fuck you i’m going underground

So… the title is pretty intense. I got an email from a record label and they said they wanted to talk to me and make me an offer… long story short they wanted 80%, and when I hung up the phone I wrote this song.

It wasn’t the offer specifically that sent me over the edge. The finer points of the conversation quickly told me they didn’t care about me or my music. I got their attention by getting some streams, and they wanted to use my name with their formula to make a profit. I even considered it for about an hour, and tried to convince myself it was a good idea… all the while getting more and more angry until the song formed itself and would not be held back.

Grand Commander songs represent my journey through life. Anyone who wants it to be anything else will be met with the same attitude… fuck you, I’m going underground. I don’t want to fight. I don’t want to waste energy on people who don’t want me to be me. People in my circle want me to be me. I want you to be you.

In regards to expressing individuality, the great juggernaut of social media and the information age mixed with people in positions of power combine to radiate an oppressive groupthink kind of vibe that feels like a vast subsection of the world is a black hole whose center is a bland grey wasteland of homogenous mediocrity. The suits with spiral eyes, the airbrushed Instagram lives that don’t exist… normally I brush them off like dust from my skin. The rare moments when I pause and listen to the whispers are few and far between. This conversation was one of those rare occasions. Getting “signed” was a childhood dream, so my guard was temporarily down. The offer got past my first line of defense, and proceeded to ignite my disgust for part of the world that is simply so… tiresome.

What’s funny is I don’t feel like this every day. Once the song was written I came back down to Earth. You could say the conversation touched a nerve. Don’t toy with me, and don’t fuck with grand commander. I protect grand commander. It’s my way of dealing with this wild experience of life. It is my vessel that connects me to a community I feel very lucky and grateful to be a part of.

My message to any of the artists reading this, or anyone who expresses themselves in any way, be weary of those who believe they can show you the path. If someone shows me a path and says it will take me to the grail, I won’t take it. Quite simply, it’s not my path. I don’t know what your path is. Only you know. That notion informs the essence of this song.

As always, I’m sending all the love I have to everyone reading this. You make this journey worthwhile. One of the parts of my life I am most grateful for. Thank you.

Sam

Lyrics:

Fuck you, I'm going underground 
To the bottom of the earth I'm bound 
I control the light switch, no one makes a sound 
Goodbye world I'm going underground 

Destiny has tested me again 
Filling me with thoughts of giving in 
Paint me in the corner, flash a shiny grin 
I passed the test and yes I win again 

Rocket to the bottom, let the drill bit spin 
Loose debris and lava, seal my vessel in 
Ultraviolet bulbs of light will save my fragile skin 
So far below I hope to never see the sun again 

Fuck you, I'll tunnel underground 
To live without my enemies around 
Retinas are burning, lack of sight profound 
Fuck you, I'll tunnel underground 

Can't you see I live the way I choose? 
Away from robots making all the rules 
Despite the calculations, I know I must refuse 
Fuck it all, I live the way I choose 

Rocket to the bottom, let the drill bit spin 
Loose debris and lava, seal my vessel in 
Ultraviolet bulbs of light will save my fragile skin 
So far below I hope to never see the sun again 

Fuck you, I'm staying underground 
Subterrane is warmer anyhow 
Up and up and up and up is making me feel down 
Fuck you, I'm staying underground