Punch It

Chicanery about anime racing.

Commissioned by Mike Brum, who said to me

I would like you to write a song about racing - but not "nascar" racing. More the high-octane, over-the-top anime-style racing you see depicted in Redline or even the Speed Racer live action movie.

I spent a few minutes skimming Redline, and almost immediately encountered this scene:

And that gave me the hook. I then imagined how one might become that person, obsessive, always moving as fast as possible. The first couplet came quickly, and laid the seed for the second verse: I have nobody, I was born an outcast. “Sokudo” (そくど) means “speed”.

Lyrics

My name is Sokudo I live to go fast
I have nobody I was born an outcast
The smell of gasoline the burning hot oil
The melting tarmac and the curving airfoil

To me the track is like a lover's sweet face
And I remember every curve I have traced
My tires juddering we take the chicane
My brakes are shuddering they steam in the rain

starting line
engines whine
white clouds shine
this world is mine
it's time to punch it

When I was born my mother died I am told
My dad was gone before the body was cold
But The Mechanic took me in as his own
He is the only family I have known

He called me Sokudo, he taught me to talk
He taught me how to drive before I could walk
I learned his secrets, I learned how to go fast
And when he died I learned that nothing would last

dirty rag
spoiler drag
caution flag
bodybag
it's time to punch it