Eventual Ukulele Superstar
I haven’t been playing a ton of shows recently while I’ve been working on writing a book, but Jamie DeWolf gave me a microphone at Tourettes Without Regrets in Oakland last month and today I discovered there’s video evidence! Here’s my little lighthearted, dark-humored ukulele tune, “Don’t Know Much About Star Wars” that both is and is not about Star Wars, including a new verse I wrote for the occasion. (Thanks to Kenny Hoff for the vid!)
Cannabis is slowly being legalized, but you know what else is?
Fascism.
Written by Emily Yates
Music:
Emily Yates – vocals, ukulele, bass
Erik Yates – dobro
Videography and editing by Anne Leo
Featuring:
Cecilia Thorn
Parker Otwell Roe
Andy Thorn
Erik Yates
Adrian Engfer
Jaquita Straw
Annsley Dolan
A song that’s kind of but also not about Star Wars. (Lyrics & credits below)
Words/music/art/sketch videos by Emily Yates
Performance video/audio recording & video editing by Sobokeh
Originally written for and performed at Tourettes Without Regrets, Oakland CA
Lyrics:
I wish I knew more about Star Wars than real wars
I wish I knew more about Jedi than drones
I wish I knew more about Obi Wan
Than about the civilians we’ve recently bombed
Oh I wish I knew more about Star Wars than real wars
When you mention the Force, you think Skywalker
I think of our air force exploding Iraq or Afghanistan
And I don’t know much about Star Wars
But I think we might be on the Dark Side
Oh I wish I knew more about Star Wars than class war
I wish I knew more about droids than gentrification
I wish I knew more about Luke and Leia
Than about a health-care plan that screws the single payer
Oh I wish I knew more about Star Wars than class war
When you mention the Empire you think Darth Vader
I think of our government shamelessly catering to the elite
And I don’t know much about Star Wars
But I think we might be the Empire
And I don’t mind if you’re a walking Wookieepedia
If you’ve got trivia dripping right off of your clothes
Just ask anybody in the media
These other wars have endless episodes
Oh I wish I knew more about Star Wars than drug war
I wish I knew more about clone attacks than crack
I wish I knew more about Kylo Ren
Than about marijuana growers stuck in the pen
Oh I wish I knew more about Star Wars than drug war
When you mention a smuggler you think Han Solo
I think of rich white boys smuggling blow, though
And getting away
And I don’t know much about Star Wars
No I don’t know much about Star Wars
Oh, truly I don’t know much about Star Wars
But I wish I knew less about real wars
First responders solve real problems. First-world responders solve first world problems.
Co-written with Jefferson Bergey, featuring Erik Yates on guitar and vocals for this performance (12/9, Point Richmond CA). Lyrics below the vid!
We’re your first-world responders
We will pack your bowl
We will fetch more ice
When your drink is not so cold
As long as your problems
Are petty and small
We’re your first-world responders
We’re at your beck and call
I just can’t find a yoga outfit that fits
Reception on my cell phone sucks at this Ritz
My streaming movies aren’t loading
What is ‘buffer’?!?!
Don’t try to say I don’t know what it’s like to suffer
We’re your first-world responders
We will pack your bowl
We will fetch more ice
When your drink is not so cold
As long as your problems
Are petty and small
We’re your first-world responders
We’re at your beck and call
I can’t find parking in the Whole Foods parking lot
I just can’t take a decent nap on this yacht
Why do the waiters always have to be so rude
Each time I tell them I’m allergic to food
We’re your first-world responders
We will pack your bowl
We will fetch more ice
When your drink is not so cold
As long as your problems
Are petty and small
We’re your first-world responders
We’re at your beck and call
Where is the fire?
There is no fire
It only exists in your mind
We’re your first-world responders
We will pack your bowl
We will fetch more ice
When your drink is not so cold
As long as your problems
Are petty and small
We’re your first-world responders
We’re at your beck and call
What can I say? He just inspires me.
Looking forward to these shows – click on the image for more info!
Click the image/text or copy & paste the link below to hear me talk and sing my opinions on This Damn World, a San Francisco-based podcast with one of my favorite mottos: Be Fuckin Better.