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THIS IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT (1997)
Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
Not a self-referential pat on the back
But nevertheless an obvious fact
Won't be part of this insidious scheme
Lulling listeners into a deluding dream
Where creativity becomes formulamatic
Tired clichés keep inspiration static
Minds chained and anesthetized
Analysis rejected, enlightenment unrealized
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
Purveyors of empty false hope
Diffusing dissatisfaction with musical dope
Nebulous ambiguous angst abounds
Pointless irrelevancy resounds
Driving force another packaged product to sell
Co-opted and marketed well
False security blanket enveloping dissent
Illusory refuge from your torment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
No good time rock and roll mentality
No humorous escapist fantasies
No wallowing in self-effacing misery
This is reality
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
This is not entertainment
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EASTER ISLAND (1998)
Tim Lastfogel and Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
My salty eyes assaulted by indifference and deadened minds
To those who take such great pleasure in causing others pain
It seems empathy's in short supply, I struggle for a reason why
Nothing makes an impact, a puzzle I can't explain
But I guess there are some things were not supposed to understand
Yes I guess there are some things were not supposed to understand
As I ruminate brutality and senseless slaughter
Frustration closes in on me
I try to illuminate this ever distant, darkening corner
But by then there's nothing left to see
But I guess there are some things were not supposed to understand
And I know there are some things I do not want to understand
Sometimes I feel we're living on a giant Easter Island
Stone faces blankly stare unfazed, unmoved by tragedy
But even worse are the thoughtless bastards whose heartless humor breaks the silence
Still callous though confronted with inhuman cruelty
But I guess there are some things were not supposed to understand
Yes I guess there are some things were not supposed to understand
But I guess there are some things were not supposed to understand
And I know there are some things I do not want to understand
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IRRELEVANT (1996)
Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
Stripped of everything I had
My future, my home, my wife
Left alone with nothing
Struggling to rebuild my life
But there's something I'd like you to know
Yes, there's something I'd like you to know
No longer irrelevant, my self no longer subjugated
No longer irrelevant, my dreams no longer obfuscated
No longer irrelevant, freed from deliberate cruelty so insane
No longer irrelevant, coming to realize that I was not to blame
Made to feel so worthless
And deserving of my hell
Tried so hard to break me
And reduce me to a shell
But there's something I'd like you to know
Yes, there's something I'd like you to know
No longer irrelevant, my self no longer subjugated
No longer irrelevant, my dreams no longer obfuscated
No longer irrelevant, freed from deliberate cruelty so insane
No longer irrelevant, coming to realize that I was not to blame
Now that my will to live has been reclaimed
I used to pray at night
"Dear God, please take me from this life"
Never again (7X)
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RED STORM (1996)
Greg Matwijiszyn and Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
A storm is coming and it's gathering steam
Force to be reckoned with and not an idle dream
Laws have been violated, nature will correct
With power born or inertia and neglect
Red storm sweeps out the old and ushers in the new
Emancipating those who toil without a clue
Darkness gives way to light
Blindness gives way to sight
Vision of paradise becomes reality
Delivering the coming of a better day
Obscene oppression cannot stand in its way
Feared by the leeches who will feel its pain
Embraced by the remainder who have everything to gain
Red storm sweeps out the old and ushers in the new
Emancipating those who toil without a clue
Darkness gives way to light
Blindness gives way to sight
Vision of paradise becomes reality
Whirlwind of freedom that will never, ever break
Unleashing human potential in its wake
Tools for a brighter future finally in our hands
Striving together to achieve all that we can
Red storm sweeps out the old and ushers in the new
Emancipating those who toil without a clue
Darkness gives way to light
Blindness gives way to sight
Vision of paradise becomes reality, becomes reality, becomes reality
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POINT OF VIEW (1997)
Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
Floored by this new revelation
Bewilderment leads to frustration
Now you're forcing yourself to
Misunderstand my point of view
Mouthpiece of mainstream opinions
Spokesperson for your mindless minions
As I listen to you
Try to defend your point of view
And I won't deny you the right
To reprehensible insight
Why can't you just let me be free
To express what makes sense to me?
