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An Angry God (Tears of Joy)

from The Heresiarch's Breakfast by DOUG the Eagle

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about

I don't usually do songs of political commentary, and I'm not sure this is one either. I guess it's more an observation that it's relatively easy to get people to do horrific things in the name of a god. And that if he/she finds out, they might not be very pleased about it. Before you ask, I'm not sure which god it is. I didn't really have one in mind.

This was the first song laid down for the album, and it's also one of my two favourites, the other being 'Little Big Cat'. There were a couple of songs on a similar theme I was writing around the same time, so like many good progressive rock songs, I took them and smushed them together into one big song, and fiddled around with the lyrics until it fit properly.

Recording-wise, I'm rather pleased with the way the chorus came out. It was tracked over four tracks on the TASCAM, allowing for three-part harmony plus the guy at the back chanting 'tears of joy'. The harmonies themselves were recorded with the machine running 15% slow so that they sounded sped-up and a little creepy when played back at normal speed. The first chorus was totally improvised and as such the harmonies are quite strange - in the later choruses I used more conventional modes of harmony by going back over and over again until it sounded best... one of the times I could have done with some formal music theory.

I was tempted to go back and redo the first one but I asked around first since I'd probably not be able to get it back how it was originally if I decided it was better. People liked the creepy, odd harmonies so I kept it. This is also one of the few times I've played around with 5ths on the minimoog. I need to do more of that.

The final version contains two edits, one at the start of the last verse, and also one for the last line, which had a bit of noise in the original mix.

lyrics

An Angry God (Tears of Joy)

I gazed down from Heaven on a bright and sunny day
Just to find out what My Faithful do when God has looked away
They decreed a day of rest where none would work and none would play
And they gathered all together on that shining sunny day

And the people stood as one, every woman, man and boy
And they each shed a tear, and the tear was a tear of joy
Tears of joy...

First they slew the ones who dared to speak My holy name
Then they slaughtered all their children since they’d just grow up the same
They beheaded all the men who were in love with other men
Then they piked their heads to warn the others – don’t try that again
Next they took the priests who didn’t worship as they say
And they branded them as heretics
And did their best to drive them all away

And the people stood as one, every woman, man and boy
And they each shed a tear, and the tear was a tear of joy
Tears of joy...

The heresiarch of the northern rise
Is the only one whose words aren’t lies

The heresiarch of the northern hill
Is the only one who does My will


The heresiarch of the northern rise
Is the only one whose words are wise

The heresiarch of the northern hill
Is the only one who does My will

I came down from Heaven
As the moon obscured the sun
Demonstrating My displeasure
At the things that they had done

First I slew the ones who killed
And tortured in My name
And the people prayed and worshipped
As I stood forth to proclaim

Yeah

And the people stood as one
Every woman, man and boy
And they each shed a tear
And the tear was a tear of joy
Tears of joy...


AND I DECREE THAT:
The heresiarch of the northern land
Has assumed control at my command

...and they each shed a tear
And the tear was a tear of joy

credits

from The Heresiarch's Breakfast, released March 5, 2017

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DOUG the Eagle Cwmbran, UK

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