Singer – foto Smith

I’ve been getting a wee bit smoother on some of my singing attempts lately so thought I’d go back 8 years to show you where I was — and play a truly strange vocal attempt to turn a 1965 poem (when I was 19) into song (when I was 57). Peter saved this segment of the session and exorcized the rest.

One of my stranger attempts – Old Man’s Lament > reverbnation.com/play_now/song_8051171.

Old Man’s Lament / Sweet Little Sixteen

I want to caress your breast
And when passions mounted manifest
Take my hate in hand
Caress you all the more
Make you writhe about in uncommon whore
Kiss the taunt of your innocent thigh
And wrench from your lips a cry
Of pagan pleasure all your own
The low human female moan
Shattering your sacred hymeneal pride
Rampaging you full deep inside
So you feel my subfreudian lust
In each violent misogynous thrust
Of my hips against yours . . .

— Smith, fragment of 1965 poem recorded as song 2003

If I don’t get beat too badly for this one, I’ll blog some more of my strange brood that I’ve been hiding in the cellar.

Music, mix, recording Peter Ball aka Apartment One; words, voice me.

Song – foto Smith

Shadowjack – foto Smith

Took a fragment of a 2005 poem and turned it into a bluesy rasp rock song called Uncle Sham. It walks the moral dark side of “Do unto others as they’ve done.” But other than that, it’s a nifty little number, bounces right along.

Click to play Uncle Sham: www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_11543779.

Uncle Sham

Monkeys monkeys moneys and more
My monkey’s so hungry I gotta score
So I’m takin’ names, I’m makin’ lists
Of faker folk who got me pissed

Save your seedy greedy soul
Before you find you’re masshole
My monkey’s not drugs or food
But fairness, truth, trying to do good

  Though I forgive I never forget
  Those who think truth is sublet
  So make my day, try your lies
  Watch them weave among the wise

And hurtin’ the bad begins to look right
Along these paths we walk to light
Let’s do the monkey on money’s men
Hurt those who hurt and then begin

De-tongue the liars lying their load
Run the road ragers off the road
Cast the priests with very dull spoons
Engage in cage the Man’s police goons

  Though I forgive I never forget
  Those who may think they sublet
  So make my day, try your lies
  Watch them weave among the wise

— Smith, fragment of 2005 poem

Music, mix, recording by Peter Ball of Apartment One; words and voice me.

There are 38 Ball/Smith word/music jams at revernbation.com/mutantsmith.

Flutterbye – foto Smith