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This Is What You Get

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This song is pretty much what I would call "fluff." This is not intended as a derogatory characterization and, indeed, the song turns out to have some redeeming qualities. But the intention was primarily to write a song in a particular genre, with the following attributes: first, after having recently recorded too many slow ballads, I wanted to write something more up-tempo; second, I wanted to write quickly, since I'm concerned that my series of "covers" (songs written by others), which I record chronologically, alternating with original material, will never reach the present day, let alone the twenty-first century (at this point, having started with 1963's Surfer Girl, I'm only up to 1971, leaving me with 47 years of covers to cover). So once I got the basic idea for the song, the lyrics pretty much wrote themselves: there is no painful search here for the perfect expression of some profound or deeply held thought.

This Is What You Get
Words and music © 2018 Jonathan Ochshorn

Verse 1. I'm not gonna tell you what to do or how to live
Who to vote for, sink or float for or how much to give
When to eat out how much to pay in cash
What exactly and how compactly to recycle your trash

Verse 2. I'm not gonna worry if the sun is going to shine
What to carry who to marry when to cross the line
When to fight on and how to live in peace
How it feels when the squeaky wheels still don't get the grease

Chorus. This is what you get for all your trouble
This is what you get for all you've done
Maybe you're upset cause you worked double
While all of those slackers have all the fun

Verse 3. I'm not gonna tell you what it's good for in the end
When to boast who to host or who to make your friend
When to go out when to stay inside
Who to talk to where to walk through and when to run and hide

Chorus. This is what you get for all your trouble
This is what you get for all you've done
Maybe you're upset cause you worked double
While all of those slackers have all the fun

[Instrumental break]

Chorus. This is what you get for all your trouble
This is what you get for all you've done
Maybe you're upset cause you worked double
While all of those slackers have all the fun

Verse 4. I'm not gonna ask you what was lost without a trace
Who you're claiming what you're blaming on the human race
Who do you like and who will you betray
What to look for who to cook for when they've all gone away

Chorus. This is what you get for all your trouble
This is what you get for all you've done
Maybe you're upset cause you worked double
While all of those slackers have all the fun

Chorus. This is what you get for all your trouble
This is what you get for all you've done
Maybe you're upset cause you worked double
While all of those slackers have all the fun

Some notes on the video:
I made the video by mounting my refurbished iPod Touch (using its video camera in selfie mode) on a tripod and taping the lyrics (printed with 24 point font) on the back wall of the room so that I could read them as I lip-synced. Yes, I suppose I could have just memorized the words, but this song (see above) was meant to be written and recorded quickly: it's possible that I may never actually learn the words. The video was edited using my new Final Cut Pro software, which I'm still learning to use; hence, no motion key-frame effects or any other fancy maneuvers.

studio set-up with lyrics on wall

Refurbished iPod camera is mounted on a tripod; lyrics are taped to the back wall

recycling of lyrics after use

Once the video recording was complete, the lyrics sheets were properly recycled.


Production notes:
Music arranged and produced by J. Ochshorn
Recorded with Logic Pro X software
Vocals: J. Ochshorn
Real instruments: J. Ochshorn (electric guitar)
Software instruments played live on midi keyboard: J. Ochshorn (drums, bass, piano, electric piano, trumpet, strings)
Recorded at home in Ithaca, NY, June 2018.