The Devil Taught Me How To Dance (The Intro) - (MASTERED)

🆕 Introducing Audio Issues: A verbal playlist and sonic time capsule—a new medium for memories and melodies. Sound interesting? 🎶 🎧 🔊 Keep listening...

Oct 11, 2022

My father and I at his surprise 48th birthday party. Nearly 2 years apart, this is still his Facebook profile picture.

If you've been here before, skip ahead to Track #1 and listen to “Pyro” by Kings of Leon (2010).

Disclaimer: You do NOT have to listen to the accompanying music in this series’ list of ‘tracks” to understand #TDTMHTD as a whole…but you will not get the entire multimedia experience and/or message without it. Please at least turn on the music (when asked) in the background at a comfortable volume that still allows you to read and comprehend. Want a more literal explanation of Audio Issues? Click here. Thank you and enjoy.

My people…

Writers, addicts, narcissists, abusers, and victims. You each have a song or two on my curated playlist. Why?

I act like you. I write like you. On my best and my worst days, I hurt like you do. Maybe I am you. We should trade playlists. Better yet, let's dance.

It's really not that hard to move like any of you. It’s as simple as learning to move to a song that I already know all the words to. I was born to move to this beat. I've known the lyrics to the chorus for my entire life:

Spin the shameful and horrific actions that are already part of your reality.
Turn them into beautiful words and pictures that serve your goals and protect your interests.
Done? Do it again.

Writers feel it in their fingers. Addicts ooze it from their mouths. This fine, tuned melody is everywhere. It gave us Marilyn Monroe's naked body and OJ Simpson’s "Twitter World" feed. It's even in our politics.

Narcissists and abusers hum it in in their heads while they walk down the street. Victims' ears have it stuck on an endless loop—produced by pain, mastered in hell.

Can you hear the music that I'm talking about?

Which song is it? Trauma.

Who recorded it? Trauma ft. Trauma. Produced by DJ Trauma. That's too depressing for me, even in this post-pandemic, pre-war world.

Why don't we try to squeeze more from this music that we all make together? Why don't we tell our stories in a different way?

And that's not just music from trauma. Oh, no. That's not the only music we can make together. Wedding songs, birthday songs, anniversary songs, songs about lost friends, and future fears.

Your memories and thoughts mixed with my words, fit to your voice.

It's all possible if this show goes well. But that's not today's tracklist. For now, I want you to learn from my stories. My trauma. My life. My music.

They each have a dedication too. These songs convey the lyrics that I could never sing for them.

I want you to hear me write like I’m happy. Like I’m sad. Like I’m angry. I want you to feel everything.

As a digital audience reading real-life trauma, we care about what actually happened for 10 minutes. Then we forget about it for the next lifetime. We learn nothing. All lost like dust in the technological wind. The millions of online stories of trauma like mine and far worse that live and die every day...why do we waste them?

We need to record these stories into a new medium. Some written stories have to be heard in order to be believed.

I want stories that we actually want to play back to ourselves later.

That's why I’m putting Audio Issues into the mix—a regular publication geared toward using music, lyrics, and intense, descriptive language to organize, address, and perform our collective traumas. I want to spin tragedy and turn pain into multi-media experiences that will beat on your heart. I want you to see tangerine-tinted sunsets and feel cool, rushing waters.

I know, I know, the picture helps, but still…hear me out…

This initial 5-part series will NOT FOLLOW traditional grammar, emphasis, or formatting—I'm attempting to create a mood.

The overall premise of this initial series is a 5-part multimedia / “true story” / family drama / cautionary tale set to music. It includes songs, lyrics, explicit and censored versions, photos of me, my travels, nature, + my life, and TONS of literary, film, and of course, musical references. They all make their own music!

Please take a listen, take a look, and feel free to hit me back with any questions about anything.

I hope my playlist envelops you.

I hope that you play the music that I've chosen while you read my work.

**Track #1 — Burning It All Down To A Soundtrack**

I hope it puts you in the mood to empathize with others. To listen to more music.

