Better World 4/12
About the song
Since I was a little kid, I was thinking a lot about the system and the society we live in.
As a teenager, I was very critical of the life that was waiting for me as an adult.
I'm not doing much to try and change society. So far I have been concentrating on my own life and how I can live my life out of this run, and I sometimes feel selfish, I sometimes think that I don't give the world what I could have given. I hope to do more one day for others!
Therefore I admire people who dedicate their lives to something they stand for.
People who dedicate a lot of their time to yell their hearts out, to demonstrate, to try and open other people's eyes to some truths they can't see yet.
It takes a lot of courage and energy.
On the one hand, I wrote this song for those people who are trying to make this world a better place. On the other hand, the second verse is dedicated to all the governments!
Credits and much love to:
Peter Kruztsch: drums
Noah Schulz: Keys
Yuval Pedaya: Trumpet
Myself: Guitars, Vocals, Synths, Bass
Mixing: Chezi Nehemia
Mastering: Yoav Naveh
Art Work: Jona Mai
Thanks to: Pop Stipendium
I can see you falling
high from the sky
and I can see you holding
holding me tight
and I can hear you crying
every night
I can see you fighting
in all of the wars
but I can see you rising
in spiritual worlds
but I can see your sorrow
dropping those tears
but I can see you dreaming yea
of one better place
of one better world
Liers, leave us alone
liers, release your control
liers, those who're drunk but not from Booz
making us high to forget
instead of shouting booo and bullshit and
get out get out get out
get out get out get out
I can see you fighting
in all of the wars
but I can see you rising
in spiritual worlds
but I can see your sorrow
dropping those tears
but I can see you dreaming yea
of one better place
of one better world
I don't know how to fake love
BEING GOOD 3/12
About Being Good
I sat down and I tried to write what the song is about,
I started writing over and over again and every time I stopped,
I had a feeling of philosophizing or that I wasn't entirely standing behind what I was writing about. In general, the song reveals the place in me that really wants to be good.
Good to those around me, to myself, to the world, to nature, towards animals, and to be good in what I do.
But the world keeps challenging me a lot and makes it difficult for me to be good.
Not long ago, I decided that I won't lie anymore! Not even white lies...
It's reeeeally hard, lol.
Every time I ran into an unpleasant person, whether was it on the streets, government employees, some neighbors, or any other unpleasant reaction towards me.
It dragged me into negative thoughts and I did convey these negativities, sometimes.
I would really love to hear whom of you also have had difficult situations with it and what challenges you have? How do you overcome negativity?
So, the song talks about these life circumstances, the hope for a peace of mind, and the desire to change something in the society.
How does our daily life badly challenge our sympathy? How do we deal with it and what helps me?
A huge thank you to all of you who are listening and following.
I appreciate each and every feedback that I'm getting from you.
A big thanks to Gil Wolfson for the video!
To Ofri, my perfect sister, and Marina, my amazing wife, who participated in the music video.
It was one spontaneous evening, we laughed a lot and had a great time shooting this video.
Thanks to Peter Krutsch for the drums.
To Chazi Nehemiah for mixing and Yoav Nave for Mastering.
Jona Mai for the Art Work.
Thanks to Pop Stipendium for the scholarship.
Much Love,
Guy DEGUY
I was attacked by the evil dark
it came from nowhere and I wasn't prepared.
I learned that a witch's potion
can turn a person into a fake.
drugs and negative emotions can turn purple into black.
Jealousy can drive me out of me.
swimming in an ocean of caution.
seems to dislike my new devotion,
negative emotions tend to propagate
faster than the goods.
I'm in the mood I'm not yet screwed,
Working on my attitude.
I'm not here to brood.
It's the wisdom that I'm chasing,
through meditation,
I'm comprehending,
it's the never-ending struggle.
Being Good.
Lack of proportion,
Dangerous motion, get me in distortion.
It's so hard to be good
I'm in the mood I'm not yet screwed,
Working on my attitude.
I'm not here to brood.
It's the wisdom that I'm chasing,
through meditation,
I'm comprehending,
it's the never-ending struggle.
Being Good.
2/12 How Come We've Gotten So Low
The story behind the song:
A year ago I spent the winter in Israel, next to Jerusalem, with my family. It was a really weird time. In Germany, there was still a hard lockdown and I had nothing to go back to. I wasn’t able to play shows, visit shows or do anything with people in person.
In Israel, the situation was already much better. Far from perfect, but better than in Germany.
I was looking around me and saw a lot of things that caused me big emotional pain. I saw people turning against each other, I saw people losing respect and patience for anyone with a different opinion than theirs. I saw families that don't want to meet with their dear ones, thinking differently, I saw couples splitting up!
And for what? thinking differently? believing in different stuff?
