albums
Compilations
2012 Casio Picks
2012 Piano Picks
2012 Acoustic Picks
2012 Electric Picks
2013 Trex Video
Childhood (1974-90)
1977 Firsts
1978 Seconds
1985 Cacappella
1986 Eye Beater
1987 Guitarded
1988 Kim 1
1988 Kim 2
1988 Kim 3
1988 Kim 4
1988 Kim 5
1988 Kim 6
1988 Kim 7
1988 Kim 8
1988 Kim 9
1988 Kim 10
1988 Kim 11
1988 Kim 12
1989 Kim 13
1989 Five Dollar Drummer
1989 Wino Three Girls
1990 A Caustic Gutter
1996-1999
1996 NoVaSoCa
1996 Fullerton
1997 Soundtracks
1997 Walk Around
1997 Riding the Greyhound
1999 I Mowed
1999 Simulameous
1999 Yikes
1999 Piano Farte
2000-2008
2001 Marathon
2001 Days Like These
2001 Alcan Back
2001 Sleepy Sloppy
2001 Dad Day Jam
2002 Unfit
2002 The Key of G
2003 Daffy Day
2003 Januweary
2003 Post-Key
2003 Fatiguitar
2003 Oh No
2005 Waiting
2005 Sun Strike
2006 Stinky Room
2006 Schtupid
2007 Coy Pun
2007 Post-Ides
2007 Post-Ideas
2007 Post-Ideals
2007 Warble
2007 Another Same Day
2007 And Another
2007 Bald Ballads
2007 Lunch Broken
2007 Mayo
2007 Mayon
2007 Mayonandon
2007 Mayoff
2007 Juneo
2007 Juneon
2007 Juneonandon
2007 Two Song Rule
2007 Cavy Fury
2007 Infinity Daze
2007 Fall Start
2007 False Tart
2007 Fall End
2008 New Ear
2008 Decadend

Track List

# title lyrics time download listen started recorded rating
1 Drumming Monkeys Sax - 0:07 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
2 The Real Stuff lyrics 6:41 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
3 Caution lyrics 6:53 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
4 Fuel lyrics 8:30 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
5 Bad Song lyrics 4:21 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
6 Totally Drums lyrics 0:57 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
7 How Are You Feeling Inside? lyrics 2:26 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
8 Done lyrics 0:42 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
9 Apostrophizing lyrics 2:57 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
10 Drum Intro lyrics 0:50 download listen locally - 1988-0?-??
11 Five Dollar Drummer lyrics 11:23 download listen locally - 1988-09-??
12 We Are Cool lyrics 4:41 download listen locally - 1988-??-??
13 Cool Reprise lyrics 2:45 download listen locally - 1988-??-??
14 I Know About You lyrics 4:29 download listen locally - 1988-??-??
15 The Time Will Come lyrics 4:15 download listen locally 1989-01-02 1989-01-20
16 Go - 4:54 download listen locally - 1989-01-20
17 Testing Testing lyrics 0:06 download listen locally - 1989-01-20
18 We're Heathen lyrics 6:07 download listen locally 1989-01-18 1989-01-24
19 Pretty Heavy Stuff lyrics 0:03 download listen locally - 1989-01-24
20 Settlement of Southern Africa lyrics 4:35 download listen locally - 1988-04-10
Total 77:42 play all locally album rating:

Notes

This album was my first experiment in multitracking. I recorded one part with a dictaphone and then played it back at a faster speed. I then performed and/or sang along to the sped-up part and recorded the result with a second dictaphone, blending everything together using a mixer. I repeated this process two or three times. This gave me multiple layers of vocals, percussion, and/or keyboards. It was hard to keep everything in key, but I think that gives some of the songs an interesting "edge".

I called myself "Scat-Trav" during these sessions. I was referring to the occasional "scat" vocals and/or was being self-deprecating ("poop").

Around this time, IPECAC was getting started. Jon taught me about recording equipment and I taught him about pots and pans. :) Yes, we literally banged on pots and pans. And suitcases. And thermoses. And a tennis ball hopper. And a can of gasoline. My parents weren't pleased with all the dents. I sang about this on the title track.

