The damage of life, the healing of song

The damage of life, the healing of song

Sunday, May 30, 2010

The Tour Of Pain is COMING. (17 parts) August 1st

On Sunday, August 1st, the Greatest 'My Musiqke' story I could ever write and one of the most important (if not the most) journey's of my life will unfold on this blog.



An epic story. Not epic like 'The Illiad' but EPIC to me. 12 days, 6 DM shows, 46 friends, 2 live so far away I doubt I will ever see them again and it crushes me. 1 I would hug like nobody's business but I havent heard her voice in years. 1 lives so close, yet so far away, I miss you D. I SO MISS MY TWIN. 1 lives up north and seems to be loving her life with her new bo, he seems AMAZING to me. Her brother lives in Paris. Wow, do I miss this mother fucker? That's like asking Saturn if she would miss her rings. I will never forget that Halloween in vEGAS. Then there are the twins, you know who you are. The lillian sisters. I HONESTLY have experienced some of the greatest moments of my life with each of you and usually with both of you at the same time. It's hard to separate you both so I won't/can't you will always be sisters in my book. 1 who accepted and loved me from afar and helped me get my party together from 3.000 miles away, oh how I love my L what a fucking jewel. 1 who will always have my heart. The first time she cried to me about Dave she had me And lastly the one guy who truly changed my life forever. The guy who has always accepted my bullshit and never even so much as blinked at it. The man that defines the word FRIEND.

I will blog about what happened on every day from my eyes. THE WORLD IN MY EYES so to speak. August 1st will be the runner, a catch-up. August 8-19 I will blog each day about what happened as if it were each day of the tour in 2001. There will be a couple epilouge blogs. If you look at the time period I'm sure you can understand why. I am going to post everything about 9.11.01. I am not looking forward to the eps. It's going to fucking hurt. Again. But it is what happened. IT NEEDS TO BE TOLD. AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN,

Friday, May 28, 2010

Holiday... A father who wasn't to his son.

February 27, 1972 - Present Day

I grew up in the best/worst of households. One day happy. One day a nightmare. If you have ever wondered where I get my affinity for science, knowledge, & the word FUCK. That would be the 'Y' in me given by my father. The compassion, empathy, and the tears falling from my face from even the slightest hint of sadness that's the 'X' in me. Mother, sometimes I call here mom. I want to call here MOM all the time but I can't anymore it seems. I literally can not even talk to this woman anymore. He tainted her so much I don't believe a word that comes out of her mouth anymore. So I cut ties with both of them.

This song always reminds me of my father. Good? Bad? I don't separate the terms much anymore. It hurts and makes me happy everytime I hear it. It is truly amazing the feelings a song less than 3 minutes long can evoke in someone every time they here it.



HOLIDAY: THE BEE GEES


Ooh you're a holiday , such a holiday
Ooh you're a holiday , such a holiday

It's something I thinks worthwhile
If the puppet makes you smile
If not then you're throwing stones
Throwing stones, throwing stones

Ooh it's a funny game
Don't believe that it's all the same
Can't think what I've just said
Put the soft pillow on my head

Millions of eyes can see
Yet why am I so blind
When the someone else is me
It's unkind, it's unkind

de de de de de de de de de de de de de
de de de de de de de de de de de de de

Yet millions of eyes can see
Yet why am I so blind
When the someone else is me
It's unkind, it's unkind

Ooh you're a holiday , ev'ry day , such a holiday
Now it's my turn to say , and I say you're a holiday
It's something I thinks worthwhile
If the puppet makes you smile
If not then you're throwing stones
Throwing stones , throwing stones

de de de de de de de de de de de de de de

Monday, May 24, 2010

I heard it from my Friends about the things other friends said about LOST

A show isn't about it's beginning nor ending, it's about the journey. It's kinda funny I am sticking up for LOST. I'm sure Michael and Sean will get a kick out of that fact. Well, maybe not now but a few years ago they would have.

