Second Life (That's Where I Want To Be)

Second Life (That's Where I Want To Be).mp3
written and performed by Niko Donburi

Second Life, that's where I want to be
'Cause when I'm there the real world don't bother me
So I'll log-in, if the grid ain't down
IM some friends and hope no griefers come around

Second Life, that's where my money goes
Paying tier, buying prim hair and lots of clothes
On my 512, I just rezzed my last prim
Looks like I'm gonna have to get myself a sim

In Second Life you can look real cute
Get a custom made painted skin for a birthday suit
In Second Life you can be anything
Like a full-Excite loaded Furry with a lot of bling...

With Second Life, Linden Lab made something great
Let's just hope they don't screw it up with the next update
'Cause there's no place that I would rather be
Than Second Life with all my friends IMing me

Yes, there's no place that I would rather be
Than Second Life with all my friends IMing me

* * * *

This was the first song I wrote about Second Life. It is a commentary on the addictive nature of the virtual world, the greatest time sink ever created. Log in and turn on. The subject matter naturally connected to the dangerous weed sung about in Cheech and Chong's "Up in Smoke (That's Where I Want To Be)."

Dear Linden, Dear Linden

Dear Linden, Dear Linden
written and performed by Niko Donburi

Dear Linden, Dear Linden, why is Second Life broke?
The grid is grey-gooed and your blog is a joke.
With all of the money that we pay to you
Can't you hire yourself a programmer or two?
Signed, Unverified

Unverified, Unverified, we hear what you say
but at Linden Labs, we like it this way
We know how to fix it--and probably should
just keep crossing your fingers and knocking on wood
Signed, A Linden

Dear Linden, Dear Linden, the most recent update
so corrupted my textures I must always rebake
Tomorrow I partner and don't know what to do
all my clothing is missing and my custom skin too
Signed, No Inventory

No Inventory, No Inventory, we hear what you say
but at Linden Labs, we like it this way
We know how to fix it--and probably should
just keep crossing your fingers and knocking on wood
Signed, A Linden

Dear Linden, Dear Linden, I need some relief
whenever I log on I always get griefed
In your quest for a million was this foreseen?
Could you please now turn off your PR machine?
Signed, A Furry

Furry, Dear Furry, we hear what you say
but at Linden Labs, we like it this way
We know how to fix it--and probably should
just keep crossing your fingers and knocking on wood
Signed, A Linden

Dear Linden, Dear Linden, Won't you give us a choice
to stick with the chat and get rid of the voice
once my partner finds out I'm a man
I do not think that he'll understand
Signed, Roleplayer

Roleplayer, Roleplayer, we hear what you say
but at Linden Labs, we like it this way
We know how to fix it--and probably should
just keep crossing your fingers and knocking on wood
Signed, A Linden

Dear Linden, Dear Linden,I just don't understand
the new terms of service about using your brand.
Registered trademarks and copyright signs,
must I use them all of the time?
Signed, a Blogger

Blogger,Dear Blogger, we hear what you say
and at Linden Lab (R) we don't like things this way
but our lawyers insist that it must be done.
We sincerely hope it won't ruin your fun
Signed, a Linden (TM)

* * *

Considered by many to be their favorite. I know Rocky really loves this one. Over time it kept getting added to. See the blog posts for more info on what led to the changes. If you've heard the John Prine original, "Dear Abby, Dear Abby" then you'll even better appreciate it.

Escape ((The Second Life Song)

Written and performed by Niko Donburi

I was tired of my lady
We'd been together too long
Like a worn-out recording
Of a favorite song
So while she was upstairs sleeping
I logged into Second Life
and in the classified section
There was a post that changed my life:

"If you like rezzin' prims and building
Prefer private islands to the main
If you're not into scripting
If you have half a brain
If you like poseballs at midnight
Can't stand the Wednesday updates
Then I'm the one that you've looked for
IM me and escape"

I didn't think about my lady
I know that sounds kind of mean
But me and my old lady
had fallen into the same old dull routine
So I ponied up some Lindens
Took out a classified ad
And though I'm nobody's poet
I thought it wasn't half bad:

"Yes, I like rezzin' prims and building
Have half a sim not on the main
I'm not much into scripting
I think LSL is lame;
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon
Right after the update
Here's a landmark to the Elbow Room
Where we can plan our escape"

So I waited with high hopes
And downloaded the update
But when I tried to log on
My password would not take
I tried for over seven hours
Then headed up to bed
But my wife was still awake
and this is what she said:

"So you like rezzin' prims and building?
Have half a sim not on the main?
You aren't much into scripting
because you haven't got a brain.
Well, I changed your precious password
what it is you'll never find.
You'll have to be happy in your first life
and leave your second one behind."

