Home Community Music Blog Old MJ More...      
Freedom By Degrees by dolby [Email]

Get Flash to see this player.


Having playback trouble, try the Quicktime player:

Attribution-NoDerivs
SONG STATS:
Hits: 554
Comments: 10
Votes: 6
Plays: 74
Last Played: Aug 30, 2008 - 03:17:35 PM
Downloads: 44
Fans: 7
Uploaded: Jul 05, 2007 - 01:56:49 PM
Last Updated: Sep 21, 2007 - 07:06:24 AM
Fan List
Keywords:
Iraq (37), Bush (54), Blair (4), Politics (33), War (112), Freedom (40)
Description:
My 'Iraq' song. Well, everyone should have one!

No explanation necessary - I think you'll agree:-))

Lyrics:
Freedom By Degrees
(by Phil Dolby ©2007)

They had no money left
‘Cos they spent it all on the war
I used to think that they had a point
I don’t think that anymore
They had no ideas left
That was so plain to see
They abandoned their principles
They abandoned diplomacy
 
(chorus)
So don’t let them sell you
Untruths to convince you
Don’t let them lie through their teeth
And don’t let them take away your freedom
Degree, by degree, by degree
 
They had no strategy
It was flawed to the rotten core
With the thinkers all scratching heads
In their desert home from home
They had no allies left
Just the same old two or three
So I’m starting to wonder
What the whole damn point has been
 
(repeat chorus)
 
They tried to introduce ideas of liberty
They’re still enchanted by their version of democracy
But the problem with freedom is...
It takes a little time to grow
It doesn’t just happen on
The presidents say so
 
George Orwell made the point in 1984
Bad leaders like to keep us on the brink of war
So they invent a threat
Just to keep us on our toes
It’s the oldest trick in the book
It’s the way the story goes...

Hardware:
Hohner accoustic guitar

Software:
GarageBand
You must be registered and logged-in to comment.

protest until it hurts &mdash 07/05/07 - 02:17:31 PM
Great opening, love the guitar on this, sweet build-up in the verse, and a really unexpected chorus. the horns work rteally well - its a surprise, but works really. Nice vocals - not overwrought, but direct and honest. This has an REM feel to me, which I love.

Great track man.

Steve

[ Reply to This ]
hell ye &mdash 07/05/07 - 02:32:41 PM
You are right!!! The chorus is very catchy. I'm with echoroom about the REM feel... GReat performance on a great song!!!

[ Reply to This ]
Excellent Political Song &mdash 07/05/07 - 09:14:36 PM
Fine intro, lyrics, ending a little abrupt for my tastes. I could see making an anti-Republican video to this for the 2008 elections with your permission!

Good work!

Bob

[ Reply to This ]
Absolutely! &mdash 07/06/07 - 09:27:04 AM
You have my permission.... and maybe get REM to do a proper version - for a higher profile??? Just a thought...

Thanks for the comment, it's appreciated

Phil

---
Same Same, But Different

[ Reply to This ]
raise your fist! &mdash 07/10/07 - 07:41:41 PM
Great jangly protest song. Really unexpected and punchy-fun chrous and verse. Cool hooks, really catchy. I love the backing vox, you could use more harmony parts on the tail ends (?) of the lyric lines. That could be fun. Great song. fav'd! downloaded!

[ Reply to This ]
And again.... &mdash 07/11/07 - 05:12:17 AM
...cheers. I was never too happy with the vox on this track - expecially in the first verse where I think I'm a bit flat. I get a bit more agressive as the song goes on, which works. I agree that there could be quite a bit of development with the vox in general -



---
Same Same, But Different

[ Reply to This ]
What needs to be repeated...... &mdash 07/14/07 - 01:48:11 PM
I'm a political junkie so I'm all for protesting the leadership void we've been suffering for six years now. Good lyrics and I like the Bare-Naked-Ladies-ish chorus (that's who it reminds me of anyway). I agree with bobnisbet though, the ending is too abrupt. Maybe tag it with a "I'm the decider" quote? ; )

[ Reply to This ]
What's that sound? &mdash 09/08/07 - 06:02:46 PM
Interspersed with the guitar lead, it sounds like a string squeak amplified a bit... It's a little distracting. It might be part of the guitar part, but I would duck down the volume on that, if it was me. Very bright sounding, and the vocal is a little buried. But all-in-all it's a pretty cool song, great hook in the chorus. A little more breathing room at the end would be good. It sounds like you cut the tape with a scissors. Maybe a reverb tail trailing off would be enough.

[ Reply to This ]
Ha ha.... &mdash 09/09/07 - 12:21:51 AM
...you spotted it!

That will be the squeek that makes my wife's teeth grit every time she listens to it!

Seriously, this was one of my first recordings and it was a one take guitar line (that worked, and stayed) that is cut up and repeated through the song (hence why the squeek is repeated as well!). I think it would be a simple job to get rid of that.

This is one of the songs due for a remix. I've never been happy with the vox (I'm sure I'm flat in the first verse), and the guitars are a bit weedy. I kind of like the abrupt ending, but it could easily be changed:-))

Thanks for commenting Jim

---
Same Same, But Different

[ Reply to This ]
Freedom Degrees &mdash 11/26/07 - 12:12:49 AM
Perfect! Loved it from beginning to end!!!

[ Reply to This ]
Copyright 2008 Simig Media, Inc.