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The Beginning of the End (demo)

by Bad Salmon

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1.
Six o'clock every morning Rise and shine if you can Though the rainclouds are pouring And you're drinking the soup from a can On the news is a story About a regular guy Who decided his life was too boring Time to give something different a try Yai di dy, dy dy dy, diddy dy dy dy Give something different a try If your boss is an asshole - QUIT YOUR JOB! If the pay is too low - QUIT YOUR JOB! The commute is a hassle - QUIT YOUR JOB! You've got someplace to go - Anywhere, just go! You could travel the land, hop a train, start a band, Hold the earth in the palm of your hand Come and see, come and see, what a world there can be Johnny, don't be a snob - Quit your job! Annie made lots of money Coding robots all day Felt her brain getting gummy Hypnotized by the video display "You'll be rich!" mommy told her "Make a million - or more!" But the box cannot hold her She's the one she's been waiting for Yai di dy, dy dy dy, diddy dy dy dy So who are you waiting for? If your spirit is thirsty - QUIT YOUR JOB! If your feet start to itch - QUIT YOUR JOB! Possibilities bursting - QUIT YOUR JOB! Heaven ain't for the rich - No, no, no! You could travel the land, hop a train, start a band, Hold the earth in the palm of your hand Come and see, come and see, what a world there can be You'll be less miserable if you quit your job! And yes, you may be scared, you must be terrified Paralyzed by fear of the unknown What you say is tantamount to suicide You know you'll never make it on your own What about the bills? What about the rent? What about the 10,000 hours that you spent? Think of all the doubt! Think of all the shame! Think about the meaning of the family name And the white picket fence, and the health insurance cost And your grandparents running from the Holocaust And the privilege of quitting, and the ego of it all And the pride that comes before the fall And the chance that you'll fail, and the wages that you'll lose And the cruel anxiety of having to choose And the weight of the world, and the price of a pearl And the whole thing whirls down the drain... Yai di dy, dy dy dy, diddy dy dy dy Everything whirls down the drain If adventure is calling - QUIT YOUR JOB! If you dream a big dream - QUIT YOUR JOB! There's no point in stalling - QUIT YOUR JOB! You're the cream of the cream of the cream! You could travel the land, hop a train, start a band, Hold the earth in the palm of your hand Come and see, come and see, what a world there can be Johnny, don't be a snob - Quit your job!
2.
Come, gather 'round Dreamers and clowns We'll sing you a song It won't take very long Just to tell ya. Let me tell ya About a place, not far from here, Where everyone you meet is caramel and queer Come and dwell-ia In West Philadelphia Where trolley tracks and trees adorn the byways There's free jazz every Friday In the park after five Where history and hope collide and vibrate Sure, sometimes it goes sideways But at least we're alive... So suck it up Don't fuck it up G?!d makes the rules and you play with the hand that She dealt ya Whatever she dealt ya Life ain't fair and no one cares The sooner you learn it, the better to fend for yourself-ia In West Philadelphia The bosses and the landlords will abuse you So you'd better pay dues to a union or two And crooked cops reserve the right to bruise you So we've all gotten used to eschewing the blue And after all the waterfalls, the sinkholes and the guns The poverty, the violence, and despair There's something left - just out of reach - it glimmers in the air A world to repair, if you care A world to repair, if you dare The city's always slightly helter-skelter Kittens scurry for shelter Witches casting their spells But that co-op makes you feel a little healthier And you're probably wealthier Than somebody else Remember, my dears, We're all strangers here, Except the Lenape So join the agape rebellion It's a rebellion Of brotherly love Could that be enough? To feel like a family, finally Oh, how I fell for ya West Philadelphia The car broke down again, so your neighbors come help ya They lend you an umbrella As you walk to the El Where Vernon's got a carrot cake to sell ya And you're short on the gelt, yeah But ah, what the hell
3.
Land Back! 04:09
When I was young, they lied to me in school They played me for a fool But then I learned that following the rules Could be eminently cruel Because the way that we're living is fucked-up So we echo this demand: No compromise. Decolonize this land Land back, land back! Return indigenous lands Land back, land back! Into indigenous hands Land back, land back! The way it was before Land back, land back! 'Cause it was never yours It didn't start in 1492 It started long before And no one said it's all because of you But can you dream a little more? Because the way that we're living is fucked-up The situation cannot stand No compromise, decolonize this land Land back, land back! Return indigenous lands Land back, land back! Into indigenous hands Land back, land back! The way it was before Land back, land back! 'Cause it was never yours Because the way that we're living is fucked-up This is our line in the sand No compromise, decolonize this land