I really like the manic, cacaphonic vibe of these songs. The writing's much better than on my earlier stuff. The abundant energy and wit make this my favorite Trex album from the 1980s.

Songs

Drumming Monkeys Sax

This is a bunch of hooting and percussion. I think Jon played sax in this din.

The Real Stuff

This is the first "Scat-Trav" song. It has a solid melody and (laughable) attempts at harmony. I have no idea how the title fits with the lyrics.

Lyrics to "The Real Stuff":

INTRO:
  the real stuff by travis emmitt
  that's me
  all right
  this is the real stuff

  this is it
  this is the song you've been waiting for
  hopefully
  the real stuff
  by travis emmitt
  without jon's help
  1, 2, 3, 4

  1...
  hey we're having a little technical difficulties so spare us

CHORUS:
  woah
  walking through the snow
  walking here ???
  ??? feet

  woah
  walking through the snow
  on a horse here we go
  gotta hold your step

VERSE:
  life is full of those impossibilities
  how 'bout this and how 'bout that
  hey totally quackery how 'bout that, yeah
  totally quackery

  life is full of quacks
  maybe some drinks to fill those cracks
  maybe some drinks to fulfill those cracks

CHORUS:
  oh
  walking through the snow
  here we go on a big long journey
  to who knows where

  oh
  walking through the snow
  here we go on a journey
  to who knows where

BRIDGE:
  listen to the drums
  here we go

CHORUS:
  oh
  walking through the snow
  on a journey here we go

  woah
  walking through the snow
  on a journey here we go
  to who knows where

  woah
  and

  woah
  walking through the snow
  woah
  to who knows where

SOLOS:

CHORUS:
  woah
  and we're walking through the snow
  on a journey here we go

  woah
  as we're walking through the snow
  on a journey here we go
  to who knows where

  woah
  on a journey here we go
  as we're walking through the snow
  to who knows where

END:
  woo
  oh
  walking walking walking walking

  what?
  that was "the real stuff" by travis emmitt
  

Caution

What's the word of caution? We never find that out, do we?

The overdubbed percussion and keyboard are pretty lame, and some of the melody rips off a popular song of that time. Most of the other bits are original, though, and these were my best solos to date, managing to say both melodic and in time with the beats.

Lyrics to "Caution":

this song is called "caution"
this is the next song
this is the next song
it's entitled "caution"
caution
1

let me advise a word of caution
before you listen to this song

let me advise a word of caution
as you listen to this song

singing in a strange world
in a very strange, very cool world
singing in a strange world
everything is ???

oh we're singing in a strange world
singing in a strange tune

a very very strange voice

so i make a few mistakes, a few mistakes
but please don't count ???
don't count it against me, all right

so i make a few mistakes
everybody, everybody's singing it
  so i make a few mistakes
please understand that no one's perfect
except maybe me, maybe

can you hear the echo
as i'm singing in the tube
can you hear the echo
??? oh god

can you hear me ???
can you hear me

this is impressive

we are singing in a very strange world

oh yeah
we are singing
??? sing
you can hear us singing

[scat]
  

Fuel

This has a trancy, tribal, percussive chords. It was probably supposed to be reggae but ended up a weird jazz/funk jam. The bridge is very strange, where everything disappears except the percussion.

Overall, I kinda like this, warts and all. I must have liked it a lot back then too, because I revisited two parts from it later on the album: "How Are You Feeling Inside?" and "Done".

Lyrics to "Fuel":

this song is called "fuel"
and it's very weird
it's supposed to be

this is a song
this is a song called "fuel"

this song is called "fuel"
??? it's called "fuel"

howdie doodie

[scat]

let's switch? on the drums

??? the drums
???

??? the drums

how did you like the way we handled that?
 do you like the way we handled that?
how did you like the way we tore that song apart?
  wooh!
that's all we can say

how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
  it's air washing down your brain
how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
  ???
how are you feeling inside?

here is travis
  i'm almost done
here is travis on the trumpet
he will sound really good
really good, really good
here is travis
  ???

