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Rockstars and Stripes

from Ink Splattered Dreams by Don Royal

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about

From what I remember I made this beat and wrote the lyrics in one sitting during W's administration. I make too many comparisons in this song to sum up quickly. "Rockstars & Stripes" takes celebrity on all levels from local to international and juxtaposes it with domestic and foreign policy.

The first verse speaks to how we at times as Americans look at ourselves and see the reality dreaming big and making it without ignoring the nightmares around us and the facts of our history.

The second verse speaks to the fire and passions of freedom while admitting we fall into cycles with that freedom that at time we cannot find a way out of.

The third verse deals with what we do to succeed or achieve fame. Some fall on the way, others fall after the summit, and some stay above the clouds forever.

The song was finished but the intro was long. I was looking for meaning ways to fill it without taking away from it when I heard Terry Gross interviewing Jay Z on NPR's The Fresh Air. When he switches the story suddenly from rap to rock to answer a question and halfway through said "rock star," I knew it was the perfect set up for the song. I will have a link to the interview below.

Also, thanks to Aaron Rice from Aaron & The Sea for adding guitars on top of the guitars I already had on the song, and for him encouraging me to sing the ending. Initially I had wanted him to sing the ending and had only recorded my voice to give him an example. The guitars he added really drive the hooks and ending, and make the song about 10x better.

Jay Z Interview: www.npr.org/2010/11/15/131334322/the-fresh-air-interview-jay-z-decoded

Aaron & The Sea: aaronandthesea.bandcamp.com

lyrics

(hook)
those arent stars
those are crack rocks
those are rock stars
13 stripes

those arent bars
those are crack spots
were we fall through the cracks
3 strikes

america dreamin
america the machine and
america regimin
america and our demons

(v.1)
if we behind bars
are behind the bars
we might turn right and point out the stars

as to say i am an emcee
i am american
i am what you see

surrounded by stars
surrounded by gleam
compounded by dreams

multiplied im free
astounded by the chain link we to regimes

divided by parts
im bipartisan and partial to cream

thats milk thats honey
the land i stand on i stand for indeed

but i got no deeds
and until i get that i aint dont get no sleep

contradicting themes
plymouth rock landed right on the streets

if we push it it'll roll
but what lies beneath is stuck between

a rock a hard place
justice for all and false case

america the beautiful as usual
until miss liberty tripped and gotta scared face

innocent until proven guilty
you can get free but not free of charge
rockstar

(hook)

(v.2)
fire under the spoon
same fire under the flag
same fire igniting gas
got us burnin our cash

fly us at half mast
and times are still hard enough to fuck the past

history recast
every four years the role is up for grabs

leader of the free world
where the worlds collide knee deep in the swirl

twirled around in the whirl pool
global economic down turns and we close schools

and then they wonder why we act fool
you do whatcha gotta do when you lack food

if the president gets a caddy
he's stuntin on'em hard
so daddy i wanna lac too

but it hard to bite at that candy
when you is broke as levy
and all you got is a cracked tooth

(hook)

(v.3)
the cameras flash for the stars so hard
they fall like rocks if they fall apart
and the red white and blue on top of cop cars
flash the same way for local rockstars
we loco we lost
cant fly’em outa flood but fly a man to mars
we artist we starve
until we break through and we become stars
and the fans pledge allegiance
we liberatem and free'em
use industry to feed'em
like how bush dropped bombs just to spread freedom
and its all ideals
push faith or push government thats ill
and its all in a deal
so you can deal with it fly high and chill
rockstar

(bridge)
they say them rockstars got some nerve
sittin servin off that curb
red white and blue its all a blur
america the gift and curse
rockstars
they say them rockstars got some nerve
the videos are so disturbed
hypnotize and hook you first
sex drugs rockstars and stripes immerse

credits

from Ink Splattered Dreams, released February 15, 2011
Written By: Don Royal
Produced By: Don Royal
Additional Guitars By: Aaron Rice of Aaron & The Sea
Mixed & Mastered By: Dove of Tiger Tiger Productions

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Don Royal St Paul, Minnesota

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