NO ONE'S HOME | Beholder 3 Rap Feat. McGwire!

Everything is fine. The State knows best, the Ministry sees all. Life is good. Sure, luxuries are few. Sure, laws are strict. Sure, people disappear. But you keep your head down, stay in line. Everything is fine.
But everything is not fine for Frank Schwarz. Framed for a crime he didn't commit, dragged from his job at the Ministry and placed as 'Property Manager' for a State run housing block. How far will you make Frank go? When the Ministry come to call, seeking 'information' on your residents? Who will you protect? Frank's family? Or the families of tenants under Frank's care? Where does your allegiance lie...?

Well of course I did the evil option. You all know me by now.

Fresh off the back of the mammoth project that was 'The Toybox', here's a slightly simpler project! There was a point in time I was working on both this AND the Toybox at the same, uncertain which would release first. Well Poppy Playtime Chapter 2 got released earlier than I anticipated so this went back on the shelf for a little while!

A huge thanks to the incredible McGwire for their hook vocals. I tried doing this chorus myself and I just could not get it sounding good. I ask McGwire? And within half an hour he's sent me these incredible vocals that blew any of my attempts out of the water. If you aren't familiar with his music, go check him out! You will not be disappointed!

Another big thanks to Lizzy who made her directorial debut on this project! I am notoriously bad at relinquishing creative control on my videos, but Liz did fantastic work organising and planning this shoot.
And for course, thanks to all of my fantastic Patrons for making this video possible!

#Beholder3 #Beholder

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Lyrics and vocals by The Stupendium
Hook vocals by @McGwireMusic
Video by The Stupendium & Lizzy CJ
Video directed by Lizzy CJ
Beat produced by @DansonnBeats
Mixing by @OxygenBeats

The Beholder series, its world and characters are the property of Warm Lamp Games, Paintbucket Games and Alawar Entertainment.

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The Stupendium is a musician, animator and content creator, creating weird, wonderful and usually incredibly nerdy songs and animations. Join them on their journey to obscure, niche internet stardom! They have some pretty decent videos, wonderful facial hair and a great sense of discomfort describing themselves in the third person.

[TheStupendium]

LYRICS:

VERSE 1:
It’s my pleasure to welcome you
To your new home in apartment two
With one bedroom and a splendid view
Just don’t forget when the rent is due
We expect all residents to
Abide by tenancy rules
Keep quiet, keep clean, keep telling the truth
Present evidence of any elements who
Have better to do than to comply
With our societal requirements
Those who stay in line
Might just survive until retirement
Pay no mind as I enquire just
Why the other night you went
To the laundry room to hide
An item in the dryer, friend?
This block is state-provided
And you’d be wise to be grateful
Side with every regulation and you’ll find food on the table
It’s not a state, provided
You find decadence is wasteful
It’s been perfect since the state decided
What décor is tasteful
As property manager my job is sorting the utilities
Disposal of the garbage and the laundering facilities
Why would I compile a full report on your activities?
I’m just a standard landlord… Glory to the Ministry


CHORUS:



Lock the doors and close the curtains, hold your breath lest you should speak your sins
But you can’t keep a secret from the building that you keep it in
Befriend your fellow tenants, show a smile and keep it pleasant
But know everyone’s a friend until you need to turn some people in
It’s the breathing on the phone hiding just beneath the tone
It’s the things that shift when no one’s home
Well, you may be on your own but you’ll never be alone
Yes, we all live here, but it’s no one’s home


VERSE 2:

To get through the day,
It behoves you to play by the rules and behave
Do the state preapprove all the tunes that you play?
When alone in a room, well to whom do you pray?
Assume that your neighbours are moving away
When the black van comes in the night
And you’re numb to the sight
Of another one fumbling for somewhere to hide
As their wife just runs for their life
‘Fore the ones with the guns can arrive
And they’re gone ‘fore the sun can arise
To a government provided bunker for some realignment
It’s just fine, you can trust it’s a wonderful time

Just go about your business normally
No one’s following, I’m not recording
Your paranoia is awfully boring
According to all of your friends that talk to me
Most importantly please speak clear when you’re broadcasting
Your honest thoughts on the law or economy
My provided mics are tiny
And I can’t transcribe properly
Should you ever behold
Me with my peepers pressed to a keyhole
You can trust I’m just checking the tumblers for rust
I’m a custodian not a Ministry mole
Settle in for a night on the couch
No questioning what that red light is about
Now bleeping on your ceiling since the time you went out
It’s just a little gaslighting, put aside any doubts
You’re fine in your house so confide to your spouse any crimes carried out
Any tiny amount of new ideas found just a mite out of bounds
‘Cause I’m writing them down in a timestamped account

What’s it matter, every night or two?
If I sneak in, have a rifle through
But depending what I find well you’ll
Be faced with another kind of rifle too

Privacy is the cry of the
Defiant to compliancy
But grease my palm and I might not see
Those books they banned from the libraries
What do you mean that that’s not yours?
It appeared one night in your cabinet drawers?
I have to report it, I regret
But of course, I could forget
Societal ideals are reliably pliable
So the rise of a tyrant becomes entirely viable
You’ll find that the spying is really quite justifiable
Why are you crying when it’s your blind eye that’s liable?