I try to be so open minded
But of the truth I am reminded
And though I think it through
I can't understand your point of view
You simplify the complicated
Reflective thought abbreviated
And though you think it's true
I must reject your point of view
And I won't deny you the right
To reprehensible insight
Why can't you just let me be free
To express what makes sense to me?
And I won't deny you the right
To reprehensible insight
Why can't you just let me be free
To express what makes sense to me?
Though differences will serve to pain us
I won't succumb to views so heinous
Perhaps there's no way to
Ever resolve our points of view
I'll just traverse the path I've chosen
That's not to say my ways are frozen
And I don't care if you
Ever accept my point of view, accept my point of view
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ONLY A PURCHASE AWAY (1997)
Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
I went to consumer heaven
Passed through the plate glass pearly gates
Into this temple of capitalist mythology
Eyes bulging in endless wonder
Cornucopia of choices
So privileged to partake in our prosperity
The key to a fulfilling life is only a purchase away
Deliverance from all your strife is only a purchase away
And as I wander through these aisles
I wonder why nobody smiles
When happiness is just within their reach
Promise to provide what you feel lacking
The carrot on a stick
That churns the crushing wheels of our economy
Energy and hope is wasted
In seeking the unobtainable
Inadequacy breeds insecurity
The key to a fulfilling life is only a purchase away
Deliverance from all your strife is only a purchase away
And as I wander through these aisles
I now know why nobody smiles
Just another empty promise that's been breached
Wallets lighter but hearts still heavy
Left feeling empty and cheated
Ensnared in a self-perpetuating state of need
I went to consumer heaven
But I left an oppressive hell
Of exploitation motivated by greed
The key to a fulfilling life is only a purchase away
Deliverance from all your strife is only a purchase away
And when the new day dawned, these lost souls knew what to do
Freed from manipulation they'd grown tired of suffering through
Stood up to corporate forces and had the courage to say
That personal salvation is never a purchase away
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MEADOW (1996)
Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
Past, present and future collide
A universe destroyed
By tireless, tedious calculation
Systematically usurped
This hole torn from my heart
A repository for dreams discarded
A restless resting place
where aspirations virulently decay
And the tears I shed
Will only water a hundred flowers
And still this garden will not blanket my grave
Lying to live while still living a lie
Dying to live while still living to die
Your tainted pursuit of happiness
Will only lead to mine
Nine years of my life rendered meaningless
In one fell swoop of faithlessness
Too filled with emptiness to discover why
Too fucking spent to further cry
Or am I...?
And the tears I shed
Will only water a thousand flowers
And still this creeping meadow will not blanket my grave
And I swear, from these hacked up branches
A new sapling will surely grow
Discarded on this trash heap of betrayal
Only to take root in refuse most foul
Strengthened by your weakness
Nourished by your neglect
Protected by your perniciousness
Insulated by your insincerity
And the tears I shed
Will only water a million flowers
The vast chasm finally fully abloom
Tragedy rendered traceless
In the beauty of this meadow
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THANKS FOR NOTHING (1998)
Tim Lastfogel and Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
Dignity denied - thanks for nothing
Personality strip-mined - thanks for nothing
Gag on another heaping helping of humble pie
As I choke on swallowed pride - thanks for nothing
True dreams take a back seat to productivity
Creative thoughts to never see the light of day
And now I know that work will never set me free
Wasting time doing as I'm told while hope just slips away
Ideas reduced to scattered rubble - thanks for nothing
Mouth clamped shut, make no trouble - thanks for nothing
Sacrificed on the altar of expediency
Punctuality on the double - thanks for nothing
I've done my part, reciprocation's still threadbare
Appreciation always unforthcoming
Won't run that extra mile on the journey to nowhere
I don't owe you another Goddamn thing
Originality suppressed - thanks for nothing
Toil under duress - thanks for nothing
Energy extracted, returning home a lifeless husk
The price of success - thanks for nothing
Dignity denied - thanks for nothing
Personality strip-mined - thanks for nothing
Gag on another heaping helping of humble pie
As I choke on swallowed pride - thanks for nothing
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BACK TO BASICS (1996)
Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
Sometimes it's so easy to lose sight of the things that really matter
Bombarded by distractions, our world begins to shatter
Life seems so confusing, overwhelming to us all
We must cut through the bullshit or be destined to fall
It doesn't have to be so bad
Get back to basics, Comrade
Take control of what's rightfully yours
Won't stand for no half-assed solution
Won't rest 'till I see revolution
Experts and authorities, we accept their words as fact
Fight amongst each other, become powerless to act
Wake up or be oppressed, now it's your turn to choose
An uphill struggle that we can't afford to lose
It doesn't have to be so bad
Get back to basics, Comrade
Take control of what's rightfully yours
Won't stand for no half-assed solution
Won't rest 'till I see revolution
Our means of survival in the hands of the rich
If you don't accept this, then it's time to make the switch
No longer bickering like they tell us that we should
Rise above our differences, work for the common good
It doesn't have to be so bad
Get back to basics, Comrade
Take control of what's rightfully yours
Won't stand for no half-assed solution
Won't rest 'till I see revolution
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MISS YOU NOW/SOMEDAY (1994)
Randy Gaston and Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
There were plenty of times left all alone
There was no one on my telephone
Can't you see I'm on my own?
