Story Behind The Song: Hunger For The Weak
Posted on December 7, 2010 with 1 comment
Sometimes when writing, the purpose is to aim commercially and sometimes it is to just write a song with a message that is rooted in you in a manner and genre in which it just comes out. Thus is the case with this month’s song.
As with so many tunes I write, I’ll just set down with my guitar, find a groove, and just let the tones and emotion lead me into the topic. With Hunger For The Weak that too was the case. As I mapped out the chord progression and melody, out of nowhere at the point of where the title was obviously going to be placed, out popped the phrase “There is a hunger for the weak”. Where did it come from? Beats me.
Immediately after hearing myself sing it, I began to think of what that phrase might mean and it didn’t take but a second or two before I thought of how sharks prey on the weakened creatures in the sea. This probably came in mind because I had just finished watching a movie entitled Open Water which told the story of a couple who were left out to sea overnight by their chartered scuba boat. As the movie drew to its end the suspense was in that the lady had been slightly injured by small fish nibbling at her legs creating a scent of blood in the water which could draw sharks to them.
Although the sharks out in the ocean are viewed as ruthless and mean as they scan for prey, their motive to prey on weakened creatures is an inherent survival mechanism and not one of calculated self gain or greed. I began to think of the various types of praying we see in our world. For me it’s not about targeting on anyone in particular but rather using each one to address the collective common thread among various sectors of life, and how the preying is based out of illness, power, greed and selfishness or perhaps even a sense of feeling helpless to make a difference in the lives of others and then just let others twist in the wind as a result.
Too often we read in the newspaper about abductions and violent acts that we just can’t understand “why or how someone could be so ruthless”, and to our fortune we can’t really understand, or else we’d somehow identify with an ill mind. That does leave us both scared and angry when we hear about them. About the only consolation I can find is those shark attacks are based out of a predator’s illness and need for help themselves rather than that of strictly a “selfish motive”. It doesn’t take away the damage or feelings that follow, but its as close as one can come to understanding.
I realize that there are good people in Washington that do their best in what they feel is best for our country. Of course we’ve seen how there are those that are in it for self gain, power and I’d say I’ve even witnessed what very much seems to be intentions of a secure free ride in life doing just enough to keep in office. The struggle between parties often becomes a flag waving partisan war leaving the people they are meant to represent bobbing in the frenzied waters, ducking and treading under the crossfire, trying to tend to the wounded and casualties. The longer these remain in office. The more incentive to drift away from protections of those faces they are meant to represent. Like sharks they swim in a huge sea of bureaucracy with all senses in full alert amid the feeding frenzy… darting and jousting among their own kind trying to power position themselves to get their share of the meat, oblivious to the fish around them that will soon be the victims of their future frenzy. Eliminating the need to be re-elected might go a long way to keep perspectives properly focused on the heart and needs of their constituents.
We also have huge business interested in gaining more power and money with what seems to be no concern for the affects it is on the heart of this country by encouraging business to move abroad for use of foreign labor forsaking our own, and also the tragedy of abusing struggling workers over seas busting their humps for little pay while products are returned here and resold to our unemployed for many times over the actual cost. While makers of those clothes earn very little the garments they make are sold for profit points enough to continually grow more stores across the country.
It seems that the scent of blood has increased the desire to take advantage of the wounded and hurt rather than scurry to find medical assistance. If you’ve ever watched the shark week on Discovery channel, you might have noticed when a Great White Shark opens his jaws, just before he goes in for the attack he’ll roll his eyes back for protection… other types of shark species will cover them with a membrane for protection. Similar seems to be the case with societal sharks. The difference is however while actual sharks do this as a protective measure in survival, societal sharks roll them back so they don’t have to see the affects of their actions on the victims. By rolling them back they give themselves excuse from recognizing their own taste and hunger for the weak for their own gain. If they don’t see it, it doesn’t exist.
Finally to be fair, we need to look at ourselves as we pass those on the street, or those in need. Do we do similar as those we’ve just listened to in the verses? Perhaps we don’t recognize our own cold ability to ignore those that are hurting, struggling and too weak to cry for help? When we see a clear image of ourselves, do we see a dorsal fin on our back? I can think of a number of good people I know who help folks in need, often times when they have needs of their own. Isn’t this a better societal goal? And the emotional rewards go far beyond the reaches of money or power.
You can listen to a “dirt roads” version of this song for the month of December at http://www.braddunsemusic.com/files/sbts.m3u.
Hunger For The Weak
©2010 Brad Dunse
The news stand boldly shows the headline
Another abduction made the news
Left the locals scared and angry
What kind of man feeds on abuse?