4.
Who shot Aiyana? Sometimes it's really black-and-white Who shot Alberta? She never even put up a fight Who shot Rekia? And how can they get to sleep at night? Who shot Tarika? And can they ever make it right? Little girl with shoes untied Snuggled up at Grandma's side The SWAT team burst inside One shot, and Grandma cried Who shot Philando? Sometimes it's really black-and-white Who shot Ramarley? He never even put up a fight Who shot Emantic? And how can they get to sleep at night? Who shot Demarcus? And can they ever make it right? A routine traffic stop "Yes, sir" and "No, sir" to the cop Seven times the pistol pops All charges have been dropped All across the USA From Beaver Creek to San Jose It seems it happens every day And they always get away Oh my G?!d - How many more must die Before Justice opens her eyes? Come on, Justice, open your eyes Come on, Justice, open your eyes "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up in the sun? Or like a heavy load, does it explode?"
5.
Hey, David Cohen Hey, John Fry Hey, Stephen Klasko Three greedy guys I remember a time when our city adopted a policy Philadelphia needed a plan to address inequality We demanded a payment from hospitals and universities An agreement to share with the people in all our diversity The time has come Don't want those crumbs you offer Empty the coffers Hey, David Cohen Pay what you're owin Come on and pay the people now You gotta spread the wealth around Pay up your PILOTs Pay, or we'll riot! You motherfuckers gotta pay You should have done it yesterday All the land in this country was stolen from Native Americans All the wealth of this country was built by enslaving the Africans Corporations were founded and profited off this disparity But we're finally claiming what's ours. No, this is not charity Return the bills A bitter pill to swallow - justice will follow Hey, John Fry You can't deny Come on and pay the people now Before we run you out of town Pay up your PILOTs Pay, or we'll riot! You motherfuckers gonna pay You better pay it up today With interest At the end of the day, all I really can say is that we need a change This unequal society cannot go on, so we're breaking the chains We have protested peacefully so many times before quarantine Now the people are restless, they're starting to sharpen the guillotine This ain't a drill Your greed has killed our loved ones End of discussion Hey, Stephen Klasko What a fiasco Come on and pay the people now You gotta spread the wealth around Pey up your PILOTs Pay, or we'll riot! You motherfuckers gotta pay You should have done it yesterday Hey, David Cohen Hey, John Fry Hey, Stephen Klasko Three greedy guys
6.
Everyday I say a prayer. Life ain’t fair, so eat the rich North & south & east & west, spare the rest, but eat the rich All the people join the line. Tonight we dine. Eat the rich! North & south & west & east, we’ll have a feast. Eat the rich Whoa! I don’t know if you should eat the rich Without a nice Bordeaux. Roast ‘em slow. Eat the rich! Stomachs are a-grumblin’ People are a-strugglin’ Walls are coming tumblin’ Eat the rich! Wouldn't it be glorious Joyous and notorious When we are victorious? Eat the rich! 1, 2, 3, let’s get free. Sing with me. Eat the rich 4, 5, 6, a simple fix for politics: Eat the rich 7, 8, gays and straights of every race - Eat the rich 9 and 10, once again, bring a friend - Eat the rich Hey, you’re getting carried away! Watch what you say! Eat the rich Why? It’s just a rhyme, it’s not a crime to eat the rich Stomachs are a-grumblin’ People are a-strugglin’... Here it is, the final song. Sing along. Eat the rich East and west and south and north, bring a fork. Eat the rich It shall be a frabjous day! Calloo, callay! Eat the rich East and west and north and south, use your mouth! Eat the rich Wait, grab a plate! Don’t be late! Eat the rich Wow, if you’re hungry now, save a cow, eat the rich. Stomachs are a-grumblin’ People are a-strugglin’ ...

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This is an EXCLUSIVE SNEAK-PEAK at 5 demo tracks from Jonathan's upcoming album, The Beginning of the End, a klezmer-inspired rock opera of protest songs with influences from around the world. Come sing, dance, chant, mourn, and dream with Bad Salmon on this musical journey, 5 years (or more??) in the making.

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released December 4, 2022

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Bad Salmon Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and reckless bamboozler

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