In the beginning I was on board. I remember seeing the Promos for the show with Dominic Monaghan (whose last name is an anagram for MO GAHANN! In DM fan lingo that's MORE DAVE!) saying, "Guys, where are we?" I WAS SOLD!!! Why? Well, I'm glad you asked. 'The Lord of The Rings' Trilogy is something Mike & I relish. I can not tell you how many times we have fallen asleep to Cate Blanchett's voice over talking about every age of Middle Earth. We adore these movies.

It should be noted that Mike and I have "boyfriends" in everything we see, watch, view. When I first met Mike in Vegas he would say, "damn, he is good-looking" while watching something. I would ask if that was his "boyfriend" on whatever it was we were watching. He didn't get it at first but loves and even upstages me now, wait for it. The first time I asked this he just gave me a strange look. I told him I have certain "boyfriends" actors, musicians, news anchors etc. [yes news anchors] Hey, the channel 6 anchor in Vegas on the 11pm news cast in '03 was CUTE AS HELL! Name? No idea... See, that's what's fun about it.

So Dominic Monaghan [LOST fans, that's Charlie] is my LOTR boyfriend. I melted for his portrayal of Meriadoc Brandybuck, or 'Merry' as he is commonly referred to in the books/films. Mikes "boyfriend" in the films is Pippin Peregrin or Billy Boyd as he is humanly known. So when I found out Dominic was in LOST I was on top of the world. My LOTR's boyfriend had moved to T.V. SA-WEET!

So we watched LOST & LOVED IT. We loved its strange unconventionlism (is that a word? It is now) Yet after watching the first 16 eps of season one I stopped watching. Never wanted to watch it again. I kept thinking, are these guys making this shit up as they go along? Do they honestly have an ending? I loved everything about the show mechanically but wanted to know if they had a solution FROM THE BEGINNING.

BSG the series was starting at this same point (after the mini in '03)the writers for this show wrote a "BSG bible" (their words). Things that would be concrete, never change. I felt LOST never had this so it was easy for me to dis it, for lack of a better phrase.

After season 1 was over I had a conversation with Sean and he said he really wanted me to start watching again. In my mind I was a NO. However, after many talks about the show and where it was going I agreed to watch the last few eps of season 1. I was so not convinced. 4 months later Sean asked me to watch the premiere of season 2. He is convincing sometimes. I agreed. I asked Mike to watch it with me and he opted out. I watched the first 5 eps and gave up. Why? I'm not sure. I would chalk it up to not having anyone to enjoy or hate it with. Things are better or worse when you have someone to talk about it with. Mike was so out. Totally didn't care. So I didn't.


So I dont even remember when it was but Sean started texting Mike. (Mid season 3 I think) Mike and Sean still had never met at that point. I don't know why but Mike said he was going to give LOST another chance and bought the first season. He watched the entire 1st season in one weekend. I could hear him yelling from the other room, THAT'S RIGHT YOU F'ING BITCH! I would walk in with the 'who the fuck are you yelling at face on' and he would say, Kate just got her ass handed to her. I am so hating her right now! But I love her too. She's good.

A few weeks later both of us have re-watched every episode from season one & two and all the DVR'd season three shows. TWICE & in some cases THRICE because we can't get enough of this show. Plus, amazingly it fills in the 8 month gaps of BSG that the fucking assholes at the Sci-Fi channel [NBC] has forced upon us regularly. NBC, you're lucky that you are the gayest network & subsidiaries out there or I'd be flaming you like an Evangelical preacher would a fag in church right now. Pun intended.

Then it happened. One night after an episode of LOST Mike texted Sean. Sean texted Mike back. I do not remember what was said at all. I only remember this: I had put my headphones in and put on an album. Depeche Mode: Music For The Masses. I was two songs in, "The Things You Said." I was looking over at Mike and he was smiling. I took one earpiece out and asked what? He said that Sean had said something about the show and he went back to texting him back.

