FAWM: "Death Squirrel"

Death Squirrel

1 week ago by @zecoopMod · @stevenwesleyguiles

Death Squirrel

zecoop +1

00:00

Liner Notes

DISCLAIMER: This is based on Rock Squirrels. Many squirrels are just plain cute and want a snack.

ZeCoop: SWG showed me a trick to get a different sound on acoustic guitar a few years ago. You put a little piece of foam by the bridge and it gives you a cool muted sound. I used that on this song and I also installed a piece of rubber tubing on the bridge of another acoustic for a similar effect. When I wrote this song, I thought of Steve. It had a really nice lilt and a positive vibe, so I sent it over. I never have any idea what my collaborators are gonna do. (ahem... understatement)

I love how SWG's brain works.
Apparently this was based on a true story.
https://shorturl.at/3rGlS

SWG: sang into an Sm7b >> Cloudlifter >> Focusrite Solo >> GarageBand. The vocal was one or two improvised takes with no rewriting, based on a story that my girlfriend’s sister told me. She lives on (or near) the rim of the Grand Canyon and talked about how there had been MULTIPLE accidents and some fatalities involving people from out of country messing with squirrels. Truth is stranger than fiction. 🤣🤣

I absolutely LOVED the vibe of this track. The acoustic sounds so cool and laidback.

ZeCoop played:
Breedlove Atlas State acoustic 6 string with foam
1960's Silvertone 604 Parlour guitar with a rubber bridge
Squire Jazzmaster

#acoustic #relaxing #atmospheric #mutedguitar #squirrels #deadlyrodents #dontpetthesquirrels

Lyrics

This is one time, I think you made a mistake
You reached out too close to the sun
You never should have went as far as you did
Now it's too late

You were from Australia
You didn't know better
You would think with the kangaroos running around
That you'd know... don't pet the squirrels.

Oh no, but you thought you were better, didn't you?
Oh no, you thought you knew better than the...
Oh no...

Now you're here in these United States
And of course you had to stop at the Grand Canyon
And you saw their furry tails, chittering and cute
So you thought you'd pet that squirrel.
A mistake was made.

Oh no, you thought you knew better than the squirrel
Oh no, Mistakes were made and now you're bitten
Oh no...

How did we get here?
How did we get here?

You're in the hospital with a bad squirrel bite
And then you died from a squirrel bite
Oh man, you died from a squirrel bite
Totally preventable if you hadn't reached out and petted it.

Australians – don't pet the squirrels.
Don't you know? Don't you know?

You thought you were better, didn't you?
Oh no, you thought you knew better than the squirrel
Oh no, you thought you were better didn't you?
Oh no...

Comments

@fearlessflight2014 1w

As an Australian I will consider myself duly warned!! This is such a striking pairing, the lush guitar bed with the matter of fact storytelling.

@bijou 1w

This was a really effective approach with the muted guitars and telephone vox. Cool! The movie Juno keeps coming to my mind as I listen.

@squirrelhavenstudios 1w

On behalf of the squirrel community, I must strenuously object to the lyrical content of this song. On the other hand, you've got to watch your step out there, and this song makes that abundantly clear. Plus, I like the treatment you've given the guitars and vocals on this. Nice work!

@wehappyfew 1w

Wow, i never trusted those squirrels 🐿️ and now we have proof why! I think this is also the first song I’ve ever listened to about our bushy tailed enemy 😀. Love the spacey mellow sound of the guitars and the effect you’ve got on the vocals here. It’s a really interesting mix of relaxing music with biting lyrics.

@sheslin 1w

The disclaimer made me giggle! I just started the song over to hear that intro again - love the acoustic guitar tone - so warm - with that warbly electric guitar is cool. Oh hello vocal effects - also very cool. Wonderful story telling in these lyrics and a disturbing but wonderfully giving song topic! My favorite passage "You're in the hospital with a bad squirrel bite And then you died from a squirrel bite Oh man, you died from a squirrel bite Totally preventable if you hadn't reached out and petted it" - and not just the lyrics but the vocal delivery - sooooo good!! Incredible imagination and creativity on display here. I really like the instrumental track - so much room to create a melody and such a nice vibe to it. @zecoop if you have any spare tracks please send them my way!! Also I am going to have to try that muting trick! Great collab guys.

@gardeningangel 1w

I had to find out how a track called Death Squirrel could be "relaxing" and "atmospheric" and well... yeah. True as advertised. Those guitars are so breezy and soothing. The switch-ups on the vocal effects add really nice textures. A very pleasant and silly-but-true PSA. (RIP, over-eager squirrel enthusiasts. They really are cute little buggers.)

@sapient 1w

This is.... er... just like.... um... y'know...
(/me suffering from concurrent metaphor AND reference failure)
I'm just gonna stick with saying how very different and how very wonderful this song is.
And then listen to it some more.
Big thanks, gents 🤩

@spidersinatrenchcoat 1w

Those vox effects are killer, much like that squirrel. Your cool guitar effects are also urging me to pick up that dusty acoustic guitar in the corner of my house.

@seemanski 1w

Good piece of advice that, this is a very interesting sounding track. It's so laid back but it feels quite disturbed, lyrically and the with the delivery. I think I enjoyed this, little freaked out but that's an emotion and that's what songs are for.

@thefifthsister 1w

What a great vibe. The guitar and the vocals work so great together.

@aeye 1w

This has such an interesting vibe to it. It's got an eerie somberness to it, but also kinda calm and a warning about the squirrels. This is so cool.

@nadine 1w

WTF, I never thought squirrels are dangerous. Never expected them to bite. But maybe it's because we mostly have the red brown ones in Germany (and they're cute!)
Leaned something new today. I really love the effect on the vocals, it makes the sound so chill.

@headfirstonlyMod 1w

The lyrical content, vocal delivery, and that claustrophobic guitar give this a splendidly weird vibe. Absolutely bonkers, and a cautionary tale for us all.

Don't mess with squirrels, man. It's never a good idea.

@karlsburg25 1w

OH guys this is a MEGA COLLAB. Its bloody awesome how John's often unique movements around chords create something so melodically satisfying but also so unique and Steven you have totally nailed that laid back vibe. The switch to the cleaner vocal for the Oh no bits totally brings so much meaning to the lyrics . Brilliant guys

@jamesacop 1w

This is a great PSA. They should put up a sign at the Grand Canyon that says “Australians - don’t pet the squirrels”. For real though, really cool track. Love the unique chord changes and the mix, especially the transitions between echoey intercom and crisp clear vocals.

@eargoggle 1w

Holy cow, dying from squirrel bites??!? I believe it because I heard it in this song. I love this, love the guitar, love the lyrics and the delivery and the weird telephone sound (I don't know what a cloudlifter is but I like what it does).