Born a free man at the age of sixteen
They named him something pretty but they called him 'number three'
Back in the day when everyone sang in tune
Yeah, everyone was singing the Conformity Blues
And he learned to sing before he learned to speak
He took a guitar and he taught it to weep
'Can't dance to this shit' said his mama and some booze
'Won't you play that old song, the Conformity Blues?'
He made a lot of friends only playing that song
It was simple to play, they could all sing along
He learned the no-time users were the big time losers
and the only ones who win are the Conformity Blues-ers
He stepped onto the stage with a couple of guys
He looked so sincere, with big cocaine user's eyes
It all feels so good when you choose not to choose
When you just let them make you play them the Conformity Blues
He died like a hamster, it was all very sweet
They cried him a river, then they watched some TV
What was his name again that Billy... Benny something... Bruce?
Well, he did a mean cover of Conformity Blues
Author notes
I know you guys don't like reading songs because the rhymes don't really work in poetry form, but please, can't you just read it as freeverse?
So this is kind of like my limerick "Concerning My Ghosts" in the sense that I have taken a traditional format and done something that is quite unconventional for the genre in question. This is a blues with a serious message, instead of a traditional "I'm a sad, sad maaaaaan/ And I'm so doooooown" kind of thing. I still embrace a lot of Blues clichés tough, like no chorus and ending every verse in a similar way. I don't usually write songs that are this political, but I thought it would be kind of funny in this context. Still, please note that it is about the state of the music industry rahter than the state of the world, or my life.
I could write a lot about this song, but I don't really have time. I would, however be ecstatically happy to answer any questions you might have.
A contest entry
- Songs/Lyrics Options by albinoblacksheep720.
700 points, ended January 24, 2009, 38 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
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