'Cause I miss you now
'Cause I miss you now, hour by hour
I'm feeling though I've lost my power
In bed I'll stay, day by day
'Cause I miss you now
I miss you now, day by day
I don't know how long this hell will stay
Can't you see that I just miss you now?
Someday I'll be back again
Someday I'll find home
Someday I'll be back again
Someday I'll find home
I have reached the bottom of the barrel
I have scraped my hands down there
I have lost control of all reality
I've lost faith in friends
Someday I'll be back again
Someday I'll find home
Someday I'll be back again
Someday I'll find home
I have crossed the mighty river
I have walked along the shore
I have had my share of disappointments
But with you I'm still unsure
I have lost all direction
I found my way out of the cold
No mother's arms for protection
Nobody's hand for me to hold
Someday (4X)
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MANIFEST DESTINY (1996)
Greg Matwijiszyn and Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
They came from a foreign land
Sailed the seas with guns in hand
Brutal conquest was their aim
Slaughtered millions just like game
Our tainted history of manifest destiny
Raw aggressive tendency cloaked in false nobility
Imperialistic banners fly, flapping in the open sky
Testament to the big lie, freedom's just an alibi
Greedy, they moved farther west
Raised their families, killed the rest
Bloodstained soil on the frontier
Legacy of death and fear
Our tainted history of manifest destiny
Raw aggressive tendency cloaked in false nobility
Imperialistic banners fly, flapping in the open sky
Testament to the big lie, freedom's just an alibi
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HOPE IN A HOPELESS WORLD (1994)
Randy Gaston and Jimmy Williams for The Comrades
Isn't there more to life than hate and despair?
An apathetic population doesn't seem to care
Making lame excuses for our shortcomings
Hardening our hearts to the truly suffering
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
How much longer will we continue to go with the flow
Only to be crushed on the rocks below?
How much longer will we accept injustice as a given?
Decay in a society that's selfishness driven
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
And I wonder sometimes if it's all worthwhile
I wonder sometimes if I'll ever smile
Then I see the distant light from the elusive treasure I seek
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
Cynicism permeates my every thought
While still believing we can unlearn what we've been taught
Cynicism permeates my every thought
And I wonder sometimes if it's all worthwhile
I wonder sometimes if I'll ever smile
Then I see the distant light from the elusive treasure I seek
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
Searching for hope in a hopeless world
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This long-delayed album consisted of material written between 1996 and 1998. During this time the band was going through a rough spot and the record first appeared as a collection of raw demos without a full lineup. It was later completely re-recorded in 2001 with a full lineup and released on Amp records. Aside from "This Is Not Entertainment," the songs on this album were not as well received during live performances as those from The Invisible Hand. For the most part, they are very wordy and played very fast. The writing on this album accurately captures the mood of The Comrades and individual members at the time. Reviews of the CD were very positive and raised more Wire comparisons as well as "They don't sound like anyone else." We like that ... but apparently the CD-buying public felt otherwise. You can still pick up this album from online retail sites on the cheap - but why bother when you have it here free??
