"A bird's high pitched cry, dense undergrowth, a rustling of leaves, this i… Read Full Bio ↴"A bird's high pitched cry, dense undergrowth, a rustling of leaves, this is the jungle... and this is the setting for our album, some far distant land where music is played in rhytmic pattern by the natives. It so happens that the "natives" in this album are all accomplished musicians, and their leader, Paul Conrad is also a well known arranger, having arrenged for both Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman. Here now is Paul Conrad playing his own arrangements, and in the case of "Mejiro" (a little green bird) his own composition. Come now with me into the jungle and listen to well known songs played in the Exotic manner, as I take you to "Exotic Paradise"."

Paul Conrad is a member of Mexican Jazz outfit La Petra (sometimes just called Petra). He contributes with saxophone and tuba on Lila Downs' album La Cantina as well as on some albums by Mexican (Blues-)Rockers El Tri.

Records
Paul Conrad Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You used to run some, now they make hits
'Cause songs have no rights and a pile of shit
You're not an artist, you're just like a dance
But dancing is to art what rape is to romance
You can't teach an old dog new tricks
But the trick is telling you that I'm so worthless
If I'm worthless but I work hard
Does it mean I'm hardless or just as hard?

Some of you true, you signed your on
Suicide's an option and write another song
And we can sing along, we can sing along
We can sing along when you're dead and gone

So take the records off the wall
Take 'em down and burn them all
You don't even have the time
They don't listen anymore

Take the records off the wall
Take 'em down and burn them all
You don't even have the time
They don't listen anymore

Go on then, read my obituary
But be wary of the bitch, yeah she's ordinary
She's just a pop star, want a pop quiz
Now she's popping all the pills
That she can find in showbiz
What's facelift, when you're so faceless
You just have to lick this money
Looking ugly, trying faces
Don't bother to show me your expertize
I know I'm no expert, but you're just a tease
You think you're a god, just don't pray to yourself
You realize your weakness, pray on yourself
Put your headphones on, you better phone ahead
Send me a warning, tell me music's fucking dead

So take the records off the wall
Take 'em down and burn them all
You don't even have the time
They don't listen anymore

Take the records off the wall
Take 'em down and burn them all
You don't even have the time
They don't listen anymore

Tell me the truth inside your eyes
We'll sing a song when you're dead and gone
We could sing along, we could sing along
We could sing along, now that you're gone
We could sing along, we could sing along
We could sing along, now that you're gone

So take the records off the wall
Take 'em down and burn them all
You don't even have the time
They don't listen anymore

Take the records off the wall
Take 'em down and burn them all

You don't even have the time
They don't listen anymore

Overall Meaning

In "Records," Paul Conrad critiques the state of the music industry and the loss of authenticity in modern music. He starts by calling out artists who prioritize making hits over creating meaningful art. He compares their work to a "pile of shit," arguing that they are not true artists but rather dancers who lack the creativity and originality necessary to create art. Conrad goes on to question the value placed on hard work in a seemingly soulless industry, wondering if the effort put in is ultimately worthless. He even suggests suicide as an alternative to continuing to make music that lacks authenticity.

Conrad then turns his focus to the listeners, urging them to take down and burn their records. He argues that the industry no longer listens to its audience and that the music on the airwaves has lost its meaning. He also takes a dig at pop stars who rely on facelifts and pills to maintain their image, urging them to face their own weaknesses.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the futility of holding onto music that no longer resonates with the listener, urging them to move on and find something more authentic. Conrad concludes the song by suggesting that music can still create a sense of community even after an artist's death, urging listeners to come together and sing along.

Line by Line Meaning

You used to run some, now they make hits
Your original music has been replaced with formulaic hits

'Cause songs have no rights and a pile of shit
Despite being important, songs are not valued as they should be

You're not an artist, you're just like a dance
You are not creating true art, just a sound that people can dance to

But dancing is to art what rape is to romance
Dancing without true substance is as destructive to the art form as rape is to the concept of romance

You can't teach an old dog new tricks
People are resistant to change and tend to stick with what they know

But the trick is telling you that I'm so worthless
The real trick is convincing you that I am worthless

If I'm worthless but I work hard
Even if I am considered worthless, I still put in a lot of effort

Does it mean I'm hardless or just as hard?
Does being worthless mean I am not working hard, or that I am putting in just as much effort?

Some of you true, you signed your on
Some of you sold out and signed away your artistic creativity

Suicide's an option and write another song
The pressure to create hits can be overwhelming and lead to extreme measures

And we can sing along, we can sing along
We can enjoy these formulaic hits and participate in the mass appeal

When you're dead and gone
But in the end, these hits will not live on as true art and will be forgotten over time

So take the records off the wall
Remove the records, as they have lost their value and meaning

Take 'em down and burn them all
Get rid of them completely, as they are no longer worth preserving

You don't even have the time
You don't have time to waste on something that is no longer valuable

They don't listen anymore
People have stopped listening to this type of music

But be wary of the bitch, yeah she's ordinary
Be careful of the pop star, who is seen as average and unremarkable

She's just a pop star, want a pop quiz
She is not creating true art, but only creating formulaic music that appeals to the masses

Now she's popping all the pills
She is becoming dependent on drugs to maintain her image and appeal

That she can find in showbiz
The pop star is taking drugs that are easily accessible through the music industry

What's facelift, when you're so faceless
What is the point of getting cosmetic surgery to look better when you have no true identity or meaning behind your art?

You just have to lick this money
The pop star is just chasing after money rather than creating true art

Looking ugly, trying faces
Despite trying to improve their image and appeal, the pop star looks unattractive in trying to present multiple identities

Don't bother to show me your expertise
I don't want to see your technical abilities, as they are not creating true art

I know I'm no expert, but you're just a tease
I may not be an expert, but I know that formulaic hits only tease the audience with a watered-down version of true art

You think you're a god, just don't pray to yourself
Don't let your ego inflate and think that you are creating true art when you are not

You realize your weakness, pray on yourself
Instead, recognize your flaws and shortcomings, and work to improve yourself and your art

Put your headphones on, you better phone ahead
Listen to true art with your headphones on, and be prepared for the changes that real art brings

Send me a warning, tell me music's fucking dead
Warn me that the music industry is dying and mass-produced hits are killing true art

Tell me the truth inside your eyes
Open up and tell me the truth about how you really feel about the state of music

We could sing along, we could sing along
We can still enjoy true art and participate in it as an audience

Now that you're gone
Even though the formulaic hits will be forgotten, true art will live on even after the artist is gone

Contributed by Matthew M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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