FAWM: "The Golden Rule"

The Golden Rule

3 weeks ago by @dmelbygibbons · @briansmith · @wynia · @bearwith

The Golden Rule

dmelbygibbons +3

00:00

Liner Notes

This started as a protest song, and still is, but also morphed into more of a reflective pause with a “Sunday School” Ska send off.

If you’ve got it in you, stay tuned ‘til the ending of the song! The song transforms from a pretty solidly 90's vibe into something a bit different than it is at the start…

This song came to life with @bearwith Sarah Wynia-Smith @wynia lends her vocals, harmonizing, trumpet and keyboard prowess to the tune! Brian "the alchemist' Smith @briansmith worked tirelessly as recording and mixing engineer, producer, and virtual drum programmer, while also playing bass...all while scheming up and performing the face-melting electric guitar solo that appears throughout. David Melby-Gibbons wrote the lyrics and music, sings and plays the acoustic guitar.

I started writing this song in reaction and in shocked, grieving and furious response to the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by Federal Agents. As an artist and person, I feel a desire to both yell and swear and try to speak life, speak peace, speak hope, and hopefully sing a moral reminder of conscience to the Trump administration, ice agents, to folks who might be supporting ice, and to everyday people--to all of us who are trying to and learning to respect our neighbors and take care of our families.

#ska #90s #trumpet #protest

Lyrics

The Golden Rule

Intro: Am G C F Am G C F Dm F C

Verse 1: Am G C F Stop hurting your own people Am G C F Dm F C Start helping out a little bit more, walk through the door Am G C F Why have you been acting cruel Am G C F Dm We’re supposed to do unto others as we’d have them do F C It’s The Golden Rule

Chorus A

D E Am G F This is what we’re made for, I know it’s true! D E Am G F The only thing I know for sure! You need me, and I need you!

Mini Instrumental: Am G C x2

Verse 2:

Am G C F Give your precious self to the innocent Am G C F Dm Your abuse is sad, it’s cheap and cruel F C Dm F C Dm F Don’t be a fool. Maybe we should go back to school. And learn the Golden Rule.

Instrumental: Am G C F Am G C F Dm F C

Chorus B D E Am G F ‘Cause this is what we’re made for, it’s a royal path we choose D E Am G F (F…) And we desire more than fool’s gold! Hold on to what is true!...

Bridge: Am G C F What if…all were welcome in this place, and we held each one with grace? Am G And all are encouraged to come right in C F Where the only rule is, we are friends Am G C F And all are welcome in this place, where everyone holds a precious face Am G C F So be encouraged, walk right in, where the only thing is to begin

Chorus C (SLOW) D E Am G F And this is what we’re made for, I know it’s true! D E Am G F The only thing I know for sure! You need me, and I need you! Am G C It’s the gold- - - en rule

Outro: Am G F C It’s the macro, and the micro, it’s the you and it’s the little old me Am G F C It’s the macro, and the micro, if it’s helpful for you, it helps me Am G F C It’s the macro, and the micro, it’s the you and it’s the little old me Am G F G C It’s the macro, and the micro, it’s the only way we can be free

Lyrics and Music by David Melby-Gibbons

Comments

@jmahaffey 3d

A nice blend of different sounds. The end was worth sticking around for. We'll done!

@tamsnumber4 6d

Really like the write of the bridge and the slow down. I love the production and the trumpet. Great change ups in the song and vocals, really enjoyed this collab!

@wynia 5d

Thanks so much for stopping by and the compliment on my trumpeting! We enjoyed working this song up with all its varied parts :)

@troubadette 1w

Now THIS is a collab! You all bring so much awesome to the table and it combines to make something really special. LOVE the ska moment at the end. Vocals sound gorgeous together, the trumpet and guitar are both top tier, and a beautiful message overall.

What if…all were welcome in this place, and we held each one with grace?

Yeah, that's the world I want to live in. Thanks for doing your part to help build it.

@wynia 1w

Thank you so much for listening and for pointing out a few of the moments that we also all love! I appreciate your co-signing the lyric there too...wouldn't the world just be a better place if we all followed the basic, basic, basic golden rule?!

