

Karma is a god (Ah)

Uh-huh, mm

Karma's a relaxing thought

#music #spotify #middle finger #true love #karma taylor swift #karma is real #karma is my boyfriend #karma is a god #karma is a relaxing thought #karma is a cat #me and karma vibe like that #taylor swift #taylor swizzle

[tacittherapist]

TW: Religion and religious symbolism

[Verse 1] See the man who stands upon the hill He dreams of all the battles won1 But fate had left its scars upon his face With all the damage they2 had done

1Bog standard introduction of subject. Key links are left to passive voice; the man may not have participated in the battles, and said battles may not have even occurred given the man is merely dreaming of them. The key motif, however, is that this man is an idealist who idealizes glory.

2Object identity left vague. The damage has been inflicted by whom? The man? His enemies? Fate? This serves to obscure the source of the man's damage, which plays into the idealist motif. Who harmed this man? It doesn't matter; he suffered for his ideals.

[Pre-Chorus] And so tired with age He turns the page3 Let the flesh Submit itself to gravity4

3First mixed metaphor: 'turning the page' is conventionally meant to signify a change in story arc or motif. But given the man established earlier was not created via metaphor, perhaps the page is literal. This leaves these question unasked: Which book is this man holding; Is he reading the book, or writing it; What is the book about?

4This provides some clarity. The implication is that the flesh had been previously exempted from gravity somehow. This denial of natural law (read: physics) suggests a supernatural order to the 'flesh', which isn't directly given to the man; i.e. 'the' flesh, instead of 'his' flesh. Now we have an unspecified subject in play.

[Chorus] Let our5 bodies lay while our hearts will stay Let our blood invade if I die in pain Now, if your convictions were a passing phase May your6 ashes7 feed the river in the morning rays8 And as the vermin9 crawls We lay in the foundations of decay10

5Subject reference is abruptly changed to first person, as opposed to assumed third person. Who is 'our'? Who is the object? Whom is the speaker asking for permission? Is the 'let' figurative as in 'may this be'? Or is the phrase asking for explicit permission? This also suggests a very real religious undertone given the other motifs present in the earlier verses: an man who idealizes glory, 'flesh' that defies conventional physics, a book that may be ostensibly the Bible, and bodies left behind as 'hearts' (read: the soul, or spirit) remains.

6First conditional clause: if-may structure. The 'you' is also left vague here. Is 'you' the audience? The man from before? The subject from the previous verses?

7Ashes suggest the 'you' here has been incinerated. Generally this is a death rite in the form of cremation, but this also alludes to other folklore-related myth such as vampires turning to ash in the light of the sun. This is further supported by 8

8'Morning rays' plays a role in thematic setting, signifying that this event takes place after the chief conflict. Said conflict is left out of the explicit text to beg the question.

9Vermin is also left unspecified. Rats? Insects? Worms?

10The titular phrase here is inherently contradictory, or rather inherently at odds thematically. Foundations are the structure upon which everything else is built, and is supposed to be the most structurally sound. 'Foundations of decay' implies the most structurally sound part of the entire organization (structure, building, etc.) is inherently subject to erosion or other time-related physical disintegrity.

[Verse 2] He was there, the day the towers11 fell And so he wandered down the road12 And we would all13 build towers of our own Only to watch the roots corrode14

11This part is intriguing -- which towers? Are they metaphorical? Literal? My Chemical Romance is an American band, so the most notable event in American history involving towers is 9/11. But in other literary works, the other most notable tower might be the Tower of Babel of biblical canon. The Eiffel Tower isn't relevant given it was not a religious structure. The Tower of Pisa may be relevant though, given it was commissioned by the Catholic Church. I choose to believe this tower is rather unspecified, though. To pin it to specific historic towers would unduly color the narrative with some arbitrary culture. The key note here is that towers have been historically employed by religious design, to study the heavens in general, and to be physically closer to 'God'. Notable here is that 'He' is linked to these towers.

