JUSTIN HUDNALL, HOST: From KPBS and So Say We All in San Diego, welcome to Incoming, the show that brings you stories from the lives of American veterans told in their own words, directly from their own mouths. I’m Justin Hudnall. It is nothing but an understatement when I say that Gill Sotu is a big player in the San Diego art scene. He ran one of the most welcoming and successful open mic nights in town for years called Train of Thought, which has since evolved into a radio show on KNSJ and as a podcast and which you should definitely check out. He’s one of the most powerful performance poets and musicians I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, but even more than that, he’s a leader. The man always rolls with an entourage of aspiring poets, musicians, and comedians, many for whom he is responsible for giving their first taste of glory on a stage. Even after he made a big proclamation to me that he was going to take some time off to focus on his own career as an artist, he just can’t help being a community leader. He’s compulsively supportive. If all this effusive language on my part makes me sound like I have a bit of a man crush on Gill, well, Guess what. I do. I aspire to be nothing less than the ivory to his ebony. But the reason I’m saying all this is because I believe it’s connected to a much lesser known fact about Gill, which is that he’s a navy vet. So, here on episode 3 of Incoming, we asked Mr. Gill Sotu to perform a piece for us that speaks to his experience in the service. And so without further adieu, I’ll just let Gill tell you the rest. Gill: American Pirate December 31st 1999, For 17 years Prince warned that this was going to happen The party has begun and I not only missed the boat I got on the wrong one No flights of fancy, no fanfare, no fun No sexy women wishing to dance and drink away their daddy issues Just sailors Just us sailors Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses Your criminals, your high school underachievers, Your, I’ll do anything to get out of this town... …and we will build you the best Navy this nation can band-aid together. Dress pirates to look like gentlemen Tell us this is for God and country No need to trick us capt’n, we’re American Pirates we are We’ll do it for women and money December 31st 1999 In the middle of nowhere doing nothing but keeping my tray from sliding off the table The black ocean ebbs and flows rhythmically Trying to start the party Keeps things rockin But lacks any real direction You know how dem black oceans do I’m trying to keep my chicken fried steak in my stomach Three years as a sailor and I still keep a plastic bag in my back pocket in case of sickness I’m an accident waiting to happen, Like Y2K Someone reset the clock so the planes don’t fall out of the sky Someone turn the back time so I don’t get on this boat I’m supposed to be with Prince, Apollonia, Vanity, and Sheila E And the rest of the Revolution It was the apocalypse we’ve all been waiting for Instead Clemmons gets caught beating off in his space off the aft deck They playing spades in the berthing and taking no prisoners Clark got the Madden going on the PlayStation in the laundry room Usually I’d be engaged in one, maybe all three of them activities at the same time But it’s December 31st, 1999 And there will never be another one No land to be seen No kiss to be stolen Military service is a marriage She always comes first And can care less if you reach your climax Your goals, your dreams Just do what she says And you might make it out weak but alive And if you’re lucky With a few good stories AMERICAN PIRATE JUSTIN HUDNALL, HOST: That was Mr. Gill Sotu and that is our show. Incoming is produced by myself, Justin Hudnall. Original music by Chris Warren, Ariana Warren and Kristopher Apple. In the studio, Kurt Kohnen provides technical assistance, Leah Singer is our Web Editor, Jim Tinsky does Web Development and John Decker is Grand Poobah Program Director. If you have a story or you know someone who does, go to SoSayWeAllonline.com. Thanks so much for listening. We’ll talk again soon.
Incoming
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JUSTIN HUDNALL, HOST:
From KPBS and So Say We All in San Diego, welcome to Incoming, the show that brings you stories from the lives of American veterans told in their own words, directly from their own mouths. I’m Justin Hudnall.
It is nothing but an understatement when I say that Gill Sotu is a big player in the San Diego art scene. He ran one of the most welcoming and successful open mic nights in town for years called Train of Thought, which has since evolved into a radio show on KNSJ and as a podcast and which you should definitely check out. He’s one of the most powerful performance poets and musicians I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, but even more than that, he’s a leader. The man always rolls with an entourage of aspiring poets, musicians, and comedians, many for whom he is responsible for giving their first taste of glory on a stage. Even after he made a big proclamation to me that he was going to take some time off to focus on his own career as an artist, he just can’t help being a community leader. He’s compulsively supportive. If all this effusive language on my part makes me sound like I have a bit of a man crush on Gill, well, Guess what. I do. I aspire to be nothing less than the ivory to his ebony. But the reason I’m saying all this is because I believe it’s connected to a much lesser known fact about Gill, which is that he’s a navy vet. So, here on episode 3 of Incoming, we asked Mr. Gill Sotu to perform a piece for us that speaks to his experience in the service. And so without further adieu, I’ll just let Gill tell you the rest.
Gill: American Pirate
December 31st 1999,
For 17 years Prince warned that this was going to happen
The party has begun and I not only missed the boat
I got on the wrong one
No flights of fancy, no fanfare, no fun
No sexy women wishing to dance and drink away their daddy issues
Just sailors
Just us sailors
Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
Your criminals, your high school underachievers,
Your, I’ll do anything to get out of this town...
…and we will build you the best Navy this nation can band-aid together.
Dress pirates to look like gentlemen
Tell us this is for God and country
No need to trick us capt’n,
we’re American Pirates we are
We’ll do it for women and money
December 31st 1999
In the middle of nowhere doing nothing
but keeping my tray from sliding off the table
The black ocean ebbs and flows rhythmically
Trying to start the party
Keeps things rockin
But lacks any real direction
You know how dem black oceans do
I’m trying to keep my chicken fried steak in my stomach
Three years as a sailor and I still keep a plastic bag in my back pocket
in case of sickness
I’m an accident waiting to happen,
Like Y2K
Someone reset the clock so the planes don’t fall out of the sky
Someone turn the back time so I don’t get on this boat
I’m supposed to be with Prince, Apollonia, Vanity, and Sheila E
And the rest of the Revolution
It was the apocalypse we’ve all been waiting for
Instead Clemmons gets caught beating off in his space off the aft deck
They playing spades in the berthing and taking no prisoners
Clark got the Madden going on the PlayStation in the laundry room
Usually I’d be engaged in one,
maybe all three of them activities at the same time
But it’s December 31st, 1999
And there will never be another one
No land to be seen
No kiss to be stolen
Military service is a marriage
She always comes first
And can care less if you reach your climax
Your goals, your dreams
Just do what she says
And you might make it out weak but alive
And if you’re lucky
With a few good stories
AMERICAN PIRATE
JUSTIN HUDNALL, HOST:
That was Mr. Gill Sotu and that is our show. Incoming is produced by myself, Justin Hudnall. Original music by Chris Warren, Ariana Warren and Kristopher Apple. In the studio, Kurt Kohnen provides technical assistance, Leah Singer is our Web Editor, Jim Tinsky does Web Development and John Decker is Grand Poobah Program Director. If you have a story or you know someone who does, go to SoSayWeAllonline.com. Thanks so much for listening. We’ll talk again soon.