@tjeff 1w

The harmonies are very cool - 2 strong voices. One of my favorite bands is The Decemberists, and this has a very similar sound - I really like it! Cool trumpet line and played well too. Great message in the lyric that I relate to.

@wynia 1w

Awe thanks for your kind words! Love the Decemberists, so that is very flattering to get that comparison...as well as the callout on my trumpet playing :)

@gm7 1w

Back for more tasty brass sounds. Now this is stellar line-up, Great on so many levels. This FAWM at it's core...well done

@wynia 1w

Haha you can always hit up my page for brass... I play a horn on allllmost everything that's there :) Thanks for your kind words!

@butterfly1938 1w

The two vocals work well together, especially in the verse patterns. . I enjoyed the trumpet that signal the end of the chorus and introduce the new sections. The more relaxed section with quieter instrumentation is a cool change of direction.

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening and for calling out the various aspects of our orchestration here; we worked hard to make it effective to make the lyrics shine :)

@newukenewyork 1w

This is a solid song and a great collab! I love hearing a trumpet in there. "Give your precious self to the innocent" is a favorite lyrical line. Terrific bridge transition and slowdown. I really dig the outro, too, from soup to nuts (lyrics and melody and arrangement). Great work, everyone!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for stopping by...I can't help but add trumpet to almost everything! We appreciate your kind words on the various aspects; we worked hard to weave all of this together into something cohesive and still hopefully powerful!

@randomparade 1w

Really well done. The lyrics are fantastic. And the 90s throwback outro is great. The "Royal Path" and "Fools Gold" imagery in Chorus B is clever. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

@wynia 1w

Thanks so much for stopping by and listening. We were all coming of age in the 90s so it was really fun to weave those influences in on this track. @dmelbygibbons knocked it out of the park with his lyrics indeed :)

@raspberry33 2w

We need more of this attitude - and not just FAWMers! Great production (love the trumpet!) vocals, and message. Glad to see others out there shocked and disgusted by what's happening to the land we love.

@wynia 1w

Thanks for stopping by and listening and your kind comments on all the aspects of our song. We all need to be creating these kinds of protest songs and art - getting the message out there!

@timethier 2w

I fully agree with the sentiment here, and it's delivered in such a nice pretty package!! Great writing and performances (I always dig me some trumpet). The ska part at the end could have gone on for another two minutes as far as I'm concerned!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening and for your compliments, warms my trumpet playing heart! Same goes for the ska...it's never long enough for me as my whole youth was spent listening to all the ska and punk lol!

@disarming 2w

Ok. I think this song is my new anthem! I love these lyrics (and the accompanying groove) so so much! One of my very favorite songs on fawm this year!

@wynia 1w

Just catching up on comments here...thanks much for the kind compliments about all of it!! Floored that it is one of your faves :)

@billwhite51 2w

i am imagining some crosby stills nash and young harmonies on this. i really love the trumpet parts.

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for listening and pointing out my trumpeting - that gives me warm fuzzies :)

@stevenwesleyguiles 2w

I LOVE how the bgv travels and returns in the chorus. It's really perfect.

Also, here's a song we need RIGHT NOW. Kind of like if Cake made a protest song. The trumpet parts are also so perfecto!

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for the compliments, particularly on the trumpet, we were aiming for that kinda 90s sound so the comparison to Cake warms my heart!!

@mattwdunn 2w

That trumpet is the star for me. The song is great melodically but the trumpet adds a mournfulness which just hits me somewhere in the feels. Love that lead guitar running through the chorus. Really opens it up. That change up for the outro is genius. Such a well written song. Awesome stuff

@wynia 1w

Awe this trumpet player has gotten warm fuzzies, thank you for being so kind specifically about my playing but also about the whole arrangement. We all felt so strongly about the subject matter that the various elements just fell into place :)

@kkd 2w

I love the outro! The message is so perfect. The harmonies are excellent and really ehlp bring the message to us. I hope more people hear this message!

