This song shows more Radiohead/U2 influences, but it’s also sketchy.  The music’s quite anthemic and uplifting, but the lyrics seem more resentful — a match I’m not sure I’d tolerate if I were writing this song now.  But it kind of comes to a resolution at the end, which perhaps ties the words and music together.  The title came about because it needed something that explain a bit more of what’s going on, and is a rip-off from a U2 song “First Time,” a deep cut off of Zooropa. The story’s based on news I read long ago about a kindergarden kid who brought a gun to school, and I envisioned a redneck, chauvinistic father behind him, the likes that join KKK.

This song was unexpectedly frustrating to sing on recording.  I recorded most of the songs on the album with half-step down tuning, thinking that with my limited range, the lower tuning was better.  A big mistake.  The chorus sat at such an odd place in my voice that I constantly was singing sharp, and I sounded horrible.  But I was really committed to not using pitch correction software, so I’d back off on my singing, and the result is a rather wimpy take.  Bummer.

Aries9: Throwing Away the Key (At the Gate)

 

So you want to be in Columbus’ Sons
Kill off all those rainbow bugs
Deliver the garbage aluminum cans
Pass on the Old Glory bags

Your son aimed your prize at her face
Did you learn her name?

So you are the righteous
There is nothing left but some games
Exploit the room for alternatives
To extremes

Your son shot your prize at her face
Did you learn her name?

Her embrace and forgiveness saved my life
As we wave goodbye