THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS | 2023 REMASTER | Fallout: New Vegas Rap!

Bethesda just released their hotly anticipated new RPG 'Starfield' and I am absolutely not above mentioning that in the opening lines of this description to boost this video about a totally different Bethesda property in the algorithm. Constellation. Vasco. Pronouns. Et cetera.

It's been a little quiet around here lately! But somewhat paradoxically not because I haven't been making stuff, but because I've been making so much stuff simultaneously that none of it is quite ready yet... So have a remaster in the meantime!

This track is a personal favourite of mine from the early days of the channel. As my first foray into 'angry businessperson monologues to music' content, a genre and niche I seem to have created for myself, it has always held a special place in my heart. And as I have many of my older songs remastered to bring them in line with the audio processing standards required for a physical music release (more news on that soon!) you can bet this was one of the tracks on the list for a coat of varnish!

As ever, it's a remaster, not a remake, just a subtle tidy up of the original; better mixing, some tuning and timing touch ups! The original isn't going anywhere if you prefer it. I know these remasters always split the room between 'This is great!' and 'This is exactly the same!' so I hope as many of you as possible enjoy this fresh revamp of a bit of Stupendi-History!

A huge thanks to my Patrons for making all the cool stuff I'm working on that I can't share yet possible as well as to all of you for sticking with me for this quiet spot! It's rare I go this long without an upload! Neath! really took it out of me so recovering from that project, travelling to the US to perform in July, working with the Streamys AND working on several other big projects for the channel has kept me from my more predictable 'sort of monthly but not quite' upload schedule! Would you believe I have TWO fully filmed music videos in post production right now AND two more in pre-production about to be filmed?

And a massive thanks to the wonderful @NinethieMusic for the original 'Fallout faction rap challenge' he set all those years ago that inspired this track in the first place!

#fallout #bethesda

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Check out the full Stupendium originals playlist for all of my original songs!
STUPENDIUM ORIGINALS:
THE STUPENDIUM ON SPOTIFY:
THE STUPENDIUM ON iTUNES:

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Lyrics, vocals and video by The Stupendium
Instrumental by @Eskelater
Remastering by @OxygenBeats

Fallout, its world and characters are the property of Bethesda and Microsoft.

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@TheStupendium

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:
Welcome to The Lucky 38, glad you could make the trip
The crowning jewel in the oasis of the Vegas Strip
I'm Robert Edwin House, the founder of this place of rest
A haven for the wayward, that's to say, if you can pay the rent
Understand that if you try to stop my plans you'll come to harm
I ensure that every bandit standing here has just one arm
I eschewed the grandeur, built a land for all that's free from smarm
But show your hand, I'll flush you out straight down to the farm
You blunder in and wonder if a bunch of chips can run the strip?
A hundred twits with guns and clips have tried their luck and lost the bet
I funded it - I'm one with it
So watch your lip or run the risk
'Cause if you're here to plunder it
You might just end up under it

CHORUS:
You can hit them, you can fold them
Stack the deck and weight the dice
All that glitters isn't golden
Cash that cheque you'll pay the price
Might be safer in the desert
Only dust to judge your sins
But those who wager aren't so clever
'Cause in heaven
Well, the House always wins
House always wins
House always wins
House always wins

VERSE 2:
You want to see the profits of democracy? Then go and see 'em
Across the street, a bunch of freaks are playing Colosseum
Honestly? Was the world you wanted what you got to see?
When you were dropping crosses into boxes behind polling screens?
Was dropping bombs your chosen option? Did you vote for screams?
Was the apocalypse your politician's policy?
Did you put stock in their prepostering and prophesy?
A shining future built on squabble-free equality?
That every day you'd get your plate of steak and collard greens?
The human race was capable of anything but wanton greed?
But now that world is gone and what lived on belongs to me
That freedom you so wanted's now the cost of living comfortably
Peace is just a product with a focus test of billions
And the test was unsuccessful so we altered it's description
"Your safety now provided by the guys at RobCo Services!"
For one ongoing price of your unwavering subservience
Impressed? I raised the stakes, returned this land to vibrance
Witness as I raise estates from mud and random violence
Business is the way to stay the bloody hand of tyrants
Convinced yet? Sail and ask my buddy Andrew Ryan
A grip of iron never tires
Head of ire, lead and wires
Neon veins in ancient spires
Pump the caps and I respire
The economy is ash, I didn't light the fire
But I can always turn a profit sweeping up the pyre

CHORUS:
You can hit them, you can fold them
Stack the deck and weight the dice
All that glitters isn't golden
Cash that cheque you'll pay the price
Might be safer in the desert
Only dust to judge your sins
But those who wager aren't so clever
'Cause in heaven
Well, the House always wins
House always wins
House always wins
House always wins

VERSE 3:
I saw the path, I preempted those ascending arms
My gilded heart beats forever on to mend the scars
I built an ark out of empty spas and trendy bars
Mended the families
Befriended with the NCR
I raised the wasteland from a band of little fight clubs
I handle situations delicately - White Gloves
I'm the Chairman of the board taxing on your survival
Out to murder competition then sit back and hike the price up

