Paul Plagens on KAOS
From ANDRAS JONES: Let me take you back ’cause I’m going to…KAOS before the harassment and corruption, before the abuse and slander, when Paul Plagens was still living, and living in Olympia. It used to be so easy doing Radio8Ball. The town was full of great songwriters and I’d invite someone, often at the last minute, to come on by the studio and play. Then we’d throw open the phone lines and see what happened. It was always fun but the shows with Paul had a particular energy. Maybe it was because we shared a Hollywood connection which colored our view of Olympia. Making the town seem both smaller and more precious than it actually is. It probably made us both a little more willing to lean into our controversial nature in debates with provincial attitudes and people. We joke about it on this podcast from The Radio8Vault. For those unfamiliar with Olympia, “The Opium List” was a local chat group about the Olympia scene, I’m sure the drug reference is intentional but as far as I know that wasn’t what the group was about. I always avoided that particular cultural cul-de-sac. Paul was open about his struggles with addiction so people might think we were talking drugs but Paul was totally clean the whole time I knew him in Oly. I miss him a lot, and am so glad we recorded these.
Wonderful Dead Guy
Some day
you’re gonna find me
hanging from the ceiling
with my eyes
bulging out
You’ll scream
and then you’ll wonder,
what could you have done
to make me feel
so bad
You’ll regret
all the mean awful things
you said about me
You’ll forget
what a cold f’ing jerk
I used to be
I’ll make a wonderful dead guy
for only death has a way of forgiving
the souls of the damned
I know
that you really can’t stand me
and though you don’t understand me
you will when I’m gone
All the lying
and cheating
and stealing
and breaking your heart
When I buy the farm
we can finally make a new start
I’ll make a wonderful dead guy
for only death has a way of forgiving
the souls of the damned
