FAWM: "Omnishambles"

Omnishambles

2025 by @paul_pedersen · @stephenwordsmith

Liner Notes

Paul: Stephen has written a new-world Jabberwocky and I just had to try sing along with his inspiration. In my mind, I heard it as being performed fast, so that's the approach I took. Because the words flowed so rapidly, I had to record each phrase separately then edit them together or else I'd run out of breath. It was fun to do the song, but I could never perform it at an open mic!

Musically, it's simple. Just four chords, C Dm F and G. Try to sing along! I dare you!

Stephen: This is one of the rare instances where I started with the rhyming dictionary and worked backwards. Seems to have been the right decision.

Lyrics

Salad words without preambles Edgeless raves and endless Rambles Worry not! This Gordian knot Will straighten out ere long! Chaos wagers law and Gambles Fate on Warhol's can of Campbell's Amble on, dear omnishambles Omnishamble on

Skip a reel of Skimble-skambles Can't see wood or trees for brambles Walk the maze for days and days The path grows ever long Tangled webs like thongs of sandals Roads ahead all razed by vandals Amble on, dear omnishambles Omnishamble on

Oh The work of humankind together bless To build upon this ever bigger mess

Weft with weeds that bind and strangle Weave with words that newly fangle Trust, don't judge, this clusterfudge The system's never wrong Stroke the hair with sword that dangles It's our lot from every angle Amble on, dear omnishambles Omnishamble on

Comments

@tcelliott 2025

I love this melody and vocal delivery. But it's those lovely rhymes that brings it all home for me. This is excellent.

@russkeys 2025

This is a fun jumble of images and wordages. I like the way you have each part of the verse trying to out do the previous part. Gives it the appropriate amount of omnishamble.

@jem 2025

Hi Paul- what a fun take on a wonderful stew of lyrics! I'm wondering if it would be ok with you if i also took a crack at a different type of melody for it? If ok with you and Stephen i'd like to try on a coat for a different season. LMK. thanks! Jane

@janeg 2025

Awesome singalong with brilliant rhymes. Relief from having to think about meanings and issues to just enjoy.

@headfirstonlyMod 2025

Couldn't resist giving this a listen. The title is one of my favourite words, although I wish it wasn't quite so appropriate for the times in which we live...

Stephen's lyrics capture the zeitgeist so well and the delivery, with the occasional hint of desperation creeping in at the end of each stanza, is brilliantly judged. Everything's all going to hell, but for the moment at least, it seems I can still smile.

@pumpkinhead 2025

Such a great flow, I almost lost my breath.

@oatsg 2025

Lovely word salad! A jaunty little ditty and superbly delivered… simple and catchy…

@gwenthered 2025

Oh man! This is so much fun! I love that rhythm. It's catchy, it's fun, it's clever, and it makes me wanna sing along with it. Hell yeah!

@sheslin 2025

This is a toe tapper and a tongue twister! I am glad I just have to toe tap and listen. Somehow the words totally flow and your tongue did not get twisted. The lyrics are adorable and so entertaining, and your musical treatment just elevated it to enchanting to my ears. I am on my second listen it is so fun to listen to! So interesting how Stephen created the lyrics - you really are a wordsmith! Great collab guys.

@vonnieknows 2025

I'm not sure how you do it but you had me gripped throughout. So many words and twists yet not a beat missed. Mega extra love for that guitar note at the beginning leading in. Still trying to process 😅

@jerrypettit 2025

Yeah, that IS a lot of words--I lost my breath just listening! 😉

Very nice collaboration--terrific lyrics and wonderful vocal over it! ❤️

@pippa 2025

Oh, I want repeats! repeats of the chorus at least five times each so the whole pub can sing along! This is lovely, and such a fitting picture of where we are in the world right now. Great words and great presentation, I like how the words seem to overflow themselves, cutting in on the previous phrase, because of all the tangles and shambles. Lovely!

@beacon 2025

Great job. This basically envelopes what we are all thinking. Great writing and great musical setting.

@gwynjones 2025

What to say? Brilliant wordplay and to sing it so well...kudos to both of you!

@nigelthomas 2025

What a fever dream! I felt like I was on a carousel in a zombie movie. Loved it, needless to say.

@sheamiejay 2025

This is a lot of fun. The melody shambles on with the weaving of the words. Zoom in, zoom out, or just zoom.

@metalfoot 2025

I can not think of a better musical setting for this lyric. Nailed it.

@scubed 2025

This is so great! Paul, that peppy delivery is perfect for highlighting Stephen's delightful and rhythmic rhymes. Stephen, I'm retired now, but in a former life I, too, was a public servant tasked with cleaning up the mess left by politicians - the kind who took delight in denigrating government workers and cutting staff while demanding ever more of those of us still on the job.

@stephenwordsmith 2025

I must say, I wasn't expecting something quite this jaunty, but it's marvelous. Also: amazing what can be said in 68 seconds, isn't it?

It's also very relatable - right now I'm a civil servant working under an austerity government that has gutted the public sector like a fish, and left the few who remain with some big messes to clean up - every day is a chance to meet the pile with a smile on one's face and a song in one's heart.

@gm7 2025

Well done Paul, so trendy and relatable !

@ductapeguyMod 2025

Clusterfudge indeed. Ha.

@edwinb 2025

These are wonderful lyrics and when I saw them I was hoping that there'd be something a bit like this when they were set to music. Yes, I think they do need to come at a fair rate but you would need to take a very deep breath to do it live!