Beauty Pill's 'Steven and Tiwonge' Is And Isn't A Protest Song

Transcript

ARUN RATH, HOST:

A new album released this week by the band Beauty Pill contains a compelling song called "Steven And Tiwonge." Chad Clark is the front man for Beauty Pill, and he talked us through the writing process. "Steven And Tiwonge" was inspired by the real-life couple sentenced to a 14-year prison term back in 2010.

CHAD CLARK: Maybe you've read about this before. It's a Malawian couple who are persecuted by the Malawian government for being gay.

(SOUNDBITE OF BEAUTY PILL SONG, "STEVEN AND TIWONGE")

CLARK: You know, often in couples, there's someone who's a more of a risk-taker. By contrast, there's someone who's a little bit more risk-averse. So I was picturing Steven and Tiwonge knowing that the government is coming. They're finally going to be apprehended. I wanted to write a song which was written from both of their points of view. The first verse is Steven, the more conservative person.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STEVEN AND TIWONGE")

BEAUTY PILL: (Singing) Slide the bureau against the door, buys us 30 seconds or so. Leave the locket on the nightstand, then out the window.

CLARK: Steven refers to the locket, which is a romantic item between the two of them, and says, I leave the locket on the nightstand. That's his way of suggesting, I'm abandoning this relationship. We have to stop. You know, the government is coming and it's over.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STEVEN AND TIWONGE")

BEAUTY PILL: (Singing) A quick scurry down the fire escape. Then I go left, and you go right. There is no time for goodbye tonight. We have to let go. Be brave and let go.

CLARK: The lyrics to the first verse and the lyrics to the second verse are nearly identical. You have to listen very closely to be able to hear the ways in which they differ. And in the second verse...

(SOUNDBITE OF BEAUTY PILL SONG, "STEVEN AND TIWONGE")

CLARK: ...Tiwonge refers also to the locket.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STEVEN AND TIWONGE")

BEAUTY PILL: (Singing) Slide the bureau against the door, buys us 30 seconds or so. I grab the locket because I love it, then out the window.

CLARK: And I like the idea of there being two different perspectives on what I imagine was a very stressful and unhappy circumstance.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STEVEN AND TIWONGE")

BEAUTY PILL: (Singing) This is no time for goodbye tonight. We have to. Let's go. Be brave, and let's go.

CLARK: It's a song about duality. It's a song about differing perspectives as much as it is a protest song. It functions somewhat as a protest song, but only in the more abstract sense.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STEVEN AND TIWONGE")

BEAUTY PILL: (Singing) We have to let go. Be brave, and let's go.

RATH: That's Chad Clark from the band Beauty Pill. The song, "Steven And Tiwonge," appears on the new album "Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are." Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.