Author: julien

Categories
Kentucky Music & Songs Sky Blue, Ether, Flags, and Fairies

Razor Blade Fairy

 

Introduction to the true story of fairies who fought in the Civil War. Painting by Julien Aklei.

I wrote this song when I met James. Could it have been inspired by him? I don’t know- but just in case, it had to have an unhappy ending. As we all know, songs are a little bit like Dorian Gray’s picture- they push the bad feelings out of our system and onto the other side of the looking glass. That is why it would be extremely foolhardy to write a song like “Oh honey, I love you so much, you are the best wife ever” unless you are hoping for a divorce. I’m not sure who Eric Clapton wrote the song “Wonderful Tonight” about, but with a song like that, you can bet they are no longer together.

On the other hand, the opposite superstition also exists- that you should only speak, think (and presumably) sing about positive things because positive words lead to positive outcomes! I tried to live with this philosophy for a while, but it was a lot of pressure, and I think it could lead to insanity if a person pursued it for too long. Every now and then, a musician comes out with an album that  tries to be extremely positive and uplifting and I always take this as a sign that they are on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Download MP3: Razorblade Fairy

Categories
Music & Songs New Hampshire

Saucer Eyes

 

This song was written about a friend of mine who wasn’t well liked by many because he held offensive opinions on just about every subject. But, despite his strange and insensitive ideas, he was in fact a very kind and loving person who had somehow managed to have his brain filled with all the wrong opinions.

Painting of Eric Edelstein with butterflies.Personally, I think we should judge people less by their beliefs, and more by their spirit and actions. I have known many people who held all of the most compassionate and sensitive ideas who were in fact cruel brutes. On the other hand, there are others who have all the wrong idea- sometimes because they picked them up from their environment and didn’t have the brain power to effectively sift through them-  who were in reality loving people who uplifted everyone they came into contact with.

But I guess it makes sense that we judge people’s moral quality based on their beliefs, since many of us come from a religion where getting to heaven is based largely on believing in all the right things. While some Christians believe you have to be a good person and perform good works to reach heaven, none seem to think that is sufficient if you don’t also embrace the right cosmology.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”  -Jesus

Download MP3: Saucer Eyes

Categories
Kentucky Music & Songs

Rose Fairy

 

Painting of black man in red tank top with yellow earth and blue sky.

This song I heard in a dream… the dream was set in the future and consisted of a young black man in a red t-shirt, straw hat, and beat-up green convertible driving west down highway 64 in Kentucky. The shining sun, the wide open sky, and the wind all filled me with intense feelings of exhilaration. I wasn’t a character in the dream, though, I was watching it, like a music video.

I felt like the man was singing just to me and wanted me to write the song down, so I did. The only problem was that he used an unmentionable word to refer to himself, so not being quite sure what to do, I changed the name of his song from “Kentucky Something-or-the-other” to “Rose Fairy.”

 

 

 

 

Download MP3: Rose Fairy

Categories
Los Angeles Music & Songs

Mr. Greenjeans

 

I wrote this song in L.A, obviously, since that is the only place where the phrase Red Hot Mama really makes sense. Where else do men like women so done up they look like drag queens? Where else do blonds with savage tans roller skate down the street in fluorescent pink thongs? Where else can you pay your rent by agreeing to dance for your landlord in pantyhose every month (as a friend of mine did)? I suppose these things happen in other places, but somehow, in L.A. they seemed normal- almost wholesome.

Painting of nude woman, Bubbles Alexander, taking a bubble bath, with checkered floor.
Bath time for Bubbles Alexander!

Download MP3: Mr. Greenjeans

Categories
Minerals, Mountains, Crystals, Ice, and White Music & Songs New Hampshire

3 Stacked Stones

 

I think this song may have been inspired (like so many others) by my hero Reinhold Messner, whose brother Gunther died while they were climbing a mountain together. But on a personal level, it reflects the feeling of being lost in a world of  ice- coldness, loss, isolation- as the flame of life struggles to hang on.

Copper print of Tibetan making Torma with gods and Himalayas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download MP3: 3 Stacked Stones

Categories
Kentucky Music & Songs Plants and the Emerald Kingdom

Song

 

Painting of Julien Aklei in woods at night with blue shirt and trees.

