In my Speaking the Music series of postings I considered the boundary zones of music, poetry, and song when the spoken word becomes an integral part of the musical performance, and sometimes is at the fore of said performance. Prior to that series, my 2022 posting In Their Minds described a virtual ‘collaboration’ on the WikiLoops site in which consecutive layers of performance were built upon a music or beat layer uploaded by someone wishing to initiate a new production. This original version of In Their Minds was, therefore, built upon the excellent work of those who created the drum, bass, and keyboard tracks before me. I just took it in a different direction.
This posting is about the reworking of the original In Their Minds. This time I created all the layers. The lyrics are similar although they have been extended. The backing, however, is completely different. My goal was to create something with a Game of Thrones or Rings of Power sense of turbulence and uncertainty. The mixed acoustic and djembe / Middle Easter styled drum beat (with varying tempo) sets the ‘tone’. The orchestral and wind sections are intended to add their own sense of scale and big events about to happen.
What is it about? Well my Articulate Shark and my Freedom’s Dark Mirror posts address that topic. I invite you to read them as well.
Play the SoundCloud embed below to listen to the result. Choose play ‘Listen from Browser’ button below if you haven’t got a SoundCloud account (free). It is best enjoyed with good speakers or a decent set of headphones. Playing direct from a phone or tablet speaker just degrades the experience and intention.
Don’t get nightmares!
Lyrics/Verse
In their minds they are warriors
Lions for the cause
In their minds they are patriots
No guilt can give them pause.
In their minds they are believers
Pray judgement day has come
A vengeful God will smite them
Saving only some.
In their minds
In their minds
In their minds ...
In their minds he’s Messiah
To defeat satanic plot
Grand Wizard of their tribe
With spells to stop the rot.
In their minds he's a seer
A golden future he foretells
From a crystal ball as cloudy
As the snake oil that he sells.
In their minds
In their minds
In their minds ...
In their minds they hear only echoes
Of their frozen point of view
A fortress for their deafness
Defence against the new.
In their minds is conspiracy
Gives meaning for their life
Don mantle of the victim
Easier wielding of the knife.
In their minds
In their minds
In their minds ...
In their minds they are warlords
Thought leaders of the Left
Champions of the people
But freedom is their theft.
In their minds they are warlords
Thought leaders of the Right
Their world viewed in monochrome
Where all kings must be white.
In their minds
In their minds
In their minds ...
In his mind is a virus
Toxic falsity it spreads
Mutant memes as payload
Towards ready souls it threads.
In his mind he needs conspiracy
For cultivating receptive souls
Reaping now the harvest
More fuel for glowing coals.
In his mind
In his mind
In his mind ...
In his mind they are an army
Battalions of the fooled
His digital puppets
With strings to be pulled.
In his mind lives destruction
Seeds all unity with strife
Fermenting disruption
Till turbulence is rife.
In his mind
In his mind
In his mind ...
In his mind he's a strong man
Making again the country great
But infected now by hubris
Nemesis does await.
In his mind lives darkness
This ego-child to his taste
Whispering his glory
As his world turns to ... waste.
In his mind.
In his mind
In his mind ...
