Shows this weekend: tonight at Beach Haus Brewery in Belmar, NJ, 7:00-10:00, and Saturday 1/18/25 at Old Hights Brewery in Hightstown, NJ, 6:30-9:00 (Mick/Ron Acoustic Duo for both events). I’ll be stopping in Randy Now’s Man Cave to browse vinyl prior to the Old Hights show…you should do the same! Full schedule here.
Happy Friday,
I’m no different than anyone else. I get it in my head I have to do something. And then I get a little obsessed with the idea. Like marathons for example. Many many years ago. Thousands. A Greek youth named Filippedes ran from Marathon to Athens (a distance of roughly 40 kilometers). His goal? To announce the news that his army had defeated the Persians and that the Athenians should not burn their city in preparation for a Persian ransacking…the war was over! He then dropped dead.
Centuries later, in 1896, the modern world decided to create an international competition called the Olympics. The organizers were searching for an event that would recall the glory years of Ancient Greece and hence the modern marathon was born. Now people ride around with 26.2 stickers on their cars telling the world that they too accomplished a great feat and didn’t drop dead at the finish line. Why do we do this? Not sure.
When asked why he wanted to summit Mount Everest, the British climber George Mallory explained “Because it is there”. Mallory never made it (he came close) but fellow climber Edmund Hillary did, and I like this quote even better from Mr. Hillary: “We’ve knocked the bastard off”.
Psychologists have been hard at work trying to understand this mindset. And there are volumes of books on the subject. I don’t have much to add other than my own story.
I’m proud to announce that after 2 failed attempts over the last many years, I have read through the entirety of Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick. I did it! Finished yesterday. So now I have some really useless information in my head about whaling as it was in the mid 19th century. It was brutal. But honestly the book is beautifully written and I started copying down quotes that I found particularly interesting like this one: “yet man is a money-making animal, which propensity too often interferes with his benevolence.” And this one: "Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunk Christian."
My favorite parts of the book occur in the early chapters (maybe because I’ve read them 3 times…quitting twice after this section). The narrator Ishmael reflects in the chapter titled “Nightgown” that a person would never enjoy a warm cozy bed if not for the chill of the outdoors. He states that the tip of your nose or the top of your head must be cold for you to feel “delightfully and unmistakably warm”. This idea— that everything only exists in relation to some opposite idea or feeling—was interesting to me and I wrote up a song with this idea in mind.
So maybe that’s what it’s all about…the marathon isn’t really about the 26.2 sticker but it’s what you learn along the way (mostly about yourself). It’s about the people you meet. The friendships you make. Same thing with mountain climbing. It’s the journey. If I get a few songs out of reading Moby Dick well then the journey was worth it.
Last week I discussed writing poetry and this is another example of a song that came words-first…this is not my typical way of doing things but I had fun with this one and I imagine I could use these words with a completely different melody and arrangement but for now check out my song (inspired by Moby Dick) which I’ve titled “God Damn Truth”.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
- Mick (rad along with the lyrics below the picture from my copy of Moby Dick)
God Damn Truth By Mick Chorba ©2025 Dinner Time Music ASCAP There is no warmth If not for the cold There is no youth If we never got old And sadness Just a state of mind Happiness is nothing If you're happy all the time I don't mean anything If I don't mean anything to you I don't mean anything If I don't mean anything to you It's the god damn truth Do what you gonna do There is no darkness If we never know the light There'd be no peace If not for the fight No salvation If death has no might And loneliness would have no teeth If you were never in my life I don't mean anything If I don't mean anything to you I don't mean anything If I don't mean anything to you It's the god damn truth Do what you gonna do We'd never long If we had everything we want There'd be no balm If we never got hurt And satisfaction If guaranteed Would not satisfy me I don't mean anything If I don't mean anything to you I don't mean anything If I don't mean anything to you It's the god damn truth Do what you gonna do Would there be love If we didn't have hate? If there was no time Would I never be late? If there were only good days Well that'd be great As far as I know The world don't work that way I don't mean anything If I don't mean anything to you I don't mean anything If I don't mean anything to you It's the god damn truth Do what you gonna do It's the god damn truth Do what you gonna do It's the god damn truth Do what you gonna do
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