[scat]

we are done

[screaming]
  

Bad Song

The music was getting more complex. I think I was applying some of the jazz chords I had learned in piano practice. This song reminds me a little of "Trek", which I wrote for IPECAC.

Lyrics to "Bad Song":

all right, this is to prove that i am bad
and i mean that in the literal sense; i am terrible

i heard some people out in the audience
asking if i can do,  if i can do bad at all
and they wanted to know if it's possible
for trav, scat-trav to make any mistakes
and we're just about to find that out
this song i intend to show that i can do a bad song
and this is a bad song
here we go

ok, turn the keyboards on
???

it's very very bad

it's a very very bad song
i can do a very bad song
do you want to have ??? bad song

i can do a --

it's about time that i started playing something
on the trumpet so it sounds real cool
i agree, i honestly do agree
i agree

???
it was terrible
drum time
drum time
drum time
drum time

hey
hey
that was the drums
can't get any better
???
here goes

i am singing in a very strange key
  a very strange key
  a very strange key
  a very strange world
in a very very very strange key

and now for something totally special
totally special
  

Totally Drums

This was my first "drum feature". IPECAC made a couple of these but I'm glad I didn't get into the habit.

Lyrics to "Totally Drums":

this is totally drums

clap now
  

How Are You Feeling Inside?

This is the end of "Fuel", with some extra percussion and different vocals thrown on top. That means this was my first "remake" (or "remix"). Remixing is another habit that I'm glad I didn't embrace.

Lyrics to "How Are You Feeling Inside?":

???
how did you like the way we handled that?
how did you like the way we tore that song apart?
[scat]
that's all we can say

how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
it's air washing down your brain
how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
  ??? brain
how are you feeling inside?
how are you feeling inside?
  ???
how are you feeling inside?

here is travis
here is travis on the trumpet
he will sound really good
really good, really good
here is travis
  this is a repeat but who does care?

[scat]
  

Done

This is the end of "Fuel", probably with some extra stuff on it.

Lyrics to "Done":

we are done

[screaming]
  

Apostrophizing

At the end of the first side of the tape, I decided to talk a bit. This established a tradition of me talking at the end of tapes.

Lyrics to "Apostrophizing":

first of all, just have to say
there's not much time left on the tape
and i tend to fill it up the rest with talking
now this has got to be really quacky
and you must think this is really weird
that was bad
ok, i've not been
i've been doing terrible, all right?
i've been doing terrible

ok, i'm gonna cut down the keyboard
i'm gonna cut down everything but the mixer and the tape recorder
and so i'm gonna cut down everything
that means the keyboard

i need to work on
look, in my band i need to have obvious cooperation

yes, i have cooperation now with jon
but we need to, we need to write music
rather than improvise, as i have been doing
and um it's okay to like--

see, if we write a song
we get the basics of the song done
and then we can improvise
but we don't want the whole song improvised
because that ,you know, doesn't work, as you've heard
it has gotten very bad
it has gotten so that you want to just tear up this tape
and you know just sort of rip the front cover off
until you have miles and miles of... air

all right? yeah, i..,
look, i'm tired
and i have no nouns left
after a certain point
my vocabulary just decreases immensely
and it just becomes poo
all right?
you can't expect any more
i've got to get to bed

i'm sunburnt
and i'm actually very very exhausted from recording this
and i'm tired of recording
because i haven't been doing well

and i think it would be a lot nicer
if instead of the keyboard i use the piano
but that means i have to move everything upstairs
or just have the keyboard accompanying me

i need another person, i can't --
it's very hard to do this by myself

so anyways
this is travis the improver
and i hope i'm speaking for the band "apostrophe"
actually, this is just a tape
this tape is mostly warm ups
so was the last one with jon and i's tunes

we have to get serious about it
i mean, we are serious
but i mean, it's hilarious when you look at us
'cause i'm like banging on a tupperware thing and i have --

it's just so rag-tag but it's an attempt
and no one else has been making one
so we can claim that for ourselves
we're the first ever in the history of man to be normal
  

Drum Intro

Another "drum feature". Hmm.

