A collection of songs with the daily life of a gay American in mind. Though the subjects of many of the songs are controversial or specific, the social commentary that can be found in these songs contain ideas any type of person could relate to or appreciate. Venture into the unknown with me, as I musically explore the issues that pertain to what life can sometimes be like as a gay person. "I don't see this CD as dealing only with gays and Gay issues, but with universal themes of youth, experience, temptation, society, fear, prejudice, hope, God, etc. It is a brilliant body of work irrespective of how you eventually decide to order the selections." -- John Maxwell, Writer. Questions or Comments? e-mail me@johnpaulsharp.com Track Listing: Index: 1. Watch Me 2. Cocks on Gay.com 3. Battle Over Love 4. Mr. Meth 5. Waiting at the Clinic 6. Does Anyone Remember Harvey Milk? 7. We Got Problems (But We're Doing OK) 8. The Revolution Will Be Live 9. O' For Christ's Sake 10. Back to San Francisco 1. Watch Me 5:52 This intro song is long, but it is packed with intense rhythms and one meditative phrase: Watch Me. America is high on Reality Television. Everyone can really get that fifteen minutes! There are light and dark aspects to that. On one hand, there is hope that anyone can achieve some kind of recognition, but the dark side of that is anyone, whether on TV or not, has the potential to become completely boxed in by labels. Either way, it is here and we should enjoy it and that is the spirit of this song: Imagine you are on The Real World, dancing in some club while all of America is watching you. Don't do anything stupid! hahaha 2. Cocks on Gay.com 3:32 This song comes with a parental warning. It is about online dating in the dirty world of online dating. Many people take that place very seriously and while it *can* be dangerous, it can also be fun and safe if you have common sense. You could seriously go blind using those services for more than an hour -- but it has a voyeuristic quality to it that makes it addictive, for sure. Looking at cocks on Gay.com Certainly seems the bomb But looking after several hours still Will make you really ill Why would you do that? You ask Well I will tell you the facts Guys get bored and horny and they need to just relax, get up off their a** and cum! You don't need to spend hours 'pon hours end, clicking on those little boxes with all those sorts of stiffs! What about the life that waits for you? Where the hell are you? Couldn't you be going somewhere else instead of straight to hell? Why would you do that? You ask Well I will tell you the facts Guys get bored and horny and they need to just relax, get up off their a** and cum! It goes on an on: Cocks on Gay.com! Worshipping a less than higher god could really make you lost. Why would you do that? You ask Well I will tell you the facts Guys get bored and horny and they need to just relax, get up off their a** and cum! 3. Battle Over Love 4:04 As most everyone knows, the USA has been battling over equal rights for gay marriage for quite some time and it doesn't look like it is ever going to stop. This is an issue that everyone seems to have an opinion on. Either way, a section of civilians in America are being segregated in this matter and that is cause for tragedy and needless human suffering. Don't look now but someone's coming -- Not just one but twos and threes! They are gathering collectively, readying for the battle over territory of a little thing called Love. And no matter what we say No matter what we do They may have their way with me and you. But I hope that Cupid sees it And sharpens up the tip of his bloody arrows Comes to shoot them down, down, down Until we've won the fight You know I think these guys are cunning they look really really mad like we don't deserve to ever have what they have in Marriage but we can not give this up no they can not take our love away They have got the politicians Singing songs of moral rage While we play the role of their decay watching Desperate Housewives while amidst the legal fray we the people are dividing up the class of citizens Right before our eyes And no matter what we say No matter what we do They may have their way with me and you. But I hope that Cupid sees it And sharpens up the tip of his bloody arrows Comes to shoot them down, down, down Until we've won the fight Don't look now but someone's coming -- Not just one but twos and threes! They are gathering collectively, readying for the battle over territory of a little thing called Love 4. Mr. Meth 3:17 This is a song about the drug people don't talk too much about. Methamphetamine abuse is a major crisis in not just the communities of minorities, but it is also now affecting white, rural communities. Not only is this drug 100% synthetic, it is a major helper to other serious problems in our community, like mental illnesses, domestic violence, unidentified deaths and missing persons -- and don't forget, HIV and STD's. You want to get experimental? Well, baby, that's just fine You want to smoke some meth and get undressed And have a really good time for hours you have sex With people you don't know With half-connected souls that are dying to reach out and get just a little or a lot of yours. So just come down! Are we having fun yet? Ladies and Gentleman May I introduce to you A long time