Monday, January 03, 2011

January Song


It was only a matter of time before I combined music and silat, I suppose ...


Haven't gotten the chords yet -- I'm thinking some in a minor key, to get a kind of haunting melody, maybe A-minor pentatonic, if I can figure it out ...


Editor's Note: Hereunder a slightly revised version of the lyrics, with chords. The recording is now available on SoundClick, here, or in the player down the page.



Knife Fighter
I.
Am                                               Dm
He’s a stone-cold lizard-eyed knife fighter/
F                                        G            Am
And he’s always gettin’ ready to die/
Am                                                  Dm
He’s got two in his pocket and one in his boot/
F                           G                   Am
And the steel is how he gets high/
Am                                                  Dm
He’ll dance with the Devil and cut off his whiskers/
F                          G                 Am
And grin like a fool all the while/
Am                                                        Dm
When the law comes for him, they better shoot fast/
                  F              G           Am
Cause he won’t be goin’ to trial.
Chorus:
F                              G  
Live by the blade, die by the blade/
Am
You know that’s how the story ends/
F                                                G
That’s how they'll write the epitaph/
                 F             G                Am
When the knife is your only friend.
II.
Am                                               Dm
He’s had more stitches than a sewing machine/
              F             G            Am
Jagged scars all over his face/
Am                             Dm
Each time he pulls out his blade/
                  F          G            Am
It always comes down to a race/
Am                           Dm                         F               G            Am
To see who Death claims this time, who’ll be going to Hell/
Am                            Dm                           F                        G           Am
Win, lose, or draw everybody bleeds, sometimes it’s hard to tell.
(Chorus)
III.
Am                                        Dm                           F       G                    Am
It’s edges and points and icepick grips, and saber hold for the reach/
Am                                              Dm                        F            G              Am
He knows ninety-six ways to kill a man, O the lessons he could teach/
Am                                                  Dm                                F                    G
He’s a bad steppin’ razor and an expert butcher as he slices and he stabs 
             Am
and he flays/
Am                                          Dm                       F                  G         Am                         
Never had a chance at the peaceful life, far gone in his killin’ ways.
Chorus:
F                              G  
Live by the blade, die by the blade/
Am
You know that’s how the story ends/
F                                                G
That’s how they'll write the epitaph/
                 F             G                Am
When the knife is your only friend/
                 F             G                Am
When the knife is your only friend
(Slow it down)
When the knife ...  is your ... only ... friend ...

4 comments:

Loki said...

Ooooh... I like. Reminds me strongly of some of Robert W. Service's stuff!

Steve Perry said...

Wrote the lyrics between midnight and one a.m., did the chords between three and four p.m. I'll give it a go recording in the next day or two -- this one cries out for harmony on the chorus, I'll probably try to come up with a second voice there.

Stay tuned to this station ...

Josh Kruschke said...

:-)

Daniel Keys Moran said...

Looking forward to it. Great lyrics.

Halfway through the Pistol bio. That guy can write.