So now I'm watching Desperate Housewives
and reading People magazine.
I never get on the computer
I've been banned from the machine.
But late at night I sometimes wonder
about the one I was to meet
if she's still waiting in the Elbow Room
sitting by and empty seat

Yes, we loved rezzin' prims and building
preferred private islands to the main
we were not into scripting
we both thought LSL was lame
We liked poseballs at midnight
and hated Wednesday's updates.
Perhaps she'll hear this song and realize
she no longer needs to wait....

* * *
This was one of those magical songs that simply wrote itself. It is a great crowd pleaser. I like to dedicate it to Elsemae, to whom I know it has added significance. "The Elbow Room" was a great little hangout on 512m2. Updates to the Client application used to take place on Wednesdays. Always a bad time to plan to do anything in SL. LSL was the in-world programming language at the time. Now it is Mono.

it's the end of the world as we know it (in Second Life)

written and performed by Niko Donburi


That's great, it starts with an update
griefers and a grid attack
noobies you should be afraid!

Keep an eye on the status page
Listening to second cast
Don't bother LiveHelp (there's no more LiveHelp)
See if you can teleport, IM anyone
the grid is down

Hope they'll do a roll back, set back, put back
Satisfy the buyers if their inventory's gone
Do a rolling update--yes, another update--
unless you want the furries breathing down your neck

Verified, unverified
payment, no payment
self-replicating objects there's no containing
uh-oh, too much growth
population overflow
it's getting out of hand....

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it in Second Life

Reuters and Sony, Adidas and CNET
Corporations everywhere--haven’t you seen it?
Automotive islands to take away our flyin’
Once Walmart is here we’ll all be crying

Uh oh, no tier, oh dear, steer clear
The next thing you know
the IRS will be here

Let's send them all to Warcraft or The Sims Online
before we're out of time...

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it in Second Life


Second-rate drama from Second Life divas
Aimee Weber, Prokofy Neva
Torrid Midnight
gone then returning
blogosphere so hot it's burning

ad hominem attacks with real life info
TOS says that's a no-no
perhaps it would help if we'd learn some decorum
or if Linden Lab would bring back the forums

All of these flames and all of this strife
isn't helping Second Life, right? right!

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it in Second Life

* * * *
For a while it seems that every month something new would bring the death of Second Life, or at least the end of the way things were. This led naturally to a reworking of the REM classic. Of all my parodies, this one took the longest--primarily because the original has nonsensical lyrics so I had to try and match the scansion and tone of the original whilst creating a narrative that could be followed.

Living Virtually

Words and music by Niko Donburi

I log on every morning
to see who is around
a bold name in a list of friends
that I have found

Some say I am silly
Some say I am sad
I'm virtually living...

I know you care about me
although we've never met
the times we've been together
I will never forget

Some say I am silly
Some say I am sad
I'm virtually living
but is it really all that bad?
Just think of all we have...

We can fly together
Never worry 'bout the weather
We can make our real lives better
By living virtually

My friends and real life family
They think it's just a game
How can I call it friendship
when I do not know your name?

Some say I am silly
Some say I am sad
I'm virtually living
but is it really all that bad?

* * *
This was one of two original Second Life songs that I wrote for this collection. I've had the guitar part floating around my fretboard for over a decade but could never figure out what the song was about. Then, late one evening it all fell together. It is one of the most requested songs at my shows, I think because my listeners truly relate to it. Virtual friendships can become real.

Should I log in or should I go now?

written and performed by Niko Donburi

Lindens, you gotta let me know
should I log in or should I go?
If you say the grid is fine
then I'll log in here all the time

so you got to let me know
should I log in or should I go?

When it is lag, lag, lag
then Second Life can be a drag
One day search works the next it don't
and on your blog there's not a note

why can't you let me know?
Should I log in or should I go?

Should I log in or should I go now?
Should I log in or should I go now?
I've got some better things to do
then deal with griefers and grey goo

so come on and let me know....

There's something else that's bugging me
verification of ID
want to prove maturity?
require credit cards and bill me
but that won't help your numbers grow

should I log in or should I blow?

Should I log in or should I go now?
Should I log in or should I go now?
Perhap's instead I'll join Warcraft
or go upstairs and take a hot bath

So please won't you let me know
should I log in or should I go?

SL Man

written and performed by

It's nine o'clock on a Sunday eve
the regular crowd's logging in
there's a nooby standing next to me
with a box fully rezzed on his chin

He says, "Hey, can you spare a few Lindens?
I'd like to buy some prim hair."
I felt so sorry for him I bought him some skin
'cause all of us once had been there

La, la, la, de de da
la la, de de da da da

Sing us a song you're the SL man
Sing us a song tonite
We're all in the mood for a melody
just make it about Second Life

Now Elwood, he's a friend of mine
we met at SLCC
He's logged in every night but he say's it's alright
'cause it's better than watching TV

He knows Second Life can be an addiction
one that's not easy to face
since you don't leave your house
and a click of your mouse
logs you right back into this place.