The things you said had always meant something different to me. Something evil almost. But on that night that song morphed into something completely different.
In LOST's honour I won't explain it fully. I think I've told you enough to draw your own conclusions.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Holding hands with dismembered Bubblemen through Chain-link Fences

March 1st 2000: The SUN Theatre Anaheim California

Peter Murphy just finished performing. Paul, Eric & I are standing outside just beyond the chain-link fence between us and where the band goes out to their bus. We are among maybe a couple hundred fans. We of course are cracking jokes, farting, and trying to make each other laugh. You know, the things we always do when we are together, the good things. All three of us know that Peter won't be coming out and we aren't upset about that at all. In fact we aren't waiting for the Dark Prince of White Light. We are hoping David J's little brother may walk out those doors. Kevin had joined Peter on this tour and we are skyrockets about it.

After twenty minutes waiting and a couple of beers some Gothic chick got upset with us and said we were rude. Uh, babe, you don't say that to us. So Eric told her to go fly a kite, literally. I believe his words were, go fly a kite you bat. I know. I LOVE him too. I remember Paul laughing so hard he was out. Once Paul gets laughing that hard he is always always out. By out I mean you can't count on him for anything for thirty minutes cause he is laughing so hard. Cut to me, I am holding my dick so I don't piss myself now. I am out too. Eric, once again, has with one non-offensive quip told some stupid bitch to go fuck herself. I so relish that talent. Eric and I lived together for years and it never rubbed off. He is still clever and I am still a prick.

Side Note: You should see Eric & I at the south Nickle Slots carousel At O'Sheas. If you can drink three 75 cent Harps and not wet yourself before running to the restroom we would give you our entire bankroll for the night, $20. Laugh if you must you uncouth fucker. Yes- I know, uncouth is not a word. Oh and please do not punch the buttons with your chin. Burger King fatty cool girl. $15 Blackjack Leprechaun hats. Whoopee-Cushion Madness! Did I leave anything out Eric?

So we continue to laugh our asses off and we now have a sizeable group around us that are enjoying our shenanigans. I call my buddy Russel in Las Vegas with whom I promised I would call if we met Kevin. Russel is a true friend that appreciates true artistry. We are also right on the fence line. I don't remember how long it was, maybe twenty minutes and everyone starts yelling. So Kevin has walked out the door and is walking about 50 feet north of us. I am dialing Russel. No Answer. Dial. No Answer. Kevin is getting closer and closer. I dial. No answer. I dial. No answer. He's 10 feet away. I haven't stopped dialing. Still no answer. He's shaking hands through the fence and then he gets to us. This is one of my fucking idols. The drummer of Bauhaus/Tones on Tail/Love & Rockets! The only member of L&R I have not haven't had some kind of an experience with. This bitch ain't goin NOWHERE. But Russel still isn't answering his phone! Eric, Paul, & I all shake his hand over the fence cause, you know, we are fucking cool. Okay, Paul had to pick me up a bit. I'm only 5'10! I tell him my buddy Russel wanted to talk to him but I lost his cell-signal. Yeah, I lied to Kevin Haskins, don't even start with your bullshit. What would you say? Oh, my friend isn't answering his phone? I don't think so. Anyway, he stood and talked to us for a few minutes. The entire time I was still trying to get Russel on the phone but couldn't. Kevin loved it. I think he was genuinely touched. He was so nice. (great fucking guy). So he kept going down the line and we were walking away and my phone rings. RUSSEL! YES! So Kevin is about 50 people from the end of the line and I am running to the fence and yell Kev! It's Russel! I'm pushing my arm through the fence holding Paul's cell phone for Kevin with Russel on the end of it. Kevin starts laughing and takes the cell phone out of my hand and says "Hello Russel, how are you?" He talked to my friend for a couple minutes. I have no idea what they talked about and it doesn't matter. Russel talked to Haskins that night that's all that matters. Kevin handed Paul's phone back to me through the fence and gave me that look of 'Thank you too'. I was walking backwards to the car for the first 50 or 60 steps and he just kept looking at me smiling. I don't know how to expalin it. Am I looking too much into it? I believe I sometimes do. But that's who I am. It was one of those moments of LOVE. Kevin Haskins, 1/3 of the Fishtank Trinity.