Handy landlord here to fix your ventilation whistling
Too many questions and it’s not the air that needs conditioning
That telephone’s not tampered with
Of course it isn’t listening
But were it, it prefers the words:
‘Glory to the Ministry’

CHORUS:

Lock the doors and close the curtains, hold your breath lest you should speak your sins
But you can’t keep a secret from the building that you keep it in
Befriend your fellow tenants, show a smile and keep it pleasant
But know everyone’s a friend until you need to turn some people in
It’s the breathing on the phone hiding just beneath the tone
It’s the things that shift when no one’s home
Well, you may be on your own but you’ll never be alone
Yes, we all live here, but it’s no one’s home

[Liex]

"Your paranoia's awfully boring, at least according to all of your friends that talk to me" is an underrated line. That would trigger a tin foil hat wearer to line their whole house lmao

[waiora]

I don’t know if there’s a “Sinister, well-dressed, businessman” genre but if there is you’ve mastered it

[spacexdemo]

"But you can’t keep a secret from the building that you keep it in" is just such a cool line

[Cfactr]

I've realized there may be a third meaning that people aren't picking up on. Many comments have been made praising the flip of the phrase "No One's Home", but no one notes the other truth to it. It's not Frank's either, despite being the landlord. He's forced to walk the same razors edge as his tenants. He's not safe here, either. It's not his home, either.

[IceTooth_]

"Privacy is the cry of the defiant to compliancy"
I absolutely love this line, it really gives that totalitarian vibe of using "If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear" as a justification for breaching any and all boundaries for the sake of "preserving order". Wonderful job as always, Stupes, Glory to the Ministry.

[McGwireMusic]

This came out so wonderfully! I’m glad we got to work together again!

[confusedcabal]

I’ve been advised by the local authorities to say that this song is an absolute bop and should be shared indiscriminately.

[herrbrain]

"Thanks for watching. We'll be returning the favor."
Glory to the Ministry.

[gamertames]

Something about this one just drips atmosphere. It's dark, slimy and underhanded. The landlord is just as at risk from the ministry as the rest of them, yet revels in his duty to decide which "traitors" live and die. He feels like he's finally in a position is power and loves it. Not to mention how effective McGwire is, creating a picture of the humanity being terrorized under the ministry.

But regardless, this song was an absolute banger!

[dheusta]

BRO!!! THIS FREAKIN SLAPS!!! That 2nd verse just hits different. So awesome

[IQPrower]

"Societal ideals are reliably pliable
, so the rise of a tyrant becomes entirely viable"
"Hold your breath lest you should speak your sins
, but you can’t keep a secret from the building that you keep it in"
I swear sometimes these songs will take my breath away with just one line. I'm also going to take this as a cue that those 2 Beholder games that I had presumed were just random indies I picked up on sale deserve to be pushed up quite a bit in my backlog's priority.

[Akajaro]

"For possession of an incredible singing voice, held without licence"

I feel like that's a top tier shoutout personally.

[nthecaptain]

"Thank you for watching. We'll be returning the favour" I like how you stay in character even after the song's already over

[xyddum]

"Assume that your neighbors ore moving away when the black van comes in the night, and you're numb to the sight of another one fumbling for somewhere to hide as their wife just, runs for their life 'fore the ones with the guns can arrive and their gone 'fore the sun can arise to a government provided bunker for some realignment."

This verse is blatantly magnificent. It has so much world building and tone setting, all in these few words and how their used. Like how he says "And you're numb to the sight." That line implies that this is a regular occurrence, and the line "Assume your neighbors are moving away" implies that you just ignore it because there is no other choice.

999/10

[kaardbord]

This song is so clean! It gives off vibes of the hitman songs, whilst doing its own thing. Truly a beautiful song, and the flip on "no one's home" is just some top tier writing.

[blackspy]

Not just air that needs conditioning, the flip with "no one's home, " using literal gas lighting as cover for gaslighting-
Yet again, Stupendium, you've managed to get me so, so, so into a song about a game I've literally never heard of before with super catchy music and some of the best wordplay on Youtube.

[adilrahman]

"It's just a little gaslighting, put aside any doubts." Ok, man is pulling out all the stops. I like the dystopian, 1984 vibes that is being present here. 100% amazing! And as always...glory to the ministry.

[theministry]

The Ministry would like to remind everyone that the viewing of this video is mandatory. Any attempts to violate this mandate will result in arrest, prosecution, and re-education. The Ministry would also like to commend the Stupendium for his amazing talent in pushing the interests of the Ministry.

Glory To The Ministry.

[Silverias_IR]

For some reason, every single time you take up a slick, sterile, menacing aesthetic representing distant overlords, things just seem to hit perfectly. Nice job.