La, la, la, de de da
la la, de de da da da

Sing us a song you're the SL man
Sing us a song tonite
We're all in the mood for a melody
just make it about Second Life

Rocky was a single father
when he first found Second Life
and then one day he met Elseamae
and soon she'll become his wife

'Cause now they are living together
they no longer are alone
they once shared a world that is virtual
and now they are sharing a home

La, la, la, de de da
la la, de de da da da

Sing us a song you're the SL man
Sing us a song tonite
We're all in the mood for a melody
just make it about Second Life

It's a pretty good crowd for a Sunday eve
Liam and Chrissy IM me a smile
'cause they know that it's me you're all coming to see
to forget your real life for awhile

So I'll play you my songs about Second Life
while the lag makes us all move so slow
and I just want to say thanks for coming today.
That's something I thought you should now.

La, la, la, de de da
la la, de de da da da

Sing us a song you're the SL man
Sing us a song tonite
We're all in the mood for a melody
just make it about Second Life

Wasting Away in Second Life

written and performed by Niko Donburi

I'm logged on every weeknite
if I'm not it don't feel right
this virtual world is all that I need

Strumming my six string
earning Lindens while I sing
an original song or a parody

Wasting away the day in Second Life
searching through my vast inventory
some people claim that it is just a game
But it's not to you and me....

I don't know the reason
I find SL so pleasing
given the problems I have logging in

always dealing with updates
that give me nothing but headaches
I'm just glad that I don't own a sim

Wasting away the day in Second Life
searching through my vast inventory
some people claim that it is just a game
But it's not to you and me....

A surge blew up my desktop
so I've borrowed a laptop
I can barely log in
with this old Mac Book Pro.

But I'm not complaining
'cause it's entertaining
to see you all grey
and moving so slow

Wasting away the day in Second Life
searching through my vast inventory
some people claim that it is just a game
But it's not, to you and me....

Yes, some people claim that it is just a game
but it's not to you and me.

* * * *
Contrary to popular belief, I am not a Buffett fan in real life. That made parodying this song even more difficult as I had to listen to it a couple of dozen times to get the feel. Perhaps one of you Parrotheads out there can let me know how I did...

44 Lines about 22 Lindens

written and performed by Niko Donburi

Torley is the famous Linden
He's the one that does the blog
Robla works in management
He's just another Linden cog
Meta is the data cruncher
for the common metrics team
Poppy Linden finds the bugs
that cause us residents to scream

Pathfinder sends his snapshots
to his famous Flickr page
Mia rounds up volunteers
who do good work but don't get paid
Chiyo Linden is Japanese
we all call her Chiyo-chan
Colossus works with Jesse
keeping live music going strong

Brad is making Windlight
to turn the weather on and off
Bridie helps to fix the grid
when it starts to hack and cough
Elle is the French Linden
she's the one I'd like to meet
Blue Linden is famous
for the avatars that look so neat

He's also known as Cyan Linden
on the teen grid

Frontier's techy articles
I can never understand
Ginsu made the final call
on who or what got permabanned
Catherine's gift at marketing
helps Linden Lab stay in the press
Steve makes the SL Viewer
so Second Life will looks its best
Phoenix works on Open Source
for which he gets a lot of grief
Harry's making help search better
that should give us all relief
Cory's Linden Scripting Language
is what our world is based upon
but Philip Linden had the vision
so he's the one that ends this song

Thank you Lindens.
44 lines about 22 Lindens.

* * * *
After the success of "Dear Linden, Dear Linden" I noticed that there was a lot of animosity being expressed at my shows towards those that ran our virtual world. While some of it was certainly warranted, not all of it was. I wanted to write something that would thank the Lindens for all that they had done, and hopefully stall off them permabanning me from Second Life for my writing songs about them. I'm still here, so I guess it worked!!

The Linden

written and performed by Niko Donburi

On a warm summer's evening
on a train out of Chicago
I met up with a Linden
we were both too tired to sleep

So we took turns at trying
to sniff out someone's wi-fi
'til boredom overtook us
and he began to speak

He said, "You know, I've made living
being a grid monkey.
I helped debug the client
and the flexi-prim.
Phillip, he's a friend of mine,
and I know all his secrets
and if you promise not tell
I'll share some of them."

So I gave to him my promise
and he turned to his computer
found an unprotected node
and logged into Second Life
the lag was non-existent
and the rendering amazing
He said, "If you're going to play the game
you've got to use Windlight.

And you've got to know when to log in
know whom to IM
have a couple secret alts
and know which scripts to run.
Don't ever count your Lindens
while they're trading on the Lindex
they'll be time enough for counting
when the transfer's done.