February 27th, 1998: The Orb, Hollywood California

My 26th birthday. Paul & I are in L.A. for two reasons. To hang out with EJ & Hope & Steph & to meet David J. He just so happens to be DJing at the 'ORB' on my fucking birthday. I am losing my mind at how cool this is. Not meeting David. I grew up in L.A., I am not struck by celebrity, nor do I care (usually). I am however winged-heels over the fact that David J is Djing on my B-day. That is, to put it in L&R terms, "Closer to Nirvana Open the Doors." EJ, Hope, Paul & I dance to some amazing tunes for about an hour after getting there. After a while EJ and I break away and we are walking up to the DJ booth giggling like two litttle school girls. I keep telling her I want him to draw me a bubbleman. We can't stop laughing. Neither of us have pen and paper so that dream is dead. Or is it? So we finally walk up to the third floor and there are 10 people crowding around him. I felt uncomfortable crowding J more so I turn and tell EJ, "let's just go" and EJ says, "Uh, no. It's your birthday. We are staying til you say Hi." Urgh, I push through and there is this very unpleasent girl who must of been from a record company and she was shooing everyone out. Her bitchiness gave me more courage than alcohol or drugs could have ever given someone. I told her I had driven 5 hours to see David J for my B-day and I wasn't leaving until I said hello. Suprisingly she pushed everyone away and brought me right up to him. I said, "David, hey, It's my b-day just wanted to shake your hand." He was awesome. He smiled, gave me a hug & wished me a Happy B-Day. I walked back to EJ VERY HAPPY! She was smiling SO HUGE. That's all I wanted. I got it. GREAT NIGHT. Cut to an hour later, we are downstairs. EJ starts smiling and pointing and I turn around to see David standing next to me. Surreal. He said hello. SO COOL. I said hey and tell him about my wish for him to draw me a bubbleman. He pulls out a scrap of paper and a pen and draws me a bubbleman. A bubbleman head on the far left. A bubbleman body in the middle and bubbleman feet on the right of the paper. All seperate. A totally dismembered bubbleman. I look at him and he just smiles HUGE. Doesnt say a word. Just Smiles and walks away. It was one of those moments of Happiness. David J. 1/3 of the Fishtank Trinity.


August 30, 1996: The Joint @ The Hardrock Hotel, Las Vegas Nevada

Shawn had been calling me all day: Love & Rockets Tonight! he kept saying. We were giddy as hell. They were opening for Porno for Pyros which was cool and sucked. It was cool L&R was playing but sucked cause they were opening. Once again, L&R having to open. This band has never received the respect they truly deserve. At least they were opening for Perry and I was looking forward to seeing PFP live. (They were great by the way).

So Shawn and I get there and we are hanging with our buddy Mike May's girlfriend and her crazy-fun-bestie. Since most of the people at The Joint that night were there to see PFP we quickly made our way up to the front. The very front. The greatest thing about that venue, there were no seats.

The lights go down and on come the trinity. They bang out Sad Beautiful World, Sweet F.A., Use Me, Natacha, Shelf Life (my heart skipped a beat when David started in on this one. This is their crown jewel from their later albums.) It was a great show so far. All songs from Sweet F.A. which was perfectly fine for me. It's an amazing album. Hadn't been listening to anything else for weeks. But of course Shawn and I and now about 10 of our friends that had also all made their way to the front were waiting to see which old tune they would pull out first. Shawn & I had placed a 10 spot on which older tune they would play first. I went with Dog End Day and Shawn went with No Big Deal if I remember correctly. Both solid picks. And then it happened...

