Musician's Gig List!

(edit note: This article originally published at Skinny Devil Universe, July 2022)

I'm gearing this checklist towards guitar players (so I won't mention extra drum sticks and drum heads, for example), especially of the singer-songwriter sort, but its easy to modify this to your personal needs.

Now, whether you're brand new to gigging or been doing it a long time, its good to have your checklist either at the forefront of your mind or physically written down to look at before you drive to the gig. And as a bonus.....This same list - with mild modification - can be used for your recording studio checklist (though you can subtract the merch & stage announcement stuffs).

Let's jump right in with a Baker's Dozen:

Beyond the Spotlight: A Practical Safety Guide for Performers

David "Skinny Devil" McLean, author, guitarist, teacher.

If you're reading this, I probably don't have to scare you first with stories about the murders of Christina Grimmie or John Lennon or Mia Zapata or Dimebag Darrell....or the less than lethal but still horrible stories about Connie Francis or Sarah McLaughlin, or Frank Zappa or Eminem. Or the "long game" victimization of Kesha or members of the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC....and too many others like them.

If you're reading this, you are likely a performer and already concerned about personal safety.

But just for the record, let it be said (not that I should have to say it after the examples above) that both women and men are the targets of stalkers, crazed fans, and others, including their own management and label and production partners....and the often violent way they express themselves. If the readers feel I need to include statistics, I'm more than happy to edit this article to add the data, but for now, let's forge ahead.

If you're reading this, you might be wondering "at what level of success do I need to start worrying about this stuff?". The answer is, probably right now. If you've stepped foot on a stage, you are already in the game. I've known people (yes, women and men) who have only played a few gigs at the local level who have run into problems. Problems with audience members, problems with venue employees, and problems with industry pros (prospective managers, producers, booking agents, and the like).

By far, the best resources I ever saw on the topic was Sage Harrington's 2014 interview with the incredible Tonya Kay. The piece is titled "Burning Questions for Tonya Kay" and I used to post it for students several times a year and still recommend it. Tonya's career has covered more ground than most, from a touring dancer to stunt work & danger arts to film & television (on both sides of the camera) and more, and her experience makes for an incredible and incredibly actionable read. 

However, I've been asked for a more bullet point style approach as well as an updated list that includes newer technological options (and new technological concerns), so we'll attempt to do exactly that.

Full disclosure: I will be leaning heavily on examples and experiences from the music industry, but ANY type of public figure or performer should be able to utilize the information herein. Additionally, my hope is that venue owners/managers and management folk will read and utilize these suggestions as well, so the weight is not just on the shoulders of performers.

What I won't really get into is home security, as there are area experts and plenty of online resources to tell you about ring camera placement, alarm systems, and so forth.

Enough introductions - The title says "practical guide" so let's get practical, folks.

AI in the Arts (part two)

(ed note: The following was originally published at Skinny Devil Universe)


In Part One, I drew some lines in the sand and delivered a history of technology to demonstrate that, while disruptive, AI is just another technological step - an extension of the mind of man.
For clarification, it should be said that early technology (up to the industrial revolution) was focused primarily on amplifying the BODY of man, while 20th & 21st century technology has shifted focus to extending the MIND of man.

That caveat aside, I decided (even though I had already sketched out the foundation of this article) to feed the entirety of Part One into Google's AI Gemini and see what it had to say. But not what it had to say in support of my thesis, but instead with explicit instructions to challenge EVERYTHING.

"Tear it all down" were my specific words.

While it praised both the historical & philosophical rigor as well as the writing style (it seems machine minds dig my musical sense of symmetry and repetition - hahaha!), it hit back HARD.

If this topic concerns you, prepare to get even more anxiety and depression.