member of the gay community, Without further ado, Mr. Meth! Oh yes Coming of age every second Until the death Rears its ugly head You want to get a little mental Well, baby, that's just fine You want to smoke some meth and make a mess And have a really bad time With people that you love With your half-connected soul that is dying to reach out and get just a little or a lot of mine. But not this time! Just Come Down! Are we having fun yet? Ladies and Gentleman May I introduce to you A long time member of the gay community, Without further ado, Mr. Meth! Oh yes Coming of age every second Until the death Rears its ugly head. 5. Waiting at the Clinic 5:26 This is a very sad song about someone who is waiting at the clinic to get the results of his HIV test. Sometimes in relationships, people cheat. Sometimes they keep their HIV status a secret. That is what this song is about. That is why it is important to wear protection at all times, even in monogamous relationships. How many people do you know that could tell you a story like this? Probably more than you realize. Was it you who said "I'm never gonna break your heart." Well, you lied to me And now I'm falling apart, thinking of things while I quietly and patiently wait at the clinic to see if I am clean. Nevermind those little things, didn't want to see Let me leave them, leave them be What becomes of me? What am I to do? What if I end up like you? What will I be if I am HIV positive? What I'd like to do Is get up off this chair and run Get away from here and ride off into the sun, just like that boy In that childhood story of hope, Left with nothing but one grain of sand ... If I ever get Out of this old clinic alive I will be much better than I was at the time I first came by Or the night when you said goodbye Or, of course, until the next time ... Was it me who said, "I'm never gonna be the same." Well it's in my head and now I'm playin' the game. Singing this song Hoping it will carry along All the time I'm sitting here waiting Nevermind those little things, didn't want to see Let me leave them, leave them be What becomes of me? What am I to do? What if I end up like you? What will I be if I am HIV positive? 6. Does Anyone Remember Harvey Milk? 3:45 I asked all my friends, family and coworkers if they knew who Harvey Milk was. About 95% of them had no clue at all about him. This song is my way of venting that frustration. Harvey Milk, along with George Moscone, was assassinated in 1978 by a jealous and delusional politician named Danny White. They were shot right in City Hall of San Francisco, with no warning and no chance to defend themselves. Harvey Milk was a gay activist and helped initiate GLBT rights for California in the 70's. It is because of people like him that all people have the freedoms we have today. (But it is not over yet!!) just casually so I asked him "would you kindly see if you remember a man whose name was Harvey Milk? then casually so he tells me "no but wasn't that some body you used do date in 2002 no no no you've got it wrong you don't remember him at all Harvey Milk is the best thing since Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ and Buddha no no no you've got it wrong you don't remember him at all Harvey Milk was a fighter and he lost his life for you and me 1978 Milk was murdered in San Francisco City Hall as was Mayor George Moscone through this was a result of madness and jealousy from Danny White who just couldn't seem to take a fight no no no you've got it wrong you don't remember him at all Harvey Milk is the best thing since Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ and Buddha no no no you've got it wrong you don't remember him at all Harvey Milk was a fighter and he lost his life for you and me so, now that you know we can begin to tell our friends & family that we still remember everything just casually so ask them if they happen to know the tragedy of a man whose name was Harvey Milk no no no you've got it wrong you don't remember him at all Harvey Milk is the best thing since Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ and Buddha no no no you've got it wrong you don't remember him at all Harvey Milk was a fighter and he lost his life for you and me 7. We Got Problems (But We're Doing OK) 3:37 Anyone, whether you are a minority or not, can identify and relate to the oppressions of the world. Myself, as a white gay man, I not only directly feel the oppressions caused historically by white men, but I also carry the guilt of my ancestors' actions over time. For all people, it is important to be able to sing and to be able to find inner strength from the power of Music. Life goes on living with the ghosts of enormous wrongs Trying just to cope in a messed up world Where everything is laced with pain Almost seems unbearable Overwhelming and leaden with shame Well it's not impossible and it's not so bad Often times, it's easy to get buried Under the oppressions of the world Homing in on all the little things that feed on negativity And we need some unity Yes, we need to express our thoughts And we need to get together and agree to disagree Equally Seems like life gets a bit lackluster In between the two extremities But that's why Man inherited the music So join me in this exploration Cause We Got Problems (But We're Doing OK) Even when the clouds darken the sky The power of music is willing to give it a try Life goes on living with the ghosts of enormous wrongs Trying just to cope in a messed up world Where everything is laced with pain Almost seems unbearable Overwhelming and leaden with shame Well it's not impossible and it's not so bad 8. The Revolution Will Be Live 4:18 High energy and wildly intense, this is a second version of an instrumental electronic recording called The Messenger. In this version, I explore the dynamics of historical speeches in context of today. There are three excerpts from speeches total: 1. Richard Nixon's Checker Speech, 2. George W. Bush on Gay Marriage and 3. Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech. My point in making recordings like this is to help people think, feel and not get numb. Remember the past and look at how today's world relates. This track is the Top 20 all-time songs on Garage Band.com for Spoken Word. It has also won several awards, including best Production, most Original and best Beat. Transcription: Richard Nixon: My fellow Americans, I come before you tonight as a candidate for the Vice Presidency and as a man who's honesty and integrity has been questioned. Now, the usual political thing to do when charges are made against you is to either ignore them or to deny them without giving details. I believe we've had enough of that in the United States, particularly with the present administration in Washington, D.C. To me, the office of the Vice Presidency of the United States is a great office and I feel that the people have got to have confidence in the integrity of the men who run for that office and who might obtain it. I have a theory too, that the best and only answer to a smear or to an honest misunderstanding of the facts, is to tell the truth. And that's why I'm here tonight. I want to tell you my side of the case. George W. Bush: After more than two centuries of American jurisprudence and in a millennia of human experience, a few judges and local authorities are presuming to change the most fundamental institution of civilization. Their actions have created confusion on an issue that requires clarity. On a matter of such importance, the voice of the people must be heard. Activist's course have left the people with one recourse. If we are to prevent the meaning of marriage from being changed forever. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check: A check that will give us, upon demand, the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time! To lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood -- now is the time! To make justice a reality for all of God's children. 9. O' For Christ's Sake 3:19 This is a hymnal where the content of the lyrics ask God for protection from the Religious Right. These politically active groups are 'hell-bent' on making sure that people who do not fit their version of Godliness, are denied equal rights under the constitution of the United States of America and its local legislation. Extremes and radicals, like Fred Phelps, encourage those who might not otherwise turn to violence to do so. O' For Christ's Sake Give us the strength today The Religious Right Wants us to leave tonight The reason is clear Because we are queer They think we want to infest their families and give them AIDS and all that stuff But we know Your love is the diamond in the rough If we see tomorrow Would You look after us If on chance we stray From Your old beaten path? This hate is so real We all should feel Pain for those poor folks who want to keep us from our equal rights and all that stuff But we know Your love is the reason we stay tough We will always love You Even in times of need We look on to heaven Where we will be in peace For on that day, we will sing praise We will be joyful and nothing's gonna stop our happiness and all that stuff 'Cause we know Your love is the only way The Religious Right Wants us to leave tonight O' For Christ's Sake Give us your strength today. 10. Back to San Francisco 4:09 Anyone who has ever stayed more than a few days in San Francisco knows that the city celebrates diversity and unity with individuality. I have traveled to many cities in my young life and San Francisco was truly a city of mingling and sharing of stories ... like no other city I ever traveled to in America. Growing up in Wichita, KS I dreamed of San Francisco, wondering what it was like and if it really was a "Gay Mecca." Well, it's not the safest and easiest place to live in, but it is filled with magic, both dark and light and it is something to treasure as a chapter in life one could never forget. For just one night, You made me feel You made me feel like, for a night, I'd come back home Back to San Francisco Just one night, just one night ... John Paul Sharp is a 25 y/o Recording Artist currently living in Denver. He will be attending the University of Colorado at Denver for their Recording Arts program in fall of 2005. This CD is due to release later in the year, with a portion of the profits going to queer charity. Any questions? e-mail me@johnpaulsharp.com All songs Copyright 2005, John Paul Sharp. All Rights Reserved. You may freely download and share this music before it is publicly released as an album, but you must ask my permission to broadcast, perform or mix. Thank you for listening!! jps* http://www.johnpaulsharp.com