Well, I said on another thread, I'd stop arguing about this climate change thing and just write a song. So I did. And here it is

https://soundcloud.com/themysteriousbeings/climate-change-denier

I was going to add harmonies and stuff, but I'm not sure that that would help. It might be better to just leave it simple and folky. All comments and suggestions much appreciated.

Here are the lyrics, but it's best to listen to get the overall vibe.



CLIMATE CHANGE DENIER
(Words & Music by Gavin Sinclair)

Yes, I’m a climate change denier
Ninety-nine point nine percent of scientists are liars
Of course it’s getting warmer with all those pants on fire
Yes, I’m a climate change denier

I work for a foundation set up to save our nation
From those suckers who believe in China’s hoax
We call ourselves a think tank but we don’t do much thinking
‘Cause that’s not what they pay us for, folks
I get a million or three from the oil industry
Where there’s certainty, they pay me to remove it
They explain to me what reality should be
And I dash off a paper to prove it

Yes, I’m a climate change denier
Ninety-nine point nine percent of scientists are liars
Blame the tears of polar bears for oceans getting higher
Yes, I’m a climate change denier

Watch me on TV, I’m a master debater
Fair and balanced, they let me have my say
And I crush a guy from Stanford with his fifty years of data
By pointing out it snowed the other day
Every tiny mistake a scientist might make
I’ll make sure that that is all folks talk about
When the electorate’s confused, my employers are enthused
You say I’m spreading [naughty word removed], I call it doubt

Yes, I’m a climate change denier
Ninety-nine point nine percent of scientists are liars
I’ll keep denying the obvious till the other side gets tired
Yes, I’m a climate change denier

Don’t get all emotional just because the ocean’ll
Soon swallow up your tropical beauty spot
Shame about your island, but move to the Scottish Highlands
It used to be quite cold, but now it’s not. (It’s quite hot)

Yes, I’m a climate change denier
Ninety-nine point nine percent of scientists are liars
People ask me, “Why’re you throwing petrol on the fire
I say, what fire, I’m a climate change denier

Love the opening chorus and the master debater line lol
I'd like to know why global warming hasn't filtered through to my lounge it's fecking freezing this morning!
Regards
Jihb

Hey Gavin,

Cool song mate ! Made me laugh, being here in Fiji.:D

cheers, niteshift

John, your lounge being cold would be enough evidence for this guy to write a whole paper proving all those scientists wrong LOL.

Niteshift, glad you enjoyed it. Just a bit of fun on a serious subject. Fiji? Nice!

Hi Gavin,

Well this deserved a comment, if only for the creative blurbie on it's Soundcloud page.

The song is delightful and I was smiling all the way through.

You're a modern day Allen Sherman meets Tom Lehrer..

Mike

Thank you Mike. That's very kind of you. Having been brought up on the other side of the pond, I've never actually heard any Tom Lehrer songs and the only Allen Sherman song I know is the one about the kid at the summer camp. I'll have to check them out. I've got a feeling I'm in for a treat.

I've been playing around with harmonies and backing vocals for this, but, as mentioned in the original post, I think it's probably better just to leave it with simple vocals.

...and yes, I always try to have a bit of fun with the blurb .

You'd definitely like Lehrer, and I'm sure you've heard "The Vatican Rag" ...you know, "first you get down on your knees/fiddle with your rosaries." Having grown up Catholic, that was always a favorite. And then Dr. Demento played the crap out of "Poisoning the Pigeons in the Park."

As far as your political satire, the only one remotely doing the kind of thing you're doing, that I can recall was Mark Russell, whose stuff is also a treat..

Mike

Hey Gavin:

Great performance and write. As always, your talent and wit bring on a smile and the toe tapping begins before you hit the second verse. Enjoyed! ----Dave

Aw, Humm,
Sounds good but the vocal needs to be a bit higher. They just had a blast of snow out in Montana. 3 to 4 feet. So what is winter going to be like this year.

Thanks Dave. Glad you enjoyed it. It is supposed to be a bit of a toe-tapper, so that even those who disagree can enjoy it

Ray, by higher, do you mean in pitch or volume? I originally tried this in G, but moving down to E was easier on my voice and seemed more natural.

