Songs: Let's Network

notes / gigs / releases

Alan was an astronaut
He went where no-one's been before
He charted outer space

He saw things man's not mean to see
Met people who weren't human beings
An ambassador for the human race

But Alan had to face it
Too long spent within a space ship
Can become a little dull

Aliens get kind of same-y
You can have too much space ladies
Asking the meaning of love
This strange emotion

Meanwhile back on Planet Earth
His brother Robin went to work
With a smile on his face
He also worked in space, of sorts
He filled containers up at ports
And sent them on their way

But unlike his little brother
He knew lots and lots of other
Shippers working at the docks
It can make a lot of difference
He told Alan, just to mingle
With people with the same job

Let's network
Let's cross-pollinate
Let's meet at conferences
Let's network
Let's collaborate
And spread best practices

Alan took these words to heart
And signed up for a seminar
Maximising Time In Time And Space

Later at the drinks reception
With delegates from the next dimension
He got into a heated debate

They said love was just a myth
Such emotions don't exist
It's just a silly human word

Alan's experience was useful
In demonstrating love is truthful
By the morning the concurred
Let's have the next conference on Earth!

Let's network
Let's cross-pollinate
Let's meet at conferences
Let's network
Let's collaborate
And spread best practices

Sadly for the human race
They told the universe
Every creature from the whole of space
Descended on earth

They wanted love, but luckily enough
It turns out that the alien translation
For love's the universal need
For storage that is stacked at speed
And efficient transportation

Now Robin is the King of the World

Let's network
Let's cross-pollinate
Let's meet at conferences
Let's network
Let's collaborate
And spread best practices

Published by Wipe Out Music Publishing

One of the best things about doing FAWM, i reckon, is setting yourself TASKS, so as to try and make all the songs a bit difference. This time I thought "Why don't i write a song like an old VOON song?"

Voon was my first "proper" band, where I played Bass, and tended to have relatively straight forward structures, usually four chords in sequence for the verse and the same for the chorus. We had one song called "She's A Spaceman" which ended up being very influential for this one, and which has similar-ish chords too.

The funny thing about this, though, was what happened as I worked out the story. As usual I started from the start with the verses about Alan, not sure of what the song was going to be about. His brother Robin turned up and I thought I'd make him work in Packing Containers, as that's what The Stock In My Warehouse used to do at the start of her glittering career, and it's something she's still interested in.

I was quite surprised to find the recomendation to Network popping up - we've been discussing this at home lately, as I work (and have always worked, pretty much) as the only person in a department doing what I do, and it can get pretty boring with nobody to talk to. Obviously my subconscious thinks I should do something about it! This idea started to take over, which is why Alan ended up going to a conference. My conscious mind fought back, intending the whole song to end with Alan inadvertently inviting the aliens back to Earth. "They could come in search of LOVE!" i realised, and suddenly the GAG right at the start made it all come together.

At this point Robin was uninvolved... until that last verse suddenly appeared and tied everything together rather neatly. I was surprised to see how it all worked out, but dead pleased it had a happy ending!