"Look Back" 1976: Aerosmith's "Rocks"

The year was 1976.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw KISS have their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, top Grammy honors were Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" (Album of the Year), Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" wins Record of the Year, and Judy Collins' version of "Send in the Clowns" wins Song of the Year...Queen played the biggest show in Europe that year at Hyde Park (200,000 people) while Yes and Peter Frampton played to 130,000 in Philly....chart topping songs like "Tonight's the Night" (Rod Stewart), "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Elton John & Kiki Dee), "Silly Love Songs" (Paul McCartney), "Disco Lady" (Johnnie Taylor), "December, 1963" (Four Seasons), and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (Paul Simon) ruled the charts, as well as one hit wonders like the incredible Starlight Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight"....the year we lost legends like blues legend Howlin' Wolf, jazz giant Vince Guaraldi, songwriting great Johnny Mercer, classical composer & theorist Walter Piston, guitar icons Freddie King and Tommy Bolin, and future legends were born like Melanie C (real name Melanie Chisholm), country singer Blake Shelton, rapper Ja Rule, vocalist Chester Bennington (Linkin Park),and singer Brandon Boyd (Incubus). We saw the birth of bands like U2, Foreigner, The Cure, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and The Clash, and the death of bands Deep Purple, Ike & Tina Turner, The Band, Three Dog Night, and Steppenwolf.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1976 and I hope to have time to write about many, including Boston's debut self-titled release, Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life", TWO albums by The Eagles ("Greatest Hits" as well as "Hotel California"), the legendary "2112" by Rush, and of course, "Frampton Comes Alive" by Peter Frampton!

Today, however, we'll look at the groundbreaking album by Aerosmith, "Rocks".

Sonic Sorcery: "1000 Times" by Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles has a way of writing highly emotional, painfully beautiful lyrics, and the musical wizardry is stunning, deep, and like walking on a constantly shifting surface.

Songs like "She Used to Be Mine" and "Gravity" and "Still Crying " can just break your heart, and her covers (like "Chandelier" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him") are nothing short of epic.

Today, let's look at her song "1000 Times".

It was never released as a single, but is certainly a fan favorite in concert. "1000 Times" is from the album "The Blessed Unrest", which was positively received by critics and fans alike, debuted at #2 on the Billboard album charts (her fourth consecutive top 10 album), saw the lead single, "Brave", receive a Grammy nomination, and was certified Gold.

Let's get into it!

"Look Back" 1976: "2112" by RUSH

The year was 1976.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw KISS have their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, top Grammy honors were Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" (Album of the Year), Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" wins Record of the Year, and Judy Collins' version of "Send in the Clowns" wins Song of the Year...Queen played the biggest show in Europe that year at Hyde Park (200,000 people) while Yes and Peter Frampton played to 130,000 in Philly....chart topping songs like "Tonight's the Night" (Rod Stewart), "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Elton John & Kiki Dee), "Silly Love Songs" (Paul McCartney), "Disco Lady" (Johnnie Taylor), "December, 1963" (Four Seasons), and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (Paul Simon) ruled the charts, as well as one hit wonders like the incredible Starlight Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight"....the year we lost legends like blues legend Howlin' Wolf, jazz giant Vince Guaraldi, songwriting great Johnny Mercer, classical composer & theorist Walter Piston, guitar icons Freddie King and Tommy Bolin, and future legends were born like Melanie C (real name Melanie Chisholm), country singer Blake Shelton, rapper Ja Rule, vocalist Chester Bennington (Linkin Park),and singer Brandon Boyd (Incubus). We saw the birth of bands like U2, Foreigner, The Cure, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and The Clash, and the death of bands Deep Purple, Ike & Tina Turner, The Band, Three Dog Night, and Steppenwolf.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1976 and I hope to have time to write about many, including Boston's debut self-titled release, Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life", TWO albums by The Eagles ("Greatest Hits" as well as "Hotel California"), the legendary "Rocks" by Aerosmith, and of course, "Frampton Comes Alive" by Peter Frampton!

Today, however, we'll look at the groundbreaking album by RUSH, "2112"!

AI in the Arts (part one)

Art created by Gemini for this article...just for the irony!

(ed note: The following was originally published at Skinny Devil Universe)

AI in music....and AI in the arts in general.

Before we leap in, one thing worth remembering - and it's highly likely to anger everyone reading this right now - is that most of the public discourse on this topic (at least by musicians and industry folk) has been of a legal or philosophical nature, while usually taking a brief moment to mention how "fake" AI sounds as composer or performer (or poet or essayist or visual artist).

