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When We Were Pigs

from Ever So Transient by vonHummer

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"When We Were Pigs" dates back to about 1996 or so, about the consumer debt of an awful marriage. Couple gets married, gets credit, gets in over their heads, gets...philosophical?

When I wrote this, I had the mistaken notion that a "pig in a poke" was a desperate situation. Not so. It's the buying of something that you have no knowledge of, (like buying a pig in closed sack, where you can't tell even if it IS a pig, much less what kind or how healthy.)

So my original meaning was how a recovered couple looks back at their days of desperation, but it still works with the proper definition of "pig in a poke." Maybe as, "way back, when we were an unknown quantity," perhaps to their creditors, or to themselves.

It's got a great Japanese-y sounding riff. Lots of dynamics. Much to my surprise, this has so far been the most downloaded song from the album, the "hit."

lyrics

"When We Were Pigs" [vonHummer]

To our credit, we quickly learned how to debit, All that stuff we sought and hid, Family and friends bailed us out time and time again, Our dollar was weak compared to our yen…
We lived break to break til we broke way back when we were pigs in a poke…

The gypsy said, “Malocchio!” How we lied like Pinocchio to the faceless telephone collection girls, Now everything is okey-dokey-o, We found our spiritual Tokyo, Now we are swine with a taste for pearl…We laugh about it now, ah, but it’s no joke: way back when we were pigs in a poke…

Darwin said it (and clearly he meant it), how the fit survive, not the misfit, We covered our shame with mud and mingled at the back of the pen, Every day we lived to hear “soo-wee,” we said a bitter amen…
Now it’s nothing to smell shotgun smoke, but way back when we were pigs in a poke…

Desperation’s rehabilitation rowdies handed us their magna summa cum laudes, We’re stainless steel now, We know what’s real now: Now we know when to wallow, when to soak…And we laugh about it now, ah, but it’s no joke: way back when we were pigs in a poke…

credits

from Ever So Transient, released March 21, 2009
vonHummer: the works.

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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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