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The Rough and Rowdy Sea from the album STORMY WEATHER by ‘Les Paul’s’ (The Paul’s) released 4 March 2026 HERE.
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download The Rough and Rowdy Sea on Bandcamp HERE
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Watch the video promo on You Tube HERE
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“The Rough and Rowdy Sea” is a cautionary protest anthem that uses the ocean as a metaphor for the relentless, cyclical nature of human hatred. The lyrics describe a world where social media influencers, misguided youth, and shadowy “puppetmasters” fuel a rising tide of vitriol and misinformation.
The song connects modern political unrest to historical trauma, specifically referencing the Holocaust and the erasure of history, to warn that society is repeating the same deadly patterns. It concludes with an urgent, redemptive plea for individuals to break the cycle of “blind hate” through self-reflection and a return to basic human empathy before the metaphorical tide swallows everyone.
The transition from the darkness of the first half of the song to the hope of the ending is very stark. The song moves from a sense of total drowning to a “call to action” that feels almost like a spiritual intervention. By using the “A-B-C” simplicity at the end, it is suggested that while the puppetmasters make hate look complex, the solution—love and humanity—is actually the simplest thing in the world.
Note: The line “Angry pacifists in the square screaming for blood” is a particularly sharp oxymoron. It perfectly captures the irony of modern movements that often become the very thing they claim to oppose.
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The Rough and Rowdy Sea lyrics
The sea was rough and rowdy then it was calm
Seemed like it couldn’t do anyone anymore harm
But the waves will still roll and that’s a guarantee
They say that hate is as ancient as the sea
It’s rolling through your walls and your TV screens
Ridden by influencers and college kids in dirty jeans
Angry pacifists in the square screaming for blood
Their eyes revealing they’re all outta love
Can you feel, can you feel the poison in the air
It’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere
Can we control the rising tide before it’s too late
How can we stop this tsunami flood of blind hate
There’s hate in their eyes
For everyone they are told to despise
But they don’t really know why
They’ve been spoon-fed with lies
By the puppetmasters pulling their strings
Flashing their members-only diamond ring
Making you dance to the rhythm of their native drum
But don’t you have the sense to ask them how come
And the sea still rises over our heads
Will it recede after its done and we’re all dead
Now I know why your daddy always cried
He was the only one from his family that survived
They scream that the numbers are all wrong
And the tattoo’d numbers on the survivors arms are faded, almost gone
Hate is a growing cancer you must know
Slowly eating away at your heart, brain and soul
Can you feel, can you feel the poison in the air
It’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere
Can we control the rising tide before it’s too late
How can we stop this tsunami flood of blind hate
You’re a devil’s soldier fighting as one
Trying to win a battle that must never be won
For the sake of all humanity and more
Change and help stop this never-ending evil war
You were drowning in a sea where only darkness was found
Come and swim in the light that’s all around
Instead come and can cast out the devil for good
You can change like we know you should
You can change, you can change
Learn to love yourself and your fellow man
You can do it, you can do it, we know you can
It’s as easy as A-B-C
Open your eyes, open your eyes and see
Open your eyes, open your eyes and see
Stop all this hate
Before it’s too late
Stop all this hate
Before it’s too late
No more war
Any more
No more war
Any more
Music composed and performed by Paul Odiase BMI No. 1252265 (Switzerland)
Song lyrics by Paul Robert Thomas PRS No. 497904008 (London)
PRS Tunecode 933034KM
Audiosparx Catalog ID: 1390862 ISRC: US5UL2614669
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