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Alter Ego

by Dylan Bell

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1.
Amber 04:42
2.
People, people, get on the floor Time to disco Mr. Harper out the door Watch him shimmy, tryin’ to get on down Acting like the Emperor of Disco-Town Hold the people in deep contempt Mr. Law-and-Order, but it seems that you’re exempt You’re a petty tyrant, you’re a crying shame Acting like democracy is just a game That’s why you say: L’etat c’est moi, l’etat c’est moi Ooh-la-la, say l’etat c’est moi L’Etat c’est moi, l’etat c’est moi Ooh-la-la, say l’etat c’est moi Singin’ ooh-la-la, say l’etat c’est moi Ooh-la-la… Stroke the banker, and screw the poor Do your slick maneuver on the disco floor Tellin’ everybody that you run this town And if you don’t like the music, you just shut the Party down L’Etat c’est moi… Oh, people, people, do what you gotta do It’s time to take back what belongs to you So let’s boogie on down to the voting polls And let’s show them that the Emperor ain’t got no clothes
3.
Once lord of a thousand year Master over all, you flew You flew, you sang, lord over all Now here you lie, ash at our feet Your throat, now stopped, no longer sings Your wings, now crushed, no longer beat Once lord of a thousand year Now here you lie, ash at our feet You flew, you sang, lord over all You danced in fire of your design But fire consumes: all songs must end And here you lie, ash at our feet But spirit cannot be consumed And love (though frail) cannot be crushed Your song cannot remain unsung Your ash will not return to earth From ash you stir, from ash you stir From ash you rise, from ash you rise Before us all, the glorious arc-en-ciel Reaching, yearning, hungry for the sky Before us all, you rise, you rise Before us all, you rise and fly.
4.
Hi Kids! [Kids:] Hi Dylan! Now I know you’ve been hearing some pretty crazy words these days: words like “recession” and “credit crunch” and “bailout”. Well I’m here to tell you all about it so that it all makes sense. Are you ready? here we go! This little piggy loved silver and gold This little piggy loved silver and gold Didn’t really care who he bought or sold And now we’re left out in the cold! This little piggy sold magic beans He said they’d grow up big and green He never really told us what that means [Kids:] And now they’re blown to smithereens! My mama taught me right from wrong My mama taught me right from wrong Didn’t their mamas ever sing this song? It’s time for us to sing along! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don’t go swimming if the water’s too deep Don’t make a promise you can’t keep Don’t let your conscience fall asleep Be a good little piggy today! [Kids:] Dylan, what’s a Ponzi scheme? What’s a credit freeze? Well, kids, those are very good questions. Can you all say “deliverable obligation characteristics of a credit-default swap?” Don’t worry… I can’t say it either! But maybe this little story can help: This little piggy played a pyramid game This little piggy played a pyramid game It all fell down and he’s to blame And that’s why they closed the banks in Spain! Borrow from Peter to pay back Paul Peter owes money to Billy and Saul No-one ever had any money at all [Kids:] And husha-husha! Down we fall! My mama taught me right from wrong My mama taught me right from wrong Maybe if their mamas sang this song Things wouldn’t be so gosh-darn wrong! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don’t go swimming if the water’s too deep Don’t make a promise you can’t keep Don’t let your conscience fall asleep Be a good little piggy today! [Kids:] Dylan, why did Jenny have move out of her house? Shut up, Danny! What does ‘foreclosure’ mean? Well, kids, sometimes people want what they can’t really afford… like a mini-mansion on a Wal-Mart salary. [Kid:] but Dad doesn’t work at Wal-Mart anymore… And there’s always somebody happy to string them along. Take a listen… This little piggy sold a house of sticks Told ‘em it worth its weight in bricks I guess it was one of his crazy tricks And now it ain’t worth a pile of beans! If something seems to good to be true Use your noggin and think it through Don’t let greed get the best of you [Kids:] Cause that’s what oinky little piggys will do! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don’t go swimming if the water’s too deep Don’t make a promise you can’t keep Don’t buy dear if you gotta sell cheap Be a good little piggy today! Be a good little piggy today! Be a good little piggy today!
5.
Obama! Ndie mwenye matarajio, twa wakaribisha Obama! Embodiment of Hope, we welcome you Obama! Ndie alama ya ahadi, twa wakaribisha Obama! Symbol of Promise, we welcome you Obama, Ndie aletae muungano , twa wakaribisha Obama! Healer of Divisions, we welcome you Obama, Ndio pamoja twaweza, twa wakaribisha Obama! Yes We Can! We welcome you Verse 1 (English) “Wakaribisha” from your Northern Brothers We stand before you with our hearts full of pride “Wakaribisha” from your Northern Sisters We welcome you with our hearts open wide Verse 2 (English) From the beginning we have shared our freedom Shoulder to shoulder at this moment in time From independence to the Underground Railroad We will be with you till the end of the line
