Let x = y

Community Recordings Originals (Not Covers)
1

I remember a lecture in medical school where the Prof. asked ‘What’s the difference between men and women?’ After the usual juvenile suggestions of breasts, willies etc. it took a while to settle on the Y-chromosome being only essential difference.
I was a founding member of the UK Women’s Equality Party when Sandi Toksvig helped set it up years ago and when they were looking for a logo, I proposed Let x=y . The scientist in me thought it was a very elegant representation. It was ignored- but lives on as one of the protest symbols on my guitar :laughing:
I wrote, learned and recorded this today, so is still quite rough round the edges.
No idea whether I’ll do some more with it or if it’s out of my system now.
Hope you enjoy or- even better- gives you some food for thought :smiley:

Let x = y

John stares at the mirror
He runs his finger over the scar on his chest
It’s been two months since his mastectomy
The secret’s safe but tearing him apart
Shame takes control
He’ll never tell the guys

One and one is not the same as two. (t’s equal)
Two twos are not the same as four. (equal)
Chromosomes of sex express yourselves
My Y is not as macho as your X
Equality- is not complex

Sally stares at the mirror
Draws the blade across her cheek
Tear tracks through the shaving foam
Four times every week
Cold steel slices the stubble
The best this girl can get

Chorus

Let x = y
Why not?
The only difference is-
They’re equal

Chorus

22 Likes
2

Yep… that gave me something to think about Brian…
Pretty serious stuff you are singing about there Mr. Larsen…

You have a talent for writing lyrics and putting music to it. I liked it a lot Brian!
Never stop doing the things you are doing…

Have nothing to say about the technical part of it… borh voice and guitar sounded great… the lyrics itself were the real heavy hitter here as far as i see it :grin:

2 Likes
3

Hey Brian - that was great, thought provoking and great use of language - I love these qualities in a song. Also, as a mathematician I thoroughly approve of the title :slight_smile:
Paul.

2 Likes
4

Just caught this on the tube and echo what Paul said. Very thought provoking and rightly so, Y the heck not but I’ll avoid politicising ! Great lyrics played over a nice progression, for just a few seconds I thought we may be off to a certain Hotel then there must have been a fork in the road. Sung in you inimitable style which was a perfect match. Bit like x = y !!

:sunglasses:

2 Likes
5

Well I enjoyed that musically and lyrically and as food for thought :slightly_smiling_face:

2 Likes
6

That was a very well written thought provoking song my friend expertly delivered.

2 Likes
7

Absolutely outstanding Brian. The lyrics are so well written and as others have pointed out very thought provoking. I had to give a second listen to focus on the guitar as first time round it was the lyrics that drew me in and held me there. Fantastic original Brian!

2 Likes
8

Good guitar playing, composition and singing.

The lyrics though, not my bag. I’ll avoid the deep political discussion as it’s against the forum rules. Unless someone writes a song, then politics are OK, I guess.

2 Likes
9

Hi Brian,
:sunglasses: :clap:
I remember we talked about the intro story a while ago…it’s funny that a song suddenly sprouts from it.

This style suits you like a prom dress on New Year’s Eve :smile: :rose:

Greetings

1 Like
10

Hi Brian,

Great as always well written and delivered a real talent :clap:
A

1 Like
11

Mange tak @tRONd :smiley:
Must be the season for Scandinavians to share mournful songs, eh?

Cheers Paul,

Much appreciated :smiley:
Maybe I should have credited one of my favourite artists Laurie Anderson, whose work centres around concepts and language. In addition she has the most hypnotic voice I’ve ever heard. The title is a variation of her song Let x = x

Mercy, mon ami @TheMadman_tobyjenner
Cheers for your comment on the tube.
You kicked my Achilles heel. Ouch! Writing lyrics is just a question of time and reworking once you have an idea, but chord progressions and melodies are a nightmare. I usually end up plonking for the same old cowboy (cobweb?) chords in A minor, knowing that there’s only a limited number of combinations, which have all been done to death millions of times, so no point in going for ‘originality’ there :rofl:
It’s me singing this or Toby singing Sympathy that makes them unique :wink:

Ta for the listen and thumbs up, @Mari63,
Hope you are keeping well :kissing_heart:

Haha, appreciate the pun, James, even if that square peg had to be ‘helped’ into the round hole :rofl:

