Conditioned Response
Words: 01-21-1993
Music: 01-19-21-1993 with Kris Shine and Jon Strunk
What’s It All About?
I’m not sure exactly, but I think this song started, like so many PIGBAT songs, with Kris playing the reverb-soaked guitar line and Jon and I just fleshing it out. Listening to the track as I write this, I’m struck by how much the arrangement was really a group effort — Jon’s drumming seems especially inspired, I was doing crazy stuff like pulling harmonics out of the bass by hitting the strings up above the nut with my pick… the instrumental break and the tension building runs… I can’t imagine this kind of stuff happening if it was just me with a multitrack and a drum machine, so thanks, guys.
The song is my attempt at a multi-level narrative — it’s about seduction and surrender, and imbalance and advantage in all sorts of relationships. The classic Faustian bargain / casting-couch story.
The two versions presented here are a live rehearsal of PIGBAT’s and an acoustic adaptation I recorded at a big coffeehouse in Long Beach, California some time later.
Lyrics:
Follow along
You will pick it up in time
I have confidence in you
Sing my song
I have written down the words
Thinking of someone like you
Other talents
Have auditioned before you
Still I have a special feeling
I believe
Like I never have before
We will harmonize with beauty
Yes now everything seems right
And your resume looks fine
You’ve been rehearsing all your life
The performance is tonight
Here’s a contract you should sign
Right there on the dotted line
You’ll have all you’ve been denied
I’ll have my means justified
Falling out
With me would be a mistake
I hope you fully understand
You provide me
Reassurance and for you
I have emotional rape
Support Independent Music
The media files on this page are provided for your enjoyment — you can listen, and even download the MP3 files, and not pay a dime. I encourage you to share them with friends, provided no one changes or sells the files, and that you attribute them to me.
I do hope you’ll consider contributing an amount proportional to how much you like these songs. When you pay for music on this site, you declare yourself to be a patron of independent creative endeavors… and my supporter. That means a great deal, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Recommended price: $1.00
Listen and Download
Conditioned Response by PIGBAT w Matthew Wayne Selznick [4:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (133) Conditioned Response by Matthew Wayne Selznick (live acoustic) [4:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (26)2 Responses to “Conditioned Response”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Well I’ll be goddamned. That drummer sure IS good. Matt ol’ buddy, thanks for posting the PIGBAT tunes - fun to hear. The solo version sounds great.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a bona-fide member of PIGBAT in the comments audience tonight! Thanks for dropping by, Jon! There’s more PIGBAT stuff to come, as quickly as my lazy ass gets ’round to it.
And hey, Jon — if you happen to have any old practice tapes from those days… lemme know which part of what’s left of my soul you would need in trade for ‘em!