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What About Me

from ToiL by Steve Blaque

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about

Originally from the band Quicksilver Messenger Service, the song was written in 1970 revealing the horror of development and the raping of the environment alongside the marginalizing of people considered unimportant. Fast forward to 2016 and in a cafe in Beijing where I live and have watched with 'a tear in the Indian's eye' at the wholesale destruction and devastation of a once beautiful city into the nightmare it has now become. What about Me fits the scenario perfectly where wanton greed supersedes humanity. i recorded the song loose. there is a timing mistake midway through that i glossed over with a guitar fill and it highlights the nuance of playing live, whereby performers make mistakes every night of the week and I wanted to leave this in and move on from it, because at the time of the recording I just felt I was getting into the character of the song and I just couldn't be bothered in any way doing it all over again....This is one of two songs I never got to perform but that I really wanted to perform and also that this and the other song said so much about me and my struggle in these last few years. I chose to do reggae rather than the original rock presentation since I felt it highlighted the agony of protest that I feel deep inside of me watching the destruction and devastation of development. Miranda Vukasovic again does harmonies and you can feel the strength coming from her vocals particularly in the main chorus.

lyrics

What About Me
You poisoned my sweet water.
You cut down my green trees.
The food you fed my children
Was the cause of their disease.

My world is slowly fallin' down
And the airs not good to breathe.
And those of us who care enough,
We have to do something...

[Chorus]
Oh... oh What you gonna do about me?
Oh... oh What you gonna do about me?

Your newspapers,
They just put you on.
They never tell you
The whole story.

They just put your
Young ideas down.
I was wonderin' could this be the end
Of your pride and glory?

[Chorus]

I work in your factory.
I study in your schools.
I fill your penitentiaries.
And your military too!

And I feel the future trembling,
As the word is passed around.
"If you stand up for what you do believe,
Be prepared to be shot down."

[Chorus]

And I feel like a stranger
In the land where I was born
And I live like an outlaw.
An' I'm always on the run...

An I'm always getting busted
And I got to take a stand...
I believe the revolution
Must be mighty close at hand...

[Chorus]

I smoke marijuana
But I can't get behind your wars.
And most of what I do believe
Is against most of your laws

I'm a fugitive from injustice
But I'm goin' to be free.
Cause your rules and regulations
They don't do the thing for me

[Chorus]

And I feel like a stranger
In the land where I was born
And I live just like an outlaw.
An' I'm always on the run.
Songwriters: JESSIE FARROW

credits

from ToiL, released March 27, 2017
Steve BLaque all instrumentation and vocals and Miranda Vukasovic harmony vocal.

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Steve Blaque Beijing, China

Steve Blaque singer, songwriter, Producer and engineer and owner of Darktrunk Recording (formerly Forbidden City Studio Beijing) also performs in an unplugged environment with his favorite flavors of Indie and Grunge. Blaque has always said ''you don't need distortion to be grunge and you don't need twang to be Indie''. ... more

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