Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post lyrics to your song fight entries. If you have lyrics in search of music, post those here in the Lyric Marte thread.
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thelowestbitter
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Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by thelowestbitter »

Liner Notes
SPOILER_SHOW
Basically this song is about how even if society has become more accepting of homosexuality, they want you to be a certain type of gay. They want you to know your place, to not challenge them in any way, to be a sexless sitcom gay couple like Cam and Mitchell from Modern Family. So you're allowed to be gay, but you'd better do so in a way that doesn't disrupt straight people's happy heteronormative existence. I think that's why there's been such a big move to reclaim the term "queer" in recent times - it puts the emphasis on otherness, on not conforming to some straight person's narrow, comfortable idea of what gay people are allowed to be.

So this is about that, and trying to become more comfortable with making straight people uncomfortable. The first verse shows me bending myself to fit the monolithic straight experience, and the second verse shows me trying to tear it down. One of the most euphoric experiences of my life happened at Primavera Festival a couple years ago, watching the rapper CupcakKe with a couple hundred queers screaming along to every filthy word, and the bridge quotes the lyrics to her song "Deepthroat", which I've put in italics. Anyway, it felt amazing to be surrounded by hordes of gay men shouting along to a song about sucking dick, you should try it some time, would highly recommend.

Re: challenge, hopefully I've got it right, the chorus goes down two semitones from the verse, so that's a downward modulation as far as I could understand it. But I think we all know this is probably the end of the road for me, so I'm not too upset if I've somehow gotten the wrong end of the stick with this challenge
The Lowest Bitter - The Only Way Out
bow down before the monolith
make yourself as small as can be
keep a check on your behaviours
oh boy conduct yourself invisibly
LARP a life so heteronormative
keep that shit locked in the bedroom
apologising for the fact I exist
so sorry if it upsets you

oh boy, I used to think this was the only way out
oh boy, being the good gay they were dreaming about
but no more

and I felt so alive at the CupcakKe show
in the crush of sweaty queers, shouting along to "Deepthroat"
screaming;
"hump me, fuck me, daddy better make me choke
hump me, fuck me, my tunnel loves to deepthroat"


take a hammer to the monolith
make yourself as loud as can be
be on your very worst behaviour
conduct yourself with depravity
live a life outside their constructs
and wear your queerness on your sleeve
I won't apologise for anything
if that upsets you, well that's fine by me

oh boy, I used to think I had to put on an act
oh boy, I used to think there was a way I had to be
oh boy, I used to think this was the only way out
oh boy, being the good gay they were dreaming about
but no more
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seemanski
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by seemanski »

See-Man-Ski
Liner Notes
SPOILER_SHOW

This was another one that I struggled with up until I started mixing then I just adding distortion and I grew to like it. It is definitely one of my more wordy tracks. It's all about scamming the scammer.

Musically it is actually very simple a lot of the guitar parts and that distorted piano are just one finger hits. I also wanted the drums to be a bit more organic so tried to record the hits by hitting the base of my acoustic and fed them into grooove bpm.

Again, not sure this will be enough to get through but it was fun.
the only way out
that I can see
is the read the content
thoroughly

when the devils in the detail
and the detail can't be seen
looking through a filter
that keeps your hands clean

the only way out
that I can see
is read the small print
carefully

you thrust the pen and paper
pointing at the line
piling on the pressure
forcing me to sign

you highlight all the parts
that shed a better light
and make you look like angels
not sharks that feed on sight

the only way out
that I can see
is take the pay out
naturally

when the law is in your favour
and it's lawfully decreed
then I'll take all of your money
and fill my heart with greed

the only way out
that I can see
is press the issue
until they bleed

you'll kick a man down
until the final round
looking for an angle
when an angle can't be found

when the pendulum swings
and the odds are stacked against you
reaching for any excuse
cover up the truth

but
you can't pretend
you didn't know what you were doing
Last edited by seemanski on Sun Jun 20, 2021 11:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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WreckdoMelle
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by WreckdoMelle »

