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Better Than Rock and Roll
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This one starts gently but don't be fooled - it soon hots up
prog punk wildhearts cardiacs
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Trash-pop, guitar rock and melodic miscellany.
Not so much a band as a bloke with a guitar and a laptop, The Smivets deliver a genre-bending blend of pop, rock, punk, prog and many other monosyllables.
Song Info
Genre
Rock • Progressive Rock
Charts
Peak #140
Peak in subgenre #20
Author
Steve Smith
Rights
Steve Smith
Uploaded
December 08, 2021
Track Files
MP3
MP3 13.9 MB • 320 kbps • 6:05
Lossless
WAV 61.3 MB
Story behind the song
Is it a soft calypso? Or hard rock? Or punk rock? Or prog? Probably all the above - this gets as close as I can get to the concept of "prog punk" - attempting to combine the energy and rawness of punk and hard rock with the musicality and intrigue of prog. 2 genres that are supposed to be polar opposites but I love them both so why not? Somewhat autobiographical this one - some details have been changed to protect the guilty.
Lyrics
When I was a young boy I didn't much like school Everything had a restriction, a regulation or a rule Well I kicked against the system Every chance I got Everything they said I should I said that I would not Yes they pegged me for a fool Because I didn't want to be there But it doesn't seem that foolish Looking back on it from here By the time they tossed me out I'd had enough of hearing nonsense Because nothing they tried to teach me seemed like any use at all So I turned up pirate radio As loud as I could make it go And everything made sense instantly And nothing sounded better than rock and roll to me So I bought me a Les Paul copy Started bashing it around Tortured and abused the poor thing until I liked the sound Then I set biro to paper Wrestling down on the page Songs to capture the zeitgeist, songs of ignorance and rage Then I set out to make an impact Trying to look like a contender Decked in every rising fashion Like the panoply of war But it's hard to wage a battle When you don't know who you're fighting With one eye on the leader And the other on the door So I resolved to play the the waiting game With two brass ha'pennies to my name Never better than tenth place in the queue And nothing better than rock and roll to do Well I felt the dream get closer Almost close enough to clutch Too close to let it go too far away to touch Every passing bandwagon I'd follow it blind Changed my style a thousand times, one step behind But I figured out too late It's best to lead and not to follow And be blessed with chiselled cheekbones And a liberal dose of luck But while I was drowning in self pity Someone dived straight in to save me Who took me for what I was And who didn't give a About unachievable fantasies That come with rock and roll disease And in the bolt of lightning moment there I knew The only thing better than rock and roll was you
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Oddger
Jan 11, 2022
Great story telling. A mini rock opera in its own right. And I can sooo relate to the lyrics! You summed up my life there. We had a reunion of local bands from the 1980's in my little town and I realized that I played in them all, except the local New Orleans jazz band. I like the way the music builds up to emphasize the lyrics. I simply like this one a lot!
steveweyman
Jan 03, 2022
I knew it ! Fooled me into thinking you gone mellow then it kicks in ! Great track in your inimitable style ! Great voice Steve and always love your guitar work and production .The lyrics are something else !
KeithMitchell
Dec 08, 2021
I know I have said this before but I love your voice Steve. You record it perfectly. And you mix and arrange your tracks with pure class. Monster track in my book.