I wrote this song in Kentucky while visiting my parents for Christmas. I think in the back of my mind there were images of a school field trip where we were dropped off in the mountains and had to find our way back to the teachers using a map and compass.

But I like this song because it captures the conflicts I felt at the time, such as being weighed down by the past, but feeling pressured to move quickly into the future; and having my own mind, but wanting to see things the same way as others. And in general, the sense of groping my way through darkness and pain towards an unknown goal. Maybe that is how seeds feel until they finally reach the air.

Download MP3: Song

Categories
Los Angeles Music & Songs Red, Soldiers, & Fire

Child of God

 

Painting of blue-eyed saint with red habit and yellow crosses.

I wrote this song while I was living in Los Angeles. I remember writing it- inspired by the colors red and white- while walking up a steep sidewalk to visit a friend who worked at a hotel. People say that Los Angeles is a car city, but I found getting around on foot to be relatively easy, especially since the weather was so nice.

For a while, my daily routine was to walk to the mall where I would get some chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and browse the stores. I would frequently write songs while walking, since being outside gave my head more room to think.

I suppose this song is about the pain of having an emotional attachment to someone who doesn’t have a functioning heart. Many people are in this situation, with family members, boyfriends, etc. Do you end the relationship- which can be extremely painful and have practical repercussions- or stay in the relationship and try to fix the person’s heart so they will stop hurting you?

People always say that you can’t change anyone, and that seems to be true. The superficial layers of the personality are like plants, which grow and adapt over weeks and years, but the deeper elements are like rock formations- they change too- but it probably won’t be during this lifetime.

 

Download MP3: Child of God

Categories
Earth, Pink, Mothers, Love Kentucky Music & Songs The Savage Life

Fanciful

Lady with Rubies on Red Background.   When I wrote this song I was taking a class in Renaissance Astrology, and I had read a book- which I think was by Cornelius Agrippa- in which he describes the Soul of the World as loving all things sweet and shiny. I was glad to read that, because it matched up with my idea (at the time) of the Universe being one giant woman who loved flowers, candy, jewelry, and greeting cards, and had the power to turn everything bad into something good.       Download MP3: Fanciful

Categories
Earth, Pink, Mothers, Love Music & Songs New Hampshire

Corn Man


Rasputin with giant cucumber, halo, ruffles, and cloud.

I heard this song in my head one morning while making corn bread.

The next day, I had to spend hours at a fair. While there, I started to be overcome with anxiety from being surrounded by so many people. James said, “Maybe some corn will help you.” and bought me a gigantic bag of kettle corn. And it did. Just like magic, with every sweet and salty bite, the claustrophobia began to melt away, until I ended up feeling quite comfortable and having a good time. Thanks corn!

Feeling impressed, like me and corn were on the road to becoming good friends, I googled corn when I got home and found that it is used homeopathically as a remedy for discomfort in crowded environments. I also learned about corn’s checkered past. Corn is definitely a grain more focused on power and success than being a nice guy. But I like that about corn. We all need a tiny (diluted) drop of pure evil in us.

I do feel that corn itself is the driving force behind genetically modified corn, and not humans. Corn has been inspiring humans to tamper with it since its inception. Personally, I think there are MANY cases in life when humans are simply carrying out the will of plants or other life forms. Would people feel less afraid of genetic modification if they thought that corn itself was in the driver’s seat? At the very least, it would be harder to consider the process unnatural.

Recently, I saw a great corn movie- “At Any Price.” It really captured the impact corn can have on people, and the perils of having too much corn running through your veins. Next up, “Children of the Corn.” I wonder who inspired Stephen King to write that book?

Download MP3: Corn Man

Categories
Music & Songs Santa Fe

Sandalphone

Indian (Native American) lady with baby wrapped in green robe.

I wrote this song while living in Santa Fe, in a weekly motel off the side of the highway.Perhaps if I had lived in a different part of town, I would have enjoyed it more, but as it was the only things I liked were the pinon coffee and the gazillions of stores that sold stones and crystals, which was the beginning of a new hobby for me. Otherwise it was a harsh place to live- expensive, windy, dry, and so far away from anything else! People say it is a spiritual place, so I tried to tap into that by decorating my motel room with dream catchers and Mexican blankets, but ultimately I concluded that desert plateaus are not the place for me.

If I remember correctly, the archangel Sandalphone is responsible for the souls of those who die as infants.

 

Download MP3: Sandalphone