Punk Rock Prose - Part Two
- lysabella
- May 3
- 14 min read
Caress, a warm caress
In her hands, I feel the best
My cold metallic body, my loaded chest
Is over-stressed
I’ve never kissed your mouth
Pray to God, I never see your face
But when I touch your silken skin
I want to turn around; I want to turn around
~Lidia Automatic (1st Verse)
Welcome to part two of our set on the songwriting prose of The Unsatisfied. At the end of part one, I left you all with a question about the song Lidia Automatic. For those of you who remember this song, it was kind of a sleeper hit; one of the band's less-played tunes that they would randomly add to the set list. It had a ballad-type, romantic feel; almost a lullaby in parts and a lot of finger-plucked guitar work in the lulls, and a few well-executed snare POP-POP's throughout to symbolize gunshots. My question was regarding the context, and I asked if you could figure out the meaning from the lyrics. Here's the answer. The song is written from the perspective of a gun. Obsessed with its handler, the only way for the gun to expel its passion would be to shoot. This context lends an angst-driven pulse to the song, creating a somber tone and, through a forced perspective, the focus of the lyrics shifts toward the inanimate position of the weapon whose entire existence lies in being discharged.
The song was featured on Valley of the Freak. This album was recorded in 1993 at the 20 Below Studio in East Ridge, TN, engineered and produced by Scott Henson, and was released as a band demo on May 22nd, 1994. Per the usual Unsatisfied code, only 100 were produced for sale, and fifty or so were duplicated for promotional purposes. It was available on cassette only. A few copies have been found on eBay, but they are otherwise out of print indefinitely and very rare. The album also featured the first recordings of two more well-known favorites, which have been re-recorded in multiple versions: White, a song with a dark perspective on a snowstorm, and Relationship Paranoia, a celebrated cow-punk favorite about the rigors of a long-term relationship.
White was recently reissued on Street Shaman, revised with Duane Denison's special
touch. Denison's take on the song includes a low roll at the beginning, which imbues it with a cold, bitter ambience and a crisp, resonant edge on the guitar. Some light echo effects on Eric's vocals add interesting flair to the heavy guitars; a feeling of being in a fist fight with Mother Nature. Here and there, the whines and articulations of the guitars imply desperation as nature gains the points. The chaos of chord exchanges midway, right before the song breaks back into the main riff, creates a sense of urgency while the rhythm section thumps out powerful bass lines that carry the pulse throughout.
Relationship Paranoia has been recorded three times, with the center breakdown revised each time. This song has a very southern fusion sound, binding the repetitive cow-punk drum style with low-boil country guitar riffs. The original version is shorter with a more harmony-based vocal style. While the current, and refined, rendition features Johnny infusing slow, bluesy guitar bends against Eric's harder approach to the verses and a select recitation of Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues, complete with slide guitar in the vamp. The current version also imbues a heavier, thicker sound performed as a five-piece band compared to the original four-piece recording. Wayno's extra guitar holds the rhythm, freeing Johnny to shred the fretboard continuously. No matter which version you prefer, this song is well done and fun to headbang and jump around to, especially live.
We're gonna travel into the 2000's for a minute and look at another sleeper hit rarely on set lists, but heavily requested by fans, Blackie No Tomorrow. This song has a distinct Native American tone, including a vamp of a tribal rhythm played out through Johnny's Les Paul. The guitar gives this well-known chord progression a powerful spiritual tone that is simply chillbump-inducing. The lyrics tell the story of Blackie No Tomorrow, an American Indian, committing suicide and becoming a fire spirit. This song encompasses the power of the free native spirit. Though the outcome of Blackie's destiny is tragic, his soul cannot be quelled, and similar to Davey Jones, he is doomed to ride the ghost train trading tainted cargo for eternity as punishment for the crime of taking his own life; he has no tomorrow. He is not devoid of power; he is cursed. Eric's own Austrian-Cherokee genealogy lends a special mysticism to this song; the live performances rival those of .44 Caliber. Though it doesn't appear on the set list very often, this song is often shouted from the crowd as a request and sometimes becomes a surprise encore number.
BLACKIE NO TOMORROW
When they found me, I was lying in bed
With a single shot right to the head
What led me to this place, I do not know
My name is Blackie No tomorrow
No tomorrow
No tomorrow
Yes, Yes, Yes, there's no tomorrow
My yesterday just get up and go
You can call on Blackie No Tomorrow
The bed was soaked with my Indian Red
The body's gone, but my soul’s undead
My life came and went in sorrow
A N-N-N-N-No tomorrow
No tomorrow
No tomorrow
Yes, yes, yes, there's no tomorrow
My yesterday just get up and go
You can call on Blackie No Tomorrow
Do it!
