FAWM: "Red and White Phosphorus"

Red and White Phosphorus

2025 by @freshspotlessyouth

Liner Notes

#indierock #theater #short Red and white phosphorous react in matches to make fire, BTW.

I've been laboring for the better part of a week to do something with the bookend verses that start and end this (matches/knuckles). I originally thought to pitch the idea to a certain someone and let him fill in the blanks. Then I wrote a couple of failed longer songs. Then I thought: maybe 6/8 and way shorter. If you want to have a go at making something bigger, go for it.

Lyrics

Phosphorous Red Phosphorous White Phosphorous

Matches from bars that "have ceased to exist" Is that the active voice? Can something cease…to exist?

Rip out a match Close the cover No, don’t read it Strike the back

You've been feeling so sad Chemistry knows how to act

You can’t strike fire with your knuckles against A handful of snow To strike is to hope You need more

Comments

@mikedebenham 2025

These are wonderful lyrics. That final verse in particular is so dense with meaning. Very evocative performance too. Excellent stuff.

@dotsandlines 2025

I get the sense this is a metaphor, but I can only get myself part of the way there. I'm certainly intrigued.

@guatecoop 2025

Oh man this is quite nice! I love how your voice inflection and annunciation play so well with your guitar. It’s kind of a dance. Great work!

@arcane 2025

Starts like it's going to talk mainly about science, and ends up being quite philosophical. 6/8 is indeed great along with the serious tone that your vocals have. "You need more" kind of sounds heavy; leaves me wondering what more means exactly...

@headfirstonlyMod 2025

Crikey, there's a whole novel's worth of stuff to unpack in this. How on Earth did you fit it into just sixty-five seconds? Astonishing.

@tjeff 2025

I like the sound and vibe of this a lot. Insteresting lyric - I love the ending "to strike is to hope, you need more than that." So true. The quiet repetive "phosphorus" lines are really cool.

@ayais 2025

This is abstract in an appealing way. You've got your chemistry ... and your snow ... and your knuckles ... and bars that don't exist anymore ... and yet it strings together. Don't know how, kinda, but kinda do. I'm going into a studio for a day with my brother-in-law and nephew on Thursday. I'll bring this along to see if it sparks (!) something.

@coolparadisoMod 2025

This has a very different feel, I guess the keys make the difference, it’s only your distinct Vox that I recognised. Still feels like Danny musing though I guess.

@blindkiwi 2025

Love your internal musings mid song, nice metaphors for striking and struggling! Hmm should that be metaphosphors 🤔 Now I'm doing it 😁

@ductapeguyMod 2025

Some great lines here... Matches from bars that have ceased to exist... Chemistry knows how to react...

@analogj 2025

I LOVE this. I love the imagery. And the music goes so well with it. And lyrics, the rhymes. It's smart, too (I love science!). Plays to the higher intellect. And this is different, haunting. Great job!