The Only Way Out - Brown Word and the Big Whine
Liner Notes
SPOILER_SHOW
This title lent itself immediately to a certain type of song with a certain type of story for me. These lyrics are based around one of the great Icelandic family sagas, The Saga of Burnt Njal. However I added a twist - in this song the intended victims of the house-burning are victorious. Njal and his family weren't so lucky, only a couple of people escaped to seek justice according to the laws of the land at the time. The challenge also naturally lent itself, in my mind to this style of music. So I took the plunge and went with my inspiration, perhaps a daring deed of my own at this stage in Nur Ein. You can hear the downward modulation during the middle guitar solo and also the final round of vocals. Musically, the song changes as the lyrics move from realizing that there is nothing to do but certainly die or try to fight and then facing down the enemy. I really enjoyed putting this together and learned a few things along the way.
The end of the line is here
Let's gather round and make our peace
The enemy surrounds us now
With no intent to set us free

But once we were just a dream
And once again we shall be dust
Nothing is our certain end
Take as many as we can with us

The only way out
We're going in a blaze of glory
Nobody can say what lies beyond
Together we will find
The only way out
The only way out

The flames lick at the rafters
The doors with men are guarded strong
Let us push while strength remains
And dash our blades into the throng

And the folks will speak of this night
In the ages that unfold
Of how we bravely bore our fate
Our daring deeds will be retold

The only way out
We're going in a blaze of glory
Nobody can say what lies beyond
Together we will find
The only way out
The only way out

We face the coming sting of death
My friends we draw our parting breath
As one machine, we draw our sword
And cut the legs from this foul horde
And like the gods had suddenly smiled
The ranks of foes lay dead or dying
They part like clouds after the storm
The only way out became our triumph
Brown Word and the Big Whine on Bandcamp:
http://brownwordandthebigwhine.bandcamp.com
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by crumpart »

SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
Back on labyrinths again; a fascination of mine. Specifically, unicursal labyrinths, which are the type that have a single path to the centre. The idea is that you walk in, face yourself (the minotaur), then walk back out again, changed.

From wikipedia:
In English, the term labyrinth is generally synonymous with maze. As a result of the long history of unicursal representation of the mythological Labyrinth, however, many contemporary scholars and enthusiasts observe a distinction between the two. In this specialized usage maze refers to a complex branching multicursal puzzle with choices of path and direction, while a unicursal labyrinth has only a single path to the center. A labyrinth in this sense has an unambiguous route to the center and back and presents no navigational challenge.

Unicursal labyrinths appeared as designs on pottery or basketry, as body art, and in etchings on walls of caves or churches. The Romans created many primarily decorative unicursal designs on walls and floors in tile or mosaic. Many labyrinths set in floors or on the ground are large enough that the path can be walked. Unicursal patterns have been used historically both in group ritual and for private meditation, and are increasingly found for therapeutic use in hospitals and hospices.


The last song I made about labyrinths modulated down through four different keys, then back up again. Apparently I was a bit too subtle with the modulations then, so let it be known that the modulation down this time happens in the first chorus.
The Only Way Out, Hot Pink Halo

***

Moving in a straight line
Might feel directionless
Eyes forward and focussed
Might lack perspective and

You might think the path
Will look the same
But somehow it is not because

You are changed and
Sometimes the only way out
Is the same way you came

Facing yourself
Might feel dimensionless
Your own eyes staring back
Might look deceptive but

You might think the path
Will look the same
But somehow it is not

You are changed and
Sometimes the only way out
Is the same way you came
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
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sailingmagpie
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by sailingmagpie »

The Only Way Out by The Serviettes

As polar opposites
Shouldn't we be repelling each other?
Two terrified hypocrites
Just cowering under the covers
We'd build an empire just to watch it fall

