Live
Nude
Humans:
Songs by Brian Madison (Free MP3 Music).
Anger, madness, and hope.
"I see
my life in terms of music."
--Albert Einstein
(Note: Zen Master This has generously donated server space to our
webmaster, Brian Madison, so that he may make his unique contribution
to the important work of Saving Humanity from Itself.)
DISCLAIMER:
Is the music in my
head bothering anybody? The following songs generally depict fictional
characters
and events created out of my overactive imagination. Except where
otherwise noted, none are intended
to be (auto)biographical. If any of them hit a little too
close
to home, that's your trip, not mine. These songs are
mostly
mini-commentaries on the potential and limitations of personality
types, relationships, and institutions. Please make
special note of the psychological, anthropological, and memetic threads
which run through these lyrics.
These recordings are "demos." When listening to these tunes,
please endeavor to put appreciation of the lyrics ahead of my
musicianship, vocal technique, recording technique, etc. Oldest
(roughest) songs are at the top of this page; latest are at the bottom.
I hope that all who listen will find
these Folk-Punk ("cog rock?") tunes therapeutic in some small way.
Thanks.
Holden's
Farewell
is based (loosely) on the character of Holden Caulfield from "Catcher
in
the Rye," but as a grownup. Influences: Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen,
Jim Croce, Willie Nelson. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
The character in
Want comes from my own twisted imagination ... explores
personal
desire, unhappiness, unreason, and degeneration from the personal
into the group "entitlement mentality." Fans of The Who may recognize a
couple lines adapted from "The Seeker." Special thanks to Brian R. for
the lead guitar fills! Influences: The Doors. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
Nature Is
is one of my
favorites.
This is a naturist song about escaping the winter doldrums, and having
a
springtime frolic
with the one you love. I keep a mini-notebook and pen in my pocket at
all times to capture snippets of song lyrics (and other things).
Usually it takes me a long time to collect enough material to actually
complete a song. Most of the words to this song, however, came to me
over the course of about
a day. Influences: James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
I wrote Superhero
for
my 8-year-old
son, and performed it with several
other parents at a Parent/Faculty talent show at his school. This is
the "studio" version. Influences: Ziggy Marley. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
Will to Passion explores human nature and individuals'
struggle
(or
lack
thereof) to overcome their personal inertia, just create for creation's
sake, and share their gifts. Needs to be re-mixed; somehow I screwed-up
the stereo image. Influences: Squeeze, XTC, Modern English. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
When I Listen to
the Jam
is both a tribute to one of my favorite bands,
and a story loosely based on actual events between an old former friend
and me. Ironically, The Jam (a band we both held as favorites) had
several songs which included themes of deteriorating friendships.
This song borrows from The Jam's "Away from the Numbers," "Burning
Sky,"
and "Thick as Thieves." Influences: The Jam. [Lyrics]
Charette
I (August,
2003)
Goddess is
a
T.Rex-like ode to the "evil narcissist" personality type as described
in M. Scott Peck's
"People of the Lie."
Influences: Lenny Kravitz, T. Rex, Sweet, Soup Dragons, Collective
Soul. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
[Revised
Lyrics (not recorded)]
Evolution
is about
memes and growing and thinking for yourself. Influences: Ziggy Marley. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
Bless.
Influences: Brian Eno and John Cale, The Church, The Byrds, Volcano
Suns, Peter
Gabriel, Weezer. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
[Revised
lyrics (not recorded)]
Trouble.
Influences: Tom
Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Willie
Nelson, Jim Croce, James McMurtry. [Lyrics]
Your Song. Influences: Eno and Cale, New Order. Written in
a pub in San Francisco while traveling on business. [Lyrics]
(March, 2004)
Charette
II (May,
2004)
Not
Much. My current favorite. This would be a good duet for Lou
Reed
and Iggy Pop. Influences: Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, Cake,
Warren
Zevon,
David Johansen. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
[Revised
lyrics (not recorded)]
Enough.
Influences:
NoFX, Bad Religion, Soul Asylum, The Monkees. [Lyrics]
[Revised
lyrics (not recorded)]
Thrown (Freddy's
Song). Influences: The Clash, The Jam, The Alarm, Graham
Parker. [Lyrics]
Charette III (February, 2005)
Don't
Remember Me is
about breaking
old patterns of behavior crossing generations.
Influences:
Moby, U2, Jesus Jones, Big Head Todd and the Monsters. [Lyrics]
Headcase.
Influences:
Barenaked Ladies. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
Tangle.
Influences: The
Tragically Hip. [Lyrics]
Lexus.
Influences:
Every country
blues song ever written. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
Two
Questions. Influences: ? [Lyrics]
(September, 2005)
The Paranoid Song. Influences: Jimmy Buffett [Lyrics]
(November, 2005)
Charette IV (May, 2006)
Bodies.
Influences: ? [MP3
(Acoustic Demo)] [Lyrics]
You
Don't Even Know What You're Sayin'. Influences: ? [MP3
(Acoustic Demo)] [Lyrics]
[Revised lyrics (not recorded)]
Compassionate
Coercion. Influences: Rolling Stones, Steve Earle, Rush.
According to my friend Max,
"This is good. But to be honest,
it's such a bitter unpleasant song,
that I don't
think I'd
want to listen to it, which
ironically is just
a
testament to how good your words are."
I'll take that as a rave. [MP3
(Acoustic Demo)] [Lyrics]
Apology.
Influences: Nils Lofgren, Steve Forbert, The Clash. [Lyrics]
(October, 2006)
Toynbee
Idea.
Regarding Toynbee
tiles.
Written as I imagine the tiles' creator might have written a song. Sort
of Monkees-meets-Talking-Heads, with a dash of The Byrds and R.E.M. [MP3
(Acoustic Demo)] [Lyrics]
If Everyone Wore
Burqas. To the tune of "Imagine," by John
Lennon. My first song parody. Not sure what inspired this, although I
was reading "The End of Faith" by Sam Harris at the time. Influences:
John Lennon, National Lampoon. [Lyrics]
It's a Wonderful
Life. Influences: Graham Parker, James McMurtry. [Lyrics]
(April, 2007)
Between
Identities. Influences: The Alarm, XTC, Graham Parker, Joe
Jackson. [Lyrics]
(August, 2007)
Vanity
(Tattletale). Influences: Kevin Gilbert, Cake, Mark
Knopfler. [Lyrics]
(October, 2007)
What
Happens in Vegas (Ends Up on the Internet). Influences: Hank
Williams, Jr. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
(December, 2007)
Baby
You Already Know. Influences: Richard Thompson, Bob Dylan,
Willy Nelson. [MP3]
[Lyrics]
(December, 2007)
I Walked Away.
Influences: Simon and Garfunkel, Nick Drake. [MP3]
[Lyrics] (January,
2008)
I'm Not Lazy. Influences: Tom Petty, ZZ Top. [Lyrics] (October,
2008)
I, Hypocrite. Influences: Bob Dylan. [Lyrics] (October,
2008)
I Still Believe in Love. A work in progress; still needs a chorus and/or bridge. Regarding child or spousal abuse. Influences: Orchestral diva ballads. [Lyrics] (October,
2008)
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