A | Yukon Cigar

Among The Weeds

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Yukon Cigar

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CREDITS:

Words & music by Craig Konyu
Recorded & produced by Peter Buck & Craig Konyu
Released April 1, 2016

The vocals: Craig Konyu
The backing: Craig Konyu
The acoustic: Craig Konyu & Peter Buck
The electric: Peter Buck
The slaps: Craig Konyu
The tambourine: Craig Konyu

LYRICS:

Instead of thinking
She reads the dictionary
For a word she never heard
Extraordinary
And she starts humming 60s songs
Until the past fades out
Memories—add tambourines—
Are what it’s all about

Although she had good luck
She never grew up
In life among the weeds
The beautiful shamrock

We all know Dylan
But, we don’t talk about him
He’s the one that done you wrong
And the song you’re singing
And we start humming 60s songs
Until today fades out
Memories—add tambourines—
Are what it’s all about

Although we had good luck
We never grew up
In life among the weeds
The beautiful shamrock

Although she had good luck
She never grew up
In life among the weeds
The beautiful shamrock

Although we had good luck
We never grew up
In life among the weeds
The beautiful shamrock

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At Loggerheads

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Yukon Cigar

It takes loads of oil and water to raise cattle. Every few minutes, a mammoth-sized piece of rainforest is destroyed for soy cultivation. So, who’s right, the carnivores or the herbivores? (This is just one off-hand example.) Point is, you can argue till you’re blue in the face. Until your point of view trumps the other. But, often, a sweeter villain lay in walking away with a tightened grip on what you believe.

Photo by Craig Konyu

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CREDITS:

Words & music by Craig Konyu
Recorded & produced by Peter Buck & Craig Konyu
Released March 1, 2015

The vocals: Craig Konyu
The backing: Craig Konyu & Peter Buck
The acoustic: Craig Konyu & Peter Buck
The electric: Peter Buck
The bass: Peter Buck
The accordion: Steve Denyszyn
The drums: Johann Burkhardt

LYRICS:

Writ not in the spirit
Of changing one’s views
But for the lack of power to do so
While heads and arms
Of mutton heroes shovel
Spoonfuls into proudest bellies.

More wood upon the fire.

Across the forest
Lumberjacks go snubbing
All boundary lines of bliss
No I were you
Or you were me
And something else was this.

It’s steak at dinnertime.

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A Black Dot On White

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Yukon Cigar

Kofi Annan recalls a lesson from his student days at Mfantsipim (from The New Yorker, March 3, 2003): “Once, I remember, Reverend Brandful took out a large white sheet with a black dot in the middle, draped it over the blackboard and asked us: ‘What do you see?’ We all answered: ‘The black dot.’ ‘Why only the black dot?’ he responded. ‘Why only the negative? What about the vast white spaces around?’ He was reminding us to always look beyond the obvious and beneath the surface, to bear in mind the larger picture, not to focus just on the blemishes. He was teaching us also to remember that there is more than one side to a story, and more than one answer to a question.”

Photo by Craig Konyu

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CREDITS:

Words & music by Craig Konyu
Recorded & produced by Craig Konyu & Peter Buck
Released February 1, 2015

The vocals: Craig Konyu
The backing: Craig Konyu
The acoustic: Craig Konyu & Peter Buck
The electric: Peter Buck
The bass: Peter Buck
The drums: Johann Burkhardt
The shakers: Craig Konyu
The bells: Craig Konyu

LYRICS:

You feel like closing your eyes.
UFOs circle the skies.
Lay down that begotten myth.
What you see lacks what it is.

Brain works by proxy and guess.
Imperial checkers and chess.
Interstate and civil roads are paved.
Earth is a peaceable place.

Now that the webs have been spun.
Spider can build another one.
Suck silt and harbinger night.
Paranoid apple turns ripe.

Cold war becomes comfortable.
Firepower spent and all is well.
Conflict is chewing resolve fat.
Earth spirals down, off the map.

To teardrops are sewn jealous hearts.
A black dot on white equals art.

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