State of Dismay

Raw 90s alt-rock meets jittery garage-pop at 134–146 BPM, driven by low-tuned guitar, elastic bass, dry live drums, and a male singer who shifts from lazy drawl to sly mutter, cracked yell, and manic excitement, Keep the verses murky, off-kilter, and a little dangerous, using stop-start riffs, bent guitar notes, rattling snare, and bass lines that bounce with almost comic force, Let the choruses blow open into huge, ridiculously catchy sing-alongs with gang vocals, handclaps, blunt power chords, and an oversized rubbery bass sound, The band should feel loose, sweaty, and barely controlled, Add pick scrapes, sudden breaks, fake endings, awkward fills, short fuzz solos, and little instrumental jokes between vocal lines, Keep the production rough and human: clipped amps, room bleed, imperfect hits, and live energy, The mood should balance dark humor with bright hooks, like a sketchy roadside bar suddenly turning into a wild backyard party, Keep it catchy, grimy, sarcastic, and alive, !!!

V5.5

[Intro – rubbery bass, dry drums, ugly little fuzz riff]

[Verse 1]
Tax money ain't fixin' the bridge, No living wage, just empty malls, Six energy drinks in the fridge, Microplastics in my balls.
Gas light blinkin', get out and push, Hope you ain't got somewhere to be, Take your time, don't get in a rush— You weren't buying property.

[Pre-Chorus]
This isn't what I signed up for, This isn't what I want. This is some bullshit... Really.

[Chorus]
This isn't what was on the box, I wanted something fast, Not a rusted piece of shit on blocks. But none of this means shit, 'Cause we ain't hit the bottom yet.
STATE OF DISMAY! Don't let 'em take my will away! STATE OF DISMAY! SAME OLD SHIT, A DIFFERENT DAY!
DISMAY, BABY! DISMAY!

[Instrumental Break – bass bounce, guitar scrape, abrupt stop]

[Verse 2]
Rent went up another grand, Landlord painted over mold, Everybody's got a five-year plan, Mine is not to die too old.
Eggs are locked behind the glass, Everything's got some new fee, Bought the thing, but here's the catch: Now I rent it monthly.

[Pre-Chorus]
This isn't what I signed up for, This isn't what I want. This is some bullshit... Really.

[Chorus]
This isn't what was on the box, I wanted something clean, Not a dead little hatchback up on blocks. But none of this means shit, 'Cause we ain't hit the bottom yet.
STATE OF DISMAY! Don't let 'em take my will away! STATE OF DISMAY! SAME OLD SHIT, A DIFFERENT DAY!
DISMAY, BABY! DISMAY!

[Verse 3]
Doctor says I need more rest, Boss says maybe after June, Retirement sounds pretty nice— So does living on the moon.
Insurance says I'm doing great, Long as nothing starts to hurt, Forty hours bought a decent life, Now it buys a fucking shirt.

[Bridge – drums strip down, vocal half-spoken]
Everything's almost better. Everything's almost fixed. Everything costs a monthly fee For shit that used to just exist.
PAY MORE! GET LESS!
Lower expectations, Read the little print, Smile for the camera— Pretend this all makes sense.
PAY MORE! GET LESS!
We haven't hit the bottom, That's the funniest part yet— Every time we think we're there, Somebody finds another step.

[Final Chorus – full band, gang vocals, barely controlled]
This isn't what was on the box, I wanted something built to last, Not a smoking pile of parts on blocks. But none of this means shit, 'Cause we ain't hit the bottom yet.
STATE OF DISMAY! Don't let 'em take my will away! STATE OF DISMAY! SAME OLD SHIT, A DIFFERENT DAY!
DISMAY, BABY! DISMAY!
PAY MORE! GET LESS!
STATE OF DISMAY!

[Outro – false ending]
...Really

2553/7500

[Intro – rubbery bass, dry drums, ugly little fuzz riff] [Verse 1] Tax money ain't fixin' the bridge, No living wage, just empty malls, Six energy drinks in the fridge, Microplastics in my balls. Gas light blinkin', get out and push, Hope you ain't got somewhere to be, Take your time, don't get in a rush— You weren't buying property. [Pre-Chorus] This isn't what I signed up for, This isn't what I want. This is some bullshit... Really. [Chorus] This isn't what was on the box, I wanted something fast, Not a rusted piece of shit on blocks. But none of this means shit, 'Cause we ain't hit the bottom yet. STATE OF DISMAY! Don't let 'em take my will away! STATE OF DISMAY! SAME OLD SHIT, A DIFFERENT DAY! DISMAY, BABY! DISMAY! [Instrumental Break – bass bounce, guitar scrape, abrupt stop] [Verse 2] Rent went up another grand, Landlord painted over mold, Everybody's got a five-year plan, Mine is not to die too old. Eggs are locked behind the glass, Everything's got some new fee, Bought the thing, but here's the catch: Now I rent it monthly. [Pre-Chorus] This isn't what I signed up for, This isn't what I want. This is some bullshit... Really. [Chorus] This isn't what was on the box, I wanted something clean, Not a dead little hatchback up on blocks. But none of this means shit, 'Cause we ain't hit the bottom yet. STATE OF DISMAY! Don't let 'em take my will away! STATE OF DISMAY! SAME OLD SHIT, A DIFFERENT DAY! DISMAY, BABY! DISMAY! [Verse 3] Doctor says I need more rest, Boss says maybe after June, Retirement sounds pretty nice— So does living on the moon. Insurance says I'm doing great, Long as nothing starts to hurt, Forty hours bought a decent life, Now it buys a fucking shirt. [Bridge – drums strip down, vocal half-spoken] Everything's almost better. Everything's almost fixed. Everything costs a monthly fee For shit that used to just exist. PAY MORE! GET LESS! Lower expectations, Read the little print, Smile for the camera— Pretend this all makes sense. PAY MORE! GET LESS! We haven't hit the bottom, That's the funniest part yet— Every time we think we're there, Somebody finds another step. [Final Chorus – full band, gang vocals, barely controlled] This isn't what was on the box, I wanted something built to last, Not a smoking pile of parts on blocks. But none of this means shit, 'Cause we ain't hit the bottom yet. STATE OF DISMAY! Don't let 'em take my will away! STATE OF DISMAY! SAME OLD SHIT, A DIFFERENT DAY! DISMAY, BABY! DISMAY! PAY MORE! GET LESS! STATE OF DISMAY! [Outro – false ending] ...Really

0/500