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Don't Tell the Bees

by Futzle

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about

Telling the bees is an old European tradition. A beekeeper is expected to visit the hive and announce life changes to the bees, such as a death or departure of an owner. Beekeepers who fail to do so are at risk of the colony dying or producing sour honey.

Country is an interesting genre with a mixture of tradition and experimentation: while a lot of it is straight major chords with no accidentals, there is scope for complexity and innovation. In Don’t Tell the Bees, the verse starts with only the white notes in the harmonies, but by the end of the verse, every black note has also made an appearance.

lyrics

I was still fresh out of school
You were the homecoming queen
Didn’t have money
But what did we need?
Lived on a farm in Racine
Everyone called us a fool
Yet we still dared to believe
Learned to make honey
And then to make mead
Drunk on joie de vivre

Then the elation of youth
Faded, like so many things
Drove me to drink
And then drove me to smoke
Trying to fend off the stings
When I uncovered the truth
I found that I lost my way
Now how I think
About your masterstroke
Much to my dismay

So tell all your girlfriends how I did you wrong
Write to the papers, compose a sad song
You’re your own boss, you can do as you please
But don’t—
Don’t tell the bees

After the thrill of it all
Now we lead separate lives
You got the land
And the dog
and the horse
I got the wrong kind of hives
Now I know I was in thrall
Playing the part of the drone
How did you stand
To go through that divorce
High up on your throne?

You can tweet it on Facebook or toot on Bluesky
Start doing voodoo, and hope that I die
Curse me to catch an infectious disease
But don’t—
Don’t tell—

Be a good parent, maintain the façade
You ought to know that deception is hard
Give my last bottle of honey a squeeze
But don’t—
Don’t tell the bees

Not for the first time I’m down on my knees
Don’t—
Don’t—
Don’t tell the bees

credits

released November 1, 2023
Instruments used: Korg Kronos, MODO DRUM, MODO BASS, Lee Oskar Diatonic C Harmonica, Fender American Acoustasonic Telecaster guitar, Korg Module, Melissa & Doug wooden kazoo.

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Futzle Melbourne, Australia

More music at music.futzle.com.

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