Crossing The Railroad

One thing we must add our blog is this: THE LYRICS. We are so sorry for the mistakes in the album where our lyrics were not perfectly written. However, rather than giving you excuses, we give you…our lyrics!
So enjoy!

DIG IT DEEP

On the surface you see my right
On the surface you love me uptight
Dig it deeper you see a loser
Dig it deeper you’d rather meet her
On the surface baby
We were right

On the surface
I see you “my god!”
On the surface damn! You’re bad
Dig it deeper
I see a clown
Dig it deeper
Better be on my own

Dig it deep
We’re black and white
But it’s fine
Life would be kind.

DANCE WITH THE BLUES

Dance with the blues baby
You gotta dance with the blues

If you feel sad wanna cry out loud
If you’re desperate wanna kill yourself
You just gonna do it honey
Just do it straigtly
You just gotta dance with the blues.

CROSSING THE RAILROAD

This desperation is because of you
You took my heart and throw it to the trash
This desperation is because of you
What have you done to my life?
What have you done to my mind?

I am dead but I have to cross the railroad
This desperation is because of you
People are crossing over my body in the railroad
This desperation is because of you
The railroad is one step ahead
I am dead but I have to
Crossing the railroad

DIE DIE BABY DIE!

Die die baby die!
I want you to die right here right now!
Cuz’ I know you like it when I’m hurting you.

ODE (TO LADY JANIS)

Wondering lady of the night
Trying to portray the unshiny light
Looking to clean darkness from the bright

And you see dear lovely dear
The road isn’t clear and I’m still here
Holding a glass of beer

Won’t come with me honey, darling
Let’s our strike this life
And dance through the night

Won’t you come with me
And let our heart be cleaned
While we were dancing

Kiss me honey
Kiss me and hold me tight
Never let go
Never let my tears flow

The road isn’t clear
Fill it with my tears
And I’ll wait and believe
Again my love will come to an end.

OBITUARY

Welcome to my graveyard
I have nothing to offer
Just bugs and maggots
These all I have

Skeletons are smiling
Ghosts are grinning
Jack O’lantern
Mr. death is waiting

Passing the death step
Blood Lake as scenery
I’m the person who walks naked in my God’s graveyard.

MIDNIGHT SONG

This is a story set in Rock ‘n Roll city
Where a naive little girl loses her step
She realized her talent in singing Joplin’s song
She gonna make a fortune and form a band

Then she wrote midnight song

Runnin’ away to the hectic life
Kinda confuse with the absurd mass
Wanna show off her rebellious part.

HELL’S KITCHEN

I was born here in catastrophe
In the city where streets never lonely
Drink the liquor taste the strike
Together we’ll high up to the sky

Illumination, Rich from corruption
Baptist yourself with sin
Unstarry night
Polluted cloud
Inhale this city’s carbon monoxide

God place us here
Scream the words from your throat
God place us here screaming

We live in a hell’s kitchen
Jakarta is a hell’s kitchen

Mini skirted girls
Spread their legs
And you found out there’s phallus inside
It freaks you out
Run far away
From this city where you don’t wanna die.

.
.
.
.
.

By Nosa and Asep
Edited by: Silka and Manan

Jim : I’ve been on the desert and got lost. I’ve been livin’ on Trick’s Rooftop. Got
stuck on a chick.
Ray : So what else you doin’?
Jim : Writing. Songs, poems, stuff like that.
Ray : You write a song? Let me hear one.

—Oliver Stone’s The Doors

What keeps a Rock n’ Roll band alive? Is it their music, their fame, their fans? I think none of those things has anything to do with the greatness and the life of a Rock ‘n Roll band. I only see three words that can keep a band as good as it can be: Friendship, Drugs, and Rock ‘n Roll.