Lyrics to "Drum Intro":

this is my rap

how this is something i want you to hear before it starts
ready? ready?
1
all right
that's supposed to keep you on your toes
  

Five Dollar Drummer

I wrote these lyrics for this music, but later loaned them to IPECAC for "Apostrophe Song" (for which Jon wrote the music). There's lots of energy here, and several catchy moments. This is one of my favorite songs on the album, and was an easy pick for title track.

There's a note on the lyrics sheet indicating that they were written September 1988. This is when IPECAC was in full swing.

Lyrics to "Five Dollar Drummer":

INTRO:
  here it is
  this doesn't mean a big deal to me

  this is the rap that will sweep across the nation
  this is the rap that will sweep across the nation

  it's written by travis
  performed by travis
  without jon's help

  this is like recording 5 or 6
    it is, seriously
  and the mic is right up to the bass drum
  so it's like practically in the thing
  so that you can hear it
  and this isn't turning out too well
  and it's very hard, very difficult
  i'm very disappointed

  and it's called "five dollar drummer"
    five dollar drummer, drummer, drummer
    five dollar drummer

VERSE:
  hear us ring and see us swing
  all of us dancing the bong-a-ling
  hear us sing, see our zing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme
  'postrophe crushin' all the time

VERSE:
  hear us ring and see us swing
  all of us dancing the bong-a-ling

  hear us sing and sing our zing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king

SOLOS:

VERSE:
  hey, don't ding the pots
  and please don't dent the bowls
  try to spare the box
  look at all them holes
  2 3

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme
  'postrophe crushin' all the time

VERSE:
  crushin' crushin' crushin'
  'postrophe crushin'
  'postrophe crushin'

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme
  'postrophe crushin' all the time

VERSE:
  crushin' crushin' crushin' ...
  and bustin' bustin' bustin' ...
  we're crushin' crushin' crushin' ...
  and bustin'

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we got power
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause it's our hour
  'postrophe bustin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe bustin' everything

SOLOS:
  hit it

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme
  'postrophe crushin' all the time

VERSE:
  hear us ring and see us swing
  all of us dancing the bong-a-ling
  hear us sing and see our zing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king

  hey, don't you ding the pots
  and please don't dent the bowls
  and try to spare the box
  just look at all them holes

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause all the time

VERSE:
  crushin' crushin' crushin' ...

BRIDGE:
  hey, hey
  we know how to rap
  hey, hey
  we know how to rap
  hey, hey
  we know how to rap
  we know how to rap

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme
  'postrophe crushin' all the time

VERSE:
  crushin' crushin' crushin' ...
  crushin' crushin' crushin' ...
  our rap

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme
  'postrophe crushin' all the time

VERSE:
  crushin' crushin' crushin' ...
  bustin' bustin' bustin' ...
  crushin'
  bustin'

BRIDGE?CHORUS:
  this is a rap
  ??? know how to rap
  anybody ???
  we are black and know how to rap
  anyone can ??? the mighty rap
  ???

    'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
    'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
    'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
    'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
    'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
    'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing

  hit it
  boys get the groove
  hit it
  boys get the groove ...

  boys get the groove
  girls make their move
  boys get the groove
  girls make their move ...

    this is fake reverb
    this is fake reverb
    apostrophe

  this is fake reverb
  apostrophe

  1 2 3 4

  this is fake reverb

  hey all you guys
  i've got something to see
    ???

  hey all you guys
  i've got something to see
  'postrophe' crushin' 'cause we can sing
    i've got to go

  this is fake reverb

CHORUS:
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we be king
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can sing
  'postrophe crushin' 'cause we can rhyme
  'postrophe crushin' all the time

     this is fake reverb

VERSE:
  crushin' crushin' crushin' ...

    i'm almost done
    this is really fun
    is really fun fun fun fun ...

END:
  yeah, here we go, yeah
  almost done
    'postrophe

  one more time
    yes

  i want you to know that 'postrophe crushes
  i want you to know that 'postrophe crushes
  

We Are Cool

I was making funny of the middle school band. The keyboards are out of tune. I like the accellerating percussion in the beginning. When the keyboard drums finally kick in, it's a bit of a letdown. But then a decent faux-reggae groove gets going. Not very cool though.