What can I do
When the only way out is you

And now we've finally lost
The wheels from this cursed chariot
If you'll play my messiah
I'll be your Judas Iscariot
Your pretty petticoats will turn ash

What can I do
When the only way out is you
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arby
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by arby »

The Only Way Out (shadow)
by Virgo Power

you can say that there’s no point in trying, anyway
you can say that nobody is listening when you say
that the world is better off without you, anyway
you can say all this and be sorry, every day, but

the only way out
the only way out
the only way out
is through

you can see all the hearts that get broken every day
you can see the people who have fallen by the way
you can see that everyone is trying in their way
you can let this sadness make you bitter, or you can say

the only way out
the only way out
the only way out
is through
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
I started in the key of A (but the chorus is in Ab). Then I modulated downwards to Ab and chorus in B. Thanks for this super tough challenge, I learned something!
"That organ is piercing my soul" - Adam Adamant
"Lo-fi doom rock isn't my bag at all. I'm trying to imagine this with professional production and played/sung perfectly and I don't think I'd like it much more." - furrypedro
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by Cybronica »

The Only Way Out
Mandibles (shadow)
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
This song is about the experience of having to end a toxic friendship, One where you can't just drift apart, you have to set boundaries, and the toxic friend lashes out at being challenged. Downward modulation (still not sure that's a quantifiable thing) comes at the bridge when we go from F to Dm, and then again at the bass drop, when we go down into something in the Realm of Em.

I can’t get out
All you do is drag me down
I’m feeling doubt
But only cause you’re messing around
Telling me my feelings aren’t real
Saying that I lack all appeal

The only way out is utter heartbreak
You wont let me go with a friendly handshake
No…
Cutting off ties is the only way
You’re bad for me, there’s no way I could stay
No…

I scream and shout
But you’re telling me I got to calm down
This is about
How you insist on running around
Telling all our friends that I’m nuts
Telling them that I hate their guts

The only way out is utter heartbreak
You wont let me go with a friendly handshake
No…
Cutting off ties is the only way
You’re bad for me, there’s no way I could stay
No…

The room is dim
I’m feeling a fright
I think that gas
Is what’s fueling our lights

I know that you’ll scream
I know that you’ll shout
But know that this time
I’m not fucking about

I don’t owe you a thing
I’ve got an empty account
I’m all paid up
And I’m ready to

Bounce

Burn the bridges
Salt the earth
If you walk out now
Then don’t return.
I built you up
I know your worth,
I’ll strike the match
And watch you burn.

The only way out
Is through the flames
Of my disgust
And of my rage.
You rocked the boat
So feel my ire
You’re at the whim
Of my desire.
“It's like opera for toddlers or something.” -furrypedro
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Adam!
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by Adam! »

The Only Way Out
by Max Bombast

Have you been down on your luck all of your life?
Do you feel like you are stuck?
Let me open up your eyes to
A brand new opportunity!
Prove your ingenuity!
Gain your independence at last!
You'll make sales in your community
We will profit mutually and
You will climb out of debt fast because

All we want is geometric growth forever and
If we're honest something bigger, something better because
We're on a rocket straight to the moon
In for a penny? I'm in for a pound!
Now the only way out is down

Now, this all comes at a cost
What doesn't in this life?
Don't you want to be your own boss
By selling our fine knives?
For just a small investment
You'll start a new profession
Move our product and you'll soon make your ends
If you can't cover what we lent you
There's nothing to prevent you from
Going and recruiting your friends

All we want is geometric growth forever and
If we're honest something bigger, something better because
We're on a rocket straight to the moon
In for a penny? I'm in for a pound!
Now the only way out is down

We've seen your sales report
Your numbers looking poor
Are you still in the game?
Because if you're out of funds
Allow me to be blunt
It's time you were replaced

We need some fresher blood
Someone that we can trust
Who's hungry for success
So if you're getting out
I'll close out your account
(Once you've paid your debts)
heid
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by heid »