I can use all types of instruments, and I do. Cringe, off-the-wall humor, tragedy, onomatopoeia, rapid repitition, alliteration, anything you and yours want to read or recite…it's all music to me. Need to hear it first? I understand.

The first of my own initial and most emotional musical contributions, Track #1, “Burning It All Down To A Soundtrack” set to “Pyro” by the rock band, Kings of Leon, is linked above and below. And HERE.

**Track #2 — Billons of Pixels & A Few Million Dollars**

Do you prefer more aggressive and explicit material? Rap & hip-hop? Wordplay?

Track #2: “Billions of Pixels & A Few Million Dollars” is live and published here, “…the profligate son (rap) battles his father for the cinematic future of their family & the world's largest private video game collection…” Set to “Cinderella Man” by Eminem.

Track #3: “Islands of Adventure (And Alcohol)” drops by 12/10 @ 7PM EST for subscribers and readers—stay tuned…"Go on a musical journey through childhood wonder and adult addiction—all of islands, all of the alcohol. Set to theme music and Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5."

ADMISSION TO AUDIO ISSUES IS FREE! Just try to show your ID at the door…

This initial 5-part series, hereby dubbed the titular “The Devil Taught Me How To Dance” (TDTMHTD) is mature in content. I do not advise that children read it without parental supervision AND guidance. It will never cost money to listen to or share.

Every piece of “explicit” or NSFW content will have a matching “censored” version. This is what gets sent to subscribers. Again, check here for the “uncensored” tracks, beginning with Track #2 (SFW) here.

Elements make up everything else around them, just like words.

This series is made up of a symphony of events from my real life—some are metaphorical, some literal.

After reading this series, I want you to know the answers to questions like:

“Who is HerbertTheRed?” #WhoIsHerbert or #WhoIsHubert
“Did everyone lose their minds when they found out?”
“Are you in control of your addiction today?”
“Do you feel remorse? Are you a bad person?”
“What happened to the family after the fire?”
“What do your siblings think of you?”
“How mature can a child really be? Can they be trusted with trauma?”
“Hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe millions, on arcade games, movies, and music…why?”
“Why leave TN? Why New York? New Jersey? Why Miami? Colorado? Why travel in a van for the next few years?”
“Why do you now hate the man who loved you most?”
“What did he do?”

My playlist depicts some of the most private and personal details of my life. I implore that everyone reading it understand that this is all extremely difficult to share publicly—although I acknowledge the obvious criticism of not needing to.

These days, I travel the country and work remotely as a full-time writer—I’m pretty happy. But, it wasn't always that way and I want to feel even better. That's why I hope that I'm really doing this.

Some of this story will paint me and my former decision-making, especially under the influence of alcohol, in a very poor light. I am more than willing to speak to anyone privately or publicly ~~on Twitter @davidlynn93~~ on Mastodon @davidhasaudioissues about those same decisions. For those who are curious, I am currently sober from alcohol—but my path is my own. Drink at your own risk.

Like any good concert, there will be a lineup. And I'm the opening act—the one everyone wants to hear the least from. If this post has interested you, you’re my headliner. You’re who I want to hear from.

If you'd like to make music together, contact @davidlynn93 on Twitter and tell me your story.

We'll share it with the world. One verse at a time, if we have to. Until that day comes, I'll be a good opener and perform my little one-man show as quickly as possible. I hope you enjoy learning about my life, or at the very least, learn how to avoid something unfortunate that I couldn’t. I hope that I learn a lot more about you.

I already started the next fire for you. Help me spread it.

The first installment of this initial 5-part series, “Burning It All Down To A Soundtrack: Track #1” is published and available to read here.

Here's a teaser excerpt:

“Pyro” - Kings of Leon (2010)

I won't ever be your cornerstone.

“Burning It All Down To A Soundtrack”

I was a teenage arsonist. I burned down my local church. I torched my high school. I flamed out of college—thrice. There's a lot of scorched earth where my family tree used to grow...can't you hear the music already?
Something is happening in that house…

If enough people listen and share my playlist, them maybe things will get better for us. I hope they will for you too. I'm always hoping. Always listening.

Thanks,

David Lynn