Your voice on this is effective, from the first word. I like the chord change on "fire" and it gets better with repetition. Effective harmonies. Killer line: "we had a chance at greatness // but we settled for Amazon Prime". I'll be quoting that. Lovely string part. A song for our times.

Well structured and lyrically current track, the chorus has a strong hook, sung in a style that feels like a statement and also warning of further things to come.

Yes! Timely. Needed. Great crafted write, performance and delivery. The added harmonies elevate those sections. Nice strings interlude! 👏🎶

The tone and mood of this song really resonates with me, and hopefully a lot of people. The line "cause we're so fuckin' special" stands out because I think its that kind of thinking that got us to where we are today. I really like the finger picked guitar,and what sounds like a drop tuned 2nd guitar. It drives and adds darkness. The strong vocal performance gets the message home.

Very cool! Love the arrangement and great vocals! THanks for your kind comments on my tuine...this is the kind of thing I'm hoping to do next year with FAWM production-wise!

First of all, the music is very appealing as it steps along. The chorus is great. The Jesus part gave me chills. I've spent a lot of time of late reading about some of the so-called prophets and modern apostles that have aligned themselves with maga, so "follow them right down into the fire" lands extra hard for me.

A lot to like here, John. Thoughtful lyrics, great accompaniment (I love the cello (?) towards the end), excellent delivery, good timing (e.g., I like the delay before "into the fire"), etc. Yeah, congrats on this!

That's definitely a protest song. So many interesting topics that you woven into the lyrics. This calm folk backing works well #tit4tat

A balance of bitterness and sadness and hope, both in the lyrics and in the sound.

"cause we're so fuckin' special / as we stare / into the fire" sums up too much of what I see these days.

This captures what so many people are feeling, I think this song can really resonate with them. I like your vocal a lot - it has authenticity about how screwed up we are. You said you are struggling with the Jesus stuff, which seems to be an important element here - I don't sense you are protesting religion per se (although you could), but rather the hypocrites and the complacency, if you think that could work. Thanks for putting these feelings into words.

"We had a chance at greatness but we settled for Amazon Prime". . . ouch. Yes. That right there. If there is any good to be found during the current events of the world, it is the harsh wake-up call to complacent folks that won't make positive changes until they are personally affected by the shitshow. (And thank you so much for your kind words on "The Shuddering City"! tit4tat)

"Some days I think we might make it other times I feel we're lost." This has been my mantra for the last two months (or possibly 10 years). You've given voice to the heartbreak, outrage, disbelief, and complete despair many (hopefully most) of us are feeling right now. There is real conviction and truth in your voice, as well as indignation, and rightly so. I'm mainly a folky, reflective songwriter myself, but my angst got the best of me this month and I wrote Time to Mourn. Maybe a good companion piece to yours. Truth in art. Maybe, in some small way, it (and we) will make a difference.

perfect

it's great that you've been angsting all month on wanting to write a protest song, because it is better to push the boulder up the hill to find the words than to push pebble down the hill and say "look what I wrote"

every word and line is thoughtful, truthful and unapologetic. this might be one of your best songs.

the linear notes helped understand where you're coming from and honestly, it frustrates me so much too, how we are so capable of so much more and better as a human race and yet, those in power (ironically the minority) would rather watch us all burn. #assholes

I like the sadness of this with the angry lyrics which burn with disappointment of the current situation over there. (It’s hard to watch from afar so I can only imagine the frustration living in it). I like that you’ve added a bit of hope for the future.

Great protest song. They are very hard to get right and I think you got the balance of subtle and obvious just right. #tit4tat

First of all, yes. I too have been trying really hard to write a protest song this year. For all the same reasons as you honestly. With you on this totally.

Also it's a great song. I just. Yeah. I mean, you know. (love the Amazon line btw).

I feel this so deeply. This is a protest anthem for the ages, with all the anger and despair and hope thrown together in perfect harmony. Speaking of which, your vocal harmonies are stunning, goosebump worthy delivery all around.

Great track with aPoignant message, reminds me of Roger Waters. Love the strings added as well. I enjoyed this!

Truth. Truth. Truth. And more truth.

Softly spoken but laying out that VERY needed message. It's a beautiful song that speaks an angry truth. It is time to get angry and not stay quiet - this lays out that powerful message but gives a little hope. To be very honest, a little more hope that I actually have right now. Thanks for that glimmer and thanks for getting this song out there. It is needed more than ever.

