Shuffle Synchronicities: Volume 1 - #137
The Real Guest Post by Dimitri Karakostas (@theworstpoet) + "Miss Joanie Lee - The Factory Rehearsal" by The Velvet Underground - 05/19/21
Yesterday, we had a fake guest post where I pretended to be one of my favorite Internet poets, @theworstpoet a.k.a Dimitri Karakostas, because he couldn’t turn in the post in time.
But today, we have The Real McCoy!
Or rather, we have today what @theworstpoet, Dimitri Karakostas, wrote yesterday.
Without further adieu!
Today, I woke up and shuffled my Spotify liked songs playlist (260 songs and counting), then wrote something about how the song synchronized with my life and how it might synchronize with yours.
I'm relatively new to using Spotify. I'm a slow adopter. In my mid-20's, I was having some 'brain problems' that we could now just rename as 'depression,' and a doctor suggested that I stop listening to music on my walks - instead, I should focus on my surroundings more: listen to the birds, the noise of the streets, the silence of a place I shouldn't be. Even now, I find myself either listening to a podcast about UFOs or the deep state instead of the new Warp release i've been meaning to check out.
I suppose I feel better if i'm 'learning' something.
I shuffled my liked songs and wound up with Islands - Swans (Life After Death).
"Swans (Life After Death)" by Islands
First, I laughed because it's probably one of my most listened to songs of all time. There was definitely a point in my life where I could say 'Islands is my favorite band' and likely mean it. I can't imagine how many times i've listened to this record since it's release in 2006.
In 2006, I was 18. I am not sure where I lived at this point. I can't remember. I think I lived in three different places that year.
This song has a particular 'sing-along' quality that I love in pretty much anything I listen to. Even though i'm tone-deaf and nasally and flat, I can't help but sing along at the starting "Swans, swans, swans sing songs all night long".
I started writing this early in the morning, before I had my coffee and before I had my smoothie and before I showered and before I took my prozac. I started this a touch too early. I was bound to get distracted.
I put on my headphones and decided to go wandering before I set down to work. I deserve a bit of sun. I kept the song on repeat and let myself think - well, what am I thinking about when I think of this song?
Swans, swans, swans.
I decided to head east so I jumped on the subway. I started reading Sontag's 'Death Kit,' which has been my 'in-transit pdf-on-my-iphone' for a few weeks now. I check the time and see that it's 12:50. I decide to get off at whatever stop happens to fall around 1:11pm so I can get a transfer with my angel numbers. It doesn't matter where i'm going, anyways. I'm just going somewhere to go.
It's either a derive or a lindywalk depending on my mood.
This song is 9:30 long, but it always feels like it's over too soon. It sounds better the second or third time, every time.
I'm zoned out, walking north-east and I find a pavilion that says 'Fantasy Farms.' I've never seen this before, so i'm already doing a good job on this walk.
I take a left and walk through the woods, following a thin body of water with the fattest tadpoles i've ever seen.
My mouth is so dry
And all I see is sea to shining seas
Yeah, ok - i'm thirsty now. I need to get out of this place and back to a main street. I wind up at a gas station and buy a bottle of peach perrier.
I have always found myself buying peach perrier at gas stations.
Who knew how warm the islands would be?
This week has been the first 'nice weather' week of the year. T-shirt weather. God, it feels so good. I take another left and wind up at a graveyard.
Unfortunately, I already accidentally found myself at this graveyard recently. Nothing new to see. I dredge through and my mind wanders again. I take my headphones off and pretend to be solemn.
Who knew just how much the sky covers me? It makes you forget what it means to be free.
I take a right turn.
I find a nice piece of garbage. I'm always looking for some nice trash to take home.
For as long as i've been aware of the reality of the art world, i've thought that the best work is usually taped to a lamp post or on a bulletin board.
Yet all I see is sea and azure sky A little wave and ebb tide
I'm now far enough from home to where it makes sense for me to start walking back.
I put my headphones back on and listen to the song again. 9:30 is approximately how long it takes me to walk 1km, so it keeps me on a nice pace when i'm not stopping to say hello to cows or to stare at crematoriums.
And the sun-smudged peach moon Still hung loose
I stop at another gas station and buy another peach perrier.
Should I talk more about this song? I should talk more about this song.
(Editor's note: writing this stopped for about 3 hours while I tried to snake a drain.
I didn't have a snake, obviously, so I had to go visit a friend that does. I spent thirty extra minutes kissing his dog.)
I've ruined my day. I didn't write anything. I'm so stupid. Fuck. The sun got the best of me. That goddamn seductive sun!
Swans, swans, swans
I put the NHL game on in the living room and put the Islands record on my turntable. I listen to it again as I shove a long metal wire into a toilet, pulling up a coral-esque compound of flushed tampons and makeup removing wipes.
I call my wife and we laugh about it, but the clog still persists.
I talk to Dave briefly, realizing I still haven't sent over this piece. Fuck, i'm so stupid. I'm such an idiot. I had one real task to do today and I still managed to mess it up. His post-plagiarist version of 'my post' is actually very good - something I am proud of despite not writing it.
Swans, swans, swans
I have a cigarette and start the record over.
I should get to the point.
I'm thankful for my life I'm thankful for my life
Haha, and I’m thankful for this post, Dimitri!
That Islands song is one of my favorites too! And you’re right, you need to listen to it at least two or three times when it comes on.
It’s also funny that the parenthesis of the song is (Life After Death).
Because that synchronizes with how I wrote the fake guest post as you based on my research of the song I had yesterday, “Time of the Season”, when I found out that a promoter claimed that The Zombies frontman had died so he could promote a fake version of the band because they were broken up.
Today’s song also feels like a synchronicity, because it’s also a long one, 11:50, largely about Lou Reed wondering what a character named Joanie Lee is doing with her day.
"Miss Joanie Lee - The Factory Rehearsal" by The Velvet Underground
Which was reminiscent of me yesterday wondering what was happening with you and the guest post, LOL.
Hey miss Joanie Lee
What's goin', goin' on?
???? to get now
What's goin' on?
Here’s me, being like, please, please, please deliver it:
Miss Joanie, Joanie, Joanie, Joanie Lee
Miss Joanie, Joanie, Joanie, Joanie Lee
Miss Joanie, Joanie, Joanie, Joanie Lee
Please, please, please, please, please
and here’s you on your walk:
Walked to the corner
Is she ever gonna stop?
Goin' to pick up
Gonna wanna make a drop
And she's gonna move
She's goin' cruisin' go low
Is she gonna stay?
Where's she gonna go?
and then here’s me freestyling that fake guest post as it neared the end of the day.
(instrumental break w/muttering)
and here’s us talking:
And here’s the last thing I’ll say: What a day, man, you lived it beautifully!
Okay, that’s the one hundred and thirty-seventh Shuffle Synchronicities.