Wretched Hive

In another lifetime, I had a short career as a kidvid writer for the tube. Worked on, like fourteen different shows, maybe forty-five episodes all total. It was fun, lucrative, and I'm glad to have had the experience.


Most of these I wrote with Reaves, a few with other writers,  a few by myself.


The prevailing theory of literature then, as now, was that working for Hollywood, especially television, and even more especially, animated television was whore's work and a sure ticket to Hell. 


Wretched hive of scum and villainy, that was us.


Um. Anyway, at some point maybe ten years ago, I decided to speak to this by writing a little ditty, sung acapella, regarding what eventually happens to TV writers. Two verses and a chorus is all, but to the point.


I came across it recently, ran it through GarageBand, and you can listen to it here. Or by clicking on the title, "Run and Hide," in the embedded player down toward the bottom of the blog. Called "Run and Hide."


The words:


I went down to the network, you know/
I said, I don't want to wind up below/
They said, Too bad, you done worked on our show/
And the Devil is a comin' after you.


Chorus:


You can run, but you cannot hide/
You can run, but you cannot hide/
You can run, but you cannot hide/
And the Devil is a comin' after you.


I said Wait–there must be a way/
They said Un uh, you done took our pay/ 
We own your soul forever and a day/
And the devil is a comin' after you

Chorus:

You can run, but you cannot hide/

You can run, but you cannot hide/

You can run, but you cannot hide/

And the Devil is a comin' after you.