The Gatekeeper Narcissist
Another strange metal-pop song about a type you may meet in the workplace or in a club. I've seen more than I have had to personally deal with.
Companies and Fandom have more than a few. THE THING is the thing your a fan of, or the job you do.
Uses a project Template I have set up, so it looks like the last 3 songs I've done. Quite possibly I am still remaking the same song. 😅 Uses Ibanez 7 string in DROP A.
Will have to go in a different direction next time, but don't expect that will be weird time signatures with different measures ending after some random beat count! That seems a feature of some Prog Metal, but I am not a fan. I love a very heavy metal chorus, and the verses can be "whatever" as long as the vocals are melodic and understandable. Don't care if there is a guitar solo or not, and prefer more melodic lines.
My tracks start out as just instrumentals, but when I add the lyrics, it doesn't need the lead melody type lines going on any more, but I don't delete them. They are just lower in the mix. This I think is an unusual thing to do too.
I'm not Eddie Van Halen though. He sure knew how to write pop songs, even if they were mostly metal.
Here is a "video" of the track on Youtube.
The first time I heard about this type of person was how some people I know were treated by the person running FANDERSON a few decades ago. They are still around and in even more Otaku (person who is obsessed with particular aspects of popular culture to the detriment of their social skills ) fan things now. Also have Facebook friends very involved with Dr Who, Star Wars and things like MARVEL movies who are always going on about someone and their minions are harassing people about the casting or a role. Originally the working title of the track was FANDOM, but my working through the lyrics made me expand the coverage and make it about gatekeepers.
I jot notes on lyrics, then try and sing them. a chorus or verse at a time. Maybe only have half a verse, but will sing and record that as there is some word association thing that happens. I rewrite the lines so I can see them easily to sing them. Once I get a line I record a few takes. Hopefully the later takes sound like I actually know the song, because in reality, I don't yet. I may cut and copy parts from different takes. May come back later and change the wording after I play it 10,000 times.
What I have done in other songs, but not (yet) in this one, is re-record new melody guitar parts that mimic or are a counterpoint to the lyrics that are now the focus of the verse. All very interactive.
The final lyrics up on Bandcamp are what i transcribed from the actual FINISHED song.
The stuff I have put on Bandcamp, rather than Soundcloud, has gotten 10 or so plays. So I really just do this for myself, as I don't have any audience to bother about.
In more detail.
The Gatekeeper Narcissist
A hallmark of a Narcissist is being the self-appointed "gatekeeper" of a group, club, community or workplace, but not in a good way. While the "gatekeeper" position is often a normal part of many groups, an integral function is to welcome new people genuinely and openly; rejecting new people or current members is rare and only done when a person is found to be actually dangerous.
The Gatekeeper Narcissist does not welcome one and all to join, even if the group is supposed to be open and public. Only those who do not threaten the ego or personal agenda of this person are welcomed into the group. For example, anyone who the gatekeeper narcissist believes is more talented, smarter, better looking, nicer, or more charismatic than he or she is will be kept out of the group with any means possible, or made to look bad to everyone else if they do get past them.
Anyone who has seen through their agenda will definitely be kept out, even if they have no ill intent. This rejection will be fictionalized to anyone who asks; it will be said that the person is undesirable in some way; they are too weird, slutty, stuck-up, untalented, prima dona, unworthy in some way; the nastier the better; it has nothing to do with reality. This person could be as kind and humble as Mother Theresa, but will be painted by the Gatekeeper Narcissist as a "rotten apple" somehow.
The preferred method is directly discouraging a person by treating them with disdain and arrogance, sending a "message" directly to the person that they are "unwanted". This is often done by only one or two people, but to the target it can be daunting, and there is no way to know if the whole group is similarly arrogant and cold. (Of course, half the time the rest of the members have no idea why this person stays away from the group, and to the Gatekeeper's delight, they often assume that the person either was not interested, or didn't like it.) It is a rare person that ever stands up to a Gatekeeper Narcissist, because doing so often results in major drama, and whoever the Narcissists sycophants are will turn on the whistleblower.
People seem to know instinctively that standing up to a Narcissist who has the smallest amount of influence will enrage them, and he or she will trash them to kingdom come. Only the bravest of us will risk the drama that is sure to follow. Unfortunately, most of the time the Narcissist Gatekeeper is left in his or her "position" because those who are aware of them don't want to deal with the fallout.
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