Daniel changed guitars... WE WERE BOTH WRONG! YIN & YANG THE FLOWERPOT MAN BABY!!!!
Cue the dancing lunatics in the front row Side: ASH. We all burst into a flurry of crazy dancing and harmonics. "Under wheel of the runnin train!" We were off to the races! Jumping, dancing and signing as one. If nothing else happened that night we were going to show the PFP fans how true addicts of a band showed their appreciation.

So Daniel is grinding away on guitar, David is hypnotizing us with his drum thumping bass and Kevin, well, come on. It's Kevin Fucking Haskins for shits sake! The band and our group are one. And then with no warning Daniel jumps down off the stage and is standing right in front of us. Can't describe how cool it was to watch Mr. Ash tear the fuck out of that guitar 2 feet from me. Our little group was now on fire.

So there is that long break were the band just gets down on this song. And of course the next spoken word is that one glorious stand alone line which I of course have to scream to Daniel at the top of my lungs right? I mean, the man is standing right in front of me. Is it time for that line? No, it's like 36 breaks until that line. Do I care? No. So I scream it out to him. "ALCOHOL IS YOUR YOGA BABY!" Daniel looks at me with those big bug-eyed glasses and without stopping strumming with one hand grabs my hand that I had apparently reached out to him. Uh, can you say CLOSER TO NIRVANA Now!? So there I am holding hands with Daniel Ash will he is strumming his guitar during Yin & Yang The Flowerpot Man. I finally let go and he didn't. (He likes to drink whiskey) So I reapplied my hand hold. It was fucking magic. I could not believe I was standing there with him during that song hand in hand. Just a simple 3 foot tall velvet rope line between us. He let go twenty seconds later got back up on stage and looked down at our group and sang "Alcohol is your Yoga Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabeeeeeeeeeeeee" and of course we all lost our minds.

As soon as the song was over Shawn shook me and said, DID YOU SEE THAT! We laughed so hard it wasn't funny. Shawn realized what he had said and I was just so happy that everything anyone said was funny. Everything was bliss. Everything was excellent. I was transported by that moment.

To be honest I haven't told that story much. It just means too much to me. But now that I'm doing this diary I thought it might be time to write it down. It was one of those moments of Passion. Daniel Ash. 1/3 of the Fishtank Trinity.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Regulation Hat & Danielle & Things.

One night: Novemember 1986:

Duran had just released their No-No-Notorious Album. I asked my father if my cousin Danielle could spend the night so we could listen to Duran's new Album. My father is not one of my favourite people on this planet. He always disdained his brother Dave & his wife Melba, Danielle's parents. Interestingly I call them Dad & Mom now. For whatever reasons, my father never hated one person from our extended family; my cousin Danielle. He always loved her wholeheartedly. And to his credit sometimes he was the coolest mutha on the planet. He said, of course Danille can come over. Just keep your door shut, keep it down and have fun. For anyone reading this that knows my father you know what I'm talking about. Dicotomy in personality.

So Danielle comes over with all of her tapes and records (yes young people, tapes and records. See: Ancient Ruins). BTW I owe my Duraniedom to D. I also owe my Thompson Twindom to her... Oh but that is SO A DIFFERENT STORY... Cue: TO-KY-O! Why can't I ever say no TO-KY-O! HA!HA!

So Danielle is over and my mom has prepared us soft drinks and snacks to eat all night. Mom has always been cool like that. D & I walk into my room and shut the door. We wouldn't be bothered that night. We were in the Duran sanctuary that was my room. Danielle and I put down a blanket and pillows on my bedroom floor and start listening to Notorious. We both have headphones on and are digging the new album. After a while Danielle asked if I wanted to sing New Religion together. Ugh, my heart stopped.