If that's your view, you need to swallow a bitter pill: The market disagrees with you, and (by any metrics you yourself would apply to a fellow human) you are wrong.

Sienna Rose, The Velvet Sundown, Nick Hustles, Xania Monet, FN Meka, Yona, Breaking Rust, Eddie Dalton, and more....including the 100% AI driven (no human intervention) creation Anna Indiana - all streaming millions to hungry listeners. Listeners who largely don't care about any of the issues we're about to get into - they care only about if they like the music.

Admittedly, this pisses me off a little, too.

At any rate, ponder that for a moment and then we'll leap in.

While I've thought extensively about this topic (and have for longer than I care to say, as I've been an avid fan of the works of Raymond Kurzweil for a long time, starting with his 1990 book "The Age of Intelligent Machines", and, as an irrelevant aside, still own my Kurzweil K-2000 keyboard), it's usually fragmented based on specifics. I've never really coalesced these thoughts into a single, specific policy position.

So let's explore "both sides" of this issue and see where we land.

Worthy of note: It should be obvious that the history given below (on both sides of the issue) is greatly abbreviated and oversimplified for brevity and ease of discussion. But the major pillars remain.

Let's get into it!

"Look Back" 1986: Billy Idol's "Whiplash Smile"

The year was 1986.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw the very first induction ceremony into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, "We Are the World" took home the big Grammy honors, Amnesty International hosted the "Conspiracy of Hope" benefit concert (featuring Bryan Adams, Sting, U2, & more), Queen performed their final concert....chart topping songs like "Take My Breath Away" and "Addicted to Love", "Rock Me Amadeus" and "That's What Friends Are For", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Walk Like an Egyptian" as well as one hit wonders like the incredible "Night Moves" by Marilyn Martin....the year we lost legends like Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott, bluesman Sonny Terry and bandleader Benny Goodman, and future legends were born like Trombone Shorty and Lady Gaga and Drake and Jon Batiste. We saw the birth of bands like Hootie & the Blowfish and Cowboy Junkies and Green Day and N.W.A. and the Pixies, and the death of bands Boomtown Rats and Dead Kennedys and The Police and The Clash....the year Madonna's "True Blue", "Slippery When Wet" by Bon Jovi, Paul Simon's "Graceland", Janet Jackson's "Control" and the soundtrack to the hit movie "Top Gun" dominated the charts.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1986 and I hope to have time to write about many, including "Album" from Public Image Ltd, "Ultimate Sin" by Ozzy Osbourne, Prince's amazing "Parade", "the debut DLR album "Eat 'Em and Smile", "So" by Peter Gabriel, Queen's "A Kind of Magic", the live album "Bring on the Night" by Sting, Queensryche's "Rage for Order", "While the City Sleeps" from George Benson.....

Today, however, we'll look at the amazing follow-up to Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" album, the incredible "Whiplash Smile".

"Look Back" 1986: David Lee Roth "Eat 'Em and Smile"

The year was 1986.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw the very first induction ceremony into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, "We Are the World" took home the big Grammy honors, Amnesty International hosted the "Conspiracy of Hope" benefit concert (featuring Bryan Adams, Sting, U2, & more), Queen performed their final concert....chart topping songs like "Take My Breath Away" and "Addicted to Love", "Rock Me Amadeus" and "That's What Friends Are For", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Walk Like an Egyptian" as well as one hit wonders like the incredible "Night Moves" by Marilyn Martin....the year we lost legends like Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott, bluesman Sonny Terry and bandleader Benny Goodman, and future legends were born like Trombone Shorty and Lady Gaga and Drake and Jon Batiste. We saw the birth of bands like Hootie & the Blowfish and Cowboy Junkies and Green Day and N.W.A. and the Pixies, and the death of bands Boomstown Rats and Dead Kennedys and The Police and The Clash....the year Madonna's "True Blue", "Slippery When Wet" by Bon Jovi, Paul Simon's "Graceland", Janet Jackson's "Control" and the soundtrack to the hit movie "Top Gun" dominated the charts.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1986 and I hope to have time to write about many, including "Album" from Public Image Ltd, "Ultimate Sin" by Ozzy Osbourne, Prince's amazing "Parade", Billy Idol's "Whiplash Smile", "So" by Peter Gabriel, Queen's "A Kind of Magic", the live album "Bring on the Night" by Sting, Queensryche's "Rage for Order", "While the City Sleeps" from George Benson.....

