Sometimes things fall in my lap that I don’t even realize I am looking for.
A few months ago, I got an email from Owen Sartori, a cube-dwelling computer programmer-turned full time musician from Minneapolis. He said:
"Hi Pam! I love your blog and wrote a song that you might really enjoy. It could be Escape from Cubicle Nation’s theme!"
I listened to the song, for the first of at least 50 times, and can’t agree more! Here are the lyrics (the song launches when you go to his MySpace page):
The Cube
by Owen SartoriAnother beautiful day in the cubeThere’s data to be entered by this paper-pushing foolYou know, I never see the connectionbetween the face in the computer’s reflection and this micromanaged youSo tired, so barren, so bloody uninspiredCall it cubicle or coffin
from the moment that I log in my mind plays hide-and-seekYou know, I never feel like workingIf they knew how much they pay me for surfing I wouldn’t last a weekcommand or strong demand that this…That this should be my lifeSuch a cruel joke that this should be my lifeOh, my life
What’s important is the paycheckIf you can never mind the train wreck you just might make it through the weekWhat a pitiful existencealways kneeling to the resistance, never rising up to take yourself a peekover this grey divider, this foul obstruction, this shameful notion…
That this… That this should be my lifeSuch a cruel joke that this should be my lifeOh, such a cruel joke that this should be my lifeI’m more startled than I’m scaredMore angry than I’m sad I’m not yet therefool me once I’m still the shameful, still the fool and still to blame for this.
That this should be my life
Such a cruel joke that this should be my lifeOh, such a cruel joke that this should be my lifeI’m more startled than I’m scaredMore angry than I’m sad
One of the things that I love the most about this connection is that Owen is writing from personal experience. And, of course, that he escaped, realizing that the "cruel joke" of cube dwelling "was not his life."
The Cube is the title from his new CD, Another Beautiful Day in the Cube. If you love the song or the album, buy it! By supporting independent musicians, you support entrepreneurship in general. The iTunes link is here (you need iTunes to access it) or you can get it from Burst Records.
Great work Owen!
I am already having fantasies of a speaking tour to promote the book which begin by blasting The Cube loudly in the room. 🙂
Very cool Pam.
“I’m more startled than I’m scared.”
Amen.
How cool are you, Pam? It’s so great to get Owen’s music out there through your blog. Great recording too! Very Elvis Costello-ish. Thanks for passing it along!
I think I might be smitten. Sounds like a rock anthem to me. Perhaps further inspiration to write? —Eagerly anticipating “EFCN:The Book” in New York
Yeah, Owen Rocks.
If you like that song you’ll love his other song, “The way my life goes”, also available to listen to at myspace…
I can’t thank you enough for putting the word out there like this, Pam. Fellow cube-dwellers and ex-cube-dwellers, in the words of a guy whose office had no right angles, “I feel your pain.” The only diffence here is, I actually mean it.
Congratulations; you are probably one of the only bloggers with your own theme song. Very cool. 🙂
—
Chris:
Owen was kind enough to share with me … all people fed up in the cube feel free to adopt it as your song too!
Maybe it could play as a soundtrack for people who are quitting with “Jerry Maguire” speeches. 🙂
-Pam