Genre

Fock Japop

Fock Japop. Yeah, you heard me. I want to Fock Japop you with this aromatic blend of folk, rock, jazz and pop. Outlawed by some of the most powerful countries in the world, this intoxicating blend of music has caused riots in the streets. No, okay, that's a complete and utter lie, but it sounds good, it sounds dangerous, and searching for the truth in music is often dangerous.

A jazzy little number made just that much better by the piano playing of Ori from Tel Aviv, Israel. It's funny how songs come about; some twenty years ago I came up with a nice little riff for a song with two lines about Lenin riding the train into Russia from his exile, but no matter how many times I came back to it I could never figure out how to finish the song. So I cannibalized it for this song where you'll hear the original line, "It's the middle of the night and I'm on the day train to Moscow." The guitar harmonics you hear weaving in and out of the tune are all that's left from the original tune.

There's something about riot police firing tear gas at a group of protestors that just makes my blood boil. I remember Dr. Phil once saying that if people wanted to protest they should write a letter to their congressman - he'd be happy to do away with the entire civil rights movement. The fact is, change is wrought by action and action often means taking to the streets. This song is dedicated to all the protestors of the world fighting for change.

There was a time in Toronto when I did a lot of online dating. Man, the stories I could tell you! It was a lot of fun and I met some amazing women, but, you also meet some crazy people too. For this song I tried to capture the fast pace and debauched craziness of that world, just for fun, I cast myself as a crazy person who's fallen for a crazy person…it's all just crazy.

When I was five or six I remember walking along a dock with my mother. Some boys were sticking firecrackers in a fish's mouth and setting them off. I was horrified. That image has always stuck with me as just another example of human cruelty. Of course, when your heart is broken that can also seem like human cruelty, of which many of us are guilty, and many of us have suffered from.

A song inspired by my travels through the Cree communities of Northern Quebec. Some misunderstanding has arisen due to my use of the term "riding", I of course mean on a motorcycle.

A second song from my journeys through Northern Quebec. Just outside of Chibougamau you'll find the Route Du Nord, an isolated stretch of gravel road that cuts through the wilderness for 406 kilometers. The vehicle I was traveling in got three flats and we were rescued by a trucker at one point. Tip o' the hat to my traveling companions - you know who you are.

A happy little ditty about the time I lived on Queen's Quay where I met this woman, and for one precious moment I thought, "Is she the one?" Sadly she wasn't, and you can hear the conclusion to this story in Firecracker In A Fish's Mouth.

Who cannot feel a tug of the heart at the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie? Okay, very few people from history are probably how they've been described, but surely we can all relate to lost causes and broken dreams? Additional vocals were provided by Sarah Pountney AKA ShiftyPOP in England.

There's a dirt road called Water Street just behind where I live. I often go for walks along it and for some reason songs bubble out of my head and I find myself bellowing them out to all the birds and the trees around me. This is one such song that came to me and as soon as I got home I sat down and recorded the essence of it, this is the result.

Are you hungry for more Rob Thompson? Well, I'm not surprised. You can find more of my music and videos at www.SongsFromCabbagetown.com