SPIDERS & MONKEYS

Spider on the ceiling,
Monkey on my back. 
Can't sleep but still dreaming, 
Can't pick up the slack. 

Spider on the ceiling,
Monkey on my back. 
Can't sleep but still dreaming, 
Can't pick up the slack. 

How many are wondering 
How they have been stacked. 
How many are wondering 
Why they have been sacked. 
How many are wondering 
Why they have been stacked. 
How many are wondering... 

(Music & lyrics: 
Arnaud Schmitz) 

Original version available
on: "Spiders & Monkeys"
by Alef Bada.

5760 / CHOKING

"5760" 

Me and my thoughts are one 
Do you wanna taste about? 
You and your mind are one 
Can you feel it out? 

Both of dreams colliding 
As the sun was fading 
Cats they start screaming
As my sleep's beginning 

I don't care! No no! 
I don't mind! No no! 
__________________________________

(Lyrics by Jeff Bonischo / 
Music by Arnaud Schmitz) 
Recorded by Heaven, rue du soleil, Freyming Merlebach, France, 
9 October'1999. 
- Arnaud Schmitz : guitar & vocals. 
- Jeff Bonischo : vocals. 
- David Barra : bass. 
- Cyrille Toussaint : drums. 
  

      

"CHOKING" 

Dazzled, dazzle, 
Of some dust sparkle 
Blinded by the sun 
Deafen by the sound 
Dazzled, dazzle, dazzle, 
Choking in the snow 

Got a clue, got a riddle 
Feel as fit as a fiddle 
Taking off the ground 
For higher than the sun 
Well this is not destruction 
It's just to have some fun 
(Yeah!) 

Choking in the snow 
__________________________________ 

(Music & lyrics written & composed by 
Arnaud Schmitz) 
In 2008, this time the last riffs from "5760" were again used as an ending for the track "Choking" with the group Pentastar on the LP "Electrical Wire Chopped Inside". 
- Arnaud Schmitz : guitars & vocals. 
- Julien Stark : guitars. 
- Alex Omeljanczyk : bass. 
- Eddy Bellatel : drums. 

Pentastar : " Choking" w/ Intro, 
live in Morsbach, 18 October'2008. 

(Pentastar live 18 October'2008, Morsbach. 
Part2: Intro / Choking / Interlude / 
Nowhere Else / Insanity.) 
- Arnaud Schmitz : guitar & vocals. 
- Julien Stark : guitar. 
- Gab Helfenstein : bass. 
- Eddy Bellatel : drums. 

[ This was the first official gig with our new 
bass player: Gab ! ~ well done dude ! ~ ]
[ Thanks & hello to: Raph "Crayon" for the footage, Yannick, Nico, and all our friends who were there! ] 

Pentastar : " Choking", live @ Kronenbus Meeting, Cocheren,
 6 September'2008. 

YEARS GONE BY / 200 MILES

For this song it wasn't the lyrics that were reused, but just the first guitar riff ! ... 

"Years Gone By" was recorded and released on the LP "Slave System" by Soulmonkey in December'2006. 
(Written & composed by Arnaud Schmitz / 
Inspiration: James Douglas Morrison) 
All instruments & voices by Arnaud Schmitz. 



In 2008, the first riff was again used as an ending for the track "200 Miles" with the group Pentastar on the LP "Electrical Wire Chopped Inside". 
(Written & composed by 
Arnaud Schmitz & David Barra) 
- Arnaud Schmitz : guitars & vocals. 
- Julien Stark : guitars. 
- Alex Omeljanczyk : bass. 
- Eddy Bellatel : drums. 

Pentastar : "200 Miles" live @Kronenbus Meeting, Cocheren, France, 6 September 2008. There was an unexpected power failure near the end of the song ! ...
- Arnaud Schmitz : guitar & vocals. 
- Julien Stark : guitar. 
- David Barra : bass. 
- Eddy Bellatel : drums. 

PLASTIC FEELINGS / RIGHT TO OBLIVION

Once upon a time, 
the plane flew into the sky, 
and we had to get used 
to a new life. 
Nobody's wrong, 
nobody's right, 
we're just running through 
all those compromises. 

Five years later, 
many things have changed, 
but the lack is still the same. 
It's never time to stop, 
you just have to clean it up (sometimes), 
but never rest on 
somebody's laps. 

Stupid occasional punks 
Want to tell news 
But everything is 
working loose. 
I wonder what they want... 
Or need... 

You've got something to do, 
and all it takes is in you, 
to work it through. 
I wonder what they want... 
or need... 
    ______________________________
                      
(Music & lyrics: Arnaud Schmitz) 

The original version of this song appears on: "Slave System", released by Soulmonkey in December'2006. 
(All instruments and voices performed by Arnaud Schmitz) 

 
The same lyrics (except the last stanza) with a totally different music became: "Right To Oblivion", performed & released by The Crooked Axis on the LP "Strange Girl" in August'2011. 

- Arnaud Schmitz : 
guitars, vocals, vacuum cleaner. 
- Elie Deniset : bass. 
- JB Amann : drums. 

On this video of "Right To Oblivion", you can see from 5:50 to 6:40, I used a vacuum cleaner for the guitar solo. A month later, this one broke down, so I had to find something else... So, I used a motorized toy panda instead ! This one was much appreciated during the concerts, especially at the Celebration Days Festival in August'2011; having posed him at the front of the stage, at the end of the solo, it was applaused and acclaimed by the audience ! Much fun ! 
   

NIGHTBIRD(S) / LET YOURSELF GO

Ain't got the blues, I ain't homesick, 
I've got to move away 
from this bore here. 
I love these places 
where I am unknown, 
Here I'm in phase 
to really let myself go. 

Call me owl, call me vampire. 
Night is the right time 
for nightbirds to fly. 
I love those times 
when I am unknown, 
Here I'm in phase 
to really let myself go.

Let yourself go... 
Yeah let yourself go... 
Just how you know...

I never rely on anyone, 

Here amonst strangers 
it doesn't seem wrong. 

Surrounded by liars 
for much too long, 
I can not believe, 
I am not that strong. 

Call me owl, call me vampire. 
But I live my life 
the way that I like. 
And if I'm living just for tonight, 
Night is the right time 
for nightbirds to fly. 

Let yourself go... 
Yeah let yourself go... 
Just how you know...
          _______________________________________

Original version (Audran / Soulmonkey): 
music & lyrics written by Arnaud Schmitz. 
Pentastar version: lyrics by Arnaud Schmitz, music by Julien Stark, arrangements by Pentastar. 

Originally recorded and performed with Soulmonkey 
(Number Nine Experiment side-project) and 
released on "Slave System" (December'2006). 
(All instruments performed by Arnaud Schmitz)  

In 2008, with Pentastar, we were working on a new song based on riffs brought by the guitarist Julien Stark, I decided to try these lyrics thinking it might fit... 
So then, I eventually interchanged the verses... 
After a couple of live performances, we were happy with the result. 

Here is a live version recorded in October'2008 by Pentastar with: 
Arnaud Schmitz: guitar & vocals 
Julien Stark: guitar 
Gab Helfenstein: bass 
Eddy Bellatel: drums. 



Another demo of the song (Soulmonkey's version), with an alternative folk rock arrangement was released in December'2012 as a bonus track on "Psychotic Monkeys Planet" by Audran. 
(All instruments performed by Arnaud Schmitz)