Lyrics to "We Are Cool":

this is my song
it's dedicated to the burley jazz band
or just burley band
because they're so pitiful
and this song is very pitiful itself

because this sounds so pitiful
i'm going to dedicate it to the burley band
it's a song i just now wrote
i'm having some technical difficulties so stay with me

here we go
this is a song i just now wrote
by the way my name is travis emmitt
it's gonna be a rap
sort of like
actually i haven't written it yet
ready?

i'm gonna try again
i messed up the last few times
so i hope this time i somewhat succeed

ready?

hey

hey we are doin' the rap
doin' the rap
doin' the rap

we are cool and we know it
and we sure like to show it
  we sure like to show it
  we sure like to show it

we are cool and we know it
and we sure like to show it
  we are cool and we know it
  we are cool, we are cool, we are cool

hey hey hey, we are cool and we know it
and hey hey hey, we are cool and we show it

hey hey hey, we are cool and we know it
and we show it
  cool cool cool

hey, we are cool
  we are very very very cool
hey, we are cool
hey hey hey, surprise, we are cool

we are cool and we know it
and we sure like to show it
that's what this song is about
us being cool and you being found out

we are cool

we are cool and we know it
yes, we show it, that's tops
we are cool and we know it
and we show it, that's tops

cool is what this song is about
and it ???
it died, it died
???

we
we are cool and we know it
and we sure like to show it

cool is what this song is about
and we sure like to pout
oh god

  this song's a monster
  no end, no beginning or anything
  there's no organization
  it's just gone

we are cool and we know it
we are cool cool
we are cool and we know it

  we are very very very very cool
  cool cool cool

we are cool and we know it
we are cool and we know it and we know it
we are cool and we know it
and we know it
we are cool, we are cool and we know it

we are so cool

we are cool and we know it
and we sure like to show it
we are cool and we know it
and we sure like to show it

  song's gone
  song's gone
  song's gone
  song's gone
  song's gone

  i might as well add to it though

this hasn't worked so well
this hasn't worked out well

this hasn't worked out very well
  

Cool Reprise

This reprises "We Are Cool". It's mostly percussion.

Lyrics to "Cool Reprise":

it didn't work out

let's try it again
1 2 3 4

we
we are cool ???
and i'm very off
i don't know where i'm going
i don't know where i've been
i don't know where i am
i don't know where i am

the pace is bad
the pace is gone

??? bad ???
it is very very sad
very difficult

one more time
one more

one more measure
[scat]
  

I Know About You

I think this is about lazy, consumeristic middle class America. Or ghosts.

Anyway, I think this is only 2 layers, so it sounds less hyper. It tries to sound like reggae, and I guess gets closer than the previous songs. I kind of like the sparse feel; it's a breather from the claustrophobic racket of the previous songs.

Lyrics to "I Know About You":

hello?
this is the last rap for today

you might think there's no one worse than the burley band
  uh-uh
well, there is
this song is dedicated to the burley drill team
here it goes

this is the last one for today
  very last one
it's another rap
whatever i call it

hey

i know about you
  yes i do
i know about your family

i know about you
  i do
i know about your family
  i

they like this and they like that
they buy whatever they want
they are sitting on the couches real fat
they are looking like the ghost from haunt you

hey

i know about you
i know about your family
i know about you
i know about your family

i know about you
i know about your family
i know about you

why don't you run?
why aren't you scared?
why don't you run?
why aren't you scared?

oh god, a monster
stinks putrid disgusting
gross make you throw up
vomit vomit
stupid dumb stupid
  

The Time Will Come

Hmm. Teenage angst. That's something new. Not much improvisation here, but the writing is solid.

There are several dates associated with this song, on the lyrics sheet, tape cover, and mentioned in some chatter. Pinning down a recording date has been quite a challenge, and I'm still not sure about it.

The lyrics sheet has three dates listed on it: 1989-01-02, 1989-01-18, and 1989-01-24. I think it's safe to assume that the earliest date represents the day I started writing the lyrics. The others could have been days that I updated the lyrics, either before or after the recording. Or maybe one of them represents the recording date itself.

