Watt Ate One is a track that just barely did not make it onto my latest release, Tried So Hard to Achieve So Little (TSHTASL). My vocal cut of the track appears there, however, the magnitude of the guest star validates a special release.
This track features vocals from Mike Watt (Minutemen/Stooges/MSSV). I wrote the song One Ate in 2023 and kept imagining Watt singing it when recording the vocals. I tried various overdubs on the track but kept feeling it wasn’t right. Then I realized that instead of pretending to be Watt, I should just ask him to do it. Watt is very down-to-earth and approachable, so it was worth a shot. Imagine my pants-shitting when he said “send me the files”.
Time passes, Watt gets busy, I get busy, I release the track with my vocal cut, and about 2 weeks later, I get an e-mail from Watt. He says the track is done but was never sent. So, here we are with a special version of the track retitled “Watt Ate One” backed with another outtake, “Last Won”.
Last Won was a collaboration between me and longtime friend Matthew Williams. He provided an outstanding shred guitar track, but I never wrote any good lyrics to match the track. I wanted something extra to add to this Stabercrombie/Watt release, so I took this as a chance to revisit.
I thought of how The Who would end Rock Operas with an instrumental piece that contained elements of prior tracks. This seemed like a fun possibility for Last Won. So I pulled contributions from other TSHTASL tracks, my daughter S.E.A. shouting Topwater Frog, Mike Baggetta’s guitar solo from Friends, J. Williams flute melody from Holiday Meal, and a snippet of Watt saying “Freak it out just a little bit”. I removed my bass track to allow all this stuff a chance to breathe.
Finally, I wanted some Raymond Pettibon-style line art of a sailor, so I generated this cover with Photoshop AI. I added some Watt appropriate typewriter fonts, and added a hand-drawn anchor and cell phone.
I wasn’t quite sure what the lyrics were about for a while, but now I think it’s about the internet and how we use it as a megaphone seeking validation and connection. It is both a tool and a trap to be wielded with caution.
Thank you, Mr. Watt, for contributing to my project!
Credits
Watt Ate One
Steve Abercrombie – Basses
Mike Watt – Vocals
Last Won
Steve Abercronbie – Composter
Matthew Williams – Guitar
Mike Baggetta- Guitar
J. Williams – Flute
S.E.A. – Vocals
Mike Watt – Vocals
Ford – Secret Raccoon Chatter
Lyrics
Reeling in outrage
Pull it through a megaphone
Point it at yourself
Just like everyone else
Creeping in the back
Shit-posting hate clown
A viral fire spreads out
Joker smokes rains down
One Ate One Ate
One Ate One Ate
One Ate One Ate
One Ate One Ate
Stand up or speak out
Shut up or sit down down
Hold together now
Freak it out a little bit
Get better, break down
Pull together, pull out
Rip it up again
all over
One Ate One Ate
One Ate One Ate
One Ate One Ate
One Ate One Ate