And you bury the bones – YES!
And you bury the bones – YES!
I’m ridin' on a ghost train with tainted cargo
You wanna go?
Ride a ghost train with tainted cargo
You wanna go?
YES!
The bed was soaked with my Indian Red
The body's gone, but my soul’s undead
My life came and went in sorrow
A N-N-N-N-No tomorrow
No tomorrow
No tomorrow
Yes, yes, yes, there's no tomorrow
My yesterday just get up and go
You can call on Blackie No Tomorrow
Next, I want to review a newer song that many of you do not yet know, Just A Kind Word. This song was written both for and about my cousin as she was going through a heartbreaking divorce. She was wronged so badly that she could barely function and clung to us for support. I will never forget her agony and the feeling of complete helplessness at our inability to ease her pain. Every day, she met Eric on his walk, she raged and wept, moving through the phases of grief as her heart bled. Eric remained supportive despite his suffering from alcoholism and battling his own demons at the time, while feeling completely overwhelmed. He advised her to use her pain to her advantage, to spread her wings, because even though it wasn't her choice, the split from a man who didn't deserve her was actually what she needed.
When The Unsatisfied composed this song and presented it to her, she fell apart; it meant everything to her. She made Eric play it over and over - you will find once you hear it, that you have the same problem turning it off. The harmonic sound of the guitars has an empathetic tone that imbues a sense of emotional resolve, while the lyrics flow through the highs and lows of sorrow in a wave of conflict. The words are empowering and against the rising guitars create a sort of infrasound that triggers a dopamine rush and soothing comfort despite the power chords burning around them. It is one of those one-offs, The Unsatisfied is known to pump out, that seem to hit an octave and a resonance that the spirit needs.
JUST A KIND WORD
She wants a break from the truth
She’s not in the mood
Too busy to see or think about it
Just a kind word needs to be heard
As if her life depended on it
She whispers to me for sympathy
Put on the wall
It’s party time!
It’s party time…
(REPEAT)
You’re Wonderful!
You’re Wonderful!
Ooo - Ooo
She wants a break from the truth
She’s not in the mood
Too busy to see or think about it
Just a kind word needs to be heard
As if her life depended on it
She whispers to me for sympathy
Put on the wall
It’s party time!
It’s party time…
You’re Wonderful!
You’re Wonderful!
You must hear this song to fully comprehend the magic of it, and luckily, the guys have decided to rerecord it for the next album, so everyone can have it to call on in times of woe. Anytime I use it as background on ads, we get dozens of responses, asking what it is and where they can get it, and many have told us to play it on repeat multiple times. Eric says, "I dare you to play it once," because it is impossible not to play it again when it ends, and again, and then one more time. Watch for its release, which I will announce here, and on the band's social media links as soundtrack music for ads. You will recognize its brilliance and fall in love with it just as everyone has, I'm sure.
In conclusion of the second edition of our lyrical jukebox, we'll reach into the vault and pick a classic. To those of you present at the induction of the Underground Music Scene here in the South, you will well remember the hole-in-the-wall venues, packed to the gills, parking around the block, and a diverse sea of youth crammed against makeshift stages, before them a brewing mosh pit of angst and fevered, sweaty punk rock righteousness. The scene began around 1985 in Chattanooga, TN, and at the spearhead of this movement were bands like Ben Sinister, Brainwash, The Value, Musical Moose, Hank, Feast of Pigs and, of course, The Unsatisfied in its infancy, who in '85 started as Generic Eric & The Mutants Without A Choice. Later, the neighboring town of Cleveland introduced bands The Strict Nine-5 and Compound Fracture into the scene. As Generic Eric morphed into The Unsatisfied in 1986 and began to rise in popularity, their songs became anthems. They wrote crowd inciting songs such as She Bites, Hellrazor, Power Jew, and the one we will examine here, Murder Me, Murder You.
