This entry was inspired by Theresa's comments on the clue 3D. {Wind instruments named for a Greek god} PANFLUTES in a BEQ crossword puzzle
Rockthrow had a song where I used my keyboard's PAN FLUTES quite extensively. I wrote those little bits while I was riding my bike home one day and Kevin liked it. On the second half, our friend Marty started playing the hammered dulcimer. It took Marty about an hour to get it into tune - it has tons of strings. Then at the end, my flutes come back in. Kevin always said this song was rather ironic because the lyrics are "It's an easy riff to play" but that actually his riff was kind of hard to play.
I believe this song is one of Kevin's frequent railings against crass commercialism - but also with a dig at what becomes popular. We were always bemoaning how repetitive many of the songs are that become hits. The same line over and over with simplistic lyrics. That was probably the inspiration for this song. It's kind of scary how the last italicized section describes this world of Trump.
Lyrics
It’s an easy riff to play It’s an obvious progression If you wanna be a star today You’d better stick with repetition It’s an easy riff to play [pan flute] It’s an obvious progression If you wanna be a star today You’d better stick with imitation People talking big, got the world figured out we really think so Politician, song writer, preacher man, freedom fighter, oh no [Pan flute solo] People walking loud, talking proud 'bout the things they want to tell you You’re moving like a herd and believing every word they want to sell you People want to rumble like they're tumbling the bones with the big throw Making such noise and pushing poison from the fountain of the Big Show It’s an easy riff to play It’s an obvious progression If you wanna be a star today Better be sexy [hammered dulcimer heard for first time] People so certain that they’re hurting anyone who isn't like them Flirting with disasters and deserting everyone when they are frightened Cheating our children, it's bewildering to see it all surround us Toys for us, girls and boys to play with as we wreck the world around us It’s an easy riff to play It’s an obvious progression If you wanna be a star today Better be a bully It’s an easy riff to play It’s an easy riff to play [finishes with pan flute and hammered dulcimer]
