Arlito's Way

About the song
This is a fairly new tune. But not that new. I wrote it before Trump first got elexcted into office. To this day I dream about writing a play about Trump and Mike Pence, Jeff Sessions, ... in the White House and what types of conversations they are having behind closed doors. Maybe I should write it but with a more contemporary cast in mind: Elon Musk, RFK...
About the lyrics
This song is vaguely about my thoughts about this lunacy that is happening in U.S. politics. I wish people were more thoughtful and less hostile towards their political opponents. I wish there was more common ground. I think, the shared values are much closer than you would think but the combination of profit drivven social media bubbles and private news channels are fuel on the fire that burns civil political disagreements and meaningful, respectful debates. I hope one day people see through the noise and find a common ground to work on differences and find a common ground. But I guess the times are not ripe yet. I want to call for a more respectful, more tolerant and more humane society. Bottom line, we have to protect minorities of all kinds. We have to be empethatic. We have to feel with those who are in need and don't blame the weakest for any dissatisfactions we may encounter. That's just way to cheap. Away with all the noise. Away with all the hatred. I truly believed at one point that after the millenium we would face in a fresh direction. I thought that certain positions were so outdated that they would become obsolete. But now so many backwards oriented positions are resurfacing and even some truly horrific, racist and reactionary points of view seem to reemerge. I can only hope that one day those of us who long for a more just and more equal society will be in the majority and our history books will look back at those days we're living in now and say that equality and tolerance are so much better than the man who longs for [white, ethnic, sexual, wealth] superiority and power in his hands. Let's become independent from fossil fuels, let's share the planet in a peaceful and respectful way and let's give everyone the chance to be who they wish to be and live in peace and harmony. 

Getting for possibly playing live again. Here's the title song to the Arlito's Way 2018 record. 

Some background to the song:
I misspoke in the recording. The title, obviously is not Tired Days (I played that song last episode). It's Weak Ones. We originally recorded the song in the summer of 2000 at my friend Tuomas' parents' place while they were on vacation. A large window overlooking a beautiful yard with lots of tall trees. Wooden floors. It was our then band Hamble Doodle at its best. We played it all live and were stoked on the sound and the recording process. However, I knew next to nothing about recording and did the vocals on a SM58 in our drummer Thilo's attic. The vocals sounded super crappy. And in hindsight I must say the drum sound, despite Thilos flawless playing was too muffled. So I guess this recording will never see the light of day again. But I still draw from the material and still really enjoy playing the songs. This one uses lots of open chords in A-Minor.

Lyrics:
Weak Ones
It started in the humble parts of the weak ones
and the silent duck their heads.
Groundbreaking ways to know to know,
groundbreaking ways to know to do.
Silence blowing for noone,
wishers will be wishing to their ends,
dreamers will remain dreaming,
no improved perception in my hands.
Nobody there to be down with
noone to feel secure.

What else?
Please find my music on Spotify and all other streaming platforms by looking for Arlo Everling, Arlito's Way or Carlsten Powernap, which is the project I am doing with my friend Carsten Tabel.

Check out what I found in the drawer, my latest release of old songs on Spotify
Tiny songs by Carlsten Powernap on Spotify.
Tiny songs on bandcamp.
And of course, feel free to get in touch by visiting my website or shooting me an email. I'm more than happy about any type of feedback or correspondence. 

Reminisence of my fathers place at the time. It brings back lots of emotions and memories. I was never too happy with the lyrics which is why I hadn't played it in years but that night it was there. Interesting how musical memory works. 

I recorded freak feathers at Hilmar Pauly's small studio in Gießen. He was using a terrific Neumann mic (sorry I can't remember models or anything but he told me it was an original from previous eras) and he recorded on tape which I had always wanted to try to see if it really does sounds warmer. He was really nice and gave me the confidence to successfully record a bunch of songs. When researching his name I found out that he passed away in 2019 so R.I.P. Hilmar and thanks so much. A little side note: Hilmar invented the Pauly Pop filter which apparently is a high end version of the thing and is sold worldwide and the company is still up and running. 
Hope you enjoy the podcast and the song. Please feel free to get in touch.  

I wrote this one a while back in my old apartment on an eight track. It was all improvised and I used drum machines and other instruments. Over the years it has become what I played here. It's one of my dearest songs because it is such a time travel experience going back to my childhood and my youth.

Lyrics:
Memory laundering machine Buggies and butterflieswho hears the silent sighs?hightech cribs and fancy sipssat at my spot at my favorite barwaitin' for you to show up and did you show up?I guess you didn’t because I didn’t see youthe window was so steamy I couldn’t even see throughit was special you know like when anything mattersand soon all my dreams lay there defenseless and shattered and the bartender minded her own businessand though she didn’t speak she asked mewhat the fuck is this?I kept flipping through my phone and thumbing through my memoriesate a tuna sandwich that I took for a ham and cheeseand the rusty pieces we jammed over garden fencesinto concrete driveways vandalist romancestrashcans thundering through the darknessslicing the night and although it seemed harmlessI barfed red wine that looked just like rotten bloodyou asked me if I was ok and all I did was nod you lived above a gunshop that sold hunter’s equipmentthe dark red doorway was now soaked in the scentof red whine and vomit and I could only hum itthis was no summit your room was badly lit I plugged into the memory laundering machine because I knew you were gone and would not come back at a thrift store I found a turtleand I bought it for next to nothingI fed it sage and myrtleand I kept it in a glass cagedespite the fact that this turtle was cheapits intellect was gonna put you to sleepit also helped me to balance my paceso now I just slip slower through the daily rat raceit’s a mad chase but we move to the slow lanemaking room for the idiots and their clogged veins we used to have a cock outside in the barnit acted like a cop and did a lot of harmso one fine day all the chicken unitedthey could no longer take it and were ready to fight itwe found the corpse on an easter egg huntmy sister threw right up but I was too stunned I was afraid of toyguns and afraid of your parentsavoided eye contact and never left the clearancemy sister had to pull the trigger in the snowso she became the central figure and ran the showshe was wearing sandals and her night gownhiding behind the kitchen window I was just a clownI wanted this shot so bad so I was glad when she fired the gunbut it drove her mad she could not react nor protect me from the sun  I plugged into the memory laundering machine because I knew you were gone and would not come back   