12It is of note that in this setting, roads are already established. This must take place after the advent of Babylon.

13The distinction between 'we all' and 'he' creates a separation between the speaker and the subject. We now know with certainty that the idealist from earlier is separate from the speaker, who is seemingly complicit in aping the tower construction. If we take this as a religious allegory, this is heresy at best, and sacrilege at worst.

14This is simply keeping in theme with the titular 'foundations of decay'. However, in context, this may imply that not only the man's religion is by nature unstable, but so too is any religion. On the other hand, perhaps the unstable nature of the foundation is inherent to the man's specific construction, and thus mimicking it even outside of religious purposes may lead to decay and instability. Such a distinction is yet to be illustrated within the context.

[Pre-Chorus] But it's much too late You're in the race15 So we'll press And press 'til you can't take it anymore16

15The race against what, exactly? The unspecified 'you' returns. The structure of narrative here implies, however, that the 'you' may actually be the 'he' from the first verse. The man built religious towers, they fell, and then 'we' built other towers following the same process, which are crumbling now as well.

16Here is the first somewhat aggressive verse -- the speaker does not make threats, merely stating that they and their peers will 'press' until 'you/he' 'can't take it anymore', suggesting a literal or figurative demise. So what caused this schism? One can only assume a turn away from religion. Perhaps the realization that the towers were decaying caused open revolt. Perhaps this was during any of the 'battles' the man dreamt of earlier. In any case, the speaker makes it clear that the man is no longer divinely protected as was assumed earlier.

[Chorus] Let our bodies lay while our hearts we'll save Let our blood invade if I die in pain And if, by his own hand, his spirit flies17 Take his body as a relic to be canonized18, now And so he gets to die a saint19 But she will always be the whore20

17'By his own hand, his spirit flies' is a euphemism for suicide. Generally this is seen as sacrilege in most religions, although it is an act most heinous in Christianity in particular. Under normal circumstances, this may imply the man is not a stand-in for Christianity. However, given the nature of the man's towers mentioned previously, it may be inferred that this act is actually in-character for a man of Christianity.

18There can be no more doubt that this song is directly addressing religion here. Other Abrahamic religions, such as Islam, are not without scrutiny either. However, 'canoniz[ing] a body', i.e. creating a saint is very much a Christian concept.

19See 18.

20This part is intriguing. There is a new subject - 'she', separate from 'he', and 'we'. 'The' whore here suggests this is Mary Magdalene, a witness to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and originally spun by the Church as a repentant whore. This pins 'the man' to a very specific set of historic religious figures. The list of saints canonized in Mary Magdalene's time is not too long, but unfortunately the narrative doesn't hint to anyone in particular; I choose to believe it's addressing Saint Peter, regarded as arguably one of the most pious figures in all of Christianity.

[Breakdown] (You look stressed out!) Against faith (Antihero)21 Against all life (As if it must be pure)22 Against change (Wander through the ruins)23 We are free (The guiltiness is yours)24

21This verse makes it extremely clear this song is anti-Christianity, if not anti-religious in general. Keep in mind that the root 'anti' means replacement, not 'opposite'. Thus, an antihero is one who replaces a supposed traditional hero (i.e. Saint Peter, Jesus Christ, etc.)

22Given 'Life' is touted by Christianity as God's most benevolent gift to humanity, this verse turns the previous sacrilegious motifs to outright blasphemy. Very metal.

23This is an intriguing verse. Generally, Christianity is not associated with 'change', given it is almost wholesale sold as 'tradition'. However, a more contrived reading might interpret this to mean any attempt at adaptation. For example, Vatican II, or the New Testament. This verse, then, effectively declares that Christianity cannot escape the consequences of decay simply by changing, fated to leave naught but ruins in its wake.

24The addressive 'we' returns, separating this verse's speaker from Christianity without any room for doubt. It assigns guilt to religion, declaring the speaker and their peers free from those shackles.

