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about

Round about 1988 or so i got to reading Wayne Dyer's "Your Erroneous Zones," and was greatly impressed with his chapter on approval seeking, which I recognized at once to be one of my key maladies. (If this seems doubtful to those who knew me at the time to be highly irascible and rather gloomy, well, I really did suffer from approval-seeking, but I was just awful at it.) And so, flipping my shame on its head, I wrote this song to show a false pride in my nasty habit, where the love of money, sex, regard—all paled before my appetite for approval!

I'd recorded this one over the decade with several different bands, believing it to be a solidly good song by general consensus. Unlike all the previous versions, which rocked in a straightforward Kinks manner, I tinkered with the syncopation here, make it somewhat Celtic-sounding.

First music video for song I ever did.

lyrics

"Approval" [vonHummer]

I don't want your money/ Money is a mass hallucination/ I don't want your sex/ Sex causes indignation/ I don't want to lead you to the water/ and make you drink like a horse/
I want your everlasting, everlovin'/ soul-suckin' stamp of approval/ of course…

I don't want opinion/ Opinions very often draw fire/ I don't want applause/ Applause marks a clumsy liar/ I don't want your thoughtless criticisms/ that could cause me any needless remorse/
I want your everlasting, everlovin'/ soul-suckin' stamp of approval/ of course...

Eat/ drink/ and go and seek approval/ Sleep/ dream/ wake up and seek approval/ Pump blood/ and breathe and seek approval/ Exercise/ excrete/ secrete and seek approval:/ This will/ be my/ life,/ if that's all right…

I don't want your worship/ warships/ or washing machines/ I don't want your sweet lips/ tax tips, or tambourines/ I don't want a magnum of champagne/ a Magna Carta or Magnum Force,/
I want your everlasting, everlovin'/ soul-suckin' stamp of approval/ of course...

credits

from That Which Does Not Smash, released October 21, 2001
vonHummer: EVERYTHING

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vonHummer Portland, Oregon

vonHummer is a Portland music/cable access legend whose career spanned from Fall of 2001 to Fall of 2011, during which he recorded a hundred or so songs for use in his absurdist show (and feature film) and played only a handful of concerts. Currently retired, his work shines on for the ages. Or will he someday return...? ... more

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