Now every Linden knows
that if you want to turn a profit
make enough to pay your tier
and have a bunch to keep
you've got to buy land like Anshe
or peddle porn like Stroker
and the best job you can hope for
is with Electric Sheep."

And when he'd finished speaking,
he turned to his computer.
Logged out of Second Life
and put his laptop to sleep.
But just a few days later
that Linden, he was fired
for telling me them secrets
that I could not keep

You've got to know when to log in
know whom to IM
have a couple secret alts
and know which scripts to run.
Don't ever count your Lindens
while they're trading on the Lindex
they'll be time enough for counting
when the transfer's done.

Virtual Stranger

written and performed by Niko Donburi.

Karen had a lonely day
couldn't wait to put the kids to bed
all her troubles went away
when she logged in and became someone else instead
of who she was
or whom they wanted her to be.

In this new world, she was free.

But no one told her of the danger.
Nobody told her that the secrets she'd tell
Would be used by a virtual stranger
to break her real life heart as well.

Henry worked from one to nine
logged in as soon as he got home.
Barely gave his wife the time
couldn't wait until he was all alone
IMing
and staying up much too late

In this new life he was great.

But no one told him of the danger.
Nobody told him that the secrets he'd tell
Would be used by a virtual stranger
to break his real life heart as well.

What happens in your second life
should stay in your second life
but what happens if your second life
won't stay in your second life?

How can someone whose virtual
cause so much pain that is physical?
How can someone whose virtual
cause so much pain that is physical?


Nobody told me of the danger
Nobody told me that the secrets I'd tell
would be used by a virtual stranger
to break my real life heart as well.

* * * *

For what it is worth, this is my favorite of my SL songs. Like Living Virtually, it is an original, and touches somewhat on a similar theme of the power of a virtual life. This one, of course, takes a somewhat sadder view of what can happen when the bright line between the virtual and the real starts to dim.

My Favorite Things (About SL)

written and performed by Niko Donburi


Offers of friendship and IM conversations
Dance balls and pose balls and new animations
Earning some Lindens with the songs that I sing
These are a few of my favorite things

Learning new games and vocabulary
Like tringo and slingo and of course primtionary
Taking a class to study scripting
These are a few of my favorite things

Wearing some clothes that a friend has made for me
Sailing a yacht on a virtual sea
Up in a sky box cybering
These are a few of my favorite things

When the grid's down
When there's griefers
When I can't TP
I simply remember my favorite things
and what Second Life means to me....

* * *

This was first performed at my first show at the House of Flames, one of the top venues in Second Life. I wanted to have a special debut so I built the show around this song. It is based on "My Favorite Things." It has been the only song that I could not find a chord chart online. So I had to figure it out by myself.

Who is Niko Donburi anyway?

Hi.

Suffice to say if you've read this far, you must be interested in finding out more about me.

I'm basically a songwriter. A man, a guitar and a pen, as the saying goes.

Well, actually, I made that last bit up. There isn't such a saying. Or at least I don't think so. [Note to someone: please google that and let me know if there is.]

But, in essence, that is what I do. Think of some words, find some notes that fit (or vice versa) and then try and tell a story.

To me, the perfect song is one that you cannot stop thinking about.

Perhaps it has a catchy chorus that flutters in your head. Maybe it paints a story so vivid that you could swear that it was about you. Or maybe it simply causes you to press "play" one more time. These are the songs I try to write.

It would be a lie, of course, to tell you that every one of my songs is "perfect." In fact, I have a box full of cassette tapes, minidiscs and CD-ROMS as proof that most of my songs aren't. But I keep trying. And once in a while, sometimes once every couple of years, I'll get one right.

In RL I have spent many years living, traveling and playing music around the world. I have played clubs in Japan, restaurants in Indonesia and busked in the streets of London. I have studied songwriting formally at National Guitar Summer Workshops and informally by listening, listening, listening to music. Mostly, however, I have simply written songs. I'm realistic enough to realize that I'd never be able to make a living off of whatever songwriting talent I had, so I just write them because they need to be written.

These days I limit my performances to Second Life. It provides me with the opportunity to play my songs for people around the world without having to leave my home. I never enjoyed going to a coffee bar and trying to be heard over the espresso machine. Audience members rarely listened to the words, nor couldn't if they wanted to. Add to it my general reluctance to actually sing in front of people and you can see why performing in a virtual world would appeal to me.

Please check out some of the other links found on the main page. Feel free to IM me in-world or check out my SLProfile.

By the way, all songs posted here are:





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work is licensed under a
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I also compose ambient electronica under the name nikorasu. You can stream or download my CD "Music for Unseen Films" here and the soundtrack to my machinima collection, "Twisted Prim," should be up soon.