Tell me, do you wanna feel alive?

It's the fool who's the last to jump off the edge

Still image from the video for YUNGBLUD’s song, “Hello Heaven, Hello.” Is it completely over the top? Yes, yes it is. Do I love it? 100%

Monday: The day voted most likely to make you want to stay in bed

Moxie: Confidence, determination, force of character

Monday Moxie: A tiny spark of “Go get ‘em!” curated by yours truly to help you get your day (even a Monday) off to a good start

Hello.

It’s felt strange to be away from here for the last couple of weeks. I needed the break and the headspace, but I missed you!

Having taken a moment to reflect on a year of writing this newsletter, I’m back and working my way up to sharing a subtle-but-meaningful change to Inner Wilderness Unlimited. But I’ll save that for Thursday.

For now, I’d like to offer up an especially unique and, in my humble opinion, exciting Monday Moxie song: “Hello Heaven, Hello” by the British artist Dominic Harrison, aka YUNGBLUD.

It’s taking all my self restraint to resist the urge to tell you all the delightful things I’ve learned about this young man and his music over the past few weeks, but one of the changes I’ve committed to for my writing practice here is keeping these Monday posts a bit shorter so I can reclaim a little time and energy for other pieces and projects.

With that in mind, I’m going to let the music do most of the talking.

However … before I sign off, I have to say that if you, like me, are a GenX child who grew up in the 80s loving that decade’s incredibly diverse range of music, I think you might find Dom’s music particularly interesting.

Even though he’s very young (only 27 years old) and a decidedly contemporary artist, his influences are writ large over his music and style. If you listen to the entire album (which I recommend), you will hear echoes and homages to Bowie, Mick Jagger, AC/DC, The Cure, The Cranberries, U2, and many more. Several of that era’s big voices have already given Dom his flowers, so to speak, and he has been invited to perform at multiple tributes including the 2021 celebration of Bowie’s life and Black Sabbath’s farewell concert.

Dom refers to “Hello Heaven, Hello” as the prelude to his latest album, Idols. In a Behind the Song segment produced by Variety, Dom likens this 9-minute long track to the preludes and overtures in Bernstein musicals like West Side Story or traditional opera. He says this song’s purpose is to “build the world before you enter it.”

With that, I invite you to experience the song and — if you are intrigued — the rest of the album.

Love to hear what you think about this track in the comments!

🩶

See you on Thursday!

Hello Heaven, Hello

YUNGBLUD, 2025 — Track 1 on the album Idols

[Verse 1]
Hello, are you out there?
Are you trying? Are you patient?
Are you blind?
Are you with me? Against me?
Don't know me at all

[Refrain]
Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello
Hello, hello, hello
Hello, hello, hello, hello
[repeat]

[Verse 2]
Hello, are you in there?
Do you still remember, or have you forgotten where you're from?
Are you still scared of dying?
Scared of them finding out that you don't know who you are?
And I don't know what's in my head, but I know what's in my chest
I don't know if I can make it, I don't know if I can change it
But I know it's how I feel, even if it isn't real
I wanna feel alive, tell me, do you wanna feel alive?
Oh, I wanna feel alive

[Refrain]

Part 2: Heaven

[Verse 1]
Since I was a little boy, I devised a windmill getaway
They'd kick me in the mud and they told me, "That's the price you pay"
So tell me, are you gonna die with the lies that they force inside your head
Or are you gonna live by the thorns in what you said?

[Chorus]
Little freak, gonna walk, they don't talk till you've packed up and gone away
Little boy, stupid boy, what you after each and every day?
For it's the fool who's the last to jump off the edge
(One step) One step into heaven
But first, you'll go to hell and back
(One step) One step into heaven
Are you gonna be the fool who's the last to jump off the edge?
Don't give a damn 'bout what they said

[Verse 2]
And since I was a little boy, I always held a tear upon my face
They'd hit me in the mouth and they told me, "It's time to act your age"
So tell me, are you gonna die in the pain that they all inflict on you
Or are you gonna swim through the storm of what you have to do?

[Chorus]

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus]

Instrumental

Part 3: Hello

[Bridge]
There's a chance I won't see you tomorrow
So I will spend today saying hello
And all the hopes and dreams I may have borrowed
Just know, my friend, I leave them all to you

[Refrain]
Hello, hello, hello
Hello, hello, hello


CREDITS: 
Adam Warrington — composer, lyricist, guitar
Alex Anastasi — a&r
Ben Sharp — drums
Bob Bradley — composer, lyricist, bass, engineer
Brixton Choir — vocalist
Charlie Sarsfield — director (music video)
Dominic Harrison — composer, lyricist, guitar, vocalist
Gianluca Massimo — string engineer
London Philharmonic Orchestra — strings
Mati Schwartz — producer, composer, lyricist, bass, engineer, guitar, keyboard, programmer
Rich Costey — mixing engineer
Ron Tichon — engineer
Sergio Vega — a&r