Before we look at the lyrics, I want to take a minute to reflect a bit more on the Underground Music Scene. As the punk rock scene grew throughout the city, a chain of local clubs, bars, and warehouses opened their doors to the city's youth. Allowing them to spill their blood and sweat on their stages as they honed their talent. Hollywood's was among the handful of underground places the Chattanooga Music Scene cut its teeth on. Others included The Nucleus, Dale's, and the annual Cat's Records event. This united local support kick-started the punk rock decadence in Chattanooga, which would later expand to Atlanta, Athens, Knoxville, Nashville, Johnson City, and Bristol, where bands Punching Judy and Blitz Kid entered the scene. Blitz Kid would later be on AntiDote Records before The Unsatisfied.
These things and more will be explored in a future blog I am compiling, but they will be even more deeply remembered on The Unsatisfied's new Podcast, The Southern Underground Revival, coming soon to YouTube. Eric will explore his roots in the original scene, sharing history and memories of the old scene while simultaneously introducing its revival to a new generation of young musicians looking to be a part of a music movement like this one. The band will discuss the scene, the venues, the cities it flowed through, interview a few of the founding bands, discuss the connections between bands and musicians integral to its base, and discuss music in general. The Unsatisfied will also host some local all-ages shows with upcoming bands to help reestablish the scene. The series is scheduled for release this year as part of our 40 Years of Unsatisfied celebration. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, follow our socials, and sign up for the band's email list, so you see it first! And please attend as many of these Underground Shows as possible - we need you there, Tribe! Your support is crucial to the future of local music.
Now, Murder Me, Murder You. According to Eric, this song was inspired by his exposure to pulp magazines, in particular True Crime and Detective, at his Uncle's house when he was younger. "These were dirty rags, the covers were always so awful and exploitive; women being manhandled and assaulted. It was shocking and disturbing content, especially when you realized this material was a turn-on for some people." Eric decided to flip the script, write a turn of the protagonist tune based on the violent nature of the content in these mags, empowering the women featured in them to turn on their would-be assailants and end them, slicing them up in the worst possible ways.
Shana's guitar work in this song is nothing short of powerful. The solo emerging toward the end of the song, rather than predictably in the center, adds to the unique structure of the composition. It is a remarkable arching harmonic masterpiece, especially when thrust against the haunting delivery of Eric's gritty, morbid lyrics. This song was way before its time. The tone, lyrics, and framework are all very progressive for a band just two years into development, preceding bands that would later follow suit in the West and East Coast scenes. All of the songs compiled on the Live '88 album fit this mold. It was recorded live at the Rock & Country Club in 1988 and is one of the few recordings in existence of songs produced by this original lineup.
MURDER ME, MURDER YOU
Whaa-ha-aoh, Whaa-ha-aoh
Pretty you with your sexy ways
Pretty you got me in a daze
Pretty you, blood is on your face
Pretty you cut my private place up!
Murder me, murder you
Murder me, murder you
I wanna murder you
Say it to me
You wanna die, I’ll answer your plea
You are beautiful dead
Whaa-ha-aoh, Whaa-ha-aoh
Pretty you gettin' off on blood
Pretty you six feet of blood lust, uh!
Pretty you my sweet death queen
Pretty you your knife is making my scene
Murder me, murder you
I said uh-oo-wa-oo-wa-gak-kkkk-ka!
I wanna murder you
Say it to me
You wanna die, I’ll answer your plea
You are beautiful dead
If you haven't heard, we have released one of our two newest projects. It is called EPHEMERA, and it covers everything the band members do off stage; essentially, a lifestyle series created out of a persistent request from fans to develop a show full of extra content following the conceptual likeness of Ambition Withdraw: Redux. Newly rendered, it has been delivered as a gift to the Tribe in celebration of 40 years of punk rock. The videos range from short to long and feature footage of home life, pets, travel, interviews, band practice, tour, backstage antics, parties, banter, the band's headquarters here at Meadowood, and more. It was released officially on May 1st on YouTube with teasers available on all the socials - FB, Instagram, X, and this website before launch. Please go check it out and subscribe, comment, like, share - you know the drill, and let us know what you'd like to see next! Click the sample below to watch now!
