Month: July 2023

‘Butlerian Jihad’ #lyrics to a #rock song

I’m just being silly with this one. It really needs to be cleaned up. But I’m toying with different ways to express my frustration over the rise of AI.

Butlerian Jihad
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

the machines are threatening
the very core of our existence
taking creativity from our souls
and turning it into digits
only humans should produce
the juice of our existance

is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
like Frank Herbert wrote
or are we just going to
lie down and quit
and be done with it.

machines can only do so much
humans are the best and creation
at least in my heart this is it
but one day soon we may confront
at time when not even song
is done by human hand
then what

is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
like Frank Herbert wrote
or are we just going to
lie down and quit
and be done with it.

(bridge)
no call for violence
in on my mind
but what I think is sublime
maybe we should say
that only humans have a say
in what creation may
happen one day

is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
is it time for a Butlerian Jihad
like Frank Herbert wrote
or are we just going to
lie down and quit
and be done with it.

I’m Making My Heroine Obsessed With John Lennon

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Someone randomly, out of the blue, contacted me on Tik-Tok and asked me something like, “Do you think your characters are interesting enough?” This really gave me pause for thought. I told the person that they must be, given that I’m willing to spend years working on them.

But with my heroine, specifically, I’ve decided to have her be obsessed with John Lennon. I’m reading his biography and…oh boy. While I still consider Lennon a personal hero of mine, he definitely was problematic in his personal life.

It’s not like I didn’t know any of this already, but reading about it again really hits home how cultural norms have changed over the last 60 years. And, maybe, that’s one of the reasons why rock music has died? The type of person who would be an over-the-top rocker just can’t reach the type of creative critical mass they could in the past because of the dark side of that personality type?

Anyway, the idea of having my heroine obsessed with Lennon is very intriguing to me and opens up a lot of different ways to pull in readers. At least, I hope so. I think having my heroine obsessed with Lennon could be just the type of “hook” I need on both the audience front and marketing front.

But I’m being delusional, still. The idea that I can actually querying this novel and it be a success is very, very delusional at the moment. But I need some sort of hope, you know?

‘For The Love Of Flowers’ #lyrics to a #pop #rock song

For The Love Of Flowers
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

the machines are coming
the machines are coming
the machines are coming

what does it mean
to be a human
we all think we know
but we know for sho?
I like to think
when I’ve had too much to drink
that no machine will know
the joy or love
of flowers

the love of flowers
is a very human thing
not easy to replicate
by any digital mind
no matter how sublime
the love of flowers
the love of flowers
the love of flowers

the love of flowers
is a very human thing
not easy to understand
if you don’t have a soul
or any such thing
ones and zeros are not so bold
to know the joy of a flower
in one’s hands to behold

the love of flowers
is a very human thing
not easy to replicate
by any digital mind
no matter how sublime
the love of flowers
the love of flowers
the love of flowers

(bridge)
dead flowers
cold in your hand
break your heart
because of what could have been
but even then
you’re better off
than a robot
programmed to care not

the love of flowers
is a very human thing
not easy to replicate
by any digital mind
no matter how sublime
the love of flowers
the love of flowers
the love of flowers

‘Hot as Hell’ #lyrics to a #pop #rock song

Hot as Hell
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

in the month of July
sometimes I feel about to die
there’s just nothing going on
I think with a sigh
if you would be my love
one who gives me a rub
maybe it would spark some joy
in this bored old boy

it’s hot as hell
I’m bored as can be
bored as can be
bored as can be
with out you with me
bored as can be
bored as can be

the moment you eye me
from afar
I know we have a love
a love that will go far
if you’ll just grant me
the wish of a kiss
then my boredom will abait
and I won’t have to masturbate

it’s hot as hell
I’m bored as can be
bored as can be
bored as can be
without you with me
bored as can be
bored as can be

(bridge)
excitement will come
now that you’re the one
I bow at your feet
something that’s no small feat
we’ll be together forever
even when it’s not hot weather

it’s hot as hell
I’m bored as can be
bored as can be
bored as can be
without you with me
bored as can be
bored as can be

The Curious Case of UAPs

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

There is a lingering mystery in the air when it comes to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. I find it astonishing that we honestly have no idea what the fuck is going on with UAPs and yet the idea has — to date- gotten zero traction in the public imagination.

Given just a little bit of thought, however, this is kind of bonkers. There are strange, powerful objects zipping around the skies of the globe and we have no idea what they are or where they’re from? Why is no one freaking out about this? It’s all very strange.

The most obvious explanations — that either a state or non-state actor has come up with some very, very advanced technology — doesn’t seem to fit what’s going on. So, there is the third, seemingly impossible option: these UAPs are probes are of non-human origin.

If we accept that the seemingly impossible is, in fact, what’s going on…that really opens a can of worms. And, yet, this idea doesn’t seem to matter to the general population. The idea that ETs are using probes to take regular looky-loos at Humanity should at least give people…pause for thought?

But, no. Nothing. Nobody cares.

It seems as though the only way anyone is going to care is if there is Hard First Contact with little green men landing on the front lawn of the White House. It’s enough to make one believe that if the government did release what it might know about ETs that…no one would care.

Only space nerds would get excited, everyone else would go back to fighting over the culture wars.