[Bridge] You must fix your heart25 And you must build an altar where it rests26 When the storm decays and the sky it rains Let it flood, let it flood, let it wash away27 And as you stumble through your last crusade28 Will you welcome your extinction in the morning rays?29 And as the swarming calls, we lay in the foundations30

25Albeit not specific to Christianity, 'fixing' one's 'heart' (read: soul, spirit, etc.) is a particular conceit in achieving spiritual 'purity'.

26Once again this highlights the Christian wont to erect structures to mere symbols.

27Ignoring the adjacency to the biblical Flood, this verse tacitly calls for the erosion of Christianity.

28Again, more tacit condemnation of Christianity's atrocities via specific use of the word 'crusade'.

29This is simply a callback to the earlier verse; however, this adds new context to the intent, the speaker's identity now explicit. They believe that in the end, Christianity must meet its end after the dust has settled and the wars are over. Extrapolating, this suggests Christians go to war simply to create unending conflict in order to veil their crumbling structures.

30The subject changes here, recognizing that even should the man fall and Christianity end, the rest of the people on Earth will still be left with a crumbling environment, left to fend for themselves amid the swarming vermin.

[Outro] Yes, it comforts me much more Yes, it comforts me much more To lay in the foundations of decay31 Get up, coward!32

31This ending stanza is somewhat vague. It comforts the speaker more than what? More than actively fighting the religious dogma that created the decaying structures? More than attempting to fix said structures outside the iron grip of religion? Regardless of the specifics, the use of the word 'comfort' thematically signals that the speaker has since given up on 'pressing' the subject.

32This last line, spoken in the same screamo tone as the breakdown, now addresses the speaker. This leaves the song on an open note, challenging the original speaker to continue the struggle to live in the wake of the horrors Christianity has wrought.

Overall, this is a refreshing track. Earlier works by My Chemical Romance feature heavy Catholic overtones (Mama, I Never Told You What I Did For a Living, etc.), but they all generally diffuse the nascent Catholic guilt as part of self-identity. The Patient and the Groom in The Black Parade and Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge both self-identify with this religious conceptual monster -- one ridden with sin, guilt, and yet are still able to embrace feelings of unadulterated joy, fear, pride, and ambition. This new track, however, seems to reject the notion of guilt altogether. That feeling, it posits, is assigned solely to the institution that created it in the first place; the rest is merely crumbling structures, awaiting the swarming vermin which long to reduce it to rubble and ash.

#tw: religion

[flailingdreamist-blog]

[Verse 1] You're talking shit for the hell of it Addicted to betrayal, but you're relevant You're terrified to look down 'Cause if you dare, you'll see the glare Of everyone you burned just to get there It's coming back around

[Pre-Chorus] And I keep my side of the street clean You wouldn't know what I mean

[Chorus] 'Cause karma is my boyfriend Karma is a god Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend Karma's a relaxing thought Aren't you envious that for you it's not? Sweet like honey, karma is a cat Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that

[Verse 2] Spiderboy, king of thieves Weave your little webs of opacity My pennies made your crown Trick me once, trick me twice Don't you know that cash ain't the only price? It's coming back around

[Pre-Chorus] And I keep my side of the street clean You wouldn't know what I mean

[Chorus] 'Cause karma is my boyfriend Karma is a god Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend Karma's a relaxing thought Aren't you envious that for you it's not? Sweet like honey, karma is a cat Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that

[Bridge] Ask me what I learned from all those years Ask me what I earned from all those tears Ask me why so many fade, but I'm still here (I'm still here, I'm still here)

[Breakdown] 'Cause karma is the thunder Rattling your ground Karma's on your scent like a bounty hunter Karma's gonna track you down Step by step, from town to town Sweet like justice, karma is a queen Karma takes all my friends to the summit Karma is the guy on the screen Coming straight home to me

[Chorus] 'Cause karma is my boyfriend (Karma is my boyfriend) Karma is a god Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend (Weekend) Karma's a relaxing thought Aren't you envious that for you it's not? Sweet like honey, karma is a cat Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that

[Outro] Karma is my boyfriend Karma is a god (Ah) Uh-huh, mm Karma's a relaxing thought

#taylor swift #spotify #the eras tour #midnights #karma #Spotify

[billk128]

If Summer Has to End...