FRIENDSHIP provides two essential things a band should have. First there is the heart to heart chat, the second is truthfulness. Take a look at the conversation between Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek in Oliver Stone’s The Doors above. That scene was probably fiction but there is one point that we can learn. The heart-to-heart chat or, as Indonesians say, curhat, most of the time has nothing to do with the music, the band or the management problems. It came out spontaneously and it can be anything from love matters, economy, or simply what one thinks about other people, just like Jim said to Ray. Heart to heart talking binds people.
Second thing is the truthfulness among band members. Well, this one keeps the band alive, since a Rock ‘n Roll band is more than just some people making music. They involve each other not only on stage, but also in their personal lives; thus, sense of faith among others is a must. Take McCartney and Lennon for example. Even though they often had quarrels backstage, their quarrels were sincere. Sincere here means that they speak what they think like, say, “I don’t like it when you do that”, “Fuck it, man, can’t you just stay away from that bloody bitch”, “Is none of your goddamn business.” Well, there goes the fight, but you know what? Their fights kept the band alive with truthfulness. Lennon didn’t like McCartney fucking around with Clapton’s wife, but McCartney did it anyway, so what? So the band kept on going cause there were no lies. People have parallel lives, people have choices and every one ought to know that. Lennon knew that, so even though the end of McCartney and Clapton’s wife relationship was bitter, Lennon didn’t say “I told you so.”

DRUGS is the next element that keeps a Rock ‘n Roll band alive. Drugs have been one of the ancient tribal traditions. It gives the tribes people wisdom, ways to find solution, or simply transcendental bounding to each other. Hendrix, Morrison, and Joplin call it Acid; Metallica and INXS call it Heroin; Bob Marley calls it Marijuana; well I call it, simply, music. Kenji from Urasawa Naoki’s 20th Century Boys was wrong when he said, “I can do great without them (drugs)”. He misinterpreted drugs, because drugs could be anything. If the definitions of drugs are things that can get you high, music is one of them. Making music and performing it is the ultimate sensation in a band, not fame, money, nor fans. When the band gets drowned in their own music, they get emotionally attached. Therefore, they will come to the state of Trance, the orgasmic experience toward nature, themselves, and their music. They don’t care about anything but the music itself. Then, if their audiences are humans (with emotions and feelings), they will be dragged by this band that aren’t on earth anymore.
Another kind of drugs in the rock n’ roll world is Moshing. The dance, the very complication of body gestures performed, the epileptic fit, is another way to get a good trip to paradise. They work this way: compare it with ancient tribal dances. When tribal people are dancing, their selves are dissolved, they grasp a complete blend with nature, surroundings, people, until finally arrive at the state of mokhsa—to realize the unity of one’s atman (soul) with the brahman (the soul of the universe). The mosh pit is where the transcending ceremony begins. The crowd dances, whatever they unconsciously feel rise to the surface and break the barrier they use when they are subject of their consciousness. They dance, until the eyes redden, the muscles burn, the abdomen rupture, the skin get cut and scratched, and they don’t care at all. Once their selves are dissolved, the new binding they make with each other will strengthen them and disrobe their loneliness. When the band has achieved this state of drug use, and involved not only the band members but also the crowd, they have succeeded in making a band alive. Trust me; this experience is better than fame, money, fans, or life itself.

ROCK ‘N ROLL is the conclusion of this rambling writing. I think people should redefine this phrase from a genre of music to a philosophical way of life. My idea of Rock ‘n Roll is that it could be a way to unite people, especially in a band, not only a Rock band, but also any other genres from Folks, New Wave, Punk, Jazz to techno. That’s why Rock ‘n Roll has always been hand in hand with Friendship and Drugs no matter what the genre is. Can you call Radiohead, Blink 182, Rancid, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix The Upstairs, Slank, as Rock ‘n Roll? Sure. For me, every everlasting and provoking band is a Rock ‘n Roll band. When I say everlasting, I say what White Lion sang “Till death do us part.” It’s cheesy alright, since White Lion didn’t fell apart by death, and the lyricist ended up singing the “YUCK-WHAT-THE-FUCK” song entitled “Khadijah”. But the term death-do-us-part is relevant as far as it has been proved by The Doors, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, INXS, Sex Pistols, etc. Although some of those bands said that they’re not off yet, but let’s face it they aren’t that alive anymore.
When I say provoking, I say that it is the same as the drugs that I have previously discussed; the transcendental act that could move the crowd. Provoking also means that the band could bring people out of the context of the stage. They not only perspire people but also inspire. They are artists who not only write but read. They provide things that are out of the box. Those are the things that differentiate a Rock ‘n Roll band than other groups. So the questions you got to ask to define a Rock ‘n Roll band are: do you think they’re inspiring? Do they move you? Are they still ‘alive’ on and off the stage? If you think they are inspiring, moving, and living, there you have your Rock ‘n Roll band.
Deciding which band can rock you out is an individual and subjective matter. But if you ask me, I say a real Rock ‘n Roll band is the band that can teach you about life including friendship, drugs, and themselves. I believe that life’s not simple; it’s complicated, sad, fun, and beautiful at the same time, and my version of Rock ‘n Roll band taught me that. In short, I truly believe that a Rock ‘n Roll band is the band that can make you Dance with The Blues of your life, experience, friends, and Rock ‘n Roll.

