I was on the public transit train and three youths were beginning the early phases of fighting a lone older man. As the vocal threats intensified and the juvenile behavior escalated while the older man repeated his wish to let it go and not resort to fighting, it become apparent to me that this could get ugly without some early intervention, and since I worry a lot about the bystander syndrome, I stepped forward.
Standing between the youths and the older man, I said something to the effect that no one was going to fight on this train. The lead, I guess he was the lead “gang member,” began to threaten me, and on instinct I responded with these exact words:
“Gentlemen, do not make me get violent.”
Trust me, those words were appropriate after what they said to me. Or don’t trust me, I don’t care.
Anyway, my words worked. They silently returned to their seats. Both parties involved exited the train before me, and at different stops, so I can take some comfort in knowing my involvement most likely prevented a physical confrontation.
“Don’t make me get violent.”
I like that. I stole it from a song… because of course I did.
Only now am I beginning to learn much of anything about the identity and existence of Carolesdaughter, all one word, the band, or more probably singer/song writer.
When I randomly happened upon the song “Violent” by Carolesdaughter, it stuck with me. It stuck with me hard.
This earworm, by Carolesdaughter, keeps coming back into my life, and presumably for entirely different reasons then what her lyrics describe. The violence in Carolesdaughter’s “Violent” stems from an escalating fight between former lovers. Diamonds are expensive, so I can respect the extreme importance of sorting out the proper ownership of such a material item. It is a catchy two-minute pop song, with a lot of edge to it. Knowing as little as I do about the young musician, she looks nothing like a pop star. She does not look like anyone other than herself, and I respect that a lot. Art, and music with it, needs outsiders and their perspectives. So, there is some hope that something special is going to come from this young talent.
That fight I stopped on the C-Train, it was not the first time. COVID did something to the City of Calgary, the homeless took over the mass transit centres, because of course they did, they were outside whether they liked it or not, and now all us ordinary people with somewhere to lay our heads and call home, were gone, so they took over. The dark change that happened alongside this was the drug culture intensified. I guess the police just gave up fighting it, but crystal meth, and other drugs I have never even heard of before, begun becoming popular. Try sleeping rough without the assistance of substances? I have never had to, but I easily empathize how that slope could be slipped on. I am not suggesting this has become something as severe as an epidemic or anything, but a problem has arisen.
With the drugs and the painful nature of sleeping rough, fights are breaking out. I don’t watch idol, I intervene. I have no flight mechanism.
Time passes. I am in Europe, and for the first time in fifteen plus years someone decides to get physical with me. I tie him up and set him up for a head and arm throw, once on the ground all I have to do is tighten the headlock and then snap, crackle, pop, and his neck is never the same ever again. I’ve done it before; I can do it again. For all intents and purposes, I tell him, “don’t make me get violent.”
I was rattled by the experience. I knew what to do to. The muscle memory was in full affect, even with alcohol in my veins. Winning that “fight” by destroying that clown’s neck, would have been exciting and satisfying in the moment, but then I would have to live with knowing I wrecked someone permanently, over something stupid; and I do not even fully understand what that something stupid was.
So, like seriously, “don’t make me get violent.”
Once again, I am listening to this song “Violent” by Carolesdaughter. It is such a short simple song, and it is not about hand-to-hand combat, bar fights, or preventing drug fueled hooligans from fighting each other, but it’s chorus really resonates with me.
I try to keep this blog about music, not me, but I have only so much musical insight, so this review is more for me. Sorry Carolesdaughter, you deserve better.
A few facts about me, I grew up fighting any and all bullies who tried anything. I wrestled in high school. My last name is Gaelic for “warrior.” I will be forty years of age in November, when I look back in my life, I can say with absolute certainty that I am a fighter. This is not a brag, but an observation about my personality. If you want to fight, I will fight you, and I will do everything in my power to make you regret it. I am under no illusions that I can win every potential fight in the world, trained combat athletes surely would humble me in a heartbeat, but to the untrained and uninitiated, watch yourselves, you could get yourselves hurt very badly.
I think about it all the time. I overcompensate constantly. I want to be a gentleman, but inside of me is a barbarian. That is never going to change… because I like it. I like the idea of being a violent gentleman. It is my personality. However... I do not feel very good about hurting people in previous brawls. Sometimes winning a fight is no victory at all.
So, I am very serious when I say to would be gangsters, and belligerent drunks, “don’t make me get violent.”
I am probably going to die trying to break up a knife fight or something ridiculous.
A variety of intense emotions plague the mind after confrontations like mine, so there is an awful lot on my mind. I mentioned I am a wrestler. I like grappling. I like being in control. That way I can avoid actually hurting someone when I have to fight them. As I right this, I am three days away from attending AEW All In in London. After that silly little “fight” in Copenhagen, I am freaking ready for some professional wrestling, where the goal is to not hurt each other. So, I have a huge massive positive outlet for my current headspace. Looking forward to it.
I am all over the place in this music in review. People do like it when you are topical.
Anyway, thank you Carolesdaughter for the new mantra, “don’t make me get violent.”
- King of Braves
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