FAWM: "Westworld"

Westworld

2 weeks ago by @davidtaro

Liner Notes

#movietitlechallenge time! Thank you so much @wacha for making this happen every year, it's always such a good prompt!

So, Westworld. I think I may have seen it many, many years ago. But I only really remember Yul Brynner, in all his iconic majesty. In fact, this song is really just a load of lines building up to several things that rhyme with ‘Brynner’. And I’m alright with that.

In my head it starts as a sort of promo by the Westworld marketing department, before skewing into describing events unravelling in the film. Musically, I was aiming for a modern #country-rock vibe, although it quickly morphed into my own personal elevator pitch for doing Westworld The Musical 🤠 (listening back, I’m actually gutted that I didn’t stick a key change in at the end)...

Lyrics

Have you ever dared to dream
Of mile-wide canyons and pastures green
Small towns, union suits
Calf hide stetsons and cowboy boots
Well boy, dream no more
I’ll tell you what you’re looking for

It’s Westworld, where your dreams come true
And boy have we got a vacation for you
We got country singers, microwave dinners
A psychopathic gunslinger played by Yul Brynner
We got all these things and more
So tell me what’re you waiting for
Are you coming to Westworld

Have you ever yearned to be
A cowboy riding on the ol’ prairie
Well now you can be our guest
With a statistically irrelevant risk of death
Sign here and here
There’s almost nothing to fear

In Westworld, it’s the place to be
The whisky’s smooth and the chicks are free
The sun shimmers, everyone’s a winner
Unless they’re being hunted down by Yul Brynner
You’re always having fun
As long as you pack a gun
When you come to Westworld

Okay folks, don’t be alarmed
Please can you stay nice and calm
There might be one tiny issue
Some of the exhibits may be tryin’ to kill you

In Westworld, yeah I’m sure it’s fine
We see these glitches from time to time
Are you a good runner, a strong swimmer
You’ll need to be to get away from Yul Brynner
So pack your bags and go
The escape tunnel’s down below
To get you out of Westworld

You’re always having fun
As long as you pack a gun
When you come to Westworld

Comments

@brisk 4d

Sign me up. I'm there, provided you provide very generous discounts for the penurous. This is very sunny, and very enjoyable. The chorus is a real stomper, seasoned with Yul-related fun. And robo-murder. Sidenote: is Yul some kind of Christmas reference? Would the English equivalent be Yule? The guitar solo that ends around the 2:00 minute mark is wonderful, and the tone makes me want to spend a few years trying to learn how to play the guitar. The next solo with the repeating pattern reminds me of Lemonheady 90s goodness. Unrelated: did you ever see the sequel? I haven't, but it sounds intriguing. I can't remember what it was called; possibly Futureworld, but not sure. Maybe it was more of a diagonal sequel than a direct one.

@leepat 5d

yes, so fun, great marketing and humour and smoky solos!
I haven't seen the old movie (though I have to now), I was assuming we're talking about the more recent series.
You should check it out, if only for the piano roll covers, but of course there's much more to it.

@paulotteson 1w

Oh, yes. This hits! Good lord man, where do these come from?! The background singers hitting the end bits of the verse is absolute GOLD. Stellar guitar solo leading into the (hilarious) bridge is a great touch. Cleverness and wit throughout in this one - Well done!

@crisp1 1w

Epic! Super catchy music that fills up the ears, and the lyrics are clever and fun. Excellent work!

@greengrassgirl 1w

I loved "microwave dinners!"--totally unexpected, but then, I haven't seen the movie. I love the how music feels full and rich, a great vibe. Your mixes always sound just perfect to me. No exception, this.

@odilongreen 1w

This has such an epic country-rock feel; I haven't seen the movie, but if it's anywhere near as sweeping as this track, I should probably go and see it. There's a majesty to the country vibe. Plus the lyrics are so filled with good humor, and your vocals with sly winks (and those excellent double-tracked harmonies). What a joy this was to listen to!

@chill4matt 1w

I haven't seen the movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed your depiction of it! Very descriptive lyrics and a wonderful backing track + great vocals. Good work!

@zecoopMod 1w

I have the same distant vague memory of Westworld - I remember my older brother loved it but i was just a tiny bit too young. This definitely fits the vibe of the title and I laughed out loud at "A psychopathic gunslinger played by Yul Brynner" 😀 Perfect carefree delivery of a very very serious and dangerous topic, haha. Yul is ever-present in this song, as he should be. Perfect times for great solos too. This made me want to watch it again (but it won't be as fun)

@n24 1w

Mmmm yeah bring out that western country vibe, I'm so into it! Oh man! I'm struggling not to swear listening to those 'In Westworld... ' sections, the lyrics are actually spectacular, especially the 'psychopathic killer played by Yul Brynner' and the perfect follow ups in the rest of the song, *chefs kiss* is so well deserved cuz. The backing singers the absolutely banging drum lines, this is a tour de force!