PS: Is Wonderbra a Rock ‘n Roll band? Listen to The Album, feel it with your ears! You decide!

Thera’s note on singing: Releasing "The Beast" 

Pengakuan gw…

Lo
pernah denger kan si gila Sigmund Freud bicara tentang seksualitas
manusia? Kalo gw gak salah tangkep dari kuliah2 sastra yg selama ini gw
ikutin, intinya sih kita semua ini sebenernya makhluk seksual yg buas,
liar, binatang yg disebut id, yg sepanjang pertumbuhan menjadi manusia
pelan-pelan dibatasi oleh ego dan super-ego (nilai2 diri sendiri dan
moralitas masyarakat) sehingga kita jadi manusia yg seperti sekarang
ini, memiliki dan patuh kepada nilai2 moral. Tp sebenernya, seksualitas
kita semua itu seperti binatang buas yg bertahun2 dikurung, suatu saat
dia akan keluar dan menyantap siapa saja yg lewat. Makanya, pernah kan
kita nemuin kasus2 semacem orang pesantren yang tiba2 ngebunuh ato
memperkosa orang (nonton tayangan TV berita kriminal pada jam makan
siang deh)… semua karena manusia punya id yang terepresi, binatang yg
mendadak keluar kandang dan jadi buas bgt. Hasrat, napsu, lust, etc. Lo
baca aja sendiri bukunya, terlalu ribet kalo gw harus nyeritain
detailnya di sini. Lagian jujur aja, gue juga gak terlalu ngerti.

Gue
nggak mao bicara tentang seksualitas gw disini, gak penting soalnya, tp
gw mao bicara tentang hasrat yg selama ini dikurung. Bila lo denger
suara gue dan jeritan gue mekakin telinga elo. Itu karena hasrat gue
buat nyanyi yang selama 20 tahun terepresi, sama seperti id kita, si
binatang buas, yang siap menerobos kandangnya.

Dari kecil gue
emang uda banci tampil. Pernah suatu hari di arisan keluarga, gue liat
microphone nganggur. Di sana lah pertama kali gue melakukan aksi
panggung, stage performance. Dengan langkah ringan tanpa beban gw ke
panggung, gw membacakan sebuah puisi, judulnya BUAH TOMAT. Isinya
kurang lebih begini:

Buah tomat
Warnanya merah
Kalo dimakan
Enak rasanya

Mungkin ini puisi pertama yg gue bikin, dan ini pertama
kalinya gw tampil di depan orang banyak. Kata nyokap gue sih waktu itu
gue baru umur 4 thn.

Dalam bayang2 masa kanak2 gw yg udah mulai
kabur dimakan umur (biarpun gw msh muda), gue inget ada beberapa memori
tentang ‘aksi panggung’ gw. Gue pernah ikut fashion show baju pantai
(TK), fashion show kostum putri duyung (kelas 3 SD), fashion show fancy
dress (5 SD), dan hampir tiap tahun gw ikut dance group di SD gw (tau
kan… dance2 norak oleh anak2 kecil yg didandanin menor, diiringi oleh
lagu2 ACE OF BASE atau FUN FACTORY dan tidak lupa berbagai macam ragam
BOYBANDS _ harap maklum, I grew up in the 90s era). Seolah semua itu
belom cukup guat gw, nyokap gue nyuruh gw ikut les nari bali, dan gue
beberapa kali dapet predikat “penari termanis” dari sanggar gw (waktu
itu rasa bangganya minta ampun). My mom raised me as a BANCI TAMPIL.
*sigh*

