music

well I’ll be damned

| cclelandnissen

Sooo, this drawing is of a character in a song, or what I’ve perceived to be the character anyway.

Some songs are written in such a way that the whole story reveals itself to you in your mind, you know? I’ve been wanting to draw this character I tend to envision for awhile now, but I never felt like taking the challenge, I guess. It feels rather satisfying to see him finally take form!

Styrofoam Boots : Modest Mouse

Well all’s not well
But I’m told that it’ll all be quite nice
You’ll be drowned in boots like Mafia
But your feet will still float like Christ’s

And I’ll be damned
They were right
I’m drowning upside down
My feet afloat like Christ’s
I’m in heaven
Trying to figure out which stack
They’re going to stuff us atheists into
When Peter and his monkey laugh
And I laugh with them
I’m not sure what at
They point and say
We’ll keep you in the back
Polishing halos, baking manna and gas

Well some guy comes in looking a bit like
everyone I ever seen
He moves just like Crisco disco
Breath a hundred percent Listerine
He says looking at something else
But directing everything to me
Anytime anyone gets on their knees to pray
Well it makes my telephone ring

And I’ll be damned
He said you were right
No one’s running this whole thing
He had a theory too
He said that God takes care of himself
God takes takes care of himself
And you of you

Pink Robot

| cclelandnissen

Obviously inspired by the Flaming Lips’ cover art for their album “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots”
I read that the song “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt. 1” was written about fighting cancer, the robots being a metaphor for cancer. It’s a rather interestingly written song, I thought, but I had always imagined it being about how our world was being taken over by technology, and soon will replace humanity as we know it.
It really doesn’t matter what your take on the song is, I think they like to keep it open to interpretation.
Anyway. The point! Ah, yes. My work life has changed dramatically with the widespread acceptance of AI, and I’m not happy about it. It’s a daily upset, honestly. It feels like I’m in a bad 80s horror movie about robots taking over. I have questioned whether if I’m suited for my career field because of this. Maybe it’s time to surrender to the bots.
Furthermore, my coworker is currently battling cancer, and it’s been a rough going. Originally, she and I didn’t get along, but I think as I’ve began to heal my family wounds, and as she has become more understanding, things are just fine. Being highly sensitive, when people don’t like me, it haunts me. I’m an extreme people pleaser, and it’s so hard for me when people aren’t pleased with me. But I realized, I don’t mind if she doesn’t like me, I don’t either! And I know she’s going through some kind of hell, so I let her be, and only try to make her life easier.
So this song randomly came up and I found it quite amusing how some songs can mean one thing to you at a certain time and change completely as you journey on through life. Fascinating, isn’t it?

Those evil-natured robots
They’re programmed to destroy us
She’s gotta be strong to fight them
So she’s takin’ lots of vitamins

‘Cause she knows that
It’d be tragic
If those evil robots win
I know she can beat them

Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
But you won’t let those robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don’t believe me
But you won’t let those robots eat me, Yoshimi
– the Flaming Lips

Oil pastels/05/26

Thick Skull

| cclelandnissen

I am a magnet for broken pieces
I am attracted to broken people
I pick ’em up and now my fingers are bleeding
And it looks like my fault
And it looks like I’m caught red-handed

Hit over the head, epiphany
Over my head, repeatedly
Thick skull never did nothing for me
Same lesson again? Come on, give it to me
Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me

Only I know where all the bodies are buried
Thought by now I’d find ’em just a little less scary
Might get easier but you don’t get used to it
Keep on autopilot,
What’s the body count up to now, captain?

Hit over the head, epiphany
Over my head, repeatedly
Thick skull never did nothing for me
Same lesson again? Come on, give it to me
Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me

Come on out with your hands up
Come on out with your hands up
I’m coming out with my hands up,

Hit over the head, epiphany
Over my head, repeatedly
Thick skull never did nothing for me
Same lesson again? Come on, give it to me

I pick ’em up
And now my fingers are bleeding
And it looks like I’m caught red-handed

Songwriters: Hayley Nichole Williams / Taylor York / Zach Farro

Alynda Segarra

| cclelandnissen

“Take it,”
They always want you to take it
Just close your eyes, baby, fake it
Burning inside out

Shaking, screaming hysterical
I get lost in an ocean of regret
Burning inside out

Cold feet, I was a kid, I was lonely
Would’ve done anything only
To be by his side

I can’t speak
I get to feelin’ my heartbeat
It’s been a terrible news week

And I don’t know how
Oh, I don’t know how

But I, I don’t want this to be
The saga of my life
The saga of my life

I just wanna be free
Get over it in time
Push it out of my mind

Cold feet, I was a kid, I was lonely
He pushed me down on the concrete

Oh, I can’t speak
I get to feelin’ my heartbeat
I’ll just make it through this week
And I’ll get out alive

But I don’t know how
Oh, I don’t know how

And I don’t want this to be
The saga of my life
The saga of my life

I just wanna be free
Get over it in time
Push it out of my mind

Nobody believed me, nobody believed me
Nobody believed me, nobody believed me
Oh, nobody believed me, nobody believed
Oh, nobody believed me, nobody believed me

Hurray for the Riff Raff’s “SAGA”

Alynda Segarra portrait 03/2026