Meanwhile, this song is the first track on a tape labeled "1988-1989". This would imply that it was recorded in 1988. However, that doesn't make sense if the lyrics weren't composed until 1989. Since the lyrics' dates are more precise than the table label, I'll trust them instead, and will assume that the "1988-1989" was an inaccurate label which I added later.

We have one more clue. "Final Kim Chatter" was recorded on 1988-01-21, and mentions that I recorded a song "yesterday" called "I Need a Little Help". That's probably just another name for this song, which would mean that this song was recorded on 1988-01-20. Of course, it's possible that I was referring to a different version of the song, although I doubt it, since no other recording exists, and this is the sort of song that I would have kept.

For now, my best guess is that I started writing the lyrics on 1989-01-02, edited them on 1989-01-18, recorded the song on 1989-01-20, and then updated its lyrics once last time on 1989-01-24, which may have been the day I recorded the final mix of "We're Heathen".

Lyrics to "The Time Will Come":

CHORUS:
  the time will come for me to be perfect
  the time will come for me to make no mistakes
  the time will come when i say all the right things
  they day will come when i'm awake

VERSE:
  don't let me decide on something
  something that will hurt you
  just stop me while i'm thinking
  you'll never like what i do

  don't let me get out of hand
  you might have to use a little force
  don't get me go too far astray
  just keep me on the course

CHORUS:
  the time will come for me to be perfect
  the time will come for me to make no mistakes
  the time will come when i say all the right things
  they day will come when i'm awake

BRIDGE:
  i need a little help
  and someday i'll be perfect
  maybe i need jump start
  just to get me going forward

  need a little help
  someday i'll surprise them all
  maybe i need jump start
  just to get me going but i need a little help first

VERSE:
  don't let me dig my own grave
  you're only here to help me
  don't let me lose the sight of day
  you're only here to guide me

  someday i'll be perfect
  someday i'll have no faults at all
  someday i'll be completely changed
  but i'll need a little overhaul

CHORUS:
  the time will come for me to be perfect
  the time will come for me to make no mistakes
  the time will come when i say all the right things
  they day will come when i'm awake

  but i need a little help first
  i need a little help first

  [whistling]

  i need a little help first
  

Go

This is an instrumental that I later played with IPECAC (on Catharsis). It's okay.

This song was probably recorded on the same day as either "The Time Will Come" or "We're Heathen". Since the "Final Kim Chatter" was recorded on 1988-01-21 and refers to "three" new songs, including "The Time Will Come" and "We're Heathen (original)", I'm guessing that "Go" was the unmentioned third song. This means it was recorded on or before 1988-01-21. So, that makes the most likely date 1988-01-20.

Testing Testing

I'm guessing this was recorded on the same day as "Go".

Lyrics to "Testing Testing":

testing testing 1 2 3
  

We're Heathen

This is what happens if you don't say your prayers.

Seriously, though, this is one of my favorite songs on this album. It's got tons of energy, relatively tight keyboard parts, and better harmonies than anything I had recorded so far. I even like the "descent into Hell" bit at the end.

This is the full version of the song. There's a "simpler version" on Kim 13 (recorded 1988-01-21) that I sent to my (very religious) cousin. This full version adds vocal overdubs, and was probably recorded a few days later. My best guess is the 1988-01-24, since that appears to be the last day that I updated the lyrics for "The Time Will Come", and I tended to work on songs in clumps back then.

Lyrics to "We're Heathen":

INTRO:
  get ready, get ready, get ready, get ready, get ready
  here we go, go
  this is experience that is more scary than a rollercoaster
  it's just about the worst experience in the world,
  the world, the world, the world
  let's hit it, let's hear it, let's hear it
  let's hear it, let's ???
  worst experience in the world
  oh god i'm scared
  [screaming]

  we're heathen, we're heathen ...
  heathen, heathen, heathen, heathen ...

CHORUS:
  we're heathen, heathen
  we don't believe in god
  we're atheists, we're humanists
  we don't believe, we don't; why not?

  we're heathen, we're heathen
  we don't believe in god
  we're atheists, we're humanists
  we don't believe, we don't; why not?

