Music & Theater
MUSIC
Yuri wrote and performed music prior to his 2002 arrest. Links to the actual music are below. Yuri is interested in continuing with his music and is, therefore, seeking collaboration and representation. He is also looking for lyrics, vocal points and soul.
THEATER
Prior to Yuri's incarceration, he was a musician, not a visual artist. Yuri and Rejon L. Taylor, a fellow artist currently incarcerated alongside Yuri in Terre Haute, have developed an idea for a musical theater production. They are seeking collaboration to bring the production to life.
Synopsis: The story follows a few prisoners, protagonists in their own life stories, who embody ways in which criminal influences impacted their lives at a young age. We focus on these men as they struggle with obstacles on the path to rehabilitation. No all of our characters reach their goes, but those who do succeed, it is not because of prison, but despite it.
Guilt and God. An older prisoner who has served time almost all of his life, starting as a juvenile, and a young adult with gang ties are in conversation. Despite the wisdom the older man shares, the youth finds it impossible to believe that God loves him after all of the harm he has caused. This sentiment is expressed as the characters perform the song, "Why Lord Should Love Me."
Mother Society. We flash back to conversations between mothers of these men, the mothers represent society personified. We here dialogue expressing various views spoken by characters all adversely impacted by the communities in which they were raised. The song, "O Mother Society" is performed in this scene.
There are additional songs and ideas collected by Rejon and Yuri.
LISTEN:
Mother Society
(Chords: Dm, B flat/Dm, B flat/Gm 6, A)
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, ABUSE AND NEGLECT
THE PAIN AND SUFFERING
INFLICTED UPON VULNERABLE
IN ABSENCE OF NOURISHMENT AND EDUCATION
O MOTHER SOCIETY
WHO WILLHOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE
CHORUS
O MOTHER SOCIETY WEHOLD YOUACCOUNTABLE
WE HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE O MOTHER SOCIETY
YOU'VE STOLEN OUR INNOCENCE, MADE US THESE MISCREANTS
O MOTHER SOCIETY, WE WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE
VERSE 2;
WHOM YOU WILL ANSWER TO
OR BLAME WILL YOU WHOM
WHY SHOULD THEY SUFFER CRUELTY THROUGH
STRAPPED TO A GURNEY
FROM THE GRAVE OF HUMANETITY
THEYHOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE
O MOTHER SOCIETY
(chorus, intense)
VERSE 3;
GIVE THEM A VOICE
A SEAT AT THE TABLE
EXPOSE SOCIAL ILLNESS
RATHER THAN JAIL THEM
LET'S HEAL SYSTEMATIC ABUSE AND NEGLECT
OR MOTHER SOCIETY
THEY WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE
(Chorus... I think that the best if a song by juveniles, perhaps harmony and arrangement with orchestra, militaries like march...)
Just Fight
(Chords: Am, A, Dm, Am, F, E)
THERE IS A TIME, WHEN THINGS GO SIDEWAYS ON THE PATH TO YOUR DREAMS
WHEN ALL MAN DOUBT YOU AND YOU'VE LOST EVERYTHING
THE BATTLE RAGING FOR YOUR LIFE
DON'T BE AFRAID IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO START THINGS OVER AGAIN
THISE RAINY DAYS WILL PASS AND YOU WILL PREVAIL
THAT TEAR ON YOUR FACE WILL DRY UP, IF, YOU, JUST
(CHORUS)
FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE
STAND FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DREAMED IN THE NIGHT
IT'S UP TO YOU TO MAKE THEM GLOW IN THE DARK
I KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE THEM TRUE
(Solo)
THERE IS A FIGHT, BUT WHAT A JOY TO TAKE BACK ALL OF YOUR LIFE
TAKE BACK YOUR FUTURE ON THE RIGHTEOUS TRACK
LORD BE WITH YOU, BUT YOU MUST JUST, STAND, UP AND
(chorus2x)
Why Lord Should Love Me
(Chords: Bm, Em, G flat, Bm [Chorus: G, Bm, Em
G flat, Bm)
WHY LORD SHOULD LOVE ME, WHY LORD SHOULD LOVE ME
WHY LORD SHOULD LOVE ME AGAIN
INEVER LISTEN WHEN ANGELS WOULD WHISPER
DON'T TAKE THAT STEP TO ABYSS
I NEVER LISTEN WHEN ANGELS WOULD WHISPER DON'T TAKE THAT STEP TO ABYSS
EVERY ANGEL HAS A PAST, EVERY SINNER HAS A FUTURE
REDAMTION WASN'T FOR ME
AND NOW ALONE IN THE DARKNESS I FEEL SO ASHAMED
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL LOVE ME AGAIN
TIME AFTER TIME I DENIED YOU
LIKE PETER WHO CURSED AND PROCLAIMED, i don't know the MAN
(instrumental)
WHY LORD SHOULD LOVE ME, WHY LORD SHOULD LOVE ME
WHY LORD SHOULD LOVE ME AGAIN
YOU NEVER LISTEN WHEN ANGELS WOULD WHISPER
DON'T TAKE THAT STEP TO ABYSS
( THIS WERSE 2 X )
MERCY A LITTLE BIT MERCY MY LORD
ON MY KNEES I AM BLEEDING ALL NIGHT
DON'T SEE ONLY WORST IN ME, I AM JUST A HUMAN BEING
TRYING DO RIGHT IN YOUR SIGHT
My Soul
One day I will tell my soul
To go deep into hiding
I will never let anyone pry into it
And no one will harm it again
It will never again know anguish
It will never suffer again
No one will ever torment it
May be it’s time for my soul to be free.
I wish I could buy a new one
But there aren’t any for sale
I tried to sell it to Devil
But he wanted it almost for free.
Will my soul endure lonely
All the pain, sorrow and agony
I wish I could give it a new life
But I don’t have one for myself.
One day I will go out
Into the glamour of a beautiful morning
I will remove all the ties from my soul
And let it fly free with the wind.
If my soul never comes back to me
That will mean it enjoys its freedom
It will mean that it is much happier
In its new life without me.
Rain
This rain will be quiet and gentle
Don’t be afraid, it won’t harm you at all
It will carry away
All the vain and useless dreams
They say never give up your hope
I won’t
Without a hope I will die
Right away.
This gentle rain will wash off my tears
I feel like crying
But now I should be strong
As never before.
This rain will take away
All my sorrows.
And we’ll cherish the years
That will make us old.
I will make one bouquet
From my hopes and wishes
I will give it to friends
As a gift for good luck
We are so young at the age of 30
Let the good luck serve us a little bit more
We will pay it so generously for that
We will pay with the years of our lives.