Behind The Tracks: Andrew Thomases - Funkin' Blame Game (Single) (2022)

“Funkin’ Blame Game” started out with a funky bass line.  I have played bass for 40 years, and I often just mess around on my bass and record some lines that I like.  I hit upon a catchy one that had some slap and funk.  I then added some clean guitar with a funk beat, and together that became the intro and verse portions of the song.  I even threw that up on my Instagram and my YouTube channel as a #FunkyFriday lick, and I received some positive feedback. 

After that, I started building it into a full-fledged song.  As I do with most of my songs, I laid down all of the music first before I started working on lyrics or the vocal melody.  The chorus bass is a driving line with sliding octave notes.  I added some distorted guitar chords on top because I wanted some grit in the song to contrast with the clean guitars of the verse.  The breakdown bridge has a guitar lead, and the end of the song has a solo with some high bends and harmonics to complement what would become the vocal melody.  Some subtle synths rounded out the music tracks, and all of this was on top of a funk drum beat, with lots of toms in the breaks.   

Then came the lyrics and melody.  I quickly came up with the title, which is a play on the funky feel of the song.  The lyrics express my irritation with the growing trend in society to skirt responsibility and blame others for your personal problems or those of society as a whole.  I call this the “blame game,” and it really annoys me.  Thus, the “funkin’” is a play on another similar sounding word that starts with the letter “f.”  The rest of the lyrics examine why people in society tend to blame others, and I believe it is because of narcissistic personalities.  Such people believe that they are always right, can’t make mistakes, and must never admit a flaw.  So, if there is a problem, they have to blame others.  This trait starts with our leaders and then trickles down to others in society.  However, all is not lost.  Once we realize what is happening, we need to fix it.  Thus, the end of the song asks if society wants to cease playing the blame game.  

The best part of the song is the vocal depth added by Anne Bennett.  She accompanies my vocals in the verses and choruses, but also adds to the soundscape with her backing vocals and harmonies.  I am really happy with how our voices complement each other.  

Listen to the track and watch the lyric video at my website at www.andrewthomases.com.  Enjoy!