dumb
Written by Ron Moses
Guitar and vocal by Ron Moses
From Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, produced by Scott Lurowist and Ron Moses
I’ve gotten praise on this one from people I respect, so I guess I dig it too. I like this recording a lot, for the most part. I would love to revise the lyrics, though. Zappa fans love the reference in the first verse, but I can’t imagine it does much for anyone else. And the second verse… well it seemed clever at the time, but now it just feels a bit try-hard. Still a dang fine piece of work.
Composer, music critic, and magnanimous supporter of my work Lewis Saul was quite effusive in regards to this song, even throwing around the g-word on occasion which we all know is just silly but humbly appreciated. Lewis did, however, lament the fact that I used an electronic drum sound rather than a nice brush kit or something. No no, said I, you don't get it. This track won’t work if it’s too pretty. The guitars are pretty enough, the drums are there to make things uncomfortable. Lewis and I often disagreed on the fine details of my music, but I love the guy anyway and I intend to reference his glowing praise of my work several more times.
Scott brought his friend PJ Muller into the studio for a few sessions to play keyboards, and he did some fantastic work. On this solo, I'm not proud of the fact that I might have gotten just a wee bit tyrannical. PJ did a few solos, but they weren’t like what I heard in my head, and I couldn't compromise. So I wrote out most of the first half of the solo and let him take it from there, which I don’t think he was too flattered about but he was more professional than I was diplomatic. It came out really nice, but I’d love to re-balance the levels on that solo; those high notes are absolutely piercing.
When everybody thinks you’re dumb
They don’t really care where you come from
You’re nothing but an idiot bastard son
When everybody thinks you’re dumb
When everybody thinks you’re queer
There’s nothing you can say that they wanna hear
You’re nothing but a fuckin’ back door buccaneer
When everybody thinks you’re queer
It can be hard to remember you’re okay
It doesn’t matter what everybody thinks anyway
When everybody thinks you’re weak
People interrupt you when you try to speak
You’re nothing but a powerless, sniveling geek
When everybody thinks you’re weak
It can be hard to remember you’re okay
It doesn’t matter what everybody thinks anyway
When everybody thinks you’re dumb
You tend to get treated like a no one
A lot of people do it and I happen to be one
When everybody thinks you’re dumb