...why not spend a sundrenched day in a stadium parking lot? If you can then go see Bruce Springsteen and the E St Band rock the house, well, there could be worse fates. It was certainly better than the 2 weeks prior when friends and I gathered in the Philly area for a show only to learn Bruce called in sick, right when we were gearing up for that pre-show tailgate. I was a bit soured by that one, and the time it took to announce the new August 2024 make up dates. But with a larger crew of friends heading in for the 3rd nite of 3 in NJ's MetLife Stadium, I decided to pull the trigger on the cheapest ($45, though $64.50 after criminal Ticketmaster charges) seat available and take in another show.

Earlier this year during the US arena leg, a DJ on the great NYC Metro area WFMU (https://wfmu.org) noted that people were complaining about the static setlists of the shows, and he was a bit flummoxed by that noise, wondering how an artist you love playing songs you love, and some of the great rock songs to boot, could ever be a bad thing. As a setlist watcher (not just Bruce) myself, I took that advice into what was a great show in at the Rock in Newark, NJ in April (see: https://www.tumblr.com/billk128/714870079502925824/its-boss-time-once-again?source=share), and told any that asked to spare the flawed judgment of a show on its setlist alone.

Of course, New Jersey gets some hometown favor, particularly across multiple nights, but I was a little taken aback by song selections particularly in the more flexible first half of the show. The encore section had its own surprises, but the earliest treat for me was my seat: while at the very side of the stage (and mainly, the video screens), it had a very nice overhead view and plenty of visual depth, plus I had room to right and left of me, so I decided to stick it out there, even if I might have slipped down to join Terry and crew a couple of sections below. The breakneck pacing doesn't allow for much travel anyway.

The sound, while not as full rhythmically as it could be at that height and on the side, was still quite good: the vocals could be almost too up front at times, and the solos were as crystal clear as I could remember in a stadium. I don't know how it all carried to the other end of the stadium, but damn, it sounded mostly great to me.

The 3 hour show has lost none of it power or intensity (and perhaps added some), while trimming down some of the self-depreciating humor and time passage themes that were more featured in the arena shows. There is very little bloat to the songs that get played every night and every attempt to keep things light, even as darker thoughts pervade the music. And though I don't believe it was truly intentional, the alternate songs played on this night carried a lot of that weight.

All of which might have been lost on the crowd, of course, which was rightfully jubilant throughout. Each of the 3 nights in NJ opened with a Lonesome Day/Night couplet itself a departure from the standard No Surrender show opener (though I think indicative of shows to come), but the first real surprise was a driving Two Hearts, in its tour debut. One could ask why rockers from The River album have never gotten their fair share in Springsteen performances, and I might point to this rendition as a reason they should have, punctuated by the sublime and note-perfect rendering of the guitar fill between chorus lines by Nils Lofgren.

And those simple but wide open and chillingly relevant lyrics - if young people need some guidance, how about: Once I spent my time playing tough guy scenes/But I was living in a world of childish dreams/Someday these childish dreams must end/To become a man and grow up to dream again.

I got a bit lost in that one, nostalgic for my own youth perhaps, but was jolted back by another ravaging Prove It All Night, where Bruce's guitar solos danced in top of the sound and left you on your own to decide. Whereas Bruce's playing has always been visceral, it used to be part of the very direct "I got to prove it to you all night" ethos, also from a distant youth, while his playing now, even if similar, has a more sinuous feel that leaves the destination less clear. That is, until Max starts pounding those drums and it all comes cascading down into a cataclysmic finish...

And then a left turn was taken into Something in the Night, the first of the major vocal challenges Bruce presented himself, and if he was not as spot on vocally as the show I saw in April, he managed to bring the goods at the right times, as in the ending howls of this tortured, smoldering rocker. While never a favorite of mine over the years, the song has grown on me through strong live renderings during those same years, a sneak live treat that appears and penetrates; meanwhile, somehow these apocalyptic words are still as potent (and/or prescient?) as ever: When we found the things we loved/Were crushed and dying in the dirt/We tried to pick up the pieces/And get away without getting hurt/But they caught us at the state line/Burned our cars in one last fight/And left us running, burned and blind/Chasing something in the night.

Spirit in the Night appeared a couple of songs later but the last meaningful surprise was Atlantic City, coming after the well-played, with a nice (and new, I believe) Curtis King vocal moment, Nightshift, but why this remnant from the forgotten soul covers record is still included every night is kind of a mystery. Atlantic City (which eliminated the Max/Anthony Almonte percussion duel space in the set) was played with a horn-powered approach vs. the harder edged take sometimes employed, and if playing it in NJ might seem logical, it also perhaps vaguely alluded to yet another inept Bozo failure now torn down and forgotten in that city. But more directly again the lyrics painted another ominous and viably current picture: Now I been looking for a job, but it's hard to find/Down here, it's just winners and losers and "Don't get caught on the wrong side of that line"/Well, I'm tired of coming out on the losing end/So, honey, last night, I met this guy, and I'm gonna do a little favor for him...

From there we moved into the 2nd half of the show that changes very little each night, but rolls like a freight train and offers many highlights. I can't consider Mary's Place ever a high point, but people got up to dance immediately, so Bruce wins that battle once again. Backstreets was majestic, Bruce again finding the range on that last wordless vocal, bringing the emotions to a peak. And forget Tom Morello's spacey solo effects, the sound and patterns Nils devises on his Because the Night solo, again so crisply rendered on top of the sound, how can they be from this planet?

At the end of Thunder Road, I noticed the sax fills from Jake Clemons were off the charts - I mean, total Big Man level power. And I'll never know if this played a role, but it sure seemed like a good enough indicator to Bruce to start the encores with Jungleland. Talk about emotion - the violin/piano intro and opening crash led into Steve Van Zandt's riveting guitar solo, which stayed true to the original but shredded its perfection with guttural tones and danced all over its ending with string-bending clamor. Then of course the sax solo, which wavered only in a spot or 2 as Jake stepped it up quite nicely, and Bruce wrapped it up with one final, momentous (and smartly modulated) moan. He then hugged Jake, and it was clearly heartfelt and I do not doubt misty eyed. Between Jake, the nephew of Clarence, channeling his uncle, and Bruce, who sang every note of that solo to Clarence when recording, one can only imagine the feelings, and that made it even more of treat for me.

Hijinks proceeded from there - led by Steve, particularly in Rosalita, where the mobile band members gathered down the catwalk on a mini stage out front, and got to interact closely with each for a change away from that big stage, which is always a treat. Steve kept it up during another setlist turn into Detroit Medley, adding a counter melody to Bruce's vocal I think in the Jenny Jenny part, keeping it going with a smile until Bruce turned and gave him a chuckling WTF look, which was quite amusing (and yes, I could see all of this from the upper deck, it was right in front of me otherwise).

A wonderful and spirited show came to a close not with the typical Bruce solo version of I'll See You in My Dreams but with Jersey Girl - sure, another shout out to the locals, but not one I needed to hear again. "Dreams" is a much more fitting and resonating tune, and missed here, but there will be no quibbling with setlist changes from this source. And though the show proper retains its power and glory without them, I think the future bodes well for subtle curves and sublime surprises in shows down the road...

(And though Jimmy Buffett died, I predicted no cover song would be played, and there was none - why would there be? There is no connection.)

Setlist - 9/3/23:

Lonesome Day Night No Surrender Two Hearts (Tour debut, first time with the E Street Band since 2017) Prove It All Night Something in the Night Letter to You The Promised Land Spirit in the Night Kitty's Back Nightshift (Commodores cover) Atlantic City Mary's Place Last Man Standing (Acoustic with Barry Danielian on trumpet) Backstreets Because the Night She's the One Wrecking Ball The Rising Badlands Thunder Road Encore: Jungleland Born to Run Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) Detroit Medley Dancing in the Dark Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Jersey Girl

[insidetheactorsmind-blog]

I agreed to be positive.