Today, however, we'll look back at the classic debut album from David Lee Roth, "Eat 'Em and Smile"!

Look Back (1975): "Toys in the Attic" by Aerosmith

1975 was an incredible year for music (and we'll look back at some more of these soon)...the year that saw chart topping songs like "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "I'm Sorry/Calypso", "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Shining Star", "Feelings" and "Fire"....the year we lost legends like T-Bone Walker and Dave Alexander (of The Stooges), and future legends were born like Big Boi and Wes Borland and Lauryn Hill....the birth of bands like Iron Maiden and Sex Pistols and the mighty Motorhead, and the death of bands the Amboy Dukes (launching the career of Ted Nugent) and Alice Cooper Band (launching the solo career of Alice Cooper) ...the year of "Journey to Love" by Stanley Clarke, Heart's debut album. "Dreamboat Annie", "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, "A Night at the Opera" by Queen, "Physical Graffiti" by Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" dominated the charts....the year of debut albums from Journey and Manhattan Transfer and others.....and so much more!

Today, however, we'll look back at the classic Aerosmith album, "Toys in the Attic"!

Don’t Practice… Play!

Don’t Practice… Play!

By Paulie Felice

When I was a kid, I hated practicing piano. Hated it. It was a chore, plain and simple. Practicing meant sitting in front of an instrument I didn’t love, fumbling through sheet music that didn’t mean much to me, and trying to live up to the expectations of my teacher and my parents. And those expectations became my expectations. When I couldn’t meet them - when I didn’t practice enough, or didn’t master a piece quickly, or couldn’t memorize another stack of flash cards - I felt like a failure. So instead of being a creative outlet, piano became an experience in failure.

Look Back (1985): "Power Windows" by Rush

1985 was an incredible year for music (and we'll look back at some more of these soon)...the year that saw chart topping songs like "We Are the World" and "Shout", "Take On Me" and "Better Be Good to Me", "Material Girl" and "Money for Nothing"....the year we lost legends like Roger Sessions and Big Joe Turner, and future legends were born like Lana Del Rey and Bruno Mars and J. Cole....the birth of bands like Guns-n-Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the death of bands Pink Floyd and Van Halen (both of whom continued with new singers)...the year of "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits, Whitney Houston's debut album, and "No Jacket Required" by Phil Collins dominated the charts....the year of debut albums from supergroup The Highwaymen, LL Cool J, Fine Young Cannibals, jazz guitar legend Stanley Jordan, pop band a-ha, Megadeth, George Strait, Simply Red, Leni Stern, Schooly D, Suzanne Vega, and others.....and so much more!

Today, however, we'll look back at the masterpiece from Rush: their 11th studio album, "Power Windows"!

Look Back (1985): "Dream of the Blue Turtles" by Sting

1985 was an incredible year for music (and we'll look back at some more of these soon)...the year that saw chart topping songs like "We Are the World" and "Shout", "Take On Me" and "Better Be Good to Me", "Material Girl" and "Money for Nothing"....the year we lost legends like Roger Sessions and Big Joe Turner, and future legends were born like Lana Del Rey and Bruno Mars and J. Cole....the birth of bands like Guns-n-Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the death of bands Pink Floyd and Van Halen (both of whom continued with new singers)...the year of "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits, Whitney Houston's debut album, and "No Jacket Required" by Phil Collins dominated the charts....the year of debut albums from supergroup The Highwaymen, LL Cool J, Fine Young Cannibals, jazz guitar legend Stanley Jordan, pop band a-ha, Megadeth, George Strait, Simply Red, Leni Stern, Schooly D,  Suzanne Vega, and others.....and so much more!

Today, however, we'll look back at the masterpiece from Sting: His debut solo album, "Dream of the Blue Turtles".

