As a boy, he wanted to be… Read Full Bio ↴From Humble Beginnings Come Humble Middles
As a boy, he wanted to be a magician and a ventriloquist. But he couldn't hide the secret or throw his voice.
So he took to music, mostly culled from mom's record club collection. Movie soundtracks like "The Graduate" and LPs from crooners like Tom Jones, Andy Williams, Noel Harrison.
Cross-legged on the sofa, he grasped his shin-bones in both hands and rocked furiously back and forth, while the wax spun under the needle. While mom ironed and dusted, he rocked and dreamed. And while the drapes danced in a breeze, his little boy mind mumbled, "Life is real, and I'm alive."
45 singles also dug their way in. Some cut from the backs of cereal boxes. Others chosen after a listen or two on the AM radio. Yes, he needed THAT song. So he sang it for the record store man: "Come on, you have to have it. I think it's new... 'Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end...'"
One day our failed magician was given an organ and a play-by-number songbook filled with Bacharach/David tunes. And though he drew moustaches and Satan eyes on Burt and Hal, he loved that songbook.
Eventually someone gave him a tape recorder. And this day probably seemed harmless enough.
But from humble beginnings...
He'd sing made-up words he didn't understand. Grown-up words about love, war, poverty. Stuff the AM radio and Burt Bacharach had taught him to sing. "Must be the way to go."
Mom eventually bought him a pretty-white, righty Jackson Soloist, and though he played lefty, he simply had it re-strung and played it upside down. "I am right-handed, after all, so how could mom have known?"
In his teens, he began to take more of a personal interest in his lyrics. As girls at school would peck his cheek and giggle on flower day, but walk on. "She's a slut, Ray. Why'd you buy her a flower?"
"Because she's nice," our silly flower boy said.
You know the drill. Countless mixed tapes and poems missed their mark. Maybe once or twice a flower got pressed into a book, but we'd only be speculating there. They all became songs.
He went to college. Wrote some more songs. Joined a band (Six Gun Jury) with his cousin. And they wrote lots of songs too. Even got a song ("Climb The Scene") in regular rotation on commercial radio (WXXP). They did well in Pittsburgh rock challenges, played some gigs. Got some press. Broke up.
"WHY?!"
Baseball, of course. He had to see the Pirates in the playoffs. You'd have done the same.
He married, loved it. Wrote some songs. His mom died, hated that. Wrote some songs about it. He became a daddy of triplet sons, and that was nice. So he put it in a song or two.
He tried to take some cases to trial, hated that. He tried to join a couple other bands, but it wasn't the same. Went to another firm, hated that. Law firm after law firm. He always left them hanging. Burned his bridges. Didn't care.
Day by day, song by song. He was going to find his place in this world (like "James" in that song by Huffamoose).
Finally, he went to work for the government, liked that better. Wrote more songs. But got divorced, hated that. Sad songs come easier, so songs galore. (You must have all of this in your notes somewhere already, right?)
Single life was overrated. Looking for love too often in too many bars. But it was either that or join some animal shelter or church group. And he never liked groups. Still doesn't.
No. He likes songs.
Finally, one day, or maybe it was even in the dark of night, he cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Tom?! Burt?! MOM?! How does this shit work?! I'm lonely as fuck and nobody cares!!"
Silence.
"Ain't it funny...how the time slips away?...."
And he wrote a song about that too. The silence. The lost time. The loneliness. The loss.
Loss after loss, and song after song. This is what weakened your Chancellor, yet kept him strong.
And so, from humble beginnings...come humble middles. Which brings us to today.
"Well...how's it gonna end for The Chancellor?"
I cannot tell you that, my friend. But rest assured, no matter the ending, it will make one hell of a song.
Chancellorpink Breathes Life Into Sad Music
Chancellorpink is a terrific songwriter with sonic imagination. And on his 4th release, 2009's "Life Like Sad Music" (March 22, Wax Electric), he sprinkles lyrics of irresistible depth with elements of outsider rock, power pop and new wave, and with a deep and yearning croon, breathes life into 13 great sad songs.
The sad music started in 2006, when life-long songwriter Ray McLaughlin redefined his musical career, coming out of the shadows of semi-retirement to become the broken-hearted balladeer Chancellorpink. He did so with a determination to do things his own way. For the first time in his life, Ray decided to engineer, produce and play every note of his own original songs. He stepped out. He took a chance.
So how's it going so far for "The Chancellor"?