Pondering Book 2

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Now that the cornerstone of this six novel project is pretty much laid, I find myself thinking about the other novels in the series — specifically, book two. While I am going to tinker some with the other books when I think of it, book two is now the novel that I find myself really focused on.

All I know about book two is that it takes place in the summer of 1995 and it deals with an abducted baby. I have some other vague ideas about the alliances being very different in the second novel, but pretty much the only concrete thing I have in my mind is the ending. The end of the second book sets up the events of the third novel.

Now, I continue to wonder if I even need to write so many novels in the first place. Whenever I do mull doing this, however, I immediately dig in my heels and am again determined to tell six novels set over the course of 25 years. I just find the idea of giving the audience a macro arc of characters that they can invest in too appealing.

I am well aware of how ambitious six novels are. It has taken me years and years to get where I am with the first novel. The belief is, of course, that by I’ve learned enough about how to write a novel that the other novels will go a lot faster.

What’s more, I have put in a lot — A LOT — of work with the last two novels to the point that when I get around to really focusing on them, they SHOULD go really fast. The key thing I have to worry about is not only how old I am, but what I am going to do about manuscript consultants.

They have consistently proven to think I’m a drunk crank not worthy of their time. And, what’s more, I’m very, very poor these days so…I don’t know. It’s going to be interesting to see how far I can get on my own before I grow desperate enough to risk trying to get a snooty manuscript consultant to help me with the second novel.

‘Good Enough’ #lyrics to a #pop #rock #ballad

Good Enough
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

all I want to be
as you can see
is good enough
to turn your head
maybe get you in bed
is it even possible to
have such a dream

good enough
is all I want to be
good enough is my goal
good enough
good enough
good enough
is all I want to be

feeling frustrated
event as I’m prostrated
you won’t even give me a smile
when you look my way
much to my dismay
all I want to be
is good enough

good enough
is all I want to be
good enough is my goal
good enough
good enough
good enough
is all I want to be

(bridge)
one day I’ll hold you in my arms
or maybe that’s just a dream
maybe something in between
when we lay together
you’ll be all atwitter
but that’s just me letting off steam

good enough
is all I want to be
good enough is my goal
good enough
good enough
good enough
is all I want to be

‘Ghost In The Machine’ — #lyrics to a #pop #rock song

Ghost In The Machine
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

humans have a warmth
no machine can match
we have a soul
shine brighter than the sun
with a warmth that can match
no machine can replace that

and yet here we are
with machines about to take over
ending our love with the truth
replacing it with ones and zeros

so don’t let the machines rule
don’t let the ghost in the machine
rule the roost
whatever you do fight the
ghost in the machine
ghost in the machine
ghost in the machine
until the end

it’s a strange time indeed
when machines call the shots
ruining everything in their path
with their hackish love for the bland
only a human can tell of love and its loss

and yet here we are
with machines about to take over
ending our love with the truth
replacing it with ones and zeros

so don’t let the machines rule
don’t let the ghost in the machine
rule the roost
whatever you do fight the
ghost in the machine
ghost in the machine
ghost in the machine
until the end

(bridge)
but it’s cheap as can be
to end the rule of humanity
so here we are at the end of history
worried that the age of humans is over
replaced with digits that are so bland
that we are all quite sad

and yet here we are
with machines about to take over
ending our love with the truth
replacing it with ones and zeros

so don’t let the machines rule
don’t let the ghost in the machine
rule the roost
whatever you do fight the
ghost in the machine
ghost in the machine
ghost in the machine
until the end

‘Sharp As Teeth’ #lyrics to a #pop #rock #ballad

Sharp As Teeth
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

you glance tears into me
like you’re eating my heart
out of my chest
once things were different
and there was peace in the land
between you and me
that was the plan
then things changed
and here we are
with you

tearing into me
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth

who am I to complain
when there’s bad blood in the main
between you and me I’m afraid
the red wine you’re drinking
gets me to thinking of
how you eat my heart out
and the blood spews out
’cause you’re

tearing into me
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth

(bridge)
maybe I fret too much
and we’ll make up
the water of tears of joy
will flow and was away the blood
but I’m afraid of what is next
will you tear into me again
sharp as teeth

tearing into me
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth
sharp as teeth

‘Can’t Stop Drinking About You’ #lyrics to a #pop #rock #ballad

Can’t Stop Drinking About You
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

there are two things
driving me crazy
booze and women every day
day in and day out
give me pause for thought
I’m afraid
’cause I just wanna get laid
but booze is my friend
while you are out of my reach

I just can’t
stop drinking about you
drinking about you
drinking about you
no matter how hard I try
think I’m going to die

people tell me to give up
that you’re too good for me
a drunkard and a crank
but I see your legs in that dress
and I must confess I’m distressed
thoughts of the mess we would make
if you would give me a date

I just can’t
stop drinking about you
drinking about you
drinking about you
no matter how hard I try
think I’m going to die

(bridge)
I sober up
and I know
that our love is a no-go
but that doesn’t stop me
oh no
from hoping one day
we’ll hop in bed
and live in sin

I just can’t
stop drinking about you
drinking about you
drinking about you
no matter how hard I try
think I’m going to die