Hands Up

Robert James

I spent some time last night (August 13, 2014) following the situation in Ferguson, MO on twitter. The pictures and descriptions were… alarming. When I woke up this morning I immediately wrote two songs that were inspired by what I saw.

The disclaimer, of course, is that I don’t know how much of what I saw last night was accurate. I’m inclined to believe the first hand accounts of rubber bullets, tear gas, and flash grenades that were shared by the protesters, and press members. Well, the press members who weren’t denied access or arrested.

It certainly feels like the Rodney King riots, and what I’ve heard of Kent State. Again, I’m not there. I’m not involved. But it sure seems to me like the police are entirely out of line in every aspect of this situation. To the protesters, stop looting you fools. Respect your neighbors. To the cops. Last time I checked you were police, as in protect and serve, not infantry troops. Put the damn machine guns and armored vehicles away. It disgusts me to see this happening in the United States in 2014. Just when you think we should be getting a handle on things something like this happens and spanks our naive asses back to reality.

Anyway, the music is a 24 bar blues. That’s a 12 bar blues with each chord length doubled. Clever, eh? (no) I set the tempo as slow as I could stand it. I originally wanted it even slower.

The guitars are all Stratocaster again.

put up your hands, come quietly
surrender now, play nicely
do what they say, precisely
you’ll be okay, unlikely
ready take aim
put up your hands, come quietly

put up your hands, come quietly
It’s civilized society
just when you think, that we’ve moved on
Something like this, proves you wrong
Ready, take aim
put up your hands, come quietly