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.