New Religion is a brilliant song on Duran's second album 'Rio'. Ok, it's 1986. I know Duran really well. And like I said I know Duran really well because of Danielle. I attribute half of my musical taste to her guidance for fuck's sake. But I so didn't want to do it. I was so afraid I couldn't get the word's timing right.

Ok so here is the thing, 'New Religion' isn't your normal song. It's Simon at his best. It's a conversation between the ego and the alter ego. It's a back and forth so quick it will make a non-Duranies head spin like a top. Now I'm gonna be signing it with Danielle laying prone on a blanket and pillows!? Usually we would have a big rehearsal and dress-up session before we performed. In the mid-late eighties we would only perform for ourselves. Oh would that change in the early '90s.

With that said, of course I agree cause Danielle was my musical guide. So we both have the Rio album and each pull out the sleeves with the lyrics on them. Oh, the good ol' days. We dump the headphones so we can hear each other singing along with the lyrics.

Before I go on I would just like to say this is the first time in my life I knew what it was like to laugh so hard I thought I was actually going to hurt myself physically without the intention of doing so. Ruptured spleen, broken ribs possibly. Brain aneurysm, perhaps. Wetting one's pants, uh... maybe?

So we start the tape. Thank Duran for putting 'New Religion' as song 6. 1st song on side 2 of 'Rio'. That way we could just keep rewinding it to the beggining of side 2. Otherwise I still may have never known how to sing the song properly to this day. No seriously, there is a proper way to sing it.

Try #1

Me: I've been now sauntering out and down a path sometime
Come on it takes me nowhere which I know
Faces everywhere pulling grins and signs and things
Telling me not there man it's no go don't go there boy

Danielle: No! Stop!
Me: What!?
Danielle: Rewind it. I'm the alter ego, I say "Don't go there boy"
Me: Damn!

Try #2-#4 (Same Thing)

Try #5 ( We get it right, finally) But then this...

Me: I need a reason (I can't think without one now)
Too much learning got to show

Danielle: No! STOP! I sing 'I can't think without one now'
Danielle: Laughing so hard she is making me laugh and we can't even push rewind on the tape.

Try #6 (20 minutes later, we could not stop laughing)

TAPE REWOUND:

Me: Totally sung 'Don't go there Boy' AGAIN!
Danielle: That was my line! She is laughing so hard again. I am like, F-me! It took us forever to get that first one right and now I screwed it up again, I am bawling laughing cause Danielle can't stop laughing...

Try #7 (15-20 minutes later)

Me: "Maybe catch her don't know how"
Danielle: Laughter like no laughter you have ever heard in your life... No!
She cries out! She is now in classic Danielle mode (My favourite mode of Danielle ever) ie: laughing so hard she is crying. Anyone who has ever spent any decent amount of time with Danielle (when she isn't stressed) knows this Danielle. She literally can't speak. I think hear vocal chords actually disappear. I honestly do. She holds her stomach and stares at you, her face turns red and tears are literally rolling down her face. It is one of the most beaufiful things a human being can ever experience. If you have never seen it you might think she is having a stroke. And then it comes out... the BEST LAUGH EVER... That beautiful gasping laugh! Vocal chords are back! Or at least that's what Danielle's brain is telling her vocal chords. In fact the part of Danielle's brain that is telling her vocal chords they are working is being circumvented by that other part of her brain that is saying WE ARE GOIN TO LAUGH AND WE ARE GOING TO LAUGH FOR A VERY VERY VERY VERY LONG TIME!Danielle starts to speak and is comes out like this... "lhalhrrry... Yohhhuuu Fuuuukked up myy dearrrrr."
I LOSE IT! I was already laughing hard. Shit, we were both laughing so hard we were already on our sides. (you can't laugh as hard as D & I do and still be laying on your bellies) I am gasping for air so hard now I have to crawl up onto my bed and I piddle a bit in my pants). SO what do I do? I try to get my words out... Danieeeeel.. "Danieelll, Duh, Duh, Dee, Danyullll... I just peeed!!!!
That was it... We LAUGHED SO HARD it wasn't even funny. We could not stop!!!!
We laughed for an eternity. I was in the fetal postion on my bed. If I didnt get into that postion I would have pissed everywhere. Danielle was still on the floor and rolled away cause she couldnt look at me.

