The brooding feeling of this song works perfectly with the lyrics and that chorus is brilliant. "Oh heaven help me…go" is a masterful line to open a song with, you had me immediately.

you firestarter you. great flow, catchy chorus, love the violence, some passive agressive thing going on that I can't quite place, but on the whole quite an engaging conflatuation of fire and speech... could there be more to 'strike' than meets the eye?

Hey, neat, there's those matches from the other song getting some action! "Strike" becomes an onomatopoeia how you say it, and it's very satisfying. So is "around-the-Cape locutions". (Also, do I see a Depeche Mode reference?)

Killer chorus (even if I don't fully understand it!) But throughout my life many of my favorite songs left me puzzled. This one also leaves me pleasantly puzzled! Melodically that chorus is sing-along perfect (and I sung along as if I knew what it meant!) This here,

I spent much of my life speaking English as a second language Though it was the only one I knew

is just brilliant! I also love your vocals especially when layered like near the end! I very much enjoyed my listen!!!

I am really and truly laughing “the only one I knew” It’s just such a lovely description of that feeling of trying to find your way through the world as a reading child. (And there’s another layer for me now after spending a week with a relative who has lost track of lots of his memory but loves to read signs and captions on photos. This feels like a bit of a glimpse into his meaning making machine.)

This is my favourite kind of song. It's not really any genre, so you don't know what's coming. The lyrics could be about so many things, you can just let yourself flow and see where you end up. You can tell there is an idea being expressed, or a collection of ideas, but maybe it's too complex to completely get. It's wondermaking. The melody is also the kind I like, because really a song is not 'words' and 'music' it's all part of one thing. But this melody takes unexpected turns so you can try to predict and get it wrong. I love all your songs.

What an incredible set of lyrics. As I read them, I seriously wondered how they could possibly be delivered. Don't worry, I sat back and just loved the whole thing. What an awesome laid back style - I especially love the balance between the story verses and the chorus. So cool. Very original and very good. Loved this

I love these lyrics. You have such a descriptive and very cool way of putting things. This leaves me wondering if, perhaps, as a kid you had some sort of speech impediment that you worked hard to overcome. If so, this is such an imaginative way of stating the problem "I spent much of my life speaking English as a second language", because it makes me not just hear the problem, but also feel the struggle in it. To say that much in just one line is so succinct and so effective - true poetry. And then to also create this wonderful melody. Wow! I am in awe.

the red and white phosphorus refrain is brilliant, contrasting the same element being either helpful and harmful, depending on its s color. "I spent much of my life speaking English as a second language /Though it was the only one I knew" is a brillant opening line. I also liked "I’d burn a hole in silence / The most timorous of violence"

Intriguing lyrics! The chorus is very effective, especially the "strike!" Some great lines, particularly the latinate one and "yanked through my teeth." The entrance of the drums and piano works really well to up the drama. I like the overlapping vocals at the end.

I really like the "In that noisy silence, we’d make meaning" line it really resonates with me, as always good stuff, dig this

That chorus is a gift from God. Can’t believe I’ve missed your whole month’s activity until today, but I’ve been a little checked out this FAWM! Apologies, and just know I appreciate you and your unique voice

Don’t know what this means but it cracked me up. Love the rhythm. I think you could sing anything and I would find it soothing.

so many good lines here some as simple as noisey silence. as a one time teacher of English to migrants in the evenings this hits a nerve.

What a tongue-twistery song! I think I will be singing "Red phosphorus White phosphorus, Go! Strike!" until I die. I like the imagery of silence vs. the use of big words. I want to have a drink with you someday and understand things.