Not Unreasonable by The Tomorrow Society
This song was written in hot anticipation of the upcoming Vancouver Municipal Election, by International Tomorrow Society (Vancouver’s newest glam folk band). The lyrics are an arrangement of other peoples’ words, sent to the band via Facebook, e-mail and text message. Friends and Cyber Contacts were asked to write in with “self-serving by- laws”. It is objectively cool that even when people were given the instruction to be selfish, they couldn’t help coming up with good ideas. “I think every community should have a planetarium?” Really? THAT’S your idea of selfish? Good work, people. You are nice, and also funny.
Thank you to everyone who wrote in with their ideas. If we didn’t use your words, it was only because they were hard to sing, and we thought our first song should be under ten minutes, for the sake of modesty. We think you should vote on Saturday, November 19th. Check out what the people at Get Your Vote On Are Doing. It’s fun, and will inspire you. And who knows, maybe we’ll get the planetarium.
With thanks, and apologies to Veda Hille, whose Complaints Choir, Confessions, and Happy Birthday Vancouver pieces all heavily influenced the creation of this song. Except that Veda’s pieces all have 1,000 % more chords and are super awesome. Yeah!
Recorded in one of the many Pandora House Living Rooms
Thank you to James Meger for the microphone, and Vinny Gibson for listening to the song 1,000 times while he made soup.
International Tomorrow Society is:
Barbara Adler (accordion plus vox) & Gavin Youngash (guitar plus vox)
Lyrics
The city will provide free dog walking
to anyone ready to trade their poodle in
for a real dog
Every day you ride your bike to work shall be
One day’s wages off your income tax
and there should be free coffee
Or pay what you can coffee all across the city
I’d pay usually– just the option would be nice
It’d build community
I think we need “Water Tower Night”
A mental health program run every Saturday night
We’d erect a temporary water tower in front of the Roxy
Depressives would be given a high powered rifle
and legal immunity.
I mean a paintball gun, obviously.
What kind of maniac do you think I am?
Chorus
Oh no, I’m not unreasonable
I just have needs
I want someone
to pay attention to me,
even when I speak lightly
All roommates are required by law
to scrape their dishes before abandoning them
in the sink for weeks
A tax of $500 per TV in any bar
You shall not sell a burger cheaper than a veggie burger
in the same place
Women over 57 will get a chocolate ration
And if you don’t like the rain, we will fly you to Hawaii
Thank you, government
Poor musicians who qualify
shall have a special seat
at the front of the bus
to store their instruments
and if you give them dirty looks
you get locked in a room
and forced to listen
to new Sting records
Stipends for street artists
Every bar shall have a music license
And unless given a specific exemption for technical reasons
All performing stages are required to install a trap door
and a functional front curtain.
Goddammit. How else is a working magician
gonna make it in this city…
And I’m just wondering…Can I have a by-law that makes people get out of my way?
Chorus
I know these are wishful thoughts
but I think it’d be great if each community had a planetarium
and star shows were given once a week
There should be a number you can call
for someone to read out loud to you
There should be HAM radio stations in each community
just interviewing locals, and someone’s kid,
yeah, someone’s kid, could play the Tuba!
People making more than a bag of garbage per week
Shall be buried in styrofoam by the community
– This will build neighbourhood.
A hefty fine per area of pavement on your property
Money from this pavement tax shall fund the restoration
of native plants.
Ban all West Side baby buggies
that are as big as the SUV’s they came in.
Yes, we know you can procreate…
no go home, and stop blocking the doorway to my coffee bar!
Chorus