BRIDGE:
Oh no - A society trapped in a snow globe?
No surprises, the Rapture's a no-show
Undeniably tragic, there's no hope
The Mojave is savage, it's no home
Until I came to manage the whole show
Took the glitz and the glamor and showboats
Built a bastion for man for my 'folio
And officially branded it RobCo

VERSE 4:
With just a pair of dice I came and tamed these earthly wastes
I built a paradise, you might as well desert your faith
Long ago when we aimed armageddon at those pearly gates
I used that molten gold to rebuild heaven at The 38

CHORUS:
You can hit them, you can fold them
Stack the deck and weight the dice
All that glitters isn't golden
Cash that cheque you'll pay the price
Might be safer in the desert
Only dust to judge your sins
But those who wager aren't so clever
'Cause in heaven
Well, the House always wins
House always wins
House always wins
House always wins

[CantusTropus]

Reminder that this banger was originally produced as a response video in a "New Vegas faction rap challenge" and was so incredibly high quality that nobody ever really tried to respond to it.

[JayAKway]

"Was dropping bombs your chosen option, did you vote for screams?" Is one of my favorite lines in a song

[WonderVis]

“Only dust to judge your sins” is such a raw line

[TheWanderer]

The playing cards turning into tombstones for Benny, The BoS, The Legion, and The NCR at the end is amazing.

[christianwilliams]

"You blunder in and wonder if a bunch of chips can run the Strip?" is such a masterfully crafted line. It encapsulates how everyone else at the table fails to realise it's his casino, and it doesn't matter how much they win or which games they play, the House always wins. Simultaneously, the line reflects the self-assuredness of characters like Benny and the Omertas, their short-sightedness and poorly crafted plans. So much conveyed in such a short line. Bravo!

[Courier]

"Oh no - A society trapped in a snow globe?
No surprises, the Rapture's a no-snow"
I just love this moment in song, it's give vibe

[psychiclion]

I just noticed the double meaning in "Ask my buddy Andrew Ryan", as the voice actors of Andrew Ryan and Robert Edwin House were actually really good friends in real life (Armin Shimerman played Quark and Rene Auberjonois played Odo in Deep Space 9). I have no idea if that was on purpose, but it's still great.

[XFanmarX]

Genuinely got angry at the second verse
"Honestly? Was the world you wanted what you got to see? When you were dropping crosses into boxes behind polling screens? Was dropping bombs your chosen option? Did you vote for screams?"
Indredible lyrics all the way through, touching.

[crimson_koteto]

This is genuinely one of my favorite songs that you've ever released so I was incredibly stoked to see it given the remaster treatment. I love all the little improvements, it sounds SO GOOD

[ashergreymond]

These remasters are really showcasing the development you have had as an artist.
The harmonization, the clarity in the lyrics, just good examples of you perfecting your craft, and I applaud the efforts!
Keep up the awesome music. <3

[Frostbite]

It's been 13 years since I fell in love with New Vegas, and it's this rap that made me realize why House is obsessed with snow globes: it's a metaphor for how he protected Vegas with the missile defense system.

[wabbledeen]

You know, I always figured the line
"I ensure that every bandit standing here has just one arm"
was Mr. House talking about how his land is free of crooks and thieves and that all who have tried had failed and been killed horribly (like losing an arm)
but I realize now that he's (also) saying that while there are no human bandits, there are still very much bandits in the form of his gambling devices and slot machines, thus, bandits with one arm
this song still is one of my favorites, grim and gripping all the way through
well done

[jeishiikanzaki]

The sinister, confident way this is delivered is still impeccable.

The chorus hits so much harder in this remaster. The harmonies are absolutely delicious.

[sev]

Something that I think is great is that, due to the song representing mr house himself, the chorus really plays up his arrogance and, above all, his overwhelming ego.
The line of 'the house always wins' gradually fades into simply 'house always wins'.
Because regardless of what you do, House still wins in the end. If you side with the NCR, they try to resurrect the pre-war world. If you side with the legion, it demonstrates to the people of new vegas that house was right, that those who live in the untamed wasteland are nothing more than murderers and marauders.
Side with Yes Man, and you go on to become the next mr house, ruling new vegas with an iron fist
And siding with House to make his securitron army is self explanatory.

So it's kind of prophetic. No matter what you do, House always wins

[ophiuchus_kin]

"A grip of iron never tires, a head of ire lead and wires
Neo veins and ancient spyres
Pump the cap and I respire"

This lyrics have being inside my soul since my first listen all those years ago, some things can truly live forever

[norplaych]

The morse code on the chip at 1:32 is 23/2077, and the ball is on 10, meaning 10/23/2077, which is when the bombs dropped in fallout. Smart as hell.

[sarahfay]

My former partner works for a casino; I won't say which one, but for the most part, House is absolutely just like any other casino CEO: ruthless, ambitious, clever, and well-equipped to resolve his problems without lifting his own fingers. You've really outdone yourself on this remaster.

[flowerh]

I will always love the line "long ago, when we aimed Armageddon at those pearly gates I used the molten gold to rebuild heaven at the 38" it gives me chills, because he truly did rebuild heaven on vegas in general

[wilhelm_iron]

Haven't seen anyone mention this yet, but I love how in the chorus he slowly transitions "The House Always Wins" to "House Always Wins" very subtle, but I love it