VERSE:
  god is just a figurehead
  another name for conscience
  why not teach us common sense
  instead of preaching nonsense?

  trust in god, that's what you say
  trust in god so blindly
  never stop to reason first
  just so you won't worry

CHORUS:
  we're heathen, we're heathen ...
  we're heathen, we're heathen ...

  ??? you know let's go, ha ha ha

VERSE:
  stop being so naive
  stop being gullible
  stop being misdirected
  start being sensible

  make the decision
  turn against religion
  be independent
  show us your wisdom

CHORUS:
  we're heathen, we're heathen
  we don't believe in god
  we're atheists, we're humanists
  we don't believe, we don't; why not?

  we're heathen, we're heathen
  we don't believe in god
  we're atheists, we're humanists
  we don't believe, we don't; why not?

VERSE:
  stop being so naive
  stop being gullible
  stop taking misdirected
  start getting sensible

  so make the decision
  turn against religion
  be independent
  and show us your wisdom

BRIDGE:
  heathen, we're heathen, heathen ...
  we're heathen, heathen, heathen ...
  heathen, we're heathen, heathen ...
  we're heathen, heathen, heathen ...

  ??? heathen and we don't want to be ???
  heathen, heather, heathen
  [screaming]

VERSE:
  start getting sensible
  stop being sensible

END:
  [screaming]

  i think we're in hell
  i think we're in hell
  

Pretty Heavy Stuff

This ends the album with a chuckle.

Lyrics to "Pretty Heavy Stuff":

pretty heavy stuff
  

Settlement of Southern Africa

This is the audio from an animated video that I made for History Day in 1988. The background music is "Waiting for a Call (2)".

Lyrics to "Settlement of Southern Africa":

the settlement of southern africa

the bushmen were the first inhabitants of southern africa.
for more than 10,000 years they hunted and gathered food and used stone tools.
they were notably small in stature, probably related to the central african pygmies.

bushmen dwelt mainly in the more plentiful northern regions of what now is south africa
until they were pushed southwards by invading hottentots.

the hottentots were cattle herders and village dwellers
like the bushmen, they did not use agriculture and gathered their nuts and berries.
the hottentos shared many religious beliefs and customs with the bushmen
and had similar ruling structures.
coming from more northern regions of africa, they pushed the bushmen into poorer lands.
that way their cattle could have better grazing land.

for many centuries the bushmen and hottentots were the only dwellers of south africa.
then roughly 400 years ago, the bantu invaded the region from the north.

the banto spread through -
the bantu spread through southern africa during the 13th through 17th centuries
and migrated in immense numbers from the more northern parts of africa
as the hottentots had done.

cattle played an important role in their lifestyle.
cattle were used both as trading money and for their milk, skins, meat, and labor.
as well as being cattle herders, the bantu were also agricultural.
because of their vast numbers, the bantu tribes required vast amounts of land.
since arable land is obviously more valuable,
that was the first territory taken by the bantu.
the hottentots and bushmen were likewise pushed into less and less favorable regions.

in 1652 jan van riebeck, a dutch explorer, founded what is now cape town
on the cape of good hope.
for years the dutch and portugese had been trading with india
and the east indies by way of water route.
this new settlement provided a halfway point for the trading ships to stop at.

the population of this new dutch colony grew rapidly,
and eventually, voortrekkers, which were boers,
were sent to find new grazing land for the cattle.
the colony's borders expanded into the territories
of the various african tribes already there.
numerous battles resumed
and the numbers of the bushmen and hottentos were reduced massively.

the dutch then met the bantu in the early 1700s
and in 1779 a series of frontier wars was begun.

later, in the 19th century,
diamonds, then gold were found in great quantities in parts of the region.
this attracted the attention of the british who, with little resistance from the dutch,
took control over the area and made it a british colony.
this colony gained its independence during the early 17 -- 1900s
and came to be known as the republic of south africa.

music by travis emmitt

music:
  all right, um, okay,
  just go on and make a list of all the things i didn't have in this version
  that were in the original
    but this is faster
  all right, this one's faster
  so what's, what's it called again?
  waiting for a call