Much appreciated, @Eddie_09
Twice? You’re a sucker for punishment, but an appreciated community pal :smiley:

@jkahn
Kudos to you, Sir. Really appreciate you sharing your honest opinion :smiley:
You were on my mind when I sat down to write this. Not for the content, but I had just remarked on your LL that one should always seize the day when creativity comes calling. Gotta practice what you preach :laughing:
I see this more as a philosophical than political song but am aware that some topics can give off ‘virtue signalling’ vibes.
I think you and I share many values and know there’s a host of folk out there who feel a lot stronger about what I foist on the world :rofl:

@Maurice
I should keep a diary of things I have shared with you.
t’s unsettling, having to accept everything you ‘remember’ :rofl:

You implying I put on weight since my prom? :open_mouth:

Aw, thanks @amandaw57
Much appreciated :smiley:

6 Likes
12

Thanks - I’ll check her out!

2 Likes
13

:joy:
I first wanted to tap directly behind that sentence ‘both a bit rough on the protruding parts, but that doesn’t matter’ :laughing:

1 Like
14

I’d say that it was a pretty good days work. You do have a talent with language, and have done justice to the subject. I googled the WEP out of curiosity and even stumbled on your suggestion for ‘Let x=y’. Well done.

1 Like
15

This is another installment of what it means to find your own voice on the instrument (and with music in general). Well done!

I will throw in with @jkahn contextually for the most part. My thoughts lead me to the conclusion that sometimes we tend to politicize and over-intellectualize things that should come naturally. Since I’m on super-secret double-probation, I won’t engage any further. As always, live your best life.

1 Like
16

Cheers Mark :smiley:
The missus was less impressed when she came home to a messy house with no dinner, but I told her I had written a song :rofl:
Haha, I’m amazed you were able to google- and find)-my logo suggestion :open_mouth: An appropriate reminder of what I’ve always told my kids. Whatever you write in the digital world will be available to anyone in the future…

2 Likes
17

Cheers for dropping by and the encouraging review, man.
I’ve mentioned before that you’ve been an influence in egging me on to ‘do my own thang’.
Thang you! :smiley:
You’re the third person now who’s mentioned not wanting to get into the politics of the song, which I found puzzling :thinking:
I just went back and read the reread the lyrics…
The song appears to have a completely different interpretation than the one I was writing about: John & Sally living with the difficult consequences of gender transition and the need for society to be more accepting. Whilst I can stand behind that, it’s not what the song is about.
It’s about sex, not gender.
John is simply a guy who gets breast cancer (chances about 1/100’000) and Sally suffers from excessive hair growth (hirsutism 5-10%), making the point that although we’re all unique individuals, the only biological difference between a man and a woman is a single chromosome.
Let x = y simply says that women and men are different, but of equal value.
I suppose everything is political, but I presumed that was a universally accepted ‘truth’? :smiley:
How cool to find different interpretations. (… and don’t mention Freud :rofl:)

4 Likes
18

Unfortunately Brian people see what they want to see, not what is there in front of them.
Its a funny old world, my thoughts strayed to the “more equal than others” area. Shame it needs an explainer. :thinking:

2 Likes
19

In this Animal World I’m a Pink Freudian pig
Analyse that! :rofl:

1 Like
20

Always enjoy your original performances, Brian, admiring your mastery of language and the natural drama that embues all your performances.

Some might say that the purpose of all art is to stimulate thinking, conversation and development of ideas.

I think all art is made and shared at a moment in time, a moment that has particular characteristics from many perspectives, that may be philosophical, political, cultural, technological.

I think fair to say that people will find their own meaning based on their own context, experience, etc. In this perhaps there is no right or wrong. And many artists actively resist discuss the meaning of their art, leaving that to the person looking, reading, or listening.

As for me, I confess I had to Google to be clear on the distinction between sex and gender. So thanks for that learning moment, Brian.

In much the same way that people may post recordings of songs that have language that is inappropriate in a reply, such as Working Class Hero. That said, we did once stop use of language in a song that we felt was gratuitous rather than artistic. This can become grey rather than black and white, much like the issue of politics, even to what constitutes being polite and respectful, inoffensive and non-provocative in replies and recordings. Thankfully we seldom arrive in such contentious territory here.

:rofl: now that brings back memories

:rofl: the pun master strikes again

5 Likes