Listen to the Universe
I think it's trying to talk to you!
My Faux Dear Hearts,
OMG, what am I doing reading a profile of SCOTUS bro Alito in the New Yorker? I’ve got a newsletter to write, a new recording to share!1
As most of you know from reading this weekly epitstle, I share a “new2” recording each week via Bandcamp, where I have been building a new record called “From the Mixed Up Files of Mr. Matthew T. Schindler, Vol 1.”
This week, I am sharing the song right here within the newsletter, so you don’t have to leave this page to listen. You can play this four-minute-and-six-second slab of pop right here in the player below. (click on the ochre triangle in the white circle.)
The song is called “Listen to your Heart (Whisper Demo).”
It’s called a “whisper demo” because I whispered a lot of the lyrics so as not to wake a sleeping human while creating this document.
There are a ton of words to this song (see below), so if you don’t like reading, you can listen along and I will sing them along to you as you scroll. (Hell, you can even speed it up if four minutes seems too long for ya.)(but please don’t…)
The embedded sound file above is an MP3 file, and some folks prefer a WAV file, so I am including the Bandcamp player here as well, if you desire more bits with your hits. Also, you can purchase the song over there, which is always a nice way to support a songwriter such as myself.
Here are the lyrics for this week’s song:
Listen to your Heart (Whisper Demo)
funny thing
as a kid
they always said listen
and I did
and I think I learned what they had to say
Paradise ain’t a place that you go when you're dead
Paradise is a place that you go in your head
(it’s not between your legs)
and I learned not to hate
and I learned to love
never hurt a fly
why would you hurt someone
and I learned not to hate
and I learned to love
alright, I guess I might have slain a slug once
(just the one time)
listen to your mother
listen to the man who sired you
listen to the pretty people
listen to the homlies too
listen to your brother mister
listen to you sister
listen to yourself above all else
and then you'll never have to suffer
fools
hey mister! listen to me
I’m listening
give me something concrete
it’s the end
of the world
in the back of a motorcar
cul de sac
girl to boy
have you gone too far
girl to boy
cul de sac
have you learned to listen
to the rhythm
have you learned to listen to the beat?
it makes life sweet
listen to the force
listen to the premonition
listen to the paranormal
listen to the superstition
listen to the girl
who wants to turn it on
and no,
there’s nothing wrong
you just got to
learn to listen to the beat
Listen to your heart
and listen to your limbs
and to your liver
listen to the mountain range
and put your ear right to the river
listen to the whisper
listen to the trees and
to the breeze
listen to the universe I think it trying to talk to you
it’s saying “hey! mister! listen!”
if I don’t want to die
can I
can I live forever?
can i please?
if no-one ever died
would I
would I even be here
honestly?
listen to the martyr masquerading
as a self-starter
listen to the psychology of the victim
as he shoots
when you wish for manumission
careful what you're wishing for
they might stick you in the kitchen
they might send you off to war
if you are ambitious and seeking position
don’t hesitate
get on the dance floor
listen to the radio
listen to this guy I know
listen to the information
listen to the television
listen to the Romans
listen to the senate
wait a minute
listen to your heart.
I made a lyric video for this demo back in 2017 when I was taking an After Effects class.3 So peep that here if you're heart so desires.
I recorded this demo without microphones, so it is pretty gritty. I hope to create a higher fidelity version of this tune at some point in the future, but for now, I must let this suffice.
In other news, I just stopped by the police department to see if they had any news on my car, which was stolen on September 7, 2022.
Nope.
I got a grip of books from the library to distract me from the pain of that loss. Here’s what’s going on:
And:
Bedtime is better with books.
And magazines sometimes.
Alas, it’s time to pick up the kids from school. I do thank you for reading and listening and continuing to support the project. I remain your humble servant
OX&C,
Faux Jean
And there’s laundry to fold!
"New” is a relative term, of course, and today’s recording was created in 2007.
Two weeks in a row I’ve pilfered a school-adjacent project to share here. Just sayin’.