BONUS EPISODE! OBLIQUE STRATEGIES: 3 SONGS BY BILL MESNIK, CREATED IN RESPONSE TO BRIAN ENO’S DECK OF CARDS.

To spur my songwriting juices, I got this deck of "Oblique Strategies" cards, created by Brian Eno, designed to prompt creativity. Here are a few examples. INSIDE / OUTSIDE (Oblique Strategy: “THINK - Inside the work, outside the work”)Inside - outside: it’s hard to reconcileInside is terrified, though outside may beguileIf I stay inside I just might hide from tribulations and the trialOf outside’s obligations to display the latest style.Inside is a cozy place, my home made out of bricksOutside is an endless space, with hucksters full of tricksWho wait around each corner to deliver blows and kicksOr, subtler art to break your heart no medicine can fixINSIDE - IT’S WARMOUTSIDE MAY DO ME HARMOUTSIDE - IT’S COLDINSIDE I’M GROWING OLD.It might agoraphobia, this reluctance that I feelOr, maybe something nobler, some grace for me to healIt might be something sinister, a cage of the mind too realBut, whatever the urge I need to emerge a person who can feel.Inside - outside: sings out of harmonyA discordant strain of grief and painAn obvious forgeryTurn on the light, step into the nightAnd accept what’s meant to beWherever you go, at least you’ll knowWhat it feels like to be free.REVERSE (O.S.: Reverse)I’m stuck in reverse, and way round the bacKThe brakes are all worn and the axle is cracked,The steering is worthless, it’s totally whackedI’m headed for trouble and everything’s black (and everything’s black)I’m up to my elbow in sulfurous muckAnd as far as all I know I’m dead out of luckBut, if it’s not too late I’ll sell you my truckLet fate steer the crate, and earn Satan a buckReverse ain’t the worst           If you face it with graceIt’s like running in placeOr, a pie in the face         Reverse is just relative                 A black hole in spaceIt ain’t something you need to erase.      Perhaps I’ve been looking at my problem all wrongMaybe Reverse is the point of my songIt could be “ass backwards” will make me last longAnd, what doesn’t kill me might build me up strong.FOOL’S GOLD(O.S.: what are you really thinking about just now? Incorporate.)HAVE A DESIRE TO CREATE, BUT NOT A SINGLE IDEAWOULDN’T IT BE REALLY GREAT TO PULL AN “AVE MARIA”?I’LL PRAY TO THE GOD OF ART TO ASSIST ME AND OPEN MY HEARTOR AT LEAST TO MAKE A STARTTOWARDS SOMETHING TRUTHFUL, SOMETHING BOLD, SOMETHING HONESTTHAT’S NOT FOOL’S GOLD.IT’S NOT MY FINEST HOURBUT I WON’T LET MYSELF BE SOURI STILL HAVE HOPE FOR SUCCESSAND THOUGH I SPEAK TO AUDIENCE OF ONEWE’RE STILL HAVING FUNSO FORWARD! AND DAMN ALL THE REST!I SHOULDN’T COMPLAIN IF THERE’S NOTHING TO GAINBY YEARS OF WASTED TOILTHE UNIVERSE HAS MADE IT PLAINWHY BURN REGRETFUL OIL?I’LL PRAY TO THE GOD OF ART TO ASSIST ME AND OPEN MY HEARTOR AT LEAST TO MAKE A STARTTOWARDS SOMETHING TRUTHFUL, SOMETHING BOLD, SOMETHING HONESTTHAT’S NOT FOOL’S GOLD.