We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

It Don't Signify

from 6​+​5​+​2 by vonHummer

/

about

From reading George Fraser MacDonald's Flashman series—especially "Flash for Freedom" and "Flashman and the Angel of the Lord"—the phrase "It don't signify," used a lot by Americans of the 1860's to mean "It doesn't matter," got stuck in my mind and I had another Dewey Cox moment and built a song around it.

It was Summer of 2000 and I was freshly split from an awful marriage and missing my son, working downtown, a horribly bittersweet time. I wrote this song, "It Don't Signify" in a rather depressed mood as I waited for the train to take me out to a visitation.

The words are still a mystery to me. They kinda poured out and I wrote them down. Like Mark Twain said about Wagner, this song is better than it sounds. I think I recorded it with a simple drum track from my keyboard and then recorded over the drum machine with just a single bongo. I wasn't sure it worked well, but it's grown on me over the years.

lyrics

"It Don't Signify"
[vonHummer]

Nine kinds of evidence, nowhere near why, but it don’t signify, no it don’t signify,

Freedom bolstered by upholstered cubicles and push pins, and incessant fluorescent lighting, drop ceilings, feel to me like blue sky
And I put myself here, that’s no lie, yes I put myself here that’s no lie

Nine kinds of evidence, pile up around me, ah, but it don’t signify…
Belly contents: intermittent meteor showers, thru my mind goes yesterday’s rose parade of failure, sad floats slowly creep by,
But I‘ll put myself clear, or I’ll try, yes I’ll put myself clear, or I’ll try

Nine kinds of evidence, nowhere near why, ah but it don’t signify, no it don’t signify,

I pride myself in a limited way at thinking ‘outside the box’ just like Count Dracula could do so well, (and poor Pandora could not), can’t teach an old dog that won’t hunt to be crazy like a fox, I’m alive and I wanna die, ah, but it don’t signify…

Nine kinds of evidence, nowhere near why, but it don’t signify, no it don’t signify...

credits

from 6​+​5​+​2, released April 16, 2002
Produced by Clark Kent for Therisno Records.
vonHummer: drum guitar and other percussion, bass drone, high guitar drone

license

tags

about

vonHummer image

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

contact / help

Contact vonHummer

Streaming and
Download help

Report this track or account

vonHummer recommends:

If you like vonHummer, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Fabiana Palladino stops by to talk about her mesmeric debut LP.
listen now