And just like that, another great Walter tune leaves the proverbial nest, and flies straight into my well-sculpted receptors.
Walter's metaphor as love game is always on point. The metaphor of a game of chance occurs in several places, notably in Hard Up Case ("They dealt us houses full with the queens and kings/And now they're calling out our bluff/'cause you and me girl we had everything/But it just wasn't quite enough"). Here, the metaphor is love—or at the very least ostensibly loving relationships—as war. Makes sense, the two situations in Lyly told us "all's fair." The French have a phrase (and wouldn't they just) c'est la guerre, that translates literally to "that's war," but means "That's just the way it is." It would be clever of me to make that observation, had Walter not already included it in his song here, because of course he's that clever and that kind of a lyricist, even in the tracks we aren't hearing until now.
And HOW ABOUT THAT BASS LINE?
-Matt
War Baby Walter Becker © 1994/2019 Zeon Music LLC
Can this really be all that we came together for
Battling dawn to dusk and fighting door to door
When we call a truce girl now I come to see
Maybe this is the righteous struggle you believe your life should be
And when I try to speak, talk to you like a friend There goes those dominos all tumbling down again Just tell me what to do, show me where to sign When do I get to be on your side of the firing line Now War Baby We’ve been fighting right along But soon you got to see I'm not the enemy No I'm not girl War Baby Now I'm not saying that it's wrong Just to be dissin' you But I keep missing you Why is that now? Well I guess you disagree with something I just said Judging by that suede cruise missile hurtling past my head So now you make your last stand on the soggy higher ground Wet with the blood of the martyrs or is that the tears of the clowns You wiped our little noses, sent us on our wicked ways Full bore for the killing floor which is where we are today Still you stand so tall big ideals and all
And me just waiting for the other high heeled shoe to fall Now War Baby All your reasons and your rhymes
Don't appeal to me
They're not real to me
No they're not now
War Baby
You know the life you've lived so far
Is no great tragedy
That's all history
That's all that is
I guess you got your reasons no matter what I might say
All's fair c'est la guerre sometimes it just be that way I say viva la struggle I say viva el good fight
But can't the revolución keep until tomorrow night now? War Baby Now can't you separate yourself From that party line It's no friend of mine Not at all girl War Baby We've been going low so long The things you say to me That's an atrocity Yes it is girl War Baby
I saw this last Thursday afternoon while it was being posted, I don't think that there were lyrics up yet, but I only had a minute to catch my breath and wasn't able to comment on this amazing track. I don't recall seeing that $100 bill in the top corner though ! Interesting touch !?!?
The song is absolutely, incredibly Walter Becker.. There is no one else who could have written this gem ! And Yeah, I do believe that the mystery bass note is indeed a bflat, on a synth, Hell of a performance on a powerful piece of historical music.. Oops, damn it, just got here and I have to go.. I've been really occupied with ssshh!! (previous commitments).. Be back asap..
Miss you all.. Have a lot to talk about..
P.S. D, I read your newsletter last Thurs.. Well done ✔ Lary
Playing oblivious to the tension of the rhetoric, I would like to indeed comment on that which many have asked "HOW ABOUT?", to whit, 2:31 is heard Bb0 - the lowest pitch I know of in the WB/Dan catalog. Synth of course, in other words a half step below the low B of a 5-string bass. Counterexamples, anyone?
Your guess as good as mine.....saw an interview with the 2 songwriters years ago where WB said they were less concerned whether a particular phrase rhymed or even made perfect sense.....rather they wanted words thatfit the groove of the song. Here WB finds a perfect fit for poetry and music.
Community Participation, Anyone?
This might be sort of fun—or not.
Hoping some lurkers chime in too!
One delay in posting this clip was our less than 100% confidence in our guess(es) for a single hard-to-hear lyric phrase —a pretty common occurrence. I finally tracked down the typed lyric sheet, thereby liberating the whole thing for your listening pleasure.
This probably won't work very well because you already know the "right" answer, and trying to forget it is of course virtually impossible …[viz - don't think about a white bear! Hi Joc :-)] but would anyone like to take a guess as to the possibilities we hypothesized/ brainstormed for the apparently two or three syllable word(s) immediately preceding “the killing floor” (at 1:58)? We had multiple vocal takes to listen to.
One instructive part of our attempt was just how many options we came up with… we are dealing with Becker lyrics, after all, and it could be anything; creative slang, novel metaphor or idiosyncratic simile, even a neologism. So you have to rely on your sense of what he might use in that space. Sometimes it feels like a midterm exam for Becker-kun 101.
So step right up -- come one, come all -- and test your skill as a Becker archivist!
PS: how about that ..... 😉
D, you described this as a "throwaway" tune in the newsletter. Jesus. The chorus on this one is damn catchy, and yet that's a "throwaway???" That says a lot about the talent level we're talking about here! The stanzas really remind me a lot of some of the other demos from around this time period, Walter definitely had a certain feel in mind that he was experimenting with and trying to perfect. It really shines here, great melody. And those lyrics! My favorite bit: "Well I guess you disagree with something I just said / Judging by that suede cruise missile hurtling past my head" makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. But then ending that same stanza with "And me just waiting for the other high heeled shoe to fall" makes me picture a woman standing with only one shoe on glaring at the narrator leading up to this line, and I want to laugh and cry at the same time all over again.
And HOW ABOUT THAT BASS LINE? :)
I'm having a Walter night tonight and just came across this latest offering, love it !!
Really feeling that bass as well.
My goodness....there is no end to this man's poetic genius and sheer groovability.....so many phrases that literally hit the mark square between the eyes. Mind blown again by Walter B.
Man, that is so cool to hear. Rhythmically to me it sounds similar to some other things he was doing around that time, like Lies I Can Believe for instance. I look forward to getting the download of it so I can add to my playlists. You know, I feel like the more we hear from a certain period, the better sense we have of the way Walter was thinking at that time, which then gives us insight into the music that we wouldn't otherwise have. That's what makes this forum so great. I wonder if there is a full-band Lost Tribe version of this demo somewhere?