In my experience, someone who forces you to agree to keep your mouth shut in case something doesn't go your way usually has something to hide.

If you've ever auditioned for a small-time community theater and had to sign an agreement to "be positive on social media no matter the outcome" before you were allowed to audition, please know that that theater most likely has underhanded casting methods and they don't want anyone to know about it. So they make you agree ahead of time to not indict them in the deadly court of public opinion.

That said ... a bit of background that I promise is relevant.

As an actor I went through my "pay your dues" era, my frustration era, and my comeback era.

That "pay your dues" era refers to the time in every performer's life (indeed it spreads to other professions too) when you are doing nothing but grunt work. If you're just starting out in performance, chances are that you're going to be spending a lot of time in the chorus and/or back stage wrangling kids instead of honing your talents in the supporting and leading roles you want. It's unfortunate, but we kind of all have to do it.

But once that period is complete, now it's time to protect your resume. If you're a young actor, be careful filling up your resume with chorus roles. Casting people don't like to see a page full of chorus roles from someone auditioning for a lead in a major show. Protecting your resume means leaving room for the opportunities that will pay off. The tricky part, and one which I can't promise to have good advice about, is knowing when it's time to transition from paying your dues to protecting your resume.

Please be aware that moving from community leagues to semi-professional and from semi-professional to professional leagues will likely carry their own pay-your-dues periods. Dues paid in community theater don't necessarily apply to dues for professional theater. You may have to start over in a different league, but it's more likely going to be a shorter time period, perhaps only one show, to see if you're even good to work with, let alone have talent. This is reasonable, especially if they explain this ahead of time.

The frustration era I referred to is something that isn't uncommon, but it is avoidable. It's the period in your career when you are the only one who knows the talent you have (besides of course your family and best friends). It's extremely tempting to quit altogether, even for those who know this is our calling. This is usually the part where you work a Godforsaken, first-circle-of-Hell, dead-end job for peanuts at Kroger and daily contemplate the merits of continuing life. Hamlet's soliloquy begins to make sense on a spiritual level.

The comeback era is just that. Now, I can't promise it will happen for you, but I can promise that it is a learning experience that is the result of a learning experience. I posted a while back about auditioning without going crazy, so give that a read to know what I'm talking about. That single experience catapulted me into a string of successful auditions and a resume-building era that has so far landed me three professional acting jobs, plus some continued civic work and even some indie film (pre-SAG-AFTRA strike).

The string of successful auditions taught me something very important about myself: I have what it takes.

See, community theaters of all different sizes have to face the pitfall of clique behavior, not welcoming new talent even if that talent is the right person for the role. Other theaters who are in it for the right reasons search for the right talent no matter who you are. My string of successful auditions was at local community theaters who had zero idea who I even was.

Theater 1 represents the first community theater I auditioned for as a teen--my dues-paying era. I kept auditioning for them until college. 2008, chorus. 2009, chorus, chorus. 2010, told not to audition for chorus. 2011, not given a complete audition "because we know you," and then told they already had their leads pre-cast and didn't tell anyone, and if I didn't want to join the chorus of 96 people, "we won't miss you." Ouch. Screw you very much too, then. So basically, at Theater 1, my experience can be summed up with "chorus."

Theater 2. Second year of college: Out of 80 women auditioned, 6 women were cast. I was one of them. Annelle, Steel Magnolias.

Theater 3. 2019: In a cast of 17 people with 1 female, I was the female. Lt.-Cdr. Jo Galloway, A Few Good Men.

Theater 4. 2020: Thirteen women auditioned. Six were cast. I was handed a script by the director before callbacks. Shelby Eatonton-Latcherie, Steel Magnolias.

Theater 1. 2020: Chorus (declined).