Heid
liner notes
SPOILER_SHOW
In regards to the modulation, the verses are in Eb major and then the chorus moves down to C major.
Spoken section based on a true story (minus the part where I respond, of course)
A world ensnared in unawareness
Parents staring absent and careless
Saving change for wasteful dreams
Everything's going to shit, it seems

The only way out is to scream and shout
The only way out is to scream and shout

(Soft scat)
spoken words
SPOILER_SHOW

The other day, I was doing my job at target, when a guest came up to me,
holding a plain blue toddler jacket. She seemed a little frantic and asked me
"could you real quick tell me if this is for a girl or a boy? Cuz I can't tell, but
it would be really bad if I got my son a girl's jacket."
I looked at her, and I said,
Everything's going to shit, it seems
spoken words
SPOILER_SHOW

what the fuck difference does it make? You just admitted to me that you can't tell the difference, so what, is it some indescribable quality that only retail workers, the true oracles of gender, can perceive? Are you just gonna stand here and stare at me, a queer retail worker, and be like, "can you gender my child's jacket for me?" Like no, fuck off, gender your own child's shit, project your own shit, I'm busy doing my job... *fades beneath music*
The only way out is to scream and shout
The only way out is to scream and shout
The only way out is to scream and shout
The only way out is to scream
And shout
Last edited by heid on Sun Jun 20, 2021 8:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Evermind
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by Evermind »

Ever Kenievel - The Only Way Out
Liner notes
SPOILER_SHOW
For this challenge, we interpreted and executed on "downward modulation" in a few ways. There is a low pass filter on the main synth and the cutoff frequency is modulated downward over time, much of the vocal melody descends in pitch, the verse chord progression is a descending chord progression, and during the bridge, the tempo slows.
I liked to have a drink with you
We'd shared a bed a night or two
I couldn't say where you grew up
I never met your mom

And now we have to share the rent
To make my meager dollars stretch
You seemed a pretty decent bet
I guess my bet was wrong

I tell myself "this too shall pass"
And try my best to breathe
And while I'm free to come and go
For now I can't leave

The way out is through
na na na nana nana
I'm stuck with you, stuck with you
The only way out is through
na na na nana nana

I used to like to see your face
But since it's become commonplace
It's sad but now I have to say
I think that you're the worst

Since this stupid thing begun
I haven't had an ounce of fun
If you really want to hate someone
You have to love them first

I tell myself "this too shall pass"
And try my best to breathe
And while I'm free to come and go
For now I can't leave

The way out is through
na na na nana nana
I'm stuck with you, stuck with you
The only way out is through
na na na nana nana

You leave your dishes on the floor
You microwave leftover fish
You track in mud and slam the doors
You never wash a single dish
But I'm afraid to criticize
Our situation might decline
I can't wait for this lease to end
I'll never talk to you again

The way out is through
na na na nana nana
I'm stuck with you, stuck with you
The only way out is through
na na na nana nana
I am definitely too square for how experimental this is, but I can imagine that if I was in the right state of mind, the section starting at 2:20 might transport me to another dimension - jeffhenderson
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by owl »

Crown Shy

It feels strange to think of my body
Falling into dust next to yours
But I feel the bones in my body
Sighing like gray-muzzled dogs
I never wanted to get a tattoo
Afraid of ruining some future perfect self
But time comes in and drags its needle on my skin
What am I preserving but the suit that I'll be buried in?