@wynia 1w

Thanks so much for listening, I'm glad it resonated with you! I think we all truly do hope more people wake up and start being nicer to each other; it's really quite a basic truth...

@seanh 2w

this is great. the wandering bass is especially fun. smart arrangement and mix.

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for the compliment and the listen :)

@kinnycloud 2w

the trumpetttt yesss i love hearing brass instruments 🎺 the vocal harmonies are so nice and i especially like the bridge and outro!! overall band sound is such a vibe. the lyrics are wholesome - and so important. y’all did such a great job 🥰!!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening and this trumpet player's heart is very warmed by your kind call-out! We really enjoyed putting this together, and I'm glad it has resonated with you as well!

@rockstarsmd 2w

That's a killer track! Love the vibe and the lesson taught within... the trumpet is righteous, as well. Keep up the good work!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for stopping by and for your super kind words! We all have to keep doing the work with our music and art!

@gregscheer 2w

What a vibe! Super song and production. Reminds me a little of Half-Handed Cloud–just quirky enough that it doesn't sound preachy or heavy-handed.

@wynia 1w

Thanks Greg for the listen and compliments! I'll have to listen to Half-Handed Cloud now... Well, after FAWM anyway...

@mikeb 2w

Great lyrics, I like the 'band' sound overall, with the trumpet accents and tag lines, very cool! And the outro is a great change-up!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening and noting some of our favorite elements!

@alyxanderjames 2w

Oh this is lovely! The lyrics are really solid, and the arrangement supports them beautifully. Gratitude from Minneapolis 💜

@wynia 1w

Awe you're in Minneapolis, huge hugs. One of my brothers lives there and it just breaks my heart to hear what he tells me. Glad you found beauty in this song

@bergie 2w

One of my favorites I’ve heard on here so far!! Love the message, love the arrangement, love the ska! Lotsa love from your Chicago neighbor ❤️🕴️🎺

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for listening, Midwest neighbor! It's such an honor that it's among your favorites!

@n1742 2w

Really beautiful song and arrangement. Don’t hear enough trumpet or cornet in these kinds of settings. Kind of what I was trying to convey in my own song but done so well. Great. Thanks.

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening! As the trumpet player, your words are music to my ears :)

@arkka 2w

Well written, and the arrangement is nice. Trumpet is such an expressive instrument and fits this well. The lush lead guitar is a nice touch as well. The outro sums it all up nicely. Sounds great!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening and your compliments on the soundscape!

@williamjames 2w

That outro really caught me of guard, a very nice touch. This is wonderful all around. Poignant and topical lyrics very well performed. The horns give a nice theme to compliment the whole. No notes. A powerful song.

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening and for your compliments! It's sometimes the songs you feel the strongest emotional pull with that come together the fastest and with the best orchestration. I think this is no exception from our point of view!

@elainedimasi 2w

Solid! I especially perked up at the D, E, Am sequence in the choruses. Love the way the hook line slots in. "where everyone holds a precious face" is a lovely moment in the bridge. Horn chops elevate the outro!

As for the sentiment, word up.

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for listening and your kind words :). When I'd first heard what @dmelbygibbons wrote on the chorus I had the same reaction!

@jessespillane 2w

Love the intro with the horn! Really sets the tone for the song. The jangly guitar definitely gives a 90s vibe. The main vocals are wonderful, but I love the lockstep harmonies on top.

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for listening - we are all folks who came of age in the 90s so those influences are deeply rooted, and we appreciate your kind words about the song :)

@rbachman 2w

The panning on this bassline is freaky. Great mix, overall. Great message, too!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for stopping by and listening and appreciate your compliments :)

@nateger 2w

Loving these biting lyrics! That D to E lift in the chorus is really ear catching. Great collaboration! I love the trumpet and backing vocals. Lots of fun elements in this

@wynia 1w

Thanks for stopping by and listening and I'm glad the various elements in the orchestration found your ear. We really enjoyed putting it all together!

@heyitsamber 2w

This is beautiful and so well-done. I've typed out and erased a few other praises because don't want to sound ingenuine, but honestly-- the lyrics/message are spot on, and that trumpet just shines. Entire thing is spot-on.