Look Back (1983): "Synchronicity" by The Police

1983 was an incredible year for music (and we'll look back at some more of these soon)....the year that saw chart topping songs like "Billie Jean" and "1999", "Karma Chameleon" and "Let's Dance", "Flashdance...What a Feeling" and "Every Breath You Take"....the year we lost legends like Karen Carpenter & Muddy Waters, and future legends were born like T-Pain & Amy Winehouse....the birth of band Bon Jovi & The Cult, and the death of bands Humble Pie & Roxie Music...the year of "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol and "Let's Dance" by David Bowie and "Thriller" dominated the charts....the year debut albums from Madonna, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Branford Marallis, Rock Goddess, Whodini, Tears for Fears, Weird Al Yankovich, Ministry, Afrika Bambaataa, Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies, Wham!, Metallica, The Waterboys, Queensryche, Cyndi Lauper, and others.....and so much more!

Today, however, we'll look back at the masterpiece from The Police, the album "Synchronicity".

Look Back (1983): "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol

1983 was an incredible year for music (and we'll look back at some more of these soon)....the year that saw chart topping songs like "Billie Jean" and "1999", "Karma Chameleon" and "Let's Dance", "Flashdance...What a Feeling" and "Every Breath You Take"....the year we lost legends like Karen Carpenter & Muddy Waters, and future legends were born like T-Pain & Amy Winehouse....the birth of band Bon Jovi & The Cult, and the death of bands Humble Pie & Roxie Music...the year of "Synchronicity" by the Police and "Let's Dance" by David Bowie and "Thriller" dominated the charts....the year debut albums from Madonna, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Branford Marallis, Rock Goddess, Whodini, Tears for Fears, Weird Al Yankovich, Ministry, Afrika Bambaataa, Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies, Wham!, Metallica, The Waterboys, Queensryche, Cyndi Lauper, and others.....and so much more!

Today, however, we'll look back at the masterpiece from Billy Idol, the album "Rebel Yell".

Sonic Sorcery: Exploring Alliteration

Tupac Shakur

"Peter piper picked a peck of picked peppers"

"Sally sells seashells by the sea shore."

"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

These are all very fun & silly examples of a literary device called "alliteration", the repetition of the opening sound of words. Designed to be both tongue twisters and humorous, they stick in the mind and are a fun game for kids and elementary school English teachers.

But it should be noted that alliteration is a very useful technique, with no requirement for either twisting tongues or humor. Used properly, its a great way to (as Kris Kristofferson once put it) have words "slide off the tongue and into the ear".

Super Bowl: Star Spangled Banner

I heard wonderful reviews of Chris Stapleton's performance opening the festivities at the Super Bowl and realized that though I've taught lessons before following Super Bowl performances in the past (some to just my students - like following performances by Prince, Tom Petty, Bruno Mars, etc - and and some public, like this lesson), I've never just taught the USA's national anthem.

Stapleton performed the song in C#, but it was originally written in the key of Bb. However, when the song was standardized in 1917, the key of C was chosen. Its an interesting history that you can read about here. 

Now, as you can see from the score, the song is essentially melody and lyrics, with no specific harmonization required. So I'll be charting it below with what is probably the simplest approach, and more complex arrangements can be built from that.

For the record, I would strongly encourage the reader to check out other Super Bowl performances of the anthem by such stellar performers as Tom Sullivan (1976), Diana Ross (1982), Whitney Houston (1991), Backstreet Boys (2001), Alicia Keys (2013), as well as incredible instrumental performances by artists like Wynton Marsalis (1986) and Doc Severinsen (1970).

I'll return to this article in the future to provide links to any new public articles I write on building arrangements, though one might take a look at the entire "Sonic Sorcery" series for some insight. But for now, this chart will be enough for you to accompany yourself or someone else performing the "Star Spangled Banner"....and then I'll provide a second (and slightly more complex) arrangement below that.

