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Neighbours

from Slaught by Endless Idiot

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about

Neighbours was mostly written in 2022, as part of learning to play slide guitar. The guitar is tuned to open Dm, and recorded in stereo, with one mic pointing at the bridge and another at the neck. The guitar itself is a dirt-cheap £99 Statesboro parlour guitar bought online. There's not much else on the track, just some synthesised bells, and vocals.

The inspiration for the song was a Radio 4 documentary, I think from BBC Scotland, about witch burnings. Apparently "sundry witches" was one way that victims were described, as in "today we burned sundry witches". Quicker than noting down the names of all the victims, I guess... but there's something peculiarly horrible about dealing out death like that, not even on an individual basis, but just as a kind of administrative shorthand. I wanted to call the track "Sundry Witches" but decided it would be too easily misread.

lyrics

All the village gather round
News has come in from the town
There’s a plague, evil in the land
Join the just, be part of the plan
Force confessions, write them down

The clerk will list the first few names
Old maid Carter, Lizzie James
But after time, so many have been done
There’s no patience to question every one
Write, “sundry witches took the blame”

As a proof that you are good
Go get the straw, boys, get the wood
Before the ending of this day
Gather together we can pray
Ring the bell, hear the bell ring

Tie them tightly in the pyre
Feed the flames and fan them higher
Cleanse the land, to help the crop to grow
As bodies burn, feel our troubles go
Sundry witches
Friendless women
Lonely people
Unwanted neighbours in the fire

credits

from Slaught, released May 5, 2023

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Endless Idiot Wallingford, UK

Endless Idiot is a one-faced musical mash exploring different styles and going where the fancy takes. So far the fancy has led to synthwave, post-punk, hauntology, dark folk, minimalism, field recordings, and experimental and orchestral writing. DIY wherever possible, Endless Idiot has fronted or contributed to a fair few bands over the years, most recently punk outfit Who Killed Nancy Johnson? ... more

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