@nuno 1w

Well this is as great as I’ve come to expect when I listen to your tracks. Always love your work with vocals and it the overall sound is always so pro. Fab solo, sound and song.

@themelgoexperience 1w

that bass drum sounds real nice. so do microwave dinners.

@fearlessflight2014 1w

Wow! This is total BANGER! So clever to frame the lyrics from the point of an advertiser with the twist in the 3rd verse. It brought that old movie back so clearly especially that unhinged performance by Yul Brynner. I love the production and that awesome chord progression. All round QUALITY!

@squirrelhavenstudios 1w

This is a blast. You've got some great "Brynner" rhymes here and you do an excellent job of first laying out the appeal of Westworld and then detailing its collapse. I think my favorite line is, "Are you a good runner, a strong swimmer, you'll need to be to get away from Yul Brynner." That is hilarious. And, as usual, your production and playing is top notch. Another great job. Thanks for sharing.

@jeff9 1w

Super original idea here and the realization of it is mind-bogglingly good. The lyrics are clever as heck and the music is priceless. You seem to have fabulous melodic passages always just bursting at the seams ready to break out and when they do, they just soar. Everything is tasty, but the guitar breaks are especially delicious--like Snoop says in that commercial, "like peanut butter on jelly on gold"!

@fonte 2w

For some reason I absolutely love the line 'we got country singers and microwave dinners'. Yeah I could hear this on the radio in 2045 and thinking hmm yeah, why not.

@sollis 2w

I know very little about Westworld or Yul Brynner, but I am absolutely gonna be there for the opening night of your musical. Still to time to shoehorn in a key change, but it's incredibly well written and catchy as it is.

@jibbidy34 2w

Ok I didn’t know about the movie challenge or even heard of Westworld but now I want to go see both! Fun, tightly crafted lyrics and hats off for the Brynner rhymes - microwave dinners was a hoot! The music as always is A++

@cleanshoes 2w

I would completely be on board with Westworld: The Musical. So catchy, man. The cheery descent into turmoil! The Yul Brynner rhymes! This is everything I hoped it would be.

@scruffyblues 2w

All kinds of brilliant!!! Makes me imagine a full version theme tune for a ‘Weatworlds’ sitcom that is yet to be created. It made me smile and sway, love it!

@taracraig 2w

This is fabulous!! You nailed the modern country rock vibe IMO — great hook and the guitars are 😘. The lyrics are hilarious. I can totally imagine a Westworld sales associate delivering all these lines. I think my favorite lines are the 'statistically irrelevant risk of death' / 'almost nothing to fear' and ‘pack your bags and go’ / ‘escape tunnel’s down below’.
This is an absolute delight. Amazing job!!

@rogerhammond 2w

"With a statistically irrelevant risk of death, sign here and here"... some great lines in there. They really paint a picture. Production is amazing, the guitars sound great and especially ove the backing vocals and how they get big near the end. Absorbing groove and a catchy melody. Can't ask for much more.

@wehappyfew 2w

I’d forgotten all about Westworld but this brought all the imagery and narratives flooding back. Epic performance and production here with some stellar guitar solos and vocals along the way! I reckon the producers of Westworld should snap this up as the theme tune if they write a new series!

@eas3637 2w

We got country singers, microwave dinners
A psychopathic gunslinger played by Yul Brynner

Good god, you just made my night

@hbusse 2w

Oh gosh love the snark of this. Same favorite lyric as @jonmeta 😊 Tastefully huge production choices as usual from you!

@codeenergy 2w

Why does everything you do always sound like it's been recorded at some high end studio? The amount talent put into the music and mix blows my mind. Also, I'm always a sucker for a big phat bendy guitar solo so we'll played.

@nahlej381 2w

Ive not seen west world but i have heard this song, so ya, basically an expert. Such range…do nu metal next!!!! I bet you can make the must butt cheek genre sound angelic.

Some really slick guitar work peppered throughout plus that ginormous voice. Your music hits me right in the balls of my soul.

@jonmeta 2w

The sound you've created is epic, worthy of a cinescope Western or the wide West itself. I think my favourite line is the 'statistically irrelevant risk of death' / 'almost nothing to fear'. This could go right onto a commercial album or TV soundtrack. Always love your BGVs and guitar solos. ... I wonder, could this be a parable for America itself?

@jerrypettit 2w

Watched the movie AND all of the HBO episodes (and I thought there was another season to come, but maybe they changed their minds on that). This is a GREAT song about it! If there IS another season, I hope this is featured on the soundtrack! ❤️

@klyma 2w

Cool song!

