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A politician cleverly used quotes from rap songs in some of his recent speeches:

"Insane in the brain" - Cypress Hill 1993
"Check yourself before you wreck yourself" - Ice Cube (early 90s
"If you don't know, now you know" - The Notorious B.I.G.

They are showing up in late night shows and on the internet. I thought there was something there worth writing a song about. This is a satirical pop anthem about modern political media culture – how a few catchy phrases and viral moments can dominate the conversation, turn into memes, and take on a life of their own.


Insane in the Brain
https://soundclick.com/song/15251331

[Intro]

[Verse]
Turn on the TV, headlines moving fast
Everybody talking like the world won’t last
Sound bites bouncing, filling up the room
One guy smiling while he drops the boom

[Verse]
He said:
“Check yourself before you wreck yourself”
Everybody froze like a record on the shelf
Then he leaned in with a sideways grin
Said “You’re insane in the brain” again

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh-oh, the cameras flash
Oh-oh, the comments clash
Somehow everybody knows the line
Before the whole world hits rewind

[Chorus]
You’re insane in the brain
Driving everybody crazy again
If you don’t know, now you know
Turn it up and let the speakers blow
Check yourself before you wreck yourself
Truth hits harder than anything else
Round and round like a hurricane
You’re insane in the brain

[Break]

[Verse]
Late-night hosts making jokes all night
Memes blowing up by the morning light
DJ drops it and the crowd explodes
Everybody singing what everybody knows

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh-oh, the temperature climbs
Oh-oh, one quote at a time
Somehow it turns into a melody
Living rent-free in history

[Chorus]
You’re insane in the brain
Driving everybody crazy again
If you don’t know, now you know
Turn it up and let the speakers blow
Check yourself before you wreck yourself
Truth hits harder than anything else
Round and round like a hurricane
You’re insane in the brain

[Bridge]
Red lights, blue lights, everybody screaming
Half the country arguing, the other half dreaming
But the beat keeps rolling and the crowd keeps swaying
One line turns into what the whole world’s saying
If you don’t know…
Now you know…

[Final Chorus]
YYou’re insane in the brain
Driving everybody crazy again
If you don’t know, now you know
Turn it up and let the speakers blow
Check yourself before you wreck yourself
Truth hits harder than anything else
Round and round like a hurricane
You’re insane in the brain

[Outro]
If you don’t know
Now you know

Rubio has done a pretty good job, considering what his goals are and the electrified atmosphere of Trump-world. His steadfastness and ability to speak well and stay on point has been refreshing, compared to some others. He has a reasoned and methodical mentality.

This song and its preface extract a direct quote of Rubio's, and present it, as if he was beating some "insane" drum himself.

Rubio said that the Iranian theocrats were "insane in the brain."

According to some passage in a Hadith, jihadists will be rewarded with 72 virgins from amongst the Houri, upon death, for dying a martyr's death. A helpful persuasion when persuading someone to strap on a suicide vest.

I question the rationality in believing that or anything similar. If the theocratic leaders of a country such as Iran, or a town like Salem Mass believe such things as that and/or "spectral evidence," ...I also question how that scope of mentality works out when it intersects with power over 92 million people and ultimately...the possession of nuclear weapons.

So, the question for many of us is...

Who is wrong and irrational?
Marco Rubio and what he said?, or people who post uninformed contrarian, knee-jerk, partisan sound bytes as political statements (structured as songs) on songwriting websites?

In my opinion, Rubio is a very bright and rational being.

This song makes me wanna go to Hawaii

Hi Marty,
The song is about how modern political sound bites instantly become memes, entertainment, and pop culture. I used Rubio’s quotes because they were memorable, cleverly delivered, and caught my attention. The song is really about the media echo chamber that turns political moments into viral hooks.
The key line is: “Somehow it turns into a melody — living rent-free in history.” That’s essentially what I did with these three quotes.

"Insane in the brain"
"Check yourself before you wreck yourself"
"If you don't know, now you know"

All the best - Robert

That's due to the ukulele. Since the collab with Guy I'm adding the ukulele to a lot of my songs. I love that instrument.

Well you say that?

However, if you want to present these themes, there are many examples of this, and ones that are much more "out-there." You could have used glaring examples from Joe Biden, Kamala, AOC...yet...you never seem to pick a liberal politician.

Here is a suggestion...
Do a song using Ketanji Brown's "allegiance" opinion regarding birthright citizenship.
If you can make that make sense...in a song...my hat will be off to you.

Nancy Pelosi's "people do what they do" could be an interesting song.

Or Maxine Water's telling the flock to get in their faces.

Marty,
I’m not trying to attack anyone. I just wrote a song based on memorable phrases and how they evolve in media and pop culture.
I didn't say anything negative about anybody. In fact, I said the quotes were cleverly used by a politician. He used them like I am now.

They are well-known pop culture lines that I used as a hooks.

"Insane in the brain" comes from the band Cypress Hill (1993)
“Check yourself before you wreck yourself" was popularized by Ice Cube (early 90s)
"If you don't know, now you know" is associated with the Notorious B.I.G

In my case, I took a mix of recognizable phrases and built a fun, tongue-in-cheek song around how sound bites become viral and take on a life of their own.

Anyway, I hear your perspective. Peace.

LOL I thought it was RFKjr with his worms....music wise and song wise I'm an Mmmm on this one Rob

I'd say fun to see what it sounds like and move on with this one.

Marty, baggage. Sound bites and memes are mean for yesterdays news. Go to Florida with Dom.