Theater 5. 2021: Professional. Stage manager (for real, actually the stage manager) that became a "bit" in the show because it was a farce. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).

Also Theater 5, 2021: World premiere of a new adaptation of a classic. Co-lead. A Christmas Carol.

Theater 3. 2021: Assistant directorship turned into multiple roles including supporting. Tammany O'Halloran, Miracle on 34th Street.

Theater 4. 2022: Twenty-two people auditioned, 13 cast. Josephine March-Baehr, Little Women.

Company 1. 2022-2023: Professional. Street-mosphere. Promoted with pay raise. (Work culture 10/10, five stars, everyone else take a lesson.)

Between 2022 and 2023, Theater 4 held a closed-door, unofficial, unannounced, cabbalistic meeting which targeted a mainstay in the theater company, and set up a heinous double standard for what plays would and would not be produced; this dishonorable action caused a split. Most of the people that left went to Theater 1.

Theater 1. 2023: I went in optimistically, knowing I had an excellent shot at the lead role (a princess) because of my aesthetic, ability, and experience; and a fair audition since half the company was now composed of rejects and misfits from Theater 4, and the director knew what I was capable of. I gave an excellent audition. I left with my head held high, knowing my chance was just as good as anyone else's. At the very least, I knew I was in for a supporting role, since I'd proven myself over the past four years as fully capable of handling any role given on nearly any notice.

Would you believe me if I told you I was asked to join the chorus?

Instead of cackling like the Wicked Witch at the irony of who the director was (see Theater 4: 2020), I asked for a day to simmer down and cool off think about it, and eventually rejected it as the insult it was.

Theater 1 and Theater 4 have something in common.

Would you like to guess?

Both of them included the requirement to "be positive on social media no matter the outcome of casting."

None of the other theaters, including the professional ones, ever asked anyone to keep their mouths shut about casting results. Why? Because they know their casting is done on the right bases for the right reasons. They don't care what people say because they know they're doing what they feel is best for the production. Opinions don't matter to them because the truth is on their side. (This is of course excluding practices that don't involve any real "talent" and are simply exploitations by greasy Hollywood-underworld scumbags who may very well be on "the list." Those aren't auditions, those are crimes.)

This is why I say beware theaters that make you sign an agreement to "be positive on social media no matter the outcome." The likelihood is that they have something to hide, as proven by experience.

I've never been a conspiracy theorist; I pay attention to patterns, because patterns don't lie.

But I agreed to be positive.

So, per my agreement ...

I am positive I am a far better actor than what rejections and insulting casting choices would lead me to believe.

I am positive I will no longer accept less than what I deserve.

I am positive that shady dealings will not be rewarded with, as the kids these days like to say, good karma.

I am positive that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

I am positive that I can help young actors that come after me to avoid falling in--or at the hands of--cliques and cabals.

I am positive that there are theaters out there, community and professional alike, who are above this kind of behavior, and you are worthy of finding them.

I am positive that talent (yours and mine) is worth being recognized in a fair, just, and upright way.

And lastly, I am positive that these rejections are simply favors from God to direct us to bigger, better, and more fruitful ventures.

I hope to daily continue to fulfill that agreement I signed on that day, to be positive. I hope to be a positive influence on my fellow performers in an industry crawling with swamp creatures. I hope to be a positive voice of validation, encouragement, navigation, warning, even correction sometimes, in an industry slithering with snakes, lizards, Wicked Witches, Gollums, and Mephistos (there's a good Faust reference for you).

I hope to be a candle on a candlestick that giveth light to the whole house.

I agreed to be positive, and I damn well intend to.

#casting #actor #performer #auditions #theater #community theater #civic theater #unfair #chorus #pay your dues #be positive #positive influence #the world sucks #but we can make it better #one good choice at a time #Don't worry Theater 1 you'll never have to say my name around your casting table again. #You're not even listed on my resume anymore. #I outgrew you the moment I chose to stand for what's right even at cost to me. #main #stage #theatre #anderson