@bethdesombre 2w

This could totally be the trailer for the movie . . . I love "I’ll tell you what you’re looking for." Such great lines -- the changing ones that precede the Yule Brynner line (which itself is excellent) are my favorites.

@ayeahmur 2w

My walk into the office in the morning takes 35mins? Over half of that time this morning was spent listening to this song. It is a masterpiece. Period. I've seen Westworld (the movie) SO many times (I've also seen the more recent TV show but it didn't have Yul, so, meh) and 100% the best thing about it is Yul Brynner... as a psychopathic gun-toting android. Which is why this song is a masterpiece. It identifies the gold in its subject and makes it frickin shine.
The lyrics are Yukon gold. The music is perfect in every respect (was that a yee-haw tucked in behind the guitar solo?). You can save the modulation for the Finale reprise. I would like to purchase a ticket now please!

@anthonykapfer 2w

hot damn! wooooo. TWO guitar solos?? and they are both tasty as hell.

“a statistically irrelevant risk of death” has got to be my favorite line, but the whole song is full of great lyrics.

i listened to this twice in a row and it was just as good both times.

this should have been the theme song to the tv show, even if Yul Brynner wasn’t in it

@sheslin 2w

You are a master lyricist - how you took the same movie I watched and described it so cleverly and with such great story telling and flow, and framed it as an advertisement. Just brilliant! The musical treatment just elevates it into something so incredibly cool. Oh - and if that was not enough you also made it funny - both lyrically and with your awesome vocal delivery. What a treat! Fab lead guitar. The chorus is living in my head now and I don't mind a bit! Bravo!

@audrey 2w

I can't stop laughing. This is soo good! What a great lyric and melody. Love it!

@quoththellama 2w

I LOVE the music, and the lyrics are so clever. You went so hard on this lmao. Fantastic job, David. I second the comment about watching this if it were a musical.

@djtjb 2w

That build into the chorus is pure magic! I was hooked from the opening strums, but that part is truly cinematic. Those solos are straight heat btw.

@gwynjones 2w

Ooooh Blimey! I didn't expect this to be such a big, dynamic production when it began, Then as it exploded into life, I thought "Of course, DT can do it all, so why not?"
And so another classic came into being...

@richaaaay 2w

This song is like three dimensional chess, so many layers happening at once that my simple checkers based mind is all contorted in amazement. What a spectacular production! Fantastic music and superb storytelling. The slide guitar and solo are perfect…and so is everything else about this song. So so good…

@coolparadisoMod 2w

Very clever! It’s a good description of the film as well! Saw this a lifetime ago! Really well put together as I expect! Nice guitar , right up my street!

@newukenewyork 2w

I love how this one twists and turns in terms of narrative, and I was really moving with that chorus. Great melody and rich track. This is not a novelty — really a solid song!

@gfandme 2w

I was a big fan of the first season of Westworld, second was ok and later seasons were quite disappointing, but this song is a banger from start to finish!

@esc4p3 2w

Fab lyrics, I might have seen the film many years ago, but this kind of brings it all back to me. I adore the electric guitar breaks in here, just adore. This is a bit of a masterpiece really, one of my FAWM '25 faves so far

@nadine 2w

I never saw Westworld but your song makes me watch it. Such an interesting add for a series :D Musically I didn't expect that rodeo ride on Americana . That slide guitar snd solo is great

@cts 2w

Ok, I’m going. Can’t be any worse than my office situation here at the moment. Yeah, ya kinda when Broadway here, my friend, but I really like how this turned out and I can certainly hear a key change. But shoot, it all works just as is.

@willow1 2w

Who knew Yul Brynner was so rhymable?! Super fun and honestly I’d go see a musical with this kind of wacky.

@billwhite51 2w

this is the best sales pitch for a movie (or a theme park or a musical based on a theme park) tat i hve ever heard. I got me wanting to go there, although it really is te last place id want to be if i was in my right head. but you cur through all that with those guitars and unforgettable-vacation promises. what a pitch. And even if i didnt fall for the pitch, i would still buy the record.

@philnorman 2w

If Weird Al was shot down in a blaze of glory...

I giggled and smiled my way through the whole thing. This reminds me I really enjoyed the first season of the more recent HBO Westworld series, but apparently shouldn't watch the following seasons because they're bad. But maybe they're the enjoyably good kind of bad, like this song.

@oddbod 2w

Ooo I get to bust a David Taro zong. More when I get through it all but for now it sounds great.
Yeah this is top stuff. That chorus is super awesome and catchy. Digging the whole modern Nashville sound complete with great guitars all round - clean, slide and overdriven - nice solo. Superb work with production, performances and arrangement. Loving this one and you've absolutely nailed the brief.