Pas gue masuk SMP, hasrat banci tampil gue tetep blm
ilang. Gue mulai ngeband, tp disini gw pegang gitar. Kita udah sok2an
coba nyiptain lagu2 sendiri. Cupu deh, well… namanya juga masih
anak2…Begitu SMA, gw seperti cacing kepanasan yang seneng banget ikut
lomba debat Bahasa Inggris, menangnya sih jarang, tp yg penting gw
pernah tampil keren sebagai orang yg (pura2) jago pidato impromptu
argumentatif dalam Bahasa Inggris. Ohiya, teteup… banci tampil centil
pecicilan ini juga beberapa kali pernah jadi MC amatiran yg cukup
pasaran buat acara sweet seventeen-an.

Dari semua pengalaman
berbanci tampil ria, sebenernya ada hasrat yang nggak pernah berani gue
lakuin. Gue pengen banget nyanyi. Tp setiap gw disuruh nyanyi, baik
sekedar sekedar karaoke atau apapun juga, gue pasti ngumpet di WC dan
gak mao keluar kecuali kalo rumah mati lampu (well, gak segitunya bgt
jg sih…) Padahal kalo lg sendirian di kamar (maklum, autisme terkadang
kambuh), salah satu kebahagiaan gue adalah ketika gue masang CD player
gue gede2, megang sisir di tangan kanan (as a microphone), bergaya
lipsync di depan kaca sambil berkhayal seandainya saja gue bisa jadi
rockstar yg bisa nyanyi di depan ribuan orang. Huah… you have no idea
how fun it was.

Tapi bagaimana mungkin? Menyanyi saja aku tak
bisa… huhuhu… gue punya banyak temen penyanyi, bahkan sahabat gue
bersuara seperti Mariah Carey. Makin minder aja gue. Gue bener2 gak
berani nyanyi, bahkan gue pernah sampe nangis karena dipaksan nyanyi
sama nyokap gue. Suatu hari gue dipaksa jadi backing vocal temen gue yg
suaranya seperti Mariah Carey itu dalem suatu acara sekolah yg diadain
di GKJ. Dia maksa bgt… sebenernya gue juga gak pede, tp gw pikir… gpp
kali yah cari pengalaman, toh cuman ngebackingin doang. Temen gue
dengan sabarnya ngajarin gue bermacem2 teknik2 dasar nyanyi. Tralala
dan trilili dan lain sebagainya… Tp ternyata… GKJ yang misterius dan
dingin, penonton yang tenggelam dalem teater yang gelap, atmosfer GKJ
yang (seharusnya nggak) asing buat gw bikin gue keringet dingin. Kita
bawain “Runaway” by The Corrs diiringin ansabel kecil2an. But I sucked.
And then I promised myself that I will never singing on stage again,
ever. I, Teraya Paramehta, the greatest banci tampil in the 21st
century, are too damn shy to sing.

But I still wanted to sing.
The beast inside me was furious.
She wanted to be liberated.

Sampe
akhirnya gue kuliah di Sastra UI. Kala di kosan, gw sering gonjrang
ganjreng gitar sendirian ato rame2 sama temen2. Hmmm, gue sadar sih…
dirasa2 dikit, sebenernya suara gue lmayan enak juga asal diolah. Tp
gue tetep gak punya nyali buat nyanyi.

Sampe akhirnya gue
ikut2an teater. Gue belajar olah vokal ala teater. Yg gue dapet dr sini
adalah bagaimana melatih suara buat keluar secara lepas dengan power
yang kuat tanpa harus cepet cape, jadi kita bisa ngomong jelas di
panggung tanpa harus pake microphone. Mulai dari sini gue belajar untuk
berani “mengeluarkan” suara gue.

