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Burned Ground

by The Big Cats

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about

This track features a bunch of callbacks and if you pay attention and know what to listen for (and give a flying you-know-what), you'll pick up on them.

Firstly, the song was built on drums recorded in 1989 when we were in a rockin' little band called Wayne's Moon Wax. Using the miracle of digital technology (like what The Beatles used for their latest song to extract John Lennon's vocals) we pulled out Paul's drums from a song called "Test #2" and built the groove from there. Modern livin'.

Within the song, we also use a refrain of one of the very first The Big Cats songs (circa 1990): "We don't breathe up here." If that wasn't enough nostalgia for you, we used some of the same microphones used back in the 1989 recording, as well as a rhythm provided by the old analog Casio keyboard for which Jon and Paul pooled their meager earnings at the time to buy in 1986 or so...the damn thing still works!

The technology may be vintage, but the subject matter is completely 2024. We think you'll enjoy it, won't you?

See the astonishing video at youtu.be/tMwUcbUAOxg

lyrics

I'm sick of going over burned ground
That smells like rubber, fumes, and tar.
As far as I can tell you've burned it all around
And left me stranded in this car.

Why should I compromise when all you
offer me are threats and lies
To try to keep things just the same?
Why should I compromise while you're
kicking dirt into my eyes
And saying, "Now' s no time for blame"?

Head down through another brutal summer,
Each longer and hotter than the last.
And now the winters punch our lights out.
What an absolute· arctic blast.

Why do you think
You can hide from this fate?
Why do you think
You can find some escape?
I'm sick of going over burned ground.
I'd bet you've heard this song before.
You think there's room for you to go around,
But soon there won't be any more.

Why should I compromise when all you
offer me are threats and lies
To try to keep things just the same?
Why should I compromise while you're
kicking dirt into my eyes
And saying, "Now's no time for blame"?

credits

released March 18, 2024
Jon Hall: Music/lyrics, all stringed instruments, percussion, lead vocals, inspirations, bringing dinner over every week prior to recording

Paul Nixon: Drums (recorded in 1989 and digitally extracted in 2023), background vocal counterpoint, recording, mixing, mastering, endlessly futzing with the stereo panning

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The Big Cats Austin, Texas

Paul and Jon are a recording duo from Austin, Texas. We grew up in Abilene. We enjoy things of a similar nature. We play songs, mostly which we've written, and a few we didn't. We don't play live because we're too nervous and don't want to stay up too late. We are friends. ... more

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