Hello Everyone,

So, there seem to be some mixed feelings about the cheat sheet that I provided to the judges.  Many of the other contestants, who did a FANTASTIC job by the way, took a pretty straight forward approach to the challenge where as I took a more ambiguous approach.  I did this because I wanted to speak on the issue on a grander level.  Not just looking at what was going on in Madison (though this did play a major role in my writing), but also what is happening within politics and society throughout our nation.  I provided a cheat sheet because I did not want the judges to view my ambiguous approach as off topic, because the true meaning of the lyrics, I felt, were very much so on topic.  Normally I would not provide a cheat sheet, as there is definitely an experience in letting the listeners figure things out for themselves.  I only did it because there was a very specific challenge and I wanted to make my intentions clear.  On top of that, the idea of a cheat sheet kind of excited me.  Many of you mentioned that if you can’t understand the lyrics up front, it won’t be a successful song, but I’ve never found that to be the case.  There are so many songs out there that mean something to me, and due to the vagueness of the lyrics, mean something completely different to someone else.  And in many of these cases, I couldn’t even tell you what I would pay to get a cheat sheet from the artist in order to truly understand what they were thinking when they wrote it.  Maynard, if you happen to be reading this, feel free to send me some cheat sheets

Anyway, just to be fair, since I provided a cheat sheet for the judges, I figured I would provide it to you all as well.  I hope you like it, if not, that’s okay too.  And again, I just want to say again how talented I think all of the remaining contestants are.  I’ve really enjoyed working with them, and truly hope that we can all continue to keep the spirit of original music alive in Madison!

Sandstorm

Sandstorm through the window (alludes to the overall disorder, confusion, unrest, and misplaced efforts occurring around us)
Basket in its case (suggests that basically everyone is a basket case in this time, a basket case being someone downtrodden and lost)
Flowers taking shelter
From the human race (these two lines allude to man’s lack of respect for the environment and the fact that we are destroying our planet)

Sex tapes in the floorboards (suggesting that what our society covets is of no value, and if anything, destructive and of poor value)
Rockets in the hand (referencing man’s need for war, and that we are always ready and willing to take violent action)
People looking up to find
No more then what they had (looking up is referring to people striving to move forward, what these two lines are saying is that people are striving to move forward but given the society that they live in, no matter how hard they strive, they end up back where they started)

Breaking down the bookshelf (alluding to the value of education and knowledge decreasing in our society)
Put a mirror in its place (alluding to the importance of self and materialism increasing in our society)
Reaching out to touch yourself (suggesting that all pleasure is viewed as self created, people not giving others credit, that all people do what they do to improve something for themselves)
Leaving not a trace (the line above leaves nothing for anyone else, no credit, and no deeds done for others, a complete lack of social responsibility)

Curtains on the eyelids (people have intentionally blinded themselves from the truth as to not have to deal with the responsibilities that would come along with it)
Blood upon the sand (if we look, we have bloodied the ground around us both figuratively and literally)
Channel changing ignorance (we perpetuate our ignorance through dedicating ourselves to the unimportant, like TV, reality shows, bias news, etc.)
Offered by the man (The man refers to both the government and the corporate world, who want us to become more ignorant so that they can continue to do whatever they want)

There’s a sandstorm through the window and the window frame is cracked (there is immorality all around us, we have allowed it to grow, and our protective shells of ignorance are about to crack, and the storm that we have allowed to grow is about to seep in and effect us directly)
No putty in existence can fill all that we lack (suggesting that the situation is basically hopeless, we have put ourselves in this situation, and now we must reap what we have sown)
There’s a sandstorm through the window and I’m opening the door (Coming to terms with the hopelessness, not even waiting for the consequences to break through, but opening the door and accepting them)
Cyclones reaching out to us to sell what’s in store (the consequences are now here, and they are bringing with them exactly what we have coming to us for allowing this to happen)

Sandstorm through the window (same as first verse)
The sun, it slowly fades (the happiness available through ignorance is fading away, we are being affected directly, whether we want to pay attention or not)
Blasphemy abounds us (referencing the disappearance of faith, no one behaving in a Christ like manner, everyone out for themselves)
Though we call out in His name (showing our hypocrisies, despite the fact that no one follows the word of God, we have no problems asking him for favors)

Misery is creaking (as the door opens (creaking), the misery to come flows in)
Hope deluding truth (some people still hold on to hope, deluding them from the truth that there is no avoiding the consequences that we have built for ourselves)
Give up on your happiness (suggesting that we give up on our hopes for happiness, and focus on the hard work ahead of us)
Your happiness in youth (suggesting that you had your happiness as a child, and that now it is time to become an adult, and take on your responsibilities as a member of this society)

Breathing in the fire (own the consequences, understand that they are of your making, accept them)
Seeking the sun in the shade (the only way to happiness is to first work through these dark times)
Give up on the future (forget the future that you may have planned for yourself)
To dream what we made (your dreams are folly, understand what we have made for ourselves and live in that reality)

Divvy up the swords (we are all armed with negativity and destructive powers)
Disseminate abuse (the “man” passes on nothing but abuse, again alluding to the lack of social responsibility)
Holding out our hands (we are all holding our hands out to the man, asking for a free pass)
Though we all have been seduced (we have all been deceived by the “man” and there are no freebies in store for anyone)

There’s a sandstorm through the window and the window is not locked (same as first, but with a bit more urgency, suggesting that it doesn’t matter if you open the door and accept it or not, darkness is here, and coming for you)
The shutters banging on the glass is the darkness’s own knock
There’s a sandstorm through the window and I’m opening the door
Those cyclones reaching out to us is what we have in store