First came May 2006, when he released his eponymous solo debut and vowed to "record an album a year until I die or become boring." "Chancellorpink" contains 12 literate, indie pop/rock songs, drawing comparisons to old Bowie, a funky Elvis Costello or Crowded House on a vodka bender, with Ray's rich and often plaintive vocals leading the way to favorable reviews and Internet radio airplay for songs "Chancellor Pink", "AnnaJo" and "Disgusting". Chancellorpink also picked up a small cultish, underground following for its deceptively-titled, acoustic love ballad "Cunt".
April 2007 brought about the release of the 19-track "Darkrazor", which Ray described as "a haunted house with 19 rooms; my Beatles' white album only it's black." Songs "Lock Me Up", "Paul's Song", "Everybody Needs A Family" and "A Case Of Noir" garnered some spins on international and local college and public radio airwaves, though no regular rotation. Still, more people began catching on to Chancellorpink's unique blend of poetry, pop and pathos.
But it was not until his 2008 release, "Valentine Parade", that Chancellorpink finally made a real dent on the indie music coffee table. With "Valentine Parade" (released on February 14, but as an antidote for anyone who wants to generally avoid loved-up couples), Chancellorpink brilliantly crafted a post-retro, Euro-80's pop album full of prescient, modern day lyrics and rich vocal harmonies. This was no batch of lullabies. And sales and airplay soared, with The Chancellor finding certifiable indie pop hits in songs "Unfinished Valentine", "Mrs. Kowalski" and "Valentine Parade".
So that now, with "Life Like Sad Music", recorded from July 12-September 20, 2008, at Indigent Studios in Pittsburgh, PA, The Chancellor's got real game.
What drives Chancellorpink, an avid college basketball fan, to play above the rim? He writes a good deal of poetry and describes making both music and poetry as something that is "in the blood". Ray has always been fully immersed in music and writing. He was involved in successful bands in and around Pittsburgh since an early age, and he is also highly educated, holding a Professional Writing degree with honors from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Magna Cum Laude J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Law.
The Chancellor makes songs rather than having a 'sound', changing the instrumentation from song to song, along with his vocal stylings, to fit each particular song. Says Ray, regarding his music, "Really, my hope is that people who have lost out on love or dreams of any kind can relate to my music, share it, and it spreads. And maybe men can all get back to being loving and sensitive again, but while remaining strong and not taking any shit from the new generation of creeps that the modern world has created. I hope we can learn again not to be afraid, and to stand up for ourselves, with great conviction but also great compassion. Way too much to expect from some indie pop-rock songs? Exactly. And there it is."
Spending time with Ray, you are struck by his warm humor and his immense degree of romanticism and respect for women of intellect and power. He showed a degree of commitment and certainty in his words that, well, maybe he's on to something here. In this female interviewer's opinion, Ray emanates zero bitterness or emo-whiner, but, instead, a sense of -- sans corny here -- soulful truth.
"I hate no one," he says. "Even the people I loathe, I probably love at least a little bit, somewhere down deep. Because I even loathe myself in so many ways, you know? I just hope we all try to get things right and do the right thing as much as possible, and I don't think that's the case most of the time for most of us, including me. And that failure not only hurts me inside, but it also pisses me off some. But I use that hurt and anger to create stuff, and maybe that will start some sort of chain reaction some day, who knows. Or maybe not. Either way, I remain your Chancie Baby, baby." And he smiles again.
You almost want to slap him, but you don't. Because you have a story to finish. And because, you just don't really want to slap The Chancellor. Not at all, really.
Ellen Sarcalow, Performer Magazine, December 2008 (used by permission)(printed but not available on their website)
Syd Barrett
Chancellorpink Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
because a whore became unkind
syd barrett would have understood me
he'd have wanted you to give me a chance
syd barrett would have understood me
he'd know i never wanted into your pants
should i just jump?
