'Hey, hey, sit down I've written a new song,' said Nathan.
'Oh, that's OK,' said Camilla. 'I've heard heaps of your songs. Wouldn't want to spoil all those great memories.'
'Nah, I think I'm onto something.'
'A job?'
'No, not a job,' said Nathan. 'But that's the thing. I could totally get money from this.'
'There's always a first,' said Camilla. 'I suppose that's a good enough reason to listen.'
'Good. Umm I'll sing it for you first then tell you how clever it is.'
'Can't wait,' said Camilla.
'No, I mean the business side of it. Just listen.' Nathan shuffled the guitar until it sat comfortably on his lap. He sang:
Look inside, look inside your tiny wallet
And look a bit harder
'Coz we're so broke today
So lacking pay
It's really disheartening
John Flynn's (John Flynn's)
Flyin' high with all my John Flynn's
I want them, I need them
They're all at my knees'n
Yes, yes, they can't help it
John Flynn's (John Flynn's)
Flyin' high with all my John Flynn's
I'm rich and you're not
I can buy what I want
Yes, yes, I can't help it
'OK, so that's what I've got so far,' said Nathan. 'What do you think?'
'Umm,' said Camilla. 'I guess it's kind of catchy.'
'But what about the lyrics?'
'I don't...really get it.'
'I just need a few extra verses. Like something to do with bitches.'
'I'm sorry?' said Camilla.
'Oh, and something more to do with the religious angle.'
'OK, now I'm really confused,' said Camilla.
Nathan strummed his guitar a few more times, playing through some ideas in his mind. 'Ma John Flynn's, they're makin' you fall...'
'What the hell is a John Flynn?'
'He was, like, some minister or something,' said Nathan.
'Right...?'
'But he started the Royal Flying Doctor's,' said Nathan.
'What's that got to do with anything?' said Camilla.
'Oh, he's on the twenty dollar note,' said Nathan.
'Ohhhh,' said Camilla, understanding dawning. 'So it's kind of like those hip-hop songs with the Benjamins.'
'S'right,' said Nathan.
'So wouldn't it better to use whoever is on the hundred dollar note?'
'Yeah, but that's Dame Nellie Melba, I think. You can't do much with an opera singer. Besides, more people have twenty dollar notes. No one uses hundreds.'
'Unless you were, you know, rich?'
'Oh, you haven't heard the awesome part!' said Nathan, ignoring Camilla. 'You know all those news items and current affair shows when they have stories about people buying stuff? Like they'll have some story about the economy or how much shops are selling or something? They always play the same one or two songs. Like that money song from Pink Floyd.'
Camilla was managing to keep up so far.
'Well,' said Nathan, smiling brightly, 'I've got this song that can be used there instead. How much do you reckon they pay for the rights? I'm sure they'd all play it every week or two.'
'I don't think they'd pay that much,' said Camilla. 'And it's probably to some collection agency. You'd get practically nothing in the end.'
'What? That's crap!'
'And anyway, they only play those songs because everyone knows them. They have to be popular first.'
'So maybe I should release it and once it's popular enough, I'll be on easy street.'
'I don't mean to be mean, Nathan. You know I want you to be happy and successful. Money's always nice! But you've tried to do that with your others songs – release them I mean - and it hasn't really gone too well.'
Nathan slumped. 'That's because no one knows about them. I'm doing my best.'
'Sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset.'
'No, it's OK,' said Nathan. 'You're right. Everyone thinks that it's horrible when you make something and some people don't like it. And it kind of is. But it's nowhere near as bad as no one even knowing or caring about it in the first place. That's way worse.'
'I care about it,' said Camilla, smiling. 'And this one did have a catchy tune.'
'I copied it.'
'What?'
'It's from a Lilly Allen song. I thought the lyrics would be the most important part.'
'Oh.'
I did have some ideas for other songs, too,' said Nathan, half-heartedly. 'Like something about bludgers mooching off the government. Or...something about bickering neighbours. They always have those stories.'
'Maybe you could try writing one with your own melody,' said Camilla. 'And without a reference to someone pictured on our currency. I don't think Australians relate to that so well.'
Nathan sat back.
'Hey, let's watch some TV for a while,' said Camilla. 'Take your mind off it.'
Camilla turned the TV on and sat close to Nathan, putting her arm around him.
'And you can buy Miricalé weight loss tablets at all good pharmacy's,' blared the female presenter. 'Coming up next: What can you buy on thirty dollars? Stay tuned for this mother and daughter's special grocery budget.'
Camilla and Nathan watched on as images of blurry-faced people buying groceries was overlaid with a brief extract of a song: '...with some bitches in ma crib, they droolin' on their bib, rhymin' my way to Nellie Melba's...'
© 2010 Ben Safta
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Australia License