The bonus content I have for you comes from a demo album that was released two years before Valley of the Freak, titled Lustcraft. This Demo consisted of five songs and a spoken word piece recited by me (Lysa). The lyrics on this recording have a theological tone encompassing themes of God & the Devil, spirituality, and the convergence of sexuality through an artistic lens. Eric uses nonce words and quotes Salvador Dali, drawing inspiration from the artist and cult sci-fi movies. The third track, You Won't Believe What I Want, was inspired by character scenes from the movie Night of the Comet. The guitarist on this album was Jake Wiggington, formerly the bass player for the original lineup (pictured above). Johnny would join a year later, after Jake's departure, and create history with Eric from 1993 to the present. This one difference meant the sound on this recording was experimental, often taking on more of a heavy metal form, complete with crunchy, heavy guitars on three of the five tracks: The Pusher, The Flesh Possession, and Bad News. The final track, however, along with You Won't Believe What I Want, would become punk staples still present on the set list. That last song was Angelic Wall. It has been recorded twice since Lustcraft, the final version being infused with the guitar magic of Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk, Mr. Bungle, Legendary Shack Shakers) on Street Shaman, but the form and lyrics have remained true all these years.
ANGELIC WALL
With a well-constructed temple
The walls are made of God
No other world is for me
I love divine sky…
(Intro x 2)
(Verse 1)
No denial, I’m in perspective
I’ve done been elected
Angelic, dysethetic, discovery
I didn’t chop it down
(Chorus)
Gimme sex, or a standing ovation
Drop me off at the Perpignan Railway Station
Ascend to the sky, mysticism of time
(Verse 2)
Salvador Dali, consider me
I’ve been waiting in line for a very long time
Salvador Dali, consider me
The new messiah, baby, yeah!
(Repeat Chorus x 2)
We will review the meaning behind the lyrics at the start of our next Prose Blog; until then, I'll leave it to you to decode them. If you are already a fan of The Unsatisfied, I am certain you're familiar with this song. If you are new to the Tribe, then I recommend you check it out for yourself. It is still available on YouTube. It is one of those one-offs the band periodically creates that add something extra to their repertoire. An epic, sleeper that finds its way like an earworm into everyone's favorites list; one of those "can't listen to it once" tunes. It will always hold a special place in my heart as I was lying on the floor of the vocal surround when it was recorded, swooning as Eric sang it to me. I hope you all will seek out these songs and experience them for yourselves. Some are available on our website. You can find Murder Me, Murder You on the EPHEMERA page, Blackie No Tomorrow on Songs the Belt Taught Us, and Angelic Wall on YouTube. Listen to the original on 20 Below Radio here, and the revisited version with Duane Denison here. Give them all a listen and then write a music review on our DISCOGRAPHY page and tell us about your favorite! But you'll have to wait for Just A Kind Word, which will be released soon.
COMING SOON...
We have more new content being designed, recorded, and released to celebrate The Unsatisfied's 40 years of music. One of these is, of course, the recording of a new album beginning this fall. Though the album will likely not be complete until next year, they are planning on releasing a vinyl single - the songs are still TBA, but they are going to be brand new and in the form of a 7" colored vinyl single!
In addition, Eric's YouTube Pod about the Underground Music Scene that shaped his career will be available within the next few weeks. Matt and Wayno will be regular co-hosts, and occasionally, we may be able to talk Johnny and Seth into joining in the fun, and we will have some interesting guests visit as well. We touched on the introduction to this content a bit in this blog, and I will be writing a follow-up blog as well, but the full exploration will take more time and space than I have available here. The show will also invite bands from the scene, or at least surviving members, as well as many bands you might not have heard of but should have. It promises to be an interesting tour of the past and the present. So, stay tuned!
Til next we meet, Luv 'N Blood, forever Tribe!
Your feedback on this and all things The Unsatisfied is important to us. We want and welcome your suggestions and thoughts. Comment on this Blog, leave a review on your favorite Unsatisfied album, or email us at theunsatisfied2020@gmail.com with whatever is on your mind. We value, respect, and will consider your input.
THE UNSATISFIED THANK YOU, from the bottoms of our black hearts, for believing in us!
Oh, I forgot to mention that the band Sir Joseph Idea, and their recording, needs to be talked at some point on the blog. I believe this moment in time fits into the band's history and most people may not be aware of it.
Selfishly, it's great seeing some of the older music and artwork getting recognized. Years ago, I always dreamed of financially being able to fund the remastering and re-release of the early demo cassettes (Live '88, Lustcraft, 3 on 4, Insanity Revival, Valley of the Freak, etc.) on a multi-disc CD release. Hopefully, we'll eventually see more information about the '3 on 4' demo and the unreleased 'Insanity Revival' demo... possibly even see some unreleased songs on older band practice recordings talked about like "Wolves Homecoming" or "1/27/69." There's too much history with this band for it to not be talked about.