Every day, my back's in pain
And it feels tedious to mention, but I'll mention it again
I play guitar with boxing gloves
Trying to write myself a song about the sweetness of my blood

But the only way out is through
The only way out is through
The only way out is the way that you came here
Flashing through darkness like tunnels and train cars
Going a little too fast to see everything passing

It feels strange to think of your body
Falling into dust next to mine
We while it away in subdivided days
Believing we always have more time
I came across an old picture of us
Taken in the roses, in the hills
Our smiles were clear and the tattoo of twenty years
Hadn't torn our tender surfaces to ink us with our tired tears

Every day, my back's in pain
And it feels tedious to talk about, but here we go again
I hold your hand with boxing gloves
Trying to write you a song about the sweetness of our love

But the only way out is through
The only way out is through
The only way out is the way that you came here
Flashing through darkness like tunnels and train cars
Going a little too fast to see everything passing
noma
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by noma »

Nick Soma - The Only Way Out
(shadow entry)
SPOILER
SPOILER_SHOW
Criticism on organized religion, especially those weird-ass sects, but also generally, from an agnostic POV. I like how the bridge, "What are we doing with our lives? Should everything be sacrificed?" could be said by either a manipulative preacher or someone criticizing his followers.

This song features not one, not two, but six instances of downward modulation. Every modulation is down a whole tone, so that it's back in the original key at the end, suggesting a never ending downward spiral. It goes from F#m to Em (second verse) to Dm (instrumental) to Cm (second half of bridge) to Bbm (penultimate chorus) to G#m (final chorus) and back to F#m on the very last chord.
They can make you believe
Whatever serves them best
Even make you feel good
For doing what they suggest

'Cause it's the only way out
Or so they say
Otherwise you'll burn eternally
It's the only way out now
Salvation awaits
Only those who pray

Though mere humans they are
They boldly claim to know
And understand what God really wants
And so the sermon goes

It's the only way out
For so we say
Thinking for yourself we call a sin
It's the only way out now
Repeat our words:
No fun or play!

What are we doing to our lives?
Should everything be sacrificed?
What are we doing to our lives?
Should everything be sacrificed?

What are you doing to your lives?
What are you doing to your lives?

It's the only way out
Or so they say
Theirs is the right one, no reason why
But it's the only way out now
Salvation awaits
Only those who pray

It's the only way out
For so they say
So better keep that money rolling in
It's the only way out now
Salvation awaits
Only those who pay
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grumpymike
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by grumpymike »

Challenge: My verse is in C and my chorus is in Gm. The transition back to C involves Adim -> D7 -> C. Which is downward. I hope you didn’t mean to specify something else that isn’t a technical definition of modulation!

Verse
After years of repeating the same mistakes
You’re convinced there is no escape
It’s just easier that way

You’ve crafted a story to reassure yourself
Everything’s out of your hands
It’s all someone else’s plan

Well, maybe it is, and maybe you should read the script

Chorus
There are many roads to take that all lead you to nowhere
There are many plots to choose from that all end up as nightmares
The only way out is the one you’ll never try
And that’s the reason why

You’re never happy
never content
filled with contempt

Verse
I know you’ve had it hard, but let’s face it,
most of it’s been self-inflicted
You are drama addicted

You live in a castle built of laziness and sensitivity
The longer you stay,
the harder it is to leave

Only you control the drawbridge

Chorus
There are many roads to take that all lead you to nowhere
There are many plots to choose that end up as your nightmares
The only way out is through your pride
And that’s the reason why
You’re stuck
Forever
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furrypedro
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Re: Nur Ein XVI - The Only Way Out

Post by furrypedro »

Balance Lost

Gonna stick it to my boss
Trying to catch a wave
Got my knee blown out
Back in my high school days

Caught in a lie x3
I'm getting too close
To make a sacrifice x3
What I want most

The only way out of this airplane
When it's in flight
The only time I ever loved you
Is when we fight
Your order's up
A meatball sub
I can't forget which side I'm on
The only way out of this window
Is when it's closed

Follow the trail for years
Slipping through the cracks
Catch him when he comes in
But he's not coming back

Caught in a lie x3
I'm getting too close
To make a sacrifice x3
What I want most

The only way out of this airplane
When it's in flight
The only time I ever loved you
Is when we fight
Your order's up
A meatball sub
I can't forget which side I'm on
The only way out of this window
Is when it's closed
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