cornsnakevivarium24

A group from Wall Highway Baptist Church (Madison, AL) went on mission to Pearlington, MS in the summer of 2008, nearly 3 years after Katrina devastated the area, to help a local mission with rebuilding homes.

Don't try this at home. There's my disclaimer...

Um... not really sure how to describe this...

My son borrowed a banjo from a family he recently babysat (well, the kids, not the whole family). Reminded me of "MTA" by the Kingston Trio (look it up, it's awesome!), and, well, this happened. Lyrics below.

Lyrics:

These are the times that try men's souls
In the course of our nation's history
The people of America have rallied bravely
Whenever the rights of men have been threatened
Today a new crisis has arisen
The Affordable Care Act, also known as the ACA
Is attempting to levy a burdensome tax on the population
In the form of a health insurance premium increase
Citizens, hear me out, this could happen to you

Well, let me tell you of the story of a man named Tony
On a tragic and fateful day
He fired up his browser, kissed his wife and family
Went to shop on the ACA

Well, did he ever return?
No he never returned and his family's still uninsured!
He may shop forever on the Obamacare website
He's the man who never returned

Tony got a cancellation from his current insurer
Saying "doesn't meet the ACA,
But we'll give you a new plan that is fully compliant
It'll cost you twice as much! OK?"

And did he ever return?
No he never returned and his family's still uninsured!
He may shop forever on the Obamacare website
He's the man who never returned

Now, all night long Tony shops for health insurance
Crying, "What will become of my family?
How can I afford to get my children vaccinated
Or take care of my ol' bum knee?"

And did he ever return?
No he never returned and his family's still uninsured!
He may shop forever on the Obamacare website
He's the man who never returned

Tony's wife goes up to the computer workstation
Every day at quarter past two
And despite all the wailing she hands Tony a sandwich
As he cries, "What are we going to do?"

But did he ever return?
No he never returned and his family's still uninsured!
He may shop forever on the Obamacare website
He's the man who never returned

Pick it Justin!

Now, ye citizens of 'merica
Don't you think it's a scandal
How the people have to pay and pay?
Fight the price increase, vote for Obamacare repeal!
Get poor Tony off the ACA

Or else he'll never return
No he'll never return and his family will still be uninsured!
He may shop forever on the Obamacare website
He's the man who never returned
He's the man who never returned
He's the man who never returned
He's the man who never returned

The 1986-1987 E. B. Erwin High School Marching Band, under the field direction of drum major Keith Crawford, performs their halftime show (but I think this may be a pre-game show).

Daring or stupid? Well, they're boys. :-)

Expand description if you want to see the lyrics.

Wrote this a while back, on acoustic guitar. Later I developed the keyboard part. This was a "musical lunch break" today (while no one was in the house but me). Yeah, it's rather ... raw, maybe... and, yeah, there's a break in the middle (where I messed up and decided just to pick up where I left off and splice the video later). And, yeah, I didn't do a very good job (either the singing or the playing... you don't have to listen very closely to hear some wrong notes in both). And the video portion... well, let's just say I have a lot to learn about "presence" in front of a camera. But, hey, if Ronnie can upload two videos of himself eating a cicada, surely I can upload.a silly recording of me singing and playing (an original song, mind you).

Keyboard is a Yamaha DGX-620, mic is a USB Rock Band mic (recognized as "Logitech" on the computer), video camera is a Sony HDR-PJ260V, vocal is a lousy tenor. :) Main music/keyboard is from the camera mics (with some vocal on it), vocal is primarily from the USB mic (with some keyboard on it). I should probably separate out the vocal and keyboard a little more next time (and maybe rehearse a little more, and not just splice together two quick takes).

Lyrics (more or less; written this way, sung mostly the same), if you care (note: copyright 2007, original creation date, by me):

Life's Unfair (the Electric Chair Song)

I used to be in love with you all the time
Then I started going out of my mind
I had a thought that you couldn't be left alive
So I ended your life with my .45

And now you're gone and life's unfair
'cause I'm strapped to this electric chair


Now my life is filled with such regret
I hear your voice ... inside my head
I wish I hadn't done the thing I did
If I'd have used poison then it could've been hid

But now you're gone and life's unfair
'cause I'm strapped to this electric chair


It won't be long now until my life is through
I guess I won't be reunited with you
I wish I'd found a way to outsmart the law
Hid your body ... in a pile of straw

Now you're gone and life's unfair
'cause I'm strapped to this electric chair


I see the man about to pull the switch
I feel a tingle, I start to twitch
It won't be long... things starting to spin
And on my face... an evil grin

'Cause now you're gone, and life's unfair
I'm frying here in this electric chair...


I'm in the ground... unable to scream
The light floods in... it was all a dream
You're lying there, right by my side.
I close my eyes, and start to go out of my mind...

Doing some maintenance work on an older computer (that one of the kids uses) over lunch, I ran across this video of Lydia singing 10,000 Angels at a church service 11 years ago. Yeah, she could sing back then, too! Now that we have YouTube, you can enjoy it as well. (Sorry for the audio quality... but this is all I have of the video, as far as I know.)