FAWM: "People Who Exist On The Same Planet As Me"

People Who Exist On The Same Planet As Me

2 weeks ago by @troubadette

People Who Exist On The Same Planet As Me

troubadette

00:00

Liner Notes

Entirely fictional but still very accurate to what it's like having a conversation with my grandmother, who I love with all of my heart.

#bandinabox #biab #comedy

Lyrics

Grandma called up to let me know the other day Carol Ann Mackenzie’s mum has sadly passed away You know Carol Ann, of course, you went to the same school Her brother Simon broke his tailbone running by the pool

Grandma let me know the funeral date has not been set It’s likely to be late next week, but she can’t confirm yet Carol’s husband is a doctor so it’s hard to work out leave And it’s extra complicated ‘cause you have to factor Steve

Steve is Carol’s oldest son who lives overseas He’s still finding himself, but he’s got several degrees One in architectural design and industry The other one is something about child psychology

And as Grandma wonders if Steve will be travelling so far I try to tell her I don’t know who any of these people are

They’re people who exist on the same planet as me People who exist on the same planet as me

Carol Ann Mackenzie’s mum, as you know, is named Gail And we don’t talk about how she spent the 70s in jail For loud and topless protests, she was really a wild card But now she’s gone, and Carol Ann is taking it quite hard

You and Carol Ann were two or three school years apart You both were in the choir, but her thing was always art She’s always been quite modern, so she kept her maiden name But she doesn’t paint at all these days, which really is a shame

Gail Mackenzie much preferred Carol Ann’s first husband, Scott That’s an open secret, she says it quite a lot Steve is Scott’s, of course, but Gwendolyn looks just like Tim Tim’s the doctor current husband, you remember him

And as Grandma tells me something about Carol’s youngest’s car I try to tell her I don’t know who any of these people are

They’re people who exist on the same planet as me People who exist on the same planet as me

Simon and his wife are coming all the way from Perth With their three children, Micah, Zeke, and Madeline And Simon’s always been a dab hand with technology So it’s likely that Gail's funeral will be streaming online

Grandma says she’ll send me a link I don’t let my frustration show Of course it’s sad this woman is dead But I’m not going to watch the livestream of a funeral of someone I don’t know

She’s just someone who exists on the same planet as me someone who exists on the same planet as me Someone who exists on the same planet as me Who is now dead So technically she exist-ed

Comments

@stephenwordsmith 1w

I read the lyrics to this one a few days ago, and have finally got round to listening to the demo*

I would actually recommend this approach, as it's very enjoyable both in and out of the context of silence. The words paint a rich tapestry of intricately-detailed irrelevance that somehow gets better as the song goes along. An absolute fractal of frivolity. A bayeux tapestry woven with immaterial material.

But then the performance elevates it further. The ad-lib asides transform it into this half-song, half-radio play which is very rewarding. The relationship between singer and grandma becomes quite palpable. The gentle percussion is fun and the tune is catchy indeed. The layered vocals are an unexpected treat. I like your stuff, as a general rule, and I like this more than most.

*I hold you entirely responsible for this, by they way, dragging me into a quiz where I have to answer questions about DJ Khaled in front of a public who you've devoted effort into telling I'm funny. I'm haunted by the melody of Shaboozey's bar song in my sleep, and yet when I wake up I can't recall a sodding note.

@troubadette 1w

I do hope it comes across that I deeply love my grandmother! It's a fictional story but inspired by the time Grandma did actually send me a link to a live stream of a funeral of someone I don't know.

PS: You'll be fine. Go find somewhere quiet, take a deep breath, and yell "ALL I DO IS WIN WIN WIN".

@abudabard12514 2w

This is freaking fantastic. Epic, in fact.

Set me up with Steve, he sounds like a catch

@troubadette 2w

More than happy to set you up with this fictional man who's still finding himself!

@aeye 2w

I love how in between each verse the phone conversation continued. But I also absolutely was chuckling at how the explanation of things moved so far away from the origin of the story. This is exactly like talking to my parents or in-laws lol.

@edwinb 2w

This sounds very much like a conversation with anyone's grandma. My mum is heading that way too... I'm smiling all the way through this, and I like that title summarising the one thing you have in common with all these people. The spoken interjections are great :).

@gardeningangel 2w

Grandma is spilling so much tea I'm drowning 🤣

@wobyen 2w

The most relatable song on this website 😂

@tawny249 2w

Cackled. Legit. I have a few family members like this. And while there's value in showing interest in your family member's social life....there's also a point where it stops meaning anything whatsoever. You have illuminated that point with a giant shiny spotlight full of poppy harmonies and delightful details. So catchy. So real.

@laurenoxford 2w

oh my lord 😂 EVERYONE unfortunately knows someone like this. what a brilliant little song that perfectly encapsulates this specific kind of suffering 😜

@debs 2w

Oh gosh have I been on the receiving end of this. I am not often this patient or engaged. But I suppose it’s like infodumping in a way so I maybe should be more interested. Anyway, is brilliant!

@ayeahmur 2w

Such a sweet song from a beautifully human interaction. Very cool, upbeat melody and I love the little on-the-phone interjections. Your songs really make me smile, so thank you for that.

@russiasaturn 2w

Oh I love this! It makes me think of my own grandmother. So many stories they want to share and have someone listen!

@russkeys 2w

Such a happy response to a dismal phone call. Well written and sung! It was interesting having the band so distant as if it was coming across in grandma's background.

@tamsnumber4 2w

Wow, what a write and I have had phone calls like this. I love the phone call with the talking and vocals, so cleverly done. I think this was a wonderful idea!