Since I was born, I haven't experienced such a strong power of dividing people, and it made me really sad.
So I was at my parents’ house, by myself, and this song came to me. Most of the time when I write songs I have nothing in mind about how I want them to be. I just write and play whatever comes to my mind, without thinking about the outcome. But this time I knew I wanted to make a song where all the instruments are playing together the same thing, almost like a unison, none of the instruments should stand out or try to take the attention. I thought about the text as a mantra that should repeat and keep rolling like water. I ended up adding one more verse and some instruments that stand out. But the core of the song is this.
I put together an improvised little home studio and I started to record all the instruments. Since I was far away from my band it was a good challenge for me to try to play all the instruments I can in a song, and I really enjoyed doing it.
The song 'How Come We've Gotten So Low' is attempting to awaken people's thoughts about where we are today as a society and why. To make people think deeper about: how I treat other people? How do I react to conflicts? What do I think of people with different opinions than mine? How can I make myself and others feel better about today? Where does History repeat itself, and why do we let it happen? Why are we living our lives so busy and so deep into our own shit, that we literally don't have enough time and patience to help and care for others?
Thank you so much for listening and reading!
The artwork was made by my good friend: Jona Mai
It was recorded and played by me.
Mixed by: Chezi Nehemia
and Mastered by: Yoav Naveh
It's a privilege to have such good friends helping me with their talents.
How come we've gotten so low
what did we miss on the way
where in the world did it get out of hand
and how shall we learn to forget
How come we've gotten so low
how come we've gotten so low
What in the world should we do to forget
and what can we learn out of that
It takes courage to follow the path
take it one step at the time
leave the past in the past
we are looking ahead
the change has to be from the top
Bridge/DEGUY Since I'm living abroad, it is always an ambivalent feeling to be on my way to Israel, then suddenly I'm there and in the next moment I'm away again.
Being away feels often very lonely and very far away. On my way home I'm always very excited, I'm full of emotions that I don't even know how to call in names, and I'm full of memories and expectations.
At some point I started to visit other places on my way home.
Many times it's Berlin or Prague that are not far from where I live. But sometimes it is also Athens or Crete. I noticed that it is good for me to have these 'Bridges' between what I call my home to what really feels like home.
The text of the song Bridge was written in one of those 'Bridges'.
This time I was in Krakow. I've been once in Krakow before. It was a long time ago when I was 17 years old. Back then I visited Poland with my Grandpa and my school class together. We went to Poland to learn, see and experience the story of the holocaust through the story of my grandpa.
We started the journey in his little hometown Zdunska Wola, Ghetto Lodz and all the way to Auschwitz. In between we also visited other camps and cities.
I remembered Krakow quite well, because it had a really nice classic European old town. I also had a special moment there with my grandpa in the synagogue we went to.
This time I visited Krakow all by myself. I didn't book a hotel and I didn't have a city map or any plan. I just took a bus to the center and started to walk.
Half from memory, half from intuition, it didn't take long and I found myself in the jewish quarter. I liked it a lot, it had a nice market in one of the small squares and it felt alive, yet it was a bit abandoned, and I like places that give me the feeling of potential. Suddenly, I'm standing in front of the Synagogue where I had this special moment with my grandpa. Maybe it's a good time to tell that my relationship with my grandpa wasn't simple and it was involved with many emotions and difficulties, so it's not that often that I had 'a moment' with him.
I went inside the Synagogue and I met the Rabbi and his wife. I told them about my last visit there and that it's my second time there. They were really kind and the Rabbi asked me if I would like to make a prayer. I told him that I didn't know how to and he kindly offered to show me. On a normal day I would probably say no, but 'on the bridge' I am always more open to everything.
Later I found a nice little hotel in the Jewish quarter and I went to look for some live music as I always do.
Before the sunset I made it to a wide river. I don't know his name. I crossed a modern bridge with pieces of art along it and sat down on the other side.
I took out my harmonica and sketch book and started to play for myself.
The look of the sunset, the river and the city was so nice. So I started to describe what my eyes see along with what my heart feels:
A bridge hangs above the water,
and a slimy moon hangs above the bridge,
the colors of the sky singing that the day is done,
the bottom of the rivers full with lovers keys.
One look to your right will tell about the future,
and one look to your left will tell about the past
one look into your heart will tell about the conflict
and everything you've lost
Before my life will fall into a hole
I guess it's time to breathe in
Thinking if it's worth the cost,
or if you lost control.
should I let it loose and keep the flow
or should I hold control and stop this snow ball?
Before my life will fall into a hole
I guess it's time to breath in
The text waited for some time for its music to come, even after it had music I have to thank my band for liking it and making it sound like you hear today, I'm very grateful for all the people who play with me and help me along the way: