In the Key of K

New music! Streaming everywhere! Or buy it at Bandcamp! An artist like me makes NOTHING from any streaming services. If you want to support what we do buy the album at Bandcamp or check out Patreon and the merch store in the link tree.

I’m slowly getting all the merch added to the Merch Store! There will eventually be merch for every track on the album!

This song is purposefully anti-religion/christian and is from my first album from 1997. I use to have a lot of angst, resentment, and hatred for hypocritical religions and christians– having spent a number of my formative years in a very religious, racist, and small minded little town. I met several people in this town that used to puff up with pride and brag that the last “N”-word to visit this town left on a rope. A very christian sentiment! This was the late 80s into the mid 90s — maybe it’s different now–I won’t find out because I don’t plan on going back. Anyway that is all there is to this song lyrically–anti all religion. If you need to be threatened with eternal damnation to be a good person you will always be a shitty person. Likewise if you think you can justify doing shitty things because you can ask for forgiveness later, you’re always going to be a shitty person. Do the right thing because it makes the world better not because you’re being bullied or shamed into it. Measure your actions with kindness and understanding. And let’s not forget about the problem of evil! I will now step off my soapbox and stop screaming into the void. 🗣️

Musically this song is super fun to play. My love of chromatic lines is heavily present. I had a composition teacher in grad school who said after seeing a trumpet line I wrote “why not jump back and forth a little bit? It doesn’t always have to ascend and descend in chromatic order.” With that advice I have become more aware of my subconscious leanings and I try to spice things up a little bit but I do love me some good old fashion chromatic lines. 🥰

I re-recorded some of the vocals and did some minor tweaks on the lyrics. The rest of the original four track music is untouched. All the screaming vocals are from the original recording.

The insert for the original cassette had the title pf this song as “The Rain on the Parade.” I remember toying with Rein, Rain, and Reign way back then and I think I chose Rain to be a wet blanket on believers. Today I like the latter better so that’s what I’m using but I think all three are applicable. 😎
//
The Reign on the Parade
I live my life.
I have no soul.
I never look back.
The past is cold.
I envy your anger.
And you’re starting to fade.
You can take step sideways
But you’re always afraid

Show me all the blood on your hands.
Purge the sin from our lands.
Heal the sick with your hands.
No one said, “god is dead!”
//
How is it played?

Intro:
|G5***|E5***| x 3
|E5 F5 F#5 G5 G#5 |
Last time–|A5___|F5*F#5 G5 G#5 |A5___|
Verse:
|E5*F5*|F#5 G5 G#5*|
Chorus:
|D5*C5*|A5***| x3
|B5 B5 Bb5 Bb5 |C***|C |
Bridge:
E5**D5 |E5**D5| E5**F#5 |F#5 E5 D5_|

I used to really distance myself from this song but it is secretly one of my favorites. I’ve had religious friends that distanced themselves from me because of this song. 🤷‍♂️The chromaticism, the singing-to-screaming, the fun drumming, screaming the words “god is dead”–the only things missing are time changes and tasty bass licks but we can’t always have all the things we love all at once. 🤣