Hard Times (and not just in Arkansas...)

Okay, as I mentioned in a post a few days back, I wrote a song about the fracking in Arkansas and the bad effects it's been having there. If you don't know what fracking is about and what effects it can have, I recommend you check out the following thread by RobinMarks for starters:
New Swarm of Earthquakes in Arkansas

There's also a huge thread on the same subject but because of its size, I'm hoping some of our members will join this thread and answer questions for anyone who wants more info -- specially since now we've got quakes happening in Oklahoma that could be linked to fracking in the local area too.

About the following video: back last Thursday I was doing some narrator-type voice work in a studio here in Prague and when we'd finished I asked if they'd let me record the song in their studio so I could mix it and use it with the video.

When I told them what is was about -- namely a protest against fracking -- they not only agreed, they also offered to mix it for me -- all free of charge. Very cool of them and much appreciated. Thanks, guys.

They mailed me the mix today and so all I had to do was run it through windoze movie maker with the video I took, then upload it to youtube. (My first upload on YT ever!) So anyway, here's the video. It was a one-take, so make allowances for an old dude who's not done any studio music for a few years.


And yes, that is an ATS "Fifth of November" T-shirt I'm wearing.

I'll be off to take care of some work duties in around half an hour but I'll check back in later on. Thanks for watching.

And Robin, SusanFrey, and others who've been so dedicated to the anti-fracking cause... First and foremost, this is my way to say thank you to you all.

Mike

Luv It!!! What a talent you are, JustMike! Your passion for the topic shines through and I dig the 'piano bar' sound. Let's hope the "the gas men" do have to face up and pay up soon--our planet can't take such abuses indefinitely. Thanks.
A flag and star for you, Sir.

Way to go JustMike....you make me proud to be a fellow ATSer

Hope it goes viral for you. Send it to all the local AK radio stations for some possible air play.

Bright Blessing JM,

Des

Many thanks to both of you.

Yeah I like the piano bar/club sort of sound. Most of my singing blues was in clubs rather than big venues. It's comfy that way.

Des, would be great to get the word out in any way possible. Meanwhile, I've just realized that I have not even posted the words of the studio version within the OP so instead I'll drop them in here.

Hard Times (and who knows it better than Guy, Arkansas)

My moma called me
Just the other day
Said her whole house was shaking, man
Like it was gonna fall away

She said there'll be hard times
Arkansas' hard times
And who knows it
Better than those folks down in Guy?

Well I soon found out
Just what she meant
When I had to run outside
As that ground began to rent

Yeah we got those hard times 'cos those frackin' wells
Arkansas' hard times...
And who knows it
Better than Guy?

(Middle 8)

Arkansas' got beauty
All those towns and hills so green
But when those quakes start up again
It's enough to make you scream

Talking hard times 'cos those frackin' wells,
Arkansas' hard times
And who knows it
Better than Guy?

(Middle 2)
[Spoken: It's getting bad down there... and not just Arkansas.
Gotta stop 'em, you know... Gotta stop 'em
And I'll tell ya, I'll tell ya... ]

Oh man, one of these days,
All them gasmen with their frackin' wells
They're gonna have to pay

Pay for those hard times
They'll pay for those hard times
And who knows it... [ Yeah I'm asking ya, who knows it? ]
Who knows it...
Better than Guy?

Mike
EDIT: at 15:10 UTC... Okay, have to go and take care of some work duties. I'll get back in a few hours.

Well. Some interesting times we live in. Theres been like 2 big earthquakes in Oklahoma yesterday and 28 nice sized after shocks and its not too often Oklahoma gets earthquakes especially 5.6 ones.

reply to post by JustMike


Here ya go JM, a list of ALL radio stations in AK. Includes live links to each. Also, a description of station formats.

www.ontheradio.net...

Great job JustMike, love it.

Hope you don't mind, I put a link to this thread in Robin's Earthquake Swarm in
Arkansas thread.

I am presently camping in Arkansas and intend to spread this to all I can.

Thanks for your wonderful contribution!

I love it Mike. Keep it going.

Wow, Just amazing!!!

Love it!

Thank you sooooo much.

I'll watch it a thousand times.

S & F my man! Excellent piece of work and the effort you put in I am sure will be appreciated by all who hold a torch for the cause. I will see if I can push it out to the Irish anti fracking group.

It is now in the Arkansas videos on my Fracking Arkansas site

frackingarkansas.wordpress.com...

I really liked your video. You have put so much into this situation on so many levels. It is hard to believe that the outcry against Fracking policies have fallen on deaf ears.

Keep singing as it truly is an inspiration.

Great job!!, JustMike. I've always been a fan of piano bar blues/ jazz. And I'm adding you to my YouTube channel subscriptions.

For the record, I felt every bit of the 5.6 EQ that hit here Saturday night! It just doesn't seem natural to have a quake of that magnitude here! Last year's 4.3 on Oct. 13th was hairy enough......God help us all.

reply to post by PuterMan


So glad you reposted that website as I lost it long ago. Just taking a quick look it has really expanded since the beginning when I last saw it.

Great job Justmike.

You have a very good talent.

I appreciate what you are doing.

I'm going in search of bumper stickers that say Stop Fracking.
Need T-shirts too.

We CAN make a difference.

Later.....

JustMike - This is Just Great!! S&F - I will be forwarding the link out to everyone I know. Thank You for your hard work.

Some links to fracking related protests
Safe water for millions of families Nov 21 determines that
and
Gas drilling impacts pa farmer Terry Greenwoods cows: zero calves this year after ten dead calves in 2008

Now here is one
Fracking Blog Collection


Take a look at this one. An interesting comment from the geologist
arkansasgotfracked.blogspot.com...

But out of due diligence, Holland began examining the suite of almost 50 seismic events that followed the 2.8-magnitude quake. The majority of the microquakes struck within 3.5 kilometers of the fracturing well, Picket Unit B 4-18. The quakes were shallow and fit well in time and space with the start of fracturing in the nearby well. The geophysical model fit, too.

"The more and more we looked at it, it looked like it was a correlation," Holland said.

This is not the first time that fracturing has faced a possible link to earthquakes. The first case occurred in Oklahoma in 1978, featuring 70 microquakes in just over six hours, while a decade later, scientists linked fracturing to 90 small events. Both studies suffered from limited data, however, and their connections were far from definite.

With his arm twisted, Holland would still not definitively tie the microquakes to fracturing at the well. It is fiendishly difficult to attribute earthquakes, given existing scientific uncertainties about why and when quakes are triggered. What is clear is that the quakes are not common: As Holland noted, firms have drilled 100,000 fracturing wells in Oklahoma, with three minor seismic events reported.

Love it. I had a feeling it would be good.

I'll try and help spread this around!

Amazing how different mediums can reach people in other ways. Many won't read an article or watch a movie, but they'll listen to a song. That might all it takes to spark an interest.

Who's the pianist ? Is that you too ? Whoever he is he's giving Jools Holland a run for his money there !

Great job !

Jeesy Pete, that is one monster blues piano player, wow. And your vocal is good too.

And that's a Neumann U87 mic I believe? Nice studio. Nice tune, good cause, good message.

Amen, brother.