6.
Text: Dona Nobis Pacem, Gratiam et Humilitatem (from the latin: Grant us Peace, Grace and Humility)
7.
Gringo Samba 03:22
Going on a holiday to sunny Barcelona Tried to learn the language through and through And though I thought I tried my best They said "east" but I heard "west" Now I'm on a freight train to Kathmandu And everything's so unfamiliar Can't understand a word they say Can't figure out how to use the telephone I think I lost my passport There's a scorpion in my shoe I'm so confused and clueless Tell me what else can I do? I do the Gringo Samba Never ask a soldier for directions to the bathroom Don't ever order "coke" in Bogota If a waitress slaps you in the face Check your guidebook just in case You might have asked her to go back to your room with her twin sister Maybe I'll just take a bus to Bismarck North Dakota I'm pretty sure that it's wild enough for me On second thought I'll stay at home And if I feel the urge to roam There's always something exotic on my TV So if you brought a mask and snorkel While on Safari in Sudan Don't say I didn't try to tell you so If your pocket's full of Deutschmarks But you're headed to Peru You're swimming off the deep end And there's nothing left to do So do the Gringo Samba
8.
Verse 1 Well you tell me I can never buy a diamond ring To sparkle on my baby’s hand She says the only diamonds she’ll ever need Sparkle in the desert sand Well you tell me that I gotta learn to play the game Better buckle-down and learn my place Well you can take your big Mercedes, your big-city suit And shove ‘em up your fancy briefcase Chorus I ain’t lazy, Mister Boss-man: I just don’t care I ain’t lazy, Mister Boss-man: I just don’t care You can call me crazy, say I’m lost, say I’m going nowhere I ain’t lazy, Mister Boss-man: I just don’t care No sir, I just don’t care Verse 2 Well you tell me “get working those idle hands Before the Devil gets behind the wheel.” But let me tell you: Your busy hands and your busy life Are gonna leave you with a heart of steel So go on, take the biggest, and take the best Take everything your money can buy I’ll be happy with an open road A sunset and a deep blue sky [Chorus] Verse 3 You can have your forty-hour grindstone Your two short weeks of vacation I’d rather saddle-up my big red Chevy And drive me across the nation Cause I finally came to my senses Got tired of being played a fool And it sure is easy to play the game When you stop playing by the rules
9.
Obama! Ndie mwenye matarajio, twa wakaribisha Obama! Embodiment of Hope, we welcome you Obama! Ndie alama ya ahadi, twa wakaribisha Obama! Symbol of Promise, we welcome you Obama, Ndie aletae muungano , twa wakaribisha Obama! Healer of Divisions, we welcome you Obama, Ndio pamoja twaweza, twa wakaribisha Obama! Yes We Can! We welcome you Verse 1 (English) “Wakaribisha” from your Northern Brothers We stand before you with our hearts full of pride “Wakaribisha” from your Northern Sisters We welcome you with our hearts open wide Verse 2 (English) From the beginning we have shared our freedom Shoulder to shoulder at this moment in time From independence to the Underground Railroad We will be with you till the end of the line
10.
L'Etat C'est Nous (free) 03:29
Ecoutez-Vous, L’Etat C’est Nous (Listen Up… This Country Is Ours!) People, people, in Parliament: We’re the Younger Generation and we’re here to represent We’re sick and tired of being ignored So we’ll kick it to you Old-Skool on the disco floor You think without us, you can get along? I guess that you forgot that’s we’re three million voters strong Say we’re apathetic, say that we don’t care We’re gonna vote in numbers and you’ll all be running scared Chorus: L’Etat C’est Nous, L’Etat C’est Nous Ecoutez-Vous, say L’Etat C’est Nous L’Etat C’est Nous, L’Etat C’est Nous Ecoutez-Vous, say L’Etat C’est Nous Oh Ecoutez-Vous: L’Etat C’est Nous Ecoutez-Vous You help the children, you help the old But you left my generation freezing in the cold Helping “Working Families” seems so inspired… But I’ll be eating Kraft Dinner ‘till the day that I retire [Chorus] Aww, people, people, do what you gotta do It’s time to take back what belongs to you So let’s boogie on down, and spread the word We’re gonna get the vote out and we’ll make our voices heard!

about

This EP is the shadow album to "Don't Fix What's Broken": all the tracks that don't fit into the pop genre. You'll find everything here from classical choral, to world music, to a satirical children's song about the Global Economic Meltdown. Enjoy!

credits

released February 19, 2010

Dylan Bell: voices, bass, guitars, keyboards, drums, percussion

Suba Sankaran: voice (From Ash You Rise, Obama Twa Wakaribisha)

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Dylan Bell Toronto, Ontario

In a word... multifaceted. Toronto-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. From a neo-classical choral opus to an unabashed rock song, I've probably written it... or at least working on it. I'm fortunate enough to make my work my play, touring across North America, Europe, and Asia. Visit me at www.dylanbell.ca ... more

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