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Respect the Architect
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Demo with George on guitar and vocal, and Joe on everything else. An extended DPL version is in the works. Stay tuned.
chaos fukushima activism fracking hiroshima
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George Potor and Joe DeCristopher both were raised in New Jersey in the 1950's and 60's, and schooled and settled in Pennsylvania, but they didn't meet until late 1979. Though they played occasionally as a duo, their first excursion as a band was with the ppits, a motley crew of seven (and sometimes more), full of political irreverence and fun. The ppits morphed into a quintet, Veto and the Hitmen, which like the ppits, performed twice on WVIA's Homegrown Music with a bundle of original tunes, mostly by George, by George. Over the last few years, George and Joe, with Rick Totten, formed Good Without One, the drummerless rock trio fueled by the retrograde administration of Cheney and W, spawning such gems as "Less Scratch, More Itch", "The Ballad of W, M.D. (Ducking Like a Quack)", "Above the Law", "Things Could Get Worse", and "The Gitmo Swing." The winds of change continue to blow, and George and Joe continue to collaborate, sometimes as a duo, sometimes with the help of others. Happily, Fred Strickland has come onboard with his 5-string bass, vocals & songwriting. They look forward to introducing new tunes, some political (George's "Low Infaux Voter", Joe's "Subprime Blues" and Fred's "Fox U"), some not, like the rocking "Inis Mor", named for the island off the coast of Ireland that George visited in the summer of 2008.
Song Info
Charts
Peak #319
Peak in subgenre #41
Author
George Potor
Rights
2010
Uploaded
September 19, 2010
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.1 MB 128 kbps 4:30
Story behind the song
The bogus "mosque-at-ground-zero" controversy got me thinking about (and researching) the physical and human geography of Manhattan Island. I discovered and was inspired by The Mannahatta Project. (Look it up, it's way cool.) The resulting lyrics comprise snapshots of the island at three different moments in time. First, we overhear the conversations on New Yorkers in September, 2010. Next we journey back to September, 1609 as Henry Hudson arrives and interacts with the Leni Lenape then living on the island. Finally, we look ahead to September, 2409 and find a community that utilizes the physical geography of this diverse island to its full advantage. Throughout, I'm exploring the concept of transitional spaces in a place that's seen plenty of transitions.
Lyrics
1 So much new construction; barely recognize the place. Neighborhood is changing; not one familiar face. Up and down the Avenue they're bringing in the cranes; Somethin' they been dumpin' must be blocking up the drains. When did they raise those archways? I wonder who painted that wall. Twice as many windows as crawlspace, I recall Chorus Look for an open door; walk through the underground. Respect the architect; don't tear the building down. It's not buildings they fight, it's just people inside. 2 On September Twelfth, Sixteen Hundred Nine, Early afternoon when the Half Moon arrives, Twenty-eight canoes paddle out into the Bay Hungry Europeans hope they'll have some food to trade. Leni Lenape harvest, Summer Mannahatta maize, Upon a Three Sisters garden They gaze. Chorus 3 Two Four Oh Nine, power up the Grid; Turbines turning with the tide, towers for the wind. Cooling tunnels underground, farming on the roof, Windows filled with solar cells; sun is shining through. The water that surrounds this island; A blessing and a curse, they say. A fence to keep 'em out, a gate to let 'em in; Guess it can work both ways... Chorus
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