After what seemed like an eternity she finally stood up and never said a word and walk out of my bedroom and went to the bathroom. She walked back in a few minutes later and as soon as she walked in I started rolling. I couldn't help it. To steal an expression my mom always uses. I had my giggle box turned upside down. Danielle bursts into laughfter and sits against the other bed in my room. I can't even look at her. I jump up and bolt, legs-crossed out of the room. I relieve myslef in the bathroom. I walk to the other end of my house where the living room/kitchen are and act like I'm looking for food. Opening cabinents and the fridge. I opened and re-opened everything. I couldn't walk right back in. I couldn't. I would have just started rolling.

So on my trip to the other end of the house I saw my sperm donor (thank you Sean for that term) and my mom watching TV and my mom was smiling at me and my Sperm Donor was smiling too.
I was in a bit of a twilight Zone. But I didn't question it, shit... you dont question when things are good. Instead I went back to my room and as soon as I walked in Danielle and I stared rolling. Seriously rolling. It was the heaviest silent laughter one could ever manage or imagine for that manner. Every single person reading this knows exactly what I'm talking about. Danielle and I were on a high. A high of Diet Pepsi and pretzels.

So the next 30+ tries came with me and Danielle switching ego/alter ego parts numerous times. And we FINALLY got up to this line:

Try #39

Me: Gotta take pay from the paints 'n' sinners, in regulation hats 'n scarves 'n
things
Danielle (laughing unabated) No. no. no. no. Larry who is painting the sinners?
Me: I didn't say that!
Danielle: YES! YOU DID!
ME: AGAIN!

Try#40-#60: Now mind you... we started the song over from the beginning EVERY TIME. Our goal was to get all the way through it once without a single mistake. We killed that hope as soon as Danielle and I layed that blanket and those pillows down. As soon as Danielle and I giggled once we were done. Done in the best of ways.

I don't remember the exact number of times it took for us to get it right. I remember it was over 80, less than 100. But WE DID IT!

US: Gotta take pay from the saints 'n' sinners, in regulation hats 'n scarves 'n things
Walking in formation down the lane. They carry their cross make a church bell
ring
Army majors pull a mean cool truth, they're a-lying in the swimming pool
Searching for the undeniable truth, that a man is just a fool

We spent 5 hours on that one song, us singing it correctly. Ego/Alter Ego. With all of the laughter in between. Once we got it right we didnt even laugh we were so exhausted from laughing so much we just hugged. And then of course had to do it the other way. We had agreed to that half way through the night. It only took us 3 or 4 times to get it right after switching parts. I think it was because we were so tired and had stopped laughing so much and since we finally nailed it once it wasnt a problem to switch parts.

'New Religion' is one of the most intelligent, beautiful songs ever written. I had always loved that song but it wasn't until that sleep over with my cousin (SISTER) Danielle that night in November '86 that I understood what a song, not just 'New Religion' but any song, could mean to any one person. My immediate family was disentegrating at this point. I hated waking up into that family. I was so happy to hang out at Danielle's familys house (4 houses away) before and after school. Did that house have major problems. Yes, horrible problems. Problems most of the people in that immediate family still choose not to discuss to this day. Did I know about these problems? Absolutely. My father would keep us informed on all the "bad stuff".

Here's the funny thing though. I would have given up my mother and father for Melba and Dave in a minute. Switched houses in a second. And strangely enough just 2 years later that propostion presented itself. And I leaped into that New Religion in a heart beat. Danielle I have never sang that song incorrectly since.