syd barrett would have understood me
he'd have wanted you to take my hand
syd barrett would have held me crying
while you were giggling with another man
sd barrett would have understood me
he'd have made you hear my crazy songs
and in spite of all your grand defenses
syd, he would have had you singing along
there was a room in a suite with a view
and a bottle waiting chilled on ice
but i put rubber on the walls now, baby, and
the bottle's empty cause i drank it twice
sip sip sip
in the room with a view
staring at the trees, laughing
ha ha ha
and i'm never coming back, no i'm never coming
sip sip sip
the only thing left to do
break another wine glass in my hand, laughing
ha ha ha
and i'm never coming back, no i'm never coming
from my mind
The lyrics of Chancellorpink's song "Syd Barrett" tell the story of a man who is struggling emotionally and psychologically after experiencing rejection from someone he cares about deeply. In the first verse, he describes a man named Vinnie van Gogh who drinks turpentine as a result of being mistreated by a prostitute. This imagery suggests self-destructive tendencies and emotional pain.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Syd Barrett would have understood me" several times. Syd Barrett was a musician and founder of the rock band Pink Floyd, who struggled with mental health issues and drug addiction throughout his career. The singer suggests that Barrett would have been able to relate to his pain and would have empathized with his situation.
The second verse expresses the singer's frustration with the person who has rejected him. He apologizes for shouting and wonders if he should just end his life. The chorus repeats the idea that Syd Barrett would have been able to help him through his pain.
The third verse introduces the idea of a love triangle, with the singer's love interest laughing with another man while he is crying. The singer imagines Barrett helping him to make this person listen to his "crazy songs" and join him in singing.
The final verse describes a room with a view and a bottle waiting on ice, but the singer has put rubber on the walls and the bottle is empty because he has drunk it twice. He laughs and declares that he will never return, breaking another wine glass and laughing again.
Overall, the lyrics of "Syd Barrett" explore themes of emotional pain, rejection, mental health, and self-destruction, while referencing the life and struggles of musician Syd Barrett.
Line by Line Meaning
Vinnie van gogh chugged terpentine
I'm feeling intense pain and distress that has me considering self-harm, just like how Vincent van Gogh famously self-harmed by drinking turpentine
because a whore became unkind
I'm in this state of pain because someone I trusted, like a prostitute can be trusted with their clients, treated me badly
syd barrett would have understood me
Syd Barrett, a musician famous for being misunderstood and for his struggles with mental health, would have been able to empathize with what I'm going through
he'd have wanted you to give me a chance
Syd Barrett would have wanted my loved one to give me a chance to explain my feelings and empathize with me
he'd know i never wanted into your pants
Syd Barrett would have known that my intentions were never about pursuing sexual desires with my loved one
did i just shout? so sorry dear
I'm feeling so overwhelmed that I lashed out and yelled, and now I'm apologizing for it
should i just jump?
I'm feeling so hopeless and desperate that I'm considering suicide by jumping off of something
he'd have wanted you to take my hand
Syd Barrett would have wanted my loved one to offer me a supportive hand to help me through my struggles
syd barrett would have held me crying
Syd Barrett would have provided comfort and support for me, even when I'm crying and feeling vulnerable
while you were giggling with another man
My loved one is spending time with someone else, making me feel even more alone in my struggles
syd barrett would have made you hear my crazy songs
Syd Barrett would have been able to communicate my feelings and struggles to my loved one through my music, even if they seem crazy or incomprehensible
and in spite of all your grand defenses
Despite my loved one's attempts to protect themselves and keep their distance, Syd Barrett would have found a way to help them understand and empathize with me
syd, he would have had you singing along
Syd Barrett would have been able to bring my loved one into my world and help them understand me to the point where they would be singing along with my music
there was a room in a suite with a view
There was once a beautiful and luxurious space where I had everything I wanted and needed
and a bottle waiting chilled on ice
There was even a bottle of alcohol waiting for me, ready to help me temporarily forget my struggles
but i put rubber on the walls now, baby, and
But now I'm in a metaphorical padded room, known to be used to keep patients safe and prevent self-harm
the bottle's empty cause i drank it twice
I've turned to alcohol to numb my pain so much that I've already emptied an entire bottle by myself
sip sip sip
I'm continuing to drink alcohol even though it's not helping me in the long run
in the room with a view
I'm still in the luxury space, but it means nothing to me now
staring at the trees, laughing
I've lost touch with reality to the point where I find myself laughing at things that aren't actually funny
and i'm never coming back, no i'm never coming
I'm gone for good and never going to return to the way things were before
the only thing left to do
I'm so far gone that there's nothing else for me to do anymore
break another wine glass in my hand, laughing
I'm so disconnected from reality that I'm hurting myself by breaking a glass, even though I'm laughing while I do it
and i'm never coming back, no i'm never coming
I'm gone for good and never going to return to the way things were before
from my mind
All of this is happening entirely in my own mind, with no basis in reality
Contributed by Avery J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.