You Ain't Playin In My Sandbox by Doug Westberg
| Artist: | Doug Westberg |
| Album: | Waiting For The Bars To Rust |
| Title: | You Ain't Playin In My Sandbox |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Track number: | 8 |
| Total tracks: | 12 |
| Disc number: | 1 |
| Permanent link | |
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Liner notes
YOU AIN’T PLAYIN’ IN MY SANDBOX
Some people just have to be the only expert or star in the room, even in the noblest of enterprises with supposedly the noblest of motives. People who compulsively sabotage or exclude others in order to puff themselves up are everywhere, even churches and non-profits, not just in Dilbert cartoons. The verses are all based on personal incidents: I have indeed been the victim of rockband politics, church politics, and board politics. Songwriting sure is a terrific way to exorcize one’s humiliations!
I recorded this song one year on my annual vacation, then pretty much forgot about it. When I started moving towards a more organic, piano-based sound, “Sandbox” got left behind. (Not because it didn’t lend itself to acoustic piano—it obviously does.) Then when I quit my job in 2009, one of my goals was to finish my second album. I surveyed the tracks sitting in my digital multitracker, which I had recorded over maybe 5 years, mostly on summer vacations. “Sandbox” was sitting in there, fully recorded, with a killer piano track and vocal overdubs, the works. It sounded awesome!
“Sandbox” was one of the few tracks for which I’ve had the patience to overdub harmony vocals, with great results. Moreover, I overdubbed myself in unison, to create a real-time chorus effect. The result is remarkable. Usually, I create a chorus effect by copying a vocal onto another track with a 1/24 sec. delay. (I once went to a seminar on home recording at the local music store and asked the teacher how professional recordings get that nice warm chorus effect on vocals. He told me they actually sing along with themselves, which surprised me. But you can really tell the difference on this recording.)
Lyrics
You Ain’t Playin’ In My Sandbox
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox.
Go on home and play with your blocks, cuz
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox.
I got the baddest dump truck in the whole damn block, and
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox.
You can’t be in my rock’n’roll band.
You can’t be in my rock’n’roll band.
Got more speakers than Disneyland, and
You can’t be in my rock’n’roll band.
Don’t want no doubt who’s gettin’ a hand, and
You can’t be in my rock’n’roll band.
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox…
You can’t be in our congregation.
You can’t be in our congregation.
We don’t want the humiliation
Of lookin’ at your cheap transportation.
You don’t donate enough donation, and
You can’t be in our congregation.
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox…
I’m the President of the Board.
I’m the President of the Board.
I’m too important to be ignored, cuz
I’m the President of the Board.
I don’t know shit from Dinah Shore, but
I’m the President of the Board.
Authority is its own reward, and
I’m the President of the Board.
You ain’t playin’ with my X-Box.
You ain’t playin’ with my X-Box.
Go play Pac-Man on your Macintosh, cuz
You ain’t playin’ with my X-Box.
Nobody but me gets to be Tony Hawk, and
You ain’t playin’ with my X-Box.
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox.
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox.
I’ll take my ball and my bat and I’ll walk
If you don’t let me play shortstop.
I’m the baddest kid in the whole damn block, and
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox.
I’m the king of the world and you’re not, and
You ain’t playin’ in my sandbox!
© 2007 Douglas J. Westberg. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.
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