@wynia 1w

Awe what a nice sentiment! I really appreciate how this resonated with you and that you took the time out of your day to listen :)

@deena 3w

I love everything about this - the trumpet melody, the vocals/harmony and the message. It's so true. Beautiful overall production, too!

@wynia 1w

Thanks so much for listening and for your compliments on all the elements :)

@beren 3w

Damn every part of this is so damn nice. Love the pace, structure, lyrics, dynamics, the parts are unique but work so well together. Love that guitar distortion, and the trumpet breaks are chefs kiss. No notes. Nice work @bearwith! i listened to the song before reading the liner notes. I feel like I flit between despair and rage and not much else these days. Thanks for this beautiful song and message.

@wynia 1w

Awe thanks so much for your kind words! We are happy with what we produced here but it just sucks at the very real and hard reasons such as song needed to be written!

@jacobwakeup 3w

Came for the #ska and stayed for the politics. Shout out to the product of a fruitful collaboration.

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for listening, glad you enjoyed all of it, and it warms my ska-loving heart to hear that part specifically called out :)

@bunga 3w

A really fun collaboration!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening!

@carleybaer 3w

What a fun vibe, it definitely takes me back to the 90s. Ooo I love the ending! I don’t get enough ska in my life anymore and this really scratched the itch. Nice work everyone!

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening! As you know we all came of age in the 90s so those influences are hard wired! See also: ska influences :)

@bethdesombre 3w

Love the production here! And, of course, the sentiment. Love the first few lines and how they lyrics fall. Love the musical fall on "I know it's true."

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for listening and your compliments :)

@brisk 3w

This has a really sinuous chord sequence in the verse with a weird weave that's great. The melody makes the most of it, and the doubling with the high and low voice is great. Words good too! All round fun, great song. Love the trumpet hook bit. Bridge is a nice change of pace and mood - perfect choice. Very pretty too... aha, and then the slow chorus, another interesting choice, and its great... aaand the outro's great too - playful, catchy and heartfelt.

@wynia 1w

Thanks so much for listening and pointing out the elements we put together, we are so happy with how it all came together and we are glad it's resonating with others as well! I wasn't sure about the weirdness of the verse melody at first, but once we harmonized it, I was like "well this is locked in!"

@lcad 3w

Amazing collab! All of it, the vocals, trumpet, bass, synth, guitar -- everything is giving! Great message, playful but honest. Love that vamp!

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for listening and for your kind compliments on our mix!

@nwhosings 3w

Oooo, dig this vibe! Seventies folk rock (to my ear). Love the trumpet in the interludes.

@wynia 1w

Thanks so much for listening - people often hear the retro influences on @bearwith and we are glad that people pick up on that :) Thanks for the compliment on my trumpet as well!

@chill4matt 3w

This is incredibly awesome! Great transitions and poignant lyrics. Defiant production!

@wynia 1w

Thanks so much for listening! We love putting things together and can't resist ourselves with big orchestrations :)

@mikeskliar 3w

This is really wonderful-- a great collaborative effort that's inspiring and tuneful and hopeful, which we all need these days! and yeah, what a great coda there at the end!

@wynia 1w

Thanks so much for listening and for your kind words. I do enjoy that shift in mood at the ending as a huge ska fan :)

@andyt13 3w

Nice tune! I will be going to you up for some horns at a future date! ❤️

@wynia 1w

Thanks for listening!

@casijohnson 3w

It's a great way to share the message of living by the Golden Rule!

@wynia 1w

Thanks much for listening - so many things do hit harder in song, including even universal truths like the Golden Rule :)

@aeye 3w

Great job all! Everything about this sounds great. If only we could all follow the golden rule.

@wynia 1w

late to the reply, but thanks for listening, and yes, I agree, the world would be so much better if we all followed the golden rule!

@skylermf 3w

I love this! The outro especially! Great harmonies and lyrics through the whole song

@wynia 1w

A little late replying here, but thanks for listening, and I'm glad you liked the outro! Ska was my jam back in the day so it was great to capture a little bit of that!

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The Golden Rule

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