PAVLOVIAN APPLAUSE
by @conuladh
Liner Notes
I think I coined the term Pavlovian Applause as part of humorous exchange with another music. I jotted in a notebook as a prompt to write a song about it. I came to mind today and the (ropey) lyric flowed fasted from pen to paper. I want to upload it fast and made this #acousticonetake without any plan The first chord I hit was D so it has D and related chords. There a rickety structure that I need to work and I think I can make a decent song from this. N.B. This is a piece of fun and normally don't mind people talking...except for recent occasion when some people gathered round a table and appeared to be having a noisy board. I started singing ' if you don't take it down, I'm gonna crank it up' louder and louder until they stopped talking. No hard feelings and we all became friends afterwards. 😀
Lyrics
‘PAVLOVIAN APPLAUSE’ You will forgive me won't you If I don't join in your conversation And if my voice gets louder Advance apologies For any disruption to your heady tete-a-tete And understand, I hope you can That my guitar is much loud than my voice
I'm singing gentle songs of love and life But you can safely assume That if you all don't take it down a notch Then I'll step it up a gear And this rig does 11 and hell I can push it to 12!
You sitting, not listening Talking without a pause And only reward Is Pavlovian applause
Is a weird contradiction Like wearing a blindfold in a gallery And saying how much you love the exhibition I'm not being precious No artistic tantrum But you're out there Seems it's an event we can all take part in.
I'm not singing my soul Doing my job it's that simply stated Don't know what you do for a living But don’t you like it When you work is appreciated?
You sitting, not listening Talking without a pause And only reward Is Pavlovian applause
No applause please Stop clapping - I know you don't mean it
Comments
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2024/42b25bde-c39d-433e-9255-717ac5fccf16.png){kind=avatar}
There will be few people on FAWM who don't get this. There's some very nice guitar work going on here too. Nice one Paddy!
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2025/51af102f-b152-46d2-bdc4-3b26731318e5.png){kind=avatar}
Great concept for a song, and we have all been in the gig where someone just won't SHUT UP even during the quiet moments. 👏👏👏👏👏 Here is a bit of real applause for you, Paddy.
![[FAWM]](/static/img/slothcore.svg)
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2024/e0cb5d99-fae3-4833-a688-0217f210afe9.png){kind=avatar}
![[avatar]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2026/b23894a9-78c3-44e9-8aff-b88e60fd465a.png){kind=avatar}
Recent Discussions
How to contact a FAWMling, or at least keep listening to their songs?
10 comments
Initiating hibernation sequence...
9 comments
A is for ABBA - Fake band edition
1351 comments
Help / Collab Guidelines / Skirmishes / Donate / Terms of Service / Privacy / Copyright / AI Statement
© 2025 FAWM, LLC.
Made with in PGH / PDX / MIA.
All lyrics & song content remain © the fawmers who wrote them. See terms of
service!
Now this is a song that any musician who frequents acoustic sessions can identify with! Some nice riffs in this and I really like the whole idea of "Pavlovian Applause" - it took me a moment then I remembered I've had this feeling plenty of times, being ignored and talked over and then they clap. The cheek! 🤣