Love the feel of the music here, and the restrained anger in the chorus. (I also like "we had a chance at greatness/ but we settled for Amazon Prime" -- if that doesn't sum it up.) The bridge provides the tiniest bit of optimism . . .

Follow them in to fire is a great concept. That "the rest of the world can burn for all we care" is an amazing line. Really great protest song. You really get down to the root of the problem. This gave me lot to muse about. #tit4tat

Nicely played, I enjoyed listening to this. Nice voice too.

Dang... "we had a chance at greatness but we settled for Amazon Prime... cause we're so fucking special". Amazing lyrics, wonderful vocals and harmonies. I can feel the emotion you put into this. Absolutely stunning.

You wrote a great protest song. The support for democracy and decency within FAWM is such a wonderful contrast to what we hear on the news. I am an atheist but like you respect the teachings of Jesus. I don’t get how the MAGAS can call themselves Christians when they don’t.

john you are reflecting in total sync my feelings around all those topics and so glad you've picked up the baton to create a protest song which really should be blasted around the world. It has all that beautiful you melencholy in the musicality, but what is most powerful is your vocal delivery and how it hits hard not just at the heart but at the soul. People wake up and listen, and lets make this be a song for all ears. Bloody awesome matey

Such a powerful track. How everything comes back to "Into the fire" is very effective and well thought out.

Unfortunately much too familiar in its sentiment. The world is becoming too big and connected for people to really comprehend it, and their actions in it, which leads to the terrible things we are seeing these days. I think you captured this very effectively.

I just remembered I wrote a track about this earlier but forgot to upload it xD Thanks for the reminder!

Wow John!! I think this the best song you've done this FAWM... That chord prog/cadence is hypnotizing and I was hooked as soon as it started. It sounds like 6/8 timing... Those lyrics are ridiculously good!! Sobering and so reflective of the current human condition. (actually the human condition since time began...humans have ALWAYS been exactly the way they are currently...only technology has changed, but humans like to believe it's worse now...it's not..it's the exact same greed and evil and selfishness that have existed since the first human) ..damn, I digress!!! see how impactful these amazing lyrics are??!!

I love this melody.. Perfect flow into the chorus and I'm still humming the tune after three listens.. (so far!) Your voice is always amazing but I think you're at your best here..mostly because of the emotion coming through about this topic you are passionate about. The cadence of the lyric is also captivating. I LOVE the harmonies on the chorus, I love the parts where you speak the words. I love the pause before "into the fire". I love the cello at the end... I just LOVE this song...

Damn John. Speaking truth to a tune that grabs the heart right out of the gate. Thought provoking, optimistic enough. And I still hope optimism is warranted. Thank you.

"we had a chance at greatness but we settled for Amazon Prime" Yup. All true. There's so much to go at, it's hard to know where to focus isn't it? Still, I'm glad that people are writing protest songs. Love the cello coming in unexpectedly.

Poignant! This is such a hard story to tell and I share your thoughts, but that cello at the end did it for me! The last line offering hope made the song hopeful, I kinda wished it expanded it bit more on that. Great song John!

Powerful, melancholy but solid & smooth music: the heavy pulse on beat one of each bar gives it the sound of a mournful work song, like a chain gang chant: part lament, part protest. Perfect for these words. -- I was thinking thoughts along these lines this morning: about how it's right and urgent to cut carbon emissions, recycle, develop renewable energy etc., but it doesn't get to the root of the climate crisis, which is us. The radical greens who advocate eliminating the human race are onto something true (though suicide is never the answer). We are fundamentally disordered. You've caught that so well in the lines about 'why should be care about the rest of the world as long as we've got stuff and entertainment?' -- By the way, the Creed says that 'Jesus descended into Hell', so maybe there's a deep truth in those lines (though according to that image, he was rescuing, not leading). But it's got me thinking. Thanks, great song, John.

i have been thinking along these lines of late, wondering if the human race is all it has been pretending to be, or whether we are just the king of beasts. i tend to think we were better in the days when angels and poets walked the earth. there is so little in todays world to keep us on the good foot. love the song, and the way your voice smoothly rolls out the indictments.

After reading the liner notes i was expecting something a lot less melodic and more angsty. I love this melancholy protest song vibe, it makes me think more than an angry punkish song would. As always, the arrangement and musicality in this is just divine. That pregnant pause before singing ‘and funeral urns’ is great.

good strong musical bed to deliver this and hopefully a reminder there is time if we want. but only if we want.