And just like a shark there in the ocean
At the smell of blood they’ll bare their teeth
Victims struggle for survival
And the shark will roll their eyes so they don’t see
There is a hunger for the weak
Congress says they have our interest
They’ve got our backs me and you
But in their private darkened chambers
Partisan war remains ensued
Repeat chorus
In third world countries there are children
Sewing clothes to dusk from dawn
Shipped here to our greedy all-marts
Sold a hundred times their cost
Repeat chorus
Window shopping here last Christmas
My own reflection wasn’t dim
Behind my image were the homeless
And my back a dorsal fin
Repeat chorus
As with so many tunes I write, I’ll just set down with my guitar, find a groove, and just let the tones and emotion lead me into the topic. With Hunger For The Weak that too was the case. As I mapped out the chord progression and melody, out of nowhere at the point of where the title was obviously going to be placed, out popped the phrase “There is a hunger for the weak”. Where did it come from? Beats me.
Immediately after hearing myself sing it, I began to think of what that phrase might mean and it didn’t take but a second or two before I thought of how sharks prey on the weakened creatures in the sea. This probably came in mind because I had just finished watching a movie entitled Open Water which told the story of a couple who were left out to sea overnight by their chartered scuba boat. As the movie drew to its end the suspense was in that the lady had been slightly injured by small fish nibbling at her legs creating a scent of blood in the water which could draw sharks to them.
Although the sharks out in the ocean are viewed as ruthless and mean as they scan for prey, their motive to prey on weakened creatures is an inherent survival mechanism and not one of calculated self gain or greed. I began to think of the various types of praying we see in our world. For me it’s not about targeting on anyone in particular but rather using each one to address the collective common thread among various sectors of life, and how the preying is based out of illness, power, greed and selfishness or perhaps even a sense of feeling helpless to make a difference in the lives of others and then just let others twist in the wind as a result.
Too often we read in the newspaper about abductions and violent acts that we just can’t understand “why or how someone could be so ruthless”, and to our fortune we can’t really understand, or else we’d somehow identify with an ill mind. That does leave us both scared and angry when we hear about them. About the only consolation I can find is those shark attacks are based out of a predator’s illness and need for help themselves rather than that of strictly a “selfish motive”. It doesn’t take away the damage or feelings that follow, but its as close as one can come to understanding.
I realize that there are good people in Washington that do their best in what they feel is best for our country. Of course we’ve seen how there are those that are in it for self gain, power and I’d say I’ve even witnessed what very much seems to be intentions of a secure free ride in life doing just enough to keep in office. The struggle between parties often becomes a flag waving partisan war leaving the people they are meant to represent bobbing in the frenzied waters, ducking and treading under the crossfire, trying to tend to the wounded and casualties. The longer these remain in office. The more incentive to drift away from protections of those faces they are meant to represent. Like sharks they swim in a huge sea of bureaucracy with all senses in full alert amid the feeding frenzy… darting and jousting among their own kind trying to power position themselves to get their share of the meat, oblivious to the fish around them that will soon be the victims of their future frenzy. Eliminating the need to be re-elected might go a long way to keep perspectives properly focused on the heart and needs of their constituents.
We also have huge business interested in gaining more power and money with what seems to be no concern for the affects it is on the heart of this country by encouraging business to move abroad for use of foreign labor forsaking our own, and also the tragedy of abusing struggling workers over seas busting their humps for little pay while products are returned here and resold to our unemployed for many times over the actual cost. While makers of those clothes earn very little the garments they make are sold for profit points enough to continually grow more stores across the country.
It seems that the scent of blood has increased the desire to take advantage of the wounded and hurt rather than scurry to find medical assistance. If you’ve ever watched the shark week on Discovery channel, you might have noticed when a Great White Shark opens his jaws, just before he goes in for the attack he’ll roll his eyes back for protection… other types of shark species will cover them with a membrane for protection. Similar seems to be the case with societal sharks. The difference is however while actual sharks do this as a protective measure in survival, societal sharks roll them back so they don’t have to see the affects of their actions on the victims. By rolling them back they give themselves excuse from recognizing their own taste and hunger for the weak for their own gain. If they don’t see it, it doesn’t exist.
Finally to be fair, we need to look at ourselves as we pass those on the street, or those in need. Do we do similar as those we’ve just listened to in the verses? Perhaps we don’t recognize our own cold ability to ignore those that are hurting, struggling and too weak to cry for help? When we see a clear image of ourselves, do we see a dorsal fin on our back? I can think of a number of good people I know who help folks in need, often times when they have needs of their own. Isn’t this a better societal goal? And the emotional rewards go far beyond the reaches of money or power.
You can listen to a “dirt roads” version of this song for the month of December at http://www.braddunsemusic.com/files/sbts.m3u.
Hunger For The Weak
©2010 Brad Dunse
The news stand boldly shows the headline
Another abduction made the news
Left the locals scared and angry
What kind of man feeds on abuse?
And just like a shark there in the ocean
At the smell of blood they’ll bare their teeth
Victims struggle for survival
And the shark will roll their eyes so they don’t see
There is a hunger for the weak
Congress says they have our interest
They’ve got our backs me and you
But in their private darkened chambers
Partisan war remains ensued
Repeat chorus
In third world countries there are children
Sewing clothes to dusk from dawn
Shipped here to our greedy all-marts
Sold a hundred times their cost
Repeat chorus
Window shopping here last Christmas
My own reflection wasn’t dim
Behind my image were the homeless
And my back a dorsal fin
Repeat chorus