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Billy

from Watermelon Time by Ty Ford

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about

Billy came to me in pieces. I was working on the lyrics, but didn't have a tune. I was also working on an instrumental piece at the same time. After reading the lyrics at a song circle one night, I returned home and began wondering if the lyrics would work with the instrumental I was working on. To my surprise, they did. I think it was a serendipitous case of the left brain not knowing what the right brain was doing.

It's a song about spousal abuse that most people find amusing until the fun of the first verse turns into the heart of the matter. I've had one or two women tell me "they shouldn't have been so hard on Billy." I've had other tell me that's exactly what abused spouses say so frequently.

lyrics

Billy The Bully
V1.
With his tongue froze to the flag pole bare feet on icy ground
Billy barely had time to wonder why they’d pulled his chinos down.
It was cold at Fort McHenry, and the wind began to blow
Above him waved old glory, it had just begun to snow.

V2.
Billy’d been a piece of work most all his life.
As a kid he bullied smaller kids, grew up and beat his wife.
He’d crank it up at Down The Hatch, drink hard most every night
Then stumble home down Cuba street, spoiling for a fight.

V3.
The men from Engine 26 got tired of Billy’s crap.
They’d seen the bruises on his wife and kids and decided to step up
As he stumbled down Fort Avenue one night, they tossed him in a van
And gave back what he’d given out with a fair but solid hand.

V4.
Billy was no match for them, but he was slow to get the drift.
In a darkened corner of Latrobe Park, some pulled a double shift.
He saw stars. The intervention lasted through the night,
Along about sunrise broken Billy saw the light.

V5.
Out on old Fort McHenry by the new dawn’s early light.
The fire men dragged Billy, he was not pretty sight
They convened around the flag pole, stuck his tongue and dropped his pants.
And left him there to think about his life and second chance.

V6.
So when you see a flag pole, think of Bullies that you knew
Think of the men of Engine 26 on old Fort Avenue
Next time you meet a bully be prepared to take a stand
Find a flag pole and step forward with a fair but solid hand. 

V7
Bullies are just bullies, they hate themselves a lot,
Striking out at other folks is really all they’ve got.
That don’t make it right. We all should take a stand
To stop them drunken bullies anyway we can
Technique, Inc. © Copyright 2008 

credits

from Watermelon Time, released December 22, 2009
Just me

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about

Ty Ford Baltimore, Maryland

Sound, light and matter are all energy at different frequencies.

I was curious as to how the frequencies of the colors of the chakras could be converted into frequencies of sound.

I was amazed when everything began to fall into place. I hope these soundscapes work as strongly for you as they have for others.
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