OK,
The music sorta is overides the vocal. So either reduce the music, in volume or raise the vocal volume level. Of course I am listening on small speakers in my monitor so it may just be that. Keep writing.

I love it!!! What a great way to get this out there. AND you should get it out there.

Douglas

Thanks Ray. Anyone else hearing what Ray is hearing - vocals too quiet in comparison to the music?

When I read this, I initially thought Ray meant "more stoned" ...

...then realized my gaff and how it was probably caused by me projecting cuz I gave that up awhile back..and sometimes miss it.

Gavin, vocals sound perfectly placed to me. Not too loud to where they dwarf the music but loud enough to make every word intelligible to my ears.

Mike

Mike, thanks for introducing me to Tom Lehrer. I am listening my way through his oeuvre whenever I get a moment and really enjoying it. Apart from everything else, the rhymes are so creative.

"When you attend a funeral
It is sad to think that sooner orl-
ater those you love will do the same"

Who would think of stealing the "l" from later to achieve the rhyme? Brilliant.

Well yes, I suppose I could aspire to being a low rent Tom Lehrer at times, if you take away the musicianship, stage presence and sheer bloody genius LOL. I will move on to Messrs. Sherman and Russell next.

Lehrer has a lot in common with Flanders & Swann in the UK, though their songs are maybe a little gentler. If you like this kind of stuff and don't know them, you should check them out on YouTube. In these days of turbocharged nationalism, this one poking fun at their own Englishness is refreshing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdY1Y5XNJBY

Gavin,

Wow! That was hysterical. I'm gonna find their whole albums.I enjoyed that very much.

The song has a line about how Scots are mean. Having only loved Scottish bands and musicians like Dick Gaughan, Momus, and The Blue Nile, I would never have thought the Scottish had a reputation for meanness. Then I saw the black comedy, "Orphans" in 1998 made by the Scottish director and actor Peter Mullan. Maybe the darkest comedy I've ever seen, and it depicted the Glasgow streets as being filled with all kinds of miscreants and mean people. And listening to Flanders and Swann I see the stereotype goes back aways. I imagine there's ghettos in all big cities, and this was more a reflection of that then the everyday citizen..still, I was surprised to hear the stereotype went back as far as Flanders and Swann, at least.

Thanks again for the Flanders and Swann..

Mike

Yes, it's a tribute to their lightness of touch that they can get away with saying some pretty disparaging things about their neighbours (spelling intentional LOL) without offending because it's precisely that stereotype of English superiority that they are parodying. The meaning of mean in this context is stingy or tight-fisted (we Scots would say we're thrifty). The American meaning of mean can be heard in the UK these days, but back then it hadn't made the crossing yet.

The stereotype of the tight-fisted Scot is a classic subject of humour. Within Scotland, we used to make those jokes about people from Aberdeen. I imagine that in Aberdeen, they make them about people from a certain street, in that street they make them about the McNabs at number 17, and at number 17, wee Jimmy McNab is the ultimate butt of the joke. It would be nice to think so anyway.

And yes, Glasgow had the reputation for being both the friendliest and the toughest city in the UK.

Gavin,

I really enjoyed this as well, listened a 2nd time to evaluate Ray's constructive sug, as these lyrics and vox really grab your attention--a good thing. I thing volumes are fine from my speakers & ears. Soundcloud does seem to boost some bass, and I usually find with most mixes that the balance seems a little better if turning down the Soundcloud volume slider to about 60-70%. I do think experimenting with tweaking some panning may be worth doing--move the banjo about 30% right which will oppose the L fiddle better and give the upright bass better definition--not imperative, but could enhance mix balance slightly. JMO.

steady-eddie

Had me dancing in my chair..and yes made me smile...fanstatic lyrics and music...enjoyed it sir..tks

glyn

Thank you for the kind words, Glyn

Eddie, many thanks for listening and offering advice. The banjo is panned 30% right. Maybe I need to play around with moving it further.