Sampe akhirnya (lagi…) gue
berani bergabung dengan bandnya Nosa, Asep, dan Edy yang dulunya masih
bernama Girls on Fire (menjadi WONDERBRA setelah gue masuk). Awalnya
kita bawain pop, karena gue merasa nggak punya nyali untuk bawain rock.
Pelan2 kita jadi alternatif, karena gue mulai berani jerit2 sedikit.
Lalu kita menjadi rock, karena gue mulai pede untuk jerit2 lebih
banyak. Lalu gue mulai berkenalan dengan Janis Joplin, dan gue sadar…

Gue
sadar kalo yang menahan suara gue di tenggorokan gue selama ini adalah
aturan permainan olah vokal. Gue pengen banget bisa nyanyi, tp gue
selalu takut. Takut salah lirik, takut suara gue gak nyampe, takut gak
pitch, takut gak masuk, dll. Padahal gue pengeeeeen banget nyanyi. I
really have an urge to sing. Lalu gue liat ibu Janis Joplin. Gue
dengerin Summertime versi dia. Gue uda sering bgt denger Summertime
dinyanyiin oleh banyak musisi jazz, tp yg ini beda. Emang, bener bgt
kalo di beberapa bagian lagu Summertime nya Joplin, ada beberapa nada
yg gak masuk. But somehow it doesn’t really matter, coz she got
something else other than her voice and technique that really matters
most. It’s her soul.

Dari mami Joplin gw belajar, kalo yg
namanya mao nyanyi ya nyanyi aja. Mao jerit ya jerit aja. Bebasin
pikiran kita dari segala aturan yang memenjarakan. Rasa dan sensasi itu
segalanya, itu yang harus lo bagi ke orang2 yg nonton lo dan diri lo
sendiri selain teknik bervokal yang aduhai (gukan berarti gue
menyepelekan Mariah Carey, dkk. Dan mereka yg ikut kursus vokal
dimana2) Nyanyi itu jangan dipikir, tapi dirasa. Nangislah bila perlu,
marahlah bila harus.

Menyanyi pun sama dengan sebuah karya seni,
sebuah puisi. Tiap jerit atau nada yang gak pitch mungkin bisa jadi
bagian dari sebuah puisi, selayaknya ironi, eufimisme, atau hiperbola.
Semua itu seperti tulisan, puisi yang disampaikan dan dicerna oleh
indera pendengaran. Puisi bukan hanya ada dalam lirik lagu, puisi
adalah keutuhan, sinergi dari keseluruhan apapun yang ada di dalam lagu
itu. Walopun lirik yg gue tulis kadang2 cheezy, tp buat gw semua itu
tetep puitis, karena puitisasi sebuah lagu buat gue nggak sekedar
dilihat dari rima lirik yg senada, kata2 pujangga, atau referensi
tulisan dari Shakespeare, Poe, Wordsworth, dkk. Puitisasi sebuah lagu
juga terdapat dari kapan gue nyanyi sambil jerit2, kapan gue nyanyi
semi-berbisik, kapan gue menyanyi datar tanpa ekspresi. Karena semua
itu punya makna. Semua itu puisi, dan puisi itu adalah pembebasan buat
gue. Substansi langganan gue. Menyanyi adalah salah satu adiksi.

Menyanyi
buat gue adalah pembebasan binatang buas gue yang liar, yang selama ini
terkurung oleh rasa takut yang gue punya. 20 tahun binatang buas gue
terkurung, and she’s now on fire. Soo, bagi mereka yang tutup kuping
kala gue nyanyi ataupun mereka yang berdecak kagum atas kenekatan gue…
Harap maklum… Binatang buas ini baru saja lepas, dan masih belum bisa
dijinakkan. Dia masih ingin menikmati kebebasannya. Dia masih ingin
berpuisi lewat nada.

Apa yang lo liat di panggung itu bukan gue.

It’s her. The beast. My beast.

Cheers,

Thera

ps: Dear wonderboys (Nosa, Asep, Kuyut, Edi, dkk)
Love u so much, guys… I’d be nothing without u

http://www.myspace.com/wonderbratheband