In a way the song reflects what was on my mind at that time: Skateboarding / joy and inner turmoil / hardship.I sat at my mother's piano one summer and realized I could combine Fmaj7 and Am7 bueatifully using the same finger positions on the keyboard (I know next to nothing about playing the piano but I'll dabble). Also there was a lot of influence from the days that I played Neil Young songs with my father. Those left an impact that will last forever. I once played in an indie band and the singer Louisa always liked the song which is why I am dedicating it to her. Hope you're doing great!

LYRICS:

Latenight chocolate chip
on hometurf I roll till I trip
a sea of irony
with concluding little dots
a hot shot on the early sky of stars
and freedom fighting bots

stories of friends lie at hand
the individual lie a repeating
morning cool hands cry for help
but cannot lower the beating

Is there a tab in my side
that just pumps me empty
or a fox in your hair
that humps your granny
I mean tranny
you're the one
most beautiful
and I keep all the acts
packed in tries

(found the third verse on youtube of all places)

slap the crap out of meaningful eyes
go home in the oven there's plenty french fries
those eyes, eyes got me so struck
sighing burp in the fridge I find ketchup

If you'd like to see an old live performance go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv_lXa-OdOsf

A lot happened on that trip. I met Lance Mountain at YMCA Skatecamp at Lake Sequoia. Colt Cannon was a counselor there too, super nice. My favorite skateboarder of all time, Corey Ryan (Have you seen him?) was also a camper there. Late at night, before heading back to Frankfurt I met Cairo Foster at Union Square and was blown away by his energy and consistency. He was doing high speed backside noseblunt slides whiles the rest was hanging out. It was pretty dark too. I couldn't do anything, not even a noseslide and was star struck when he shook my hand and greeted me. 
The next day I was wandering around on my own and I wrote puke machine. 

Lyrics:

Boy, my butt is a wreck
wounded from all the sitting
but my legs are too tired
to carry my body around any more.
What is this smell?
All the noises. 
My nose and ears can't seriously
take no more.

Fall in love a dozen times.
These stars they shine. 
Hardly impressed by exhaustion. 
I never do...

Enormous clouds,
weightless above the ground
us floating through
goalless, mindless, brainless. 
The body is just a transporting good
a machine to bring us to our place. 
Although we don't know
we get there finally. 
Seems kinda magical. 


Fall in love a dozen times.
These stars they shine. 
Hardly impressed by exhaustion. 
I never do...

Stare at me
but act as
if you would not
as soon as
I answer
your staring.

Hope you enjoy my podcast. Please feel free to recommend it to others and get in touch and visit my website:

www.gitarlo.com

or shoot me an email

[email protected]

The song is in a-minor. The main melody is a, G, F, E it's been inspired by "Skatepunk" bands I liked at the time. I knew nothing about music theory but I enjoyed playing the main theme. The switch to A major in the chorus was new to me as I had always played the song using powerchords. 

Lyrics: 
I won't just listen 
to what you're telling me
about the things you hear and read
I'm more interested in my own mind
and my own problems
there are things in my head
sometimes I wish I was dead
my brain's in a casket
feat and emptiness flooded in my mind
something broken behind

And I wonder why I can't sleep at night 
I have to fight with my nightmares

Almost everyday
I get down to pray
in my church of misery yeah
my only peaceful place
I like to be alone
I like to be alone and read
the sun comes through red broken window glass
and it gets warm inside


And I wonder why I can't sleep at night 
I have to fight with my nightmares

Hope you enjoy my podcast. Please feel free to recommend it to others and get in touch and visit my website:

[email protected]

The song is in e-minor. The main melody is G, F#, E, D it's been inspired by Karate's This Day Next Year. I really loved and still love the album Unvsolved a lot. It's one of my favorites actually. 

I played the song as a three part in a poetry performance Honeymoon Fishing Regatta, I did in 2001 at Juz Bad Nauheim. I think I'll play the others soon, it's been a while. 

Lyrics: 
Where I'd be with the world I leave behind
Where I'd be and a secret spot in time
Where I'd be trying to stash away my fright
Where I'd be is where I'd be inside

Where I'd be with a thousand points of light
You can't see as I'm shyning through your night
Moon and sea is just right outside that door. 
You can't see 'cause you're still asking for more

In your eyes a thousand points of light
In your eyes that just shined away my fright
In your eyes light curtains to the stars
In your eyes I can't believe I asked for more

Deep down below
beneath colors and shades
beyond fellows and mates
far away from self inside
knife right through your heart
no more head up high

no more silly talk
no more weightless walk
surface broken through
ice cracked wind blows hard

sliding, drifting
right back to the start