Rob I'm going to have our song on Youtube this afternoon

Marty, Dom, Tony, ...hope you enjoy it too

Good catch John... RFKjr that's a perfect fit. Everybody "hears" music differently. I'm absolutely fine with that. Thanks for the feedback.

Can't wait to see the new clip.

Rob

It's just too late to sell that to me.
You've been ragging on Trump for as long as I can remember.

Over a year ago,

I told you that if you didn't stop raggin on Trump that he might send out a goon squad to snatch you up in a black van and that they would cut your foot off at the ankle and feed it to Trump for dinner that night.

Absurd statement. Done just as a cut-up.

As I recall your response...
You could not believe that I had ATTACKED you in such a horrible manner.
You regretted that you had ever helped me with SUNO.
And then came...the ATTACK was "beyond the pale" and "across the line."
etc. etc.

Do you dispute my recollection of the exchange?

I recall looking at that response incredulously, thinking he must be kidding.
And then I thought...the SUNO reference is for real. This guy is serious. He has taken a ridiculous and absurd remark made in jest and turned it into an unforgiveable personal attack. TDS must be a real thing. And I suspected that there were other issues reflected there also.

In my mind, that "crossed the line" into "haunted" territory.
So that bizarre instance combined with a years long trail of imposing your hatred for Trump on a songwriting website...makes the suggestion that,... any reference to anyone associated Trump is not meant to demean?...a very low probability to actually be true.

Even though JohnV has said that he quit posting political here.
Even though JohnS said he regarded it as a bad idea. (as I recall)
Even though Kay-Lynn said that she regarded it as a bad idea (as I recall)
And others...

Witta Wobby is not gonna wet anybody tell him he can't put up whatever he wants, whenever he wants...and he wuvs what he wites. (this statement was stylized just as an exercise in artistic playfulness and is not directed at anyone in particular.)

So SP will offer rebuttal.

Marty,
we clearly remember that exchange differently, and I don’t think revisiting old arguments is productive.
I write songs because I enjoy songwriting and creative expression. Sometimes they touch on culture, media, or politics because those things are part of everyday life and public conversation.

You’re free to interpret the song however you want, but my intent was explained honestly. At this point, I’m comfortable leaving it there.

Peace,
Robert

Rob craves attention


He doesnt care how he gets it, as long as it appears people are coming for the music.

Hes justt replacing politics thread with this stuff..

Brian needs ro step in

Dom, can you translate into English what you wrote?

Translate this...you suck

I am reasonably confident in my recollection Rob, because it was jarringly surprising.
It is on the site somewhere and I suspect that I trapped a quote.

I don't plan to run it down for now.

I don't think that posting things that allude to and generate political debate and arguments are productive on a songwriting site.

But for some reason you seem to cling to it.

Marty,
you’re reading political intent into something that wasn’t written that way. The song isn’t about Rubio’s policies, Trump, conservatives, liberals, or politics in general. I heard Rubio use a few recognizable pop-culture/rap phrases on a late-night clip, thought they sounded catchy together, and built a fun song around them. Those phrases weren’t even originally Rubio’s:

The song is about catchy phrases turning into memes and pop culture hooks. I’ve posted it in several places and you’re honestly the only person who has interpreted it as a political attack or said it’s trying to generate political debate. Honestly, where in the song am I even looking for a political debate?

Peace,
Robert

Thank you Rob.
You have now come full-around to making my point for me.
The Rubio that you are shining a light on is Trump's Secretary of State?
You can't extricate the political intent from that.

Sorry

Marty,
using a few recognizable quotes that happened to be used by Rubio and writing a politically motivated attack song are two different things.

I wasn’t writing about policy, ideology, Trump, elections, or trying to persuade anyone politically. I heard a few familiar pop-culture/rap phrases used in a late-night clip, thought they sounded catchy together, and turned them into a fun song about how sound bites and phrases take on a life of their own in media and pop culture.

The quotes themselves weren’t even originally Rubio’s. They are related to music.

You’re free to interpret it differently, but my intent wasn’t political activism or trying to start political debate.

Peace,
Robert

But then again Rob, here you are again for the 1000th time.

If your mental functions are such that you truly believe that you can,

"write a song around a controversial quote from a current SOS...
with a stated history like yours.
and truly believe that it is not a political statement at all...?

then I feel sort of sad for a person who's world includes such a seemingly distorted perception.
Personally, it makes me hope that you are willfully lying about it, because that, though insidious, if true, would indicate a realistic grasp of the implications of the original statement.

However you feel about it is however you feel about it. I can only surmise, but referencing such statements by specific political figures does seem to land back in the same divisive spot over and over again.

I did appreciate your other song about FLA.

Marty,
the irony is that the song is really about how people latch onto phrases, repeat them endlessly, and turn them into something much bigger than they originally were. That’s exactly what seems to have happened here.

Anyway, I think we’ve probably exhausted the topic. No hard feelings.

Robert

No hard feelings.

Did any of you guys notice that Tony (JAPOV) has been banned here?

I noticed that he had not posted for a few days. I didn't know if he was banned or just taking a break while seeing his mother. Still don't.

If he is banned, then he doesn't have the ability to defend himself here.

Given that, I have nothing bad to say about him and hope for his well being.

I noticed he was quiet for a few days. I checked his status and it says "banned". It looks like Brian is actually banning people here.

He's also not in the "Top Poster" and "Top Likes" lists anymore.

Well, then he is not.
Some arrangement was apparently worked out between him and Whitney.

An arrangement? Why would Brian do that?

It's not my concern what was worked out.
If he is not here, then he is not here.
I've nothing bad to say about him.

Don't initiate a gossip circle.
Move on.