CRACKER
David Lowery's 300 songs Blog
« view all posts

#78 No more bullshit. The top 10 lamest excuses for stealing artists music

I am on the fucking warpath this week.

Lamest arguments in favor of illegal file sharing from the past week. I’m not making this shit up. These are real arguments people presented. And argued vehemently.

1. “Marijuana is illegal. File sharing is illegal. Therefore it’s okay.”

Response try filesharing your pot dealer’s stash with 5,000 strangers online and let’s see how long you live.

2. “The RIAA is secretly behind filesharing. They make more money suing people than by selling albums. There are Youtube videos explaining all this therefore it’s true. Therefore it’s okay to steal from cracker and camper van beethoven”

Response: The RIAA was also behind 9-11, Global Warming Hoax and the Kennedy assassinations. Usher is behind Justin Bieber. And Camper Van Beethoven tests cosmetics on lab animals.

3. I heard that the record companies ripped off Willy Dixon in the 1950′s Therefore it’s okay to steal from Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven.

Response: Very clever. You figured out that Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven have a time machine. We all went back in time to the 1950′s (before we were born) and took $20 dollars from the man’s wallet while he was sleeping. Curses Foiled again.

4. Louis CK. Is successful and his stuff is on Youtube. Therefore it’s okay to steal Cracker’s songs.

Response ask Louis CK if he would prefer his income stream or his idol George Carlin’s Income stream from album sales, video sales, book sales in the 1970′s and 1980′s. Louis CK is making a lot of money. But nothing like George Carlin. And in the process he is helping Google/Youtube add to the piles of gold bullion that Google keeps in secret spaceship deep inside the mantle of the earth below their mountain view “campus”.

5. Music should be free it belongs to the universe.

Response: Okay then come to my house and do YOUR job for free. My car needs it’s oil changed and someone needs to pick up the dogshit in the backyard. There is a signup list on our website. Last i checked my car and the dogshit also “belonged to the universe”.

6. In the middle ages there were no music sales. It was all based on live performance.

Response: Yes and doctors bled you or covered your torso with leaches when you were sick. Also it was permissible to beat your wife with a stick as long as the stick was not larger in diameter than your thumb .

7. “Music sucks today. I’m gonna steal music I like. You bad. No No.”

Response: There is no official response. We have been advised by our legal counsel that the above referenced statement exhibits such a degree of logical incoherence that the statement:
A) was made by a mentally disabled individual
B) are lyrics to a Red Hot Chili Peppers song
C) A zen koan created by a zen master operating on a higher level of consciousness
D) or any two of the above three.

8. “You’re not the boss of me. You can’t tell me what to do”

Response: Actually I personally am the boss of you. Check with your attorney. Unless you are in international waters. Now get out in the backyard and clean up the dog shit.

9. “The Record labels and Musicians failed to adapt to the new hi tech reality. So it’s okay to steal music by Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven”.

Response: So it’s okay to steal handmade boots, organically grown farm produce from family farms, and custom motorcycles? You’re right I’ve been stealing custom choppers for years. How stupid of me. You win.

10. “It’s okay to steal from musicians cause they are all rich”

Response: Although I am dictating this into my solid gold jewel encrusted dictaphone from horseback I’m not rich. Now Steve Jobs he was rich. You know he was buried in a 300 yard long platinum coffin along with 50,000 of his favorite servants? A funeral procession 66 miles long stretched from Vacaville California to Mountain View. Thousand of Buddhist monks burned themselves alive. I’m not rich.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A lot of you may be shocked by this response. But should you really be surprised? I mean i’ve spent 29 years making music for people who think the world is full of a lot of unadulterated bullshit and can see the humor in it. Have a sense of humor people.

19 No More Bullshit


Filed under: Uncategorized

Leave Comment:

If the album is good I buy it. If there is one good single on the album, I would download it if I knew how.
You are right-on, Dave. I have been against file sharing since it was copying an LP for someone. My rule was if someone wanted something from my collection the artist better be dead and his family set for generations(Hendrix etc) Even when i was a kid I could see the dishonesty of stealing someone's art, someone who lives off their art, and as a teachers these days it depresses me to see the mindest established primarily by Apple(although someone else would have done it also obviously)and the idea that everything in our society is essentially disposable. I cannot find a single redord?CD store within 20 miles of my house, where there used to be one every mile, so those facts speak to the effect online, digitized music has had. Anyway, I am currently buying 180 gram vinyl, which is incredible quality, so where is your catalog in that format? Charles
I am impressed 2 M16's and a FN Minimi. Should be no problem with dealing with music stealing turds!
Well put David. I thought the part about the dog shit in the back yard was a nice touch. I'm thankful for the digital age, for some reasons, such as buying several copies of the same album etc. That being said, I'd still rather do it the old fashioned way. We have vinyl listening parties, cd listening parties etc. I guess I still like seeing the artwork, reading the liner notes, and having an actual copy. Maybe I'm just old fashioned. Camper/Cracker both in my book have always had a great sense of sometimes underlieing humor. My response to people who argue for free downloading is simple and straightforward... After 10+ years of illegally downloading music, you bastards really do deserve shit like Nickleback. (then walk away) Keep rocking us gentlemen. The journey has been great so far!
This is not a hard one: stealing is stealing. If you want the art, then support the artist. Support the things that you love so that they have the opportunity to grow and flourish. Think about it, your actions directly influence the creation of the world that you live in, because you are a part of that world. Do you really cotton to the idea of thievery as an accepted action? Think that you can have a viable economy based upon stealing? Any which way you cut it, this action is simply indefensible. No matter how you try to dress it up or cloud the issue, stealing is stealing.
You’ll be happy to know that even after my entire Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven collection was lost when some dipshit knocked my cd folder out of my truck, I purchased it all again online.
LMAO. Loved you guys in the early days - even more now. I think (not sure) I copied two of your albums almost 20 yrs. ago & actually remember feeling a bad about it. I've of course bought and paid for them again since... along with just about everything else you've ever released. Plus - I believe I bought you a pack of smokes in Pittsburgh a few years back so I hope we're somehow even. Stealing anything sucks - but especially art. No one will ever win that argument with me. If all else fails - I will offer that time-honored two-word sentiment... and then walk away like Stiffy. Thanks for the countless hours of enjoyment - please keep it coming.
Happy to say I have never stole a thing form you, Cracker or Camper Van. Or from any other artist for that matter. I never will either! If you guys can't make any money with your musical talents you will stop sharing them live or by record. It would be the end of my favorite band. The end result of my thieft would be far worse then digging 20 bucks out of my wallet to pay for one of your cds.

Please log-in or register to have your photo appear beside your comment.

Name:

Comment:

Enter the following security word:

© 2012 Cracker LLC