No Worries, Yes Worries
KŌAN C title-track flip: Genie with Monkey's Paw, no worries yes worries no meaning: live forever? frozen-over hell; same boss/office dread as quit-your-job.
Listen: Spotify·Apple Music
ISRC QZES92291013 (soundexchange)
Track fourteen on KŌAN, KŌAN C (June 30, 2022), immediately after instrumental Intro (track thirteen). Luke solo. KŌAN was built for headphones, with spatial and binaural work across the EP chapters; Intro is the clearest binaural example on the record, then this song lands. Nagamag notes Indie Brandneu and Today’s Indie Rock playlist reach, plus a Coors Light TV sync in Canada (press).
The title flips Don’t Worry on Big Hug: not don’t worry but no worries / yes worries at once, with no meaning and I’m running alongside. Verse one is mortality at a party, a shadow on my birthday and thinking about the permanent, then a bad bargain: a good deal on a Genie, came with a Monkey’s Paw thrown in, every wish inverting. The immortality verse cuts off before naming hell, interrupted by an office verse that mirrors a song to quit your job to: boss wants us in the office, who am I to question, management as a shared delusion of agency that distracts from how little we’re in control.
When forever comes back it finally names the destination, probably more like hell, a frozen-over hell, Dante’s ice or just stuck forever bored, dissolving into oh wha ha ha ha ho, laughter as the only exit from the koan. Same wellness-command satire as High Society and Think About It, and part of the KŌAN C cluster with Who Am I Really Fooling Anyway and All My Friends Live on the Internet.
Written, performed, and mixed by Luke Francis Walton. Mastered by Riley Knapp. Artwork by Grizzard Graphics.
Lyrics
Got a bad feeling in my stomach Feeling like a shadow on my birthday Running out of plausible distractions Thinking about the permanent I got a good deal on a Genie Came with a Monkey's Paw Thrown in Wishing on a permanent vacation But landing on the opposite No worries Yes worries I'm running I'm running No worries Yes worries No meaning No meaning No worries Yes worries No worries Yes worries Say you wanna live forever? Yeah, it's all I think about Is that something that I really, really want? Boredom of forever isn't pleasure I mean, think about it Probably isn't heaven Yeah, it's probably more like Gotta keep working at my day job Otherwise, I can't afford survival Better hope there isn't a disaster No way I could go it alone My boss say he wants us in the office Who am I to question what he tells us Controlling other humans can distract us From how little we're in control No worries Yes worries I'm running I'm running No worries Yes worries No meaning No meaning No worries Yes worries No worries Yes worries I say I wanna live forever Yeah, it's all I think about But is that something that I really, really want? Boredom of forever isn't pleasure I mean, think about it Probably isn't heaven Yeah, it's probably more like Hell It's probably more like Hell That probably isn't heaven Yeah, it's probably more like Hell A frozen-over hell A frozen-over hell A frozen-over hell A frozen-over hell Oh, what the hell? A boredom of forever Isn't pleasure I mean come on think about it Boredom of forever Isn't pleasure Come on think about it Boredom of forever Isn't pleasure Come on think about it Probably isn't heaven Yeah, it's probably more like Hell It's probably more like hell It's probably more like hell It's probably more like hell It's probably more like hell It's probably more like hell Probably more like hell Oh wha ha ha ha ho