Norine Braun: Listen

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I was inspired by the novel Fahrenheit 451’s cinematic qualities and strange dreamlike logic. Ray Bradbury’s insight and foresight regarding intellectual freedom with censorship and brainwashing at its core ignited me. He dared ask the question of being happy and fulfilled of his main character. The timeliness and contemporary feel of this novel was irresistible. I focused on the conformity aspect and how this creates the illusion of security and prevents people from looking for fulfillment and searching for freedom. I encapsulated the highlights of the novel and styled it into a rap rock funk ambient fusion to reflect today’s energy and world.

Winner of the Artists For Literacy International Songwriting Competition.

I sent a copy to Ray Bradbury and his daughter emailed me back saying he loved the tune! How cool is that!

Words and Music by Norine Braun
Vocals: Norine Braun
All Instruments by James Bowers
Produced by James Bowers

Conformity
You must conform to me
Your rebel look a uniformity
Mass conformity
You seek security
There is no certainty
But conformity
You must conform to me
When our hero meets the girl
She beams a ray of hope in his world
She breaks
Conformity
You must conform to me
Your rebel look a uniformity
Mass conformity
When the guy comes home
From burning pages
Of the sages
All his rage is
Quieted with a pill
He finds his wife
Who’s lying still
Their zombie life
Is dying still
With a tv blaring
Denies she’s daring
To leave
Resuscitate her
Regurgitate her
Transfusion aid her
Surround sounds abound
As the tv’s on
Its always on
She’s
Conformity
You must conform to me
Your rebel look a uniformity
Mass conformity
Wake up wake up 451
Wake up, wake up run
Wake up wake up 451
Wake up, wake up run
Wake up wake up 451
Wake up, wake up run
Wake up wake up 451
Wake up, wake up run
Conformity
You must conform to me
Your rebel look a uniformity
Mass conformity
You seek security
There is no certainty
But conformity
You must conform to me
When our hero meets his guide
A revolution is started inside
He breaks
Conformity
You must conform to me
Your rebel look a uniformity
Mass conformity
With sun burned hands
He held the fire
The sun burned time
And his desire
Was awakened
With no mistakes and
He’d chose a mind
That’s free to fill
On the ground
Authority spilled
The hunted man
They want to kill
On a tv fake show
Hounds of hell float
They dropped the bomb
And it was gone
But our guy lived on
The words he’d learned went on
He’d leave a sign for all time
Of having been here
He vowed aloud
He would dig a grave
Big enough to bury
War
Wake up wake up 451
Wake up, wake up run
Wake up wake up 451
Wake up, wake up run......
In the city
All the people
Gone forever
War is futile
In the city
All the people
Gone forever
War is futile.....

© Norine Braun