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Songs For Black Swans

from Keep It Coming Like A Miracle by The Sleeper Pins

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about

This song started as a few lines in a notebook revolving around the concept of "the underdog".  I'm usually a fan of underdogs, in whatever realm you want to put one in.  Everyone likes underdogs from time to time; probably going back to hearing the story of David and Goliath as a kid.  I already had the descending notes part on the guitar for the verses and the chorus chords.  However, I didn't have lyrics for the chorus yet.  I knew this song was going to be good and I was already digging it and enjoyed messing around with it.  I particularly liked some of the imagery in the verses, the "shut down landing strip," and the "lightning rod for bad luck in my brain" and whatnot. 
One day I was hanging out by a small lake in Minnesota and happened to see a swan floating on the water.  It was so brilliant and white and impossible not to look at.  I was reminded of the time I was in a park and happened to see a few albino squirrels and how cool that was.  I've never seen any since.  The question popped up in my mind: I wonder if there are any black swans?  Later that same day I was watching something on TV and a commercial for a type of wine came on.  The wine company was (you guessed it) Black Swan, and during the commercial there were shots of black swans swimming around.  They did exist!  I couldn't believe the serendipity of it all, and knew this was important.  I began thinking about the black swans being the unsung heroes of the swan population and this reminded me of the song I was working on about underdogs.  I began toying with lyrics for the chorus, and the rest is history.  The chorus worked out, and I added the line "Like us" at the end of the song to tie it in with us as a band being underdogs in the music scene, and humans being underdogs to the fruition of their own hopes and dreams in general.  I have a few bottles of Black Swan wine on top of the cabinets in my kitchen right now that never fail to remind me of that day I was just hanging out enjoying the weather and wound up finishing a song.
"Songs for Black Swans" has since become one of our most popular tracks, and never fails to get a reaction at a live show.  I've had many strangers compliment me on it, and even go so far to say that it is a message for minorities and racial injustice.  Whatever your interpretation is I hope you like it!

lyrics

As useless as a fire truck in the rain
Stock footage nightmares play for
days and days
As lonely as a shut down landing strip
I never learned to make a good
paper airplane

This is a song for black swans
This is a song for black swans

A lightning rod for bad luck
is in my brain
Everything I love is on a moving train
Pick up your feet, prick up your ears
my friend
There's always room for underdogs
In the end

This is a song for black swans
This is a song for black swans

Hope and faith will carry you all the way
Hope and faith will carry you all the way
This is a song for black swans
This is a song for black swans
Like us

credits

from Keep It Coming Like A Miracle, track released November 20, 2013
Tyson Allison--vocals, guitar, bass
Justin Deleon--drums, percussion
Aaron Kerr--cello

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about

The Sleeper Pins image

The Sleeper Pins Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Sleeper Pins began as an acoustic duo in Minneapolis, MN. Over the years, they have expanded their lineup to a 5-piece, play a lot more electric guitar, released 2 albums on Emperor Penguin Records, toured the midwest, and now call Milwaukee, WI home. After a 2 year hiatus, they are currently working on their next album. It will be titled, "Slow Boat to China" and it will rock. ... more

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