Jonathan Beckenstein's brooding Telecaster riffage was the basis for two of our collabs on this album, 'Jammed Together', and 'Squalling for Time'.
The second one soon 'beckoned' me again.
As with the first, I asked myself whether Jon's brooding guitar on its own could make a prelude to the collab proper?
As I toyed with this I heard Augenmerk's great spoken poem, 'Undeterred Honest', and knew that the riffs would make a great setting for her words. I then added some psyche West Coast licks from my Les Paul, and some bass and drums; but most of all it was the raw emotion of Karin's words, and her sassy, clipped, delivery that made it happen.
As well as being a prelude to Squalling for Time [and the change to 'Come to a Decision' as the title reflects this], it became another piece in its own right, and makes fitting opener to this album.
lyrics
You sit on top of the mountain, the garden dwarf keeps you in prison,
you should make a decision, but you look elsewhere,
you don't want to see the hatchet come.
What is? Do you want to fall? Take flight?
What makes the throat tight? What claws your heart?
"Okay," they want to hear, everything is supposed to be alright
you're supposed to be nice, they want you nodding,
friendly smiling (while) facing the precipice
and you look elsewhere, sitting up on the mountain,
the garden gnome keeps you in prison.
Come to a decision! Don't you wanna end your prison?
Come to a decision! Do you wanna end your prison?
You don't say what you want, because you don't want anymore.
Your words hollow and banal. Singsang of words.
You should speak of intuition, of dying,
of trust and hope. Of love. Of strategies
and what really concerns you:
the isolation, forgiving and thanking.
Come to a decision! Don't you wanna end your prison?
Come to a decision! Do you wanna end your prison?
Worddead, because there are no words available,
all are already used, already installed,
stumble towards Hell,
because all through the dirt, burned by the sun
because everything has already been said, right down to the coffin,
because your body is a suitcase that you unpack or not
and good-talking, good-thinking keeps nothing away.
Come to a decision! Don't you wanna end your prison?
Come to a decision! Do you wanna end your prison?
You have climbed an angel, climbed wings.
"Can you understand me, world?" your eyes ask,
embarrassed to ask for understanding, for seeing you.
"Do you want to understand me, world?" And look away again,
turn away, understand the one who does not look.
Nothing is more secret than suffering.
No one sees how you run out of air, thrown out,
storm wreck on the beach.
Empty, emptied. Deserted. Devoid of hope.
No, hope rises, picks you up, dented,
you sit up. You raise yourself.
and you go between looks that see nothing.
full to the brim you are, overflowing with words, full of beans.
Your word has woken up, regained, no longer contained, it can't be restrained.
holds it's ground, your readiness to whitewash gone
you hold nothing back
The unsaid words rise, thunderstorms pattering on the land.
You're beating them out, spitting them Out, you let off steam,
you vent your anger, your grievances, you air your despair,
Lust.
No prison, no more distress.
you give vent to your feelings, give way to your dreams
Wonderfully imperfect, undeterred honest is YOUR word!
[lyrics by Augenmerk]
credits
from Subterranean Stories,
released September 7, 2018
Augenmerk; voice, words
Jonathan Beckenstein; rhythm guitar, original idea
Bill Boethius; lead guitars, bass, drums, production.
Arranged by Bill Boethius
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