"Star Spangled Banner"

music: John Stafford Smith

lyrics: Francis Scott Key

version one:

C - - /Am - - /C - D7 /G - - /

C - - /G - - /C - - /C - - /

C - - /Am - - /C - D7 /G - - /

C - - /G - - /C - - /C - - /

C - - /C - - /G - - /G - - /

C- - -/G - - /Am - D7 /G - - /

C - - /Am - - /Dm - - /C - - /G - - /

C - - /C - - /C - G /C - - /

version two:

C - - /Am - E7 /Am - D7 /G - G7 /

C - - /G - - /C - - /C - - /

C - G /Am - E7 /Am - D7 /G - G7 /

C - - /G - G7 /C - G /C - - /

C - - /Am - - /G - - /G7 - - /

Am- - -/G - - /Am Am7 D7 /G - G7 /

C - - /Am - Am7 /Dm - Dm7 /C - - /G - - /

C - - /C - Am7 /C - G7 /F - - /C - - /

The Titan, Jeff Beck (RIP)

The Titan Prometheus, banned from Olympus after the "Trick at Mekone", scaled the mount and stole fire. He took the fire and gave it to the human race, sparking a revolution - bringing mankind from "barbarian" to "civilization" (i.e. - science, technology, & arts).

For this crime, Zeus punished him severely....but time has a way of working things out, and now Prometheus is remembered as well as any of the Greek Gods.....

Jeff Beck was born in London in 1944. He sang in the church choir and had other such exposures to music, but when he heard Les Paul playing "How High the Moon", everything changed for him. He began playing in pub bands while in school, and by 1962 had recorded a single with the band Screamin' Lord Hutch & the Savages. From there he played with several other acts, logging hundreds of hours of stage time, and by 1965 had been tapped by The Yardbirds to replace departing guitarist Eric Clapton. The short span Jeff spent with the Yardbirds (under 2 years) yielded roughly half of their hit songs.

By the end of 1966, Beck had also recorded his first solo single, "Beck's Bolero", which featured Jimmy Page (later of Led Zeppelin, acoustic guitar), Nicky Hopkins (later of the Rolling Stones, piano), Keith Moon (of The Who, drums), and John Paul Jones (also Led Zeppelin, bass). The song became a calling card of sorts, showcasing how different his musical sensibilities were from the norm.

Then The Jeff Beck Group was formed...featuring Nicky Hopkins (keys), Ronnie Wood (bass), Ansley Dunbar (drums), and Rod Stewart (vocals).

Sonic Sorcery: Blondie's "Heart of Glass"

I was recently reminded of this fabulous song, and thought the oddity of the chordal approach coupled with several captivating lyrical phrases made it a decent candidate for this songwriting series.

Then I looked into the background and realized it would be a perfect song for reasons that will become clear in just a few moments.

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein (vocalist & guitarist of Blondie) wrote the song in 1975, and after several iterations, settled on a version for release on their 3rd album "Parallel Lines" (1978). The Song was the third single from the album (released January of 1979) and rocketed up the charts in in 15 countries, topping the charts in seven (including the US). Rolling Stone later named it number 255 on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015.

The album propelled them to super stardom - this and the following 2 albums went platinum and spawned a series of hit singles (with "Heart of Glass" being their first number one hit in the US), and they went on to sell over 40 million albums, were nominated for & won multiple music awards (Grammys, Junos, Qs, etc), and inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

The song has seen multiple charting covers (from The Associates in 1988 to Miley Cyrus in 2020) and has been a major influence on many musicians since.

Let's dive in on the song's background, various iterations, chord progression, and lyrics!

Sonic Sorcery: Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows"

As one of the great writers of the 20th century, we could analyse Leonard Cohen songs all day (we peered into his uncanny ability to deeply link music and lyrics in "A Peak at Prosody", which takes a close look at "Hallelujah" as well as other songs that employ the technique).

Today, let's briefly examine Cohen's classic "Everybody Knows" - a song from Leonard's 1988 album "I'm Your Man". 

The song barely charted at its release, but was almost immediately a hit for film makers. Cohen's version was used in the 1994 film, "Exotica", and it was covered for many more films - from 1990's "Pump It Up" (covered by Concrete Blonde) to 2017's "Justice League" (covered by Sigrid).

So, let's break down what's happening with the lyrics first, and then the music.