THOUGHTS ON THE NEW DARK AGES

On a regular day, I was listening to this song and these lyrics jumped out and assaulted me. The song (just as many other songs by BR) begs us, the listeners to go in to a world that we all know exists but no one really talks about or perhaps it is really hard to put words to all the fucked up things that happen in the world. And this is the genius of Bad Religion’s writers Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin.

The words almost sound as if they came from a Geoffrey Chaucer book written in old English but sang with a furious angst.

It’s a prophecy of the shit that’s gonna go down, of the consequences. It’s a warning but no one of difference is listening, right? No one of difference is listening. And there’s nothing we can do but slam dance the night away with sweaty strangers until our problems are forgotten and lost in the madman that is inside of us all.

The lyrics continue:

In the old testament (yes, I had to look it up), Ezekiel the prophet, warns the people of Israel about the consequences of their disobedience to God’s commandments and that God would bring judgment upon them. The song continues:

Gurewitz’s mastery of the language and tone is what is immaculate. He repeats the same idea (that God will come for you one way or the other) but with different words and with a more powerful impact the second time around.

The song continues and Gurewitz plants the final seeds:

This is deep.

The song ends with:

New Dark Ages was written by Brett Gurewitz who is one of the main writers of Bad Religion and founder of Epitaph Records.

Such a powerful song. Go out and get inspired, this is from the music album New Maps of Hell by Bad Religion and these are my thoughts on the writers of punk and the impact that words have.

THE BED OF REGRETS

I’m forty seven and sometimes I think of myself as a
failure or as not having done enough.

Enough?

Enough of what ?
Do you know what the greatest regret
of the most accomplished is?
Is not spending more time with the people they love.

I get to say that I did spend time with loved ones
and had a grand old time doing so.

My energy is my greatest accomplishment
To have tempered and sharpened my formless form,
to walk into a room and light the fucking place
brighter than fireworks on the 4th of July

I’m proud to have created myself and this
is just the beginning.

This is the time, the chapter in my story
where the skills, the resources I’ve amassed
are to be used now

I do feel the fear,
the nerves and the inner monologue
telling me to not fool myself
but I have no other choice

It’s do or die the time is now
the bed of regrets will always be there
I just have to keep going
Thanks for always being there for me.

** Written April 25, 2024 **

THE LONELY GHOST

I highlighted this while reading 1984 by George Orwell.

Have you ever had that feeling where you feel like you don’t matter?

That’s why I like this quote. It’s as if Orwell is reaching out to us through space and time and telling us that it’s okay. And that all we have to do is to stay sane. To stay present and to live in our own unique way, even though the world may feel like an incessant clusterf*$%.