Behind THE BLUE GIANT (Special Version)

๐Ÿ”‘ You made it! Come on into the studio…

If you know me well, you know “The Blue Giant”.

This song and the one-shot music video I made for it while living in Kathmandu, Nepal took my music career to another level.

I created the original version of “The Blue Giant” with my friend Baxtak, an incredible ethnofusion producer from the UK and somebody who brought light into a dark, lonely time for me. It started with him letting me spit on one of his reggae-infused tracks at the music clubs in Kathmandu, and later he fully produced the track for me to record and publish.

The original version of “The Blue Giant”, recorded and shot in Kathmandu, Nepal

NCIS: Los Angeles included “The Blue Giant” on Season 9, Episode 8, which allowed me to buy my home studio microphone and gave me confidence to continue making music. And Baxtak introduced me to Haquin, who has become my main producer for the last several years. Without “The Blue Giant”, I don’t know what my career would look like… or if I’d even still have one.

So when my friend Mike O’Hehir pulled me on stage with his band, Coyote Island, jamming on “The Blue Giant” made sense. It brought me back to those long months in Kathmandu, when jamming with the house bands at the local music clubs kept me sane.

Jamming on “The Blue Giant” with Coyote Island at Portland House of Music

I wrote “The Blue Giant” about powerful people who abuse their power. When I was living in Kathmandu, there was no place I could really call home, and it felt like every government in the world had raised its middle finger up at me. The song let me vent that frustration and speak as an equal to the people making my life difficult.

Lyrics & Translation

 Fish ู„ูŽู…ู‘ุง ุจุนูŽุตู‘ุจ ู…ุง ุจุฌูŽุฑู‘ุจ ุนุงู…ู„ูŽูƒ ูˆ ุฃุตุทุงุฏูŽูƒู’ ู…ุชู„ 
ู…ุง ุนูŽู… ุญุงูˆู„ ุฎู„ู‚ูŠ ูุด ู…ุง ุชู‚ู‘ู„ูŠ ูุด ุนูŽู†ู‘ุง ู‡ุงุฏ ุงู„ุญูƒูŠ
ู„ุฃูŽู†ูู’ู‡ ูุดู‘/ุดุงุดุงุช ู…ุง ุจูŠุนุฑุถูˆุง ุฑูŽุดู‘ุงุดุงุช
ุจูุฑุดู‘ูˆูƒ ุณูŽู…ู‘ูู† ู…ุบุทู‰ ุจููˆูŽุฑู‘ุฏุฉ ุงู„ู‡ุง ุบูŽู…ู‘ุงุฒุงุช
 White ish ุŒุญูŽู„ูŽุจูŠุŒ Scottish, ุนูุซู…ุงู†ูŠ
 Fetish ุจูŽู„ุง ููŽู‚ุดู‘ ูˆ ุงู„ู…ูŠูˆุฒูƒ
ูŠุงุจุง.. ู…ุง ุชุนุงู…ู„ู†ูŠ ุนูŽู„ู‰ ุงู†ู‘ูŠ ู…ูุฌูŽุฑู‘ูŽุฏ ูƒูุฑูŽุฉ ู…ูุฑุชูŽุฏู‘ุฉ
ุฃูŽู†ุง ุญูŽูƒูŽู… ุงู„ู†ุตู‘ ู…ูŽู„ุนูŽุจูŽูƒ ู…ูŽุณู‘ุฑูŽุญูŠ ูˆุฌุงูŠุจ ู…ูŽุนูŠ ุงู„ุนุฏู‘ุฉ
goalูˆุตู„ุชูŽูƒ ู…ู†ู‘ูŠ ุดูˆุทูŽู‡ ุจุนูŠุฏุฉ ูˆ ุฃุฌุช ุจูู†ุตู‘ ุงู„ู€
 score ุญูŽุทู‘ูŽู…ุช ุฑูŽู‚ูŽู… ู‚ูŠุงุณูŠ ูˆูƒูŽุณู‘ูŽุฑุช ุฃุนู„ู‰
ู…ุง ุชุณูŽู‚ุท ุตูŽููŠุชูƒ ุนูŽุฑุงุณูŠ ูŠุง ุฒูŽู„ูŽู…ุฉ ุฎุฏู„ูŽูƒ ุดูŠ ู†ูŽูู‘ูŽุงุถูŽุฉ
ุฑูŽุญ ุชู„ุงู‚ูŠู†ูŠ ู…ูŽุญุจูˆุณ ุฌูˆุงุชู‡ุง ูˆุนูŽู… ูƒูŽูˆู‘ู† ุฅู†ุชููุงุถุฉ
ูŠุง ู…ูŽุฏูŠุญุฉ ุณู‘ุญูŽุจูŠ ุงูŠุฏูƒ ู‚ุงุทุนูŠ ู…ูู„ููˆูƒ ุงู„ุฃูู…ู‘ุฉ
ุฎูŽู„ู‘ูŠูƒ ุบุงู…ูู‚ ุบุงู…ูุถ ุฑูŽุญ ุฅู„ุชูŽู‚ู‰ ููŠูƒ ุจุงู„ู‚ู…ู‘ุฉ

ุงู„ุฑูŽุฌูู„ ุงู„ู‘ุฃูŽุฒุฑูŽู‚ ุงู„ุนู…ู„ุงู‚ ุถูŽุฎู…ู‘ุŒ ูˆูŽุณู‘ูŽุน ุงู„ุขูุงู‚ ูˆูŽุฎูŽู…ู‘
ุจูู…ูŽุซู‘ู„ ู„ูˆู† ูƒุชูŠุฑ ููŽุฎู…ู‘ุŒ ููŽู„ูŽูˆู† ูƒูˆู† ุจุดูŽู‚ูุฉ ููŽุญู…ู‘
(ุดู‚ูุฉ ูุญู…) ู„ูˆู† ูƒูˆู† ุจุดู‚ูุฉ ูุญู…
(ุดู‚ูุฉ ูุญู…!โ€ฆ ุดู‚ูุฉ ูุญู…!โ€ฆ ุดู‚ูุฉ ูุญู…!)
ุงู„ุฑูŽุฌูู„ ุงู„ู‘ุฃูŽุฒุฑูŽู‚ ุงู„ุนู…ู„ุงู‚ ุถูŽุฎู…ู‘ุŒ ูˆูŽุณู‘ูŽุน ุงู„ุขูุงู‚ ูˆูŽุฎูŽู…ู‘
ุจูู…ูŽุซู‘ู„ ู„ูˆู† ูƒุชูŠุฑ ููŽุฎู…ู‘ุŒ ููŽู„ูŽูˆู† ูƒูˆู† ุจุดูŽู‚ูุฉ ููŽุญู…ู‘
(ุดู‚ูุฉ ูุญู…) ู„ูˆู† ูƒูˆู† ุจุดู‚ูุฉ ูุญู…
ูŠุงุจุง ู‡ุงุฏ ุฌู†ูˆู†! ู„ูˆู† ูƒูˆู† ุจุดู‚ูุฉ ูุญู… (ุณู…ุงุน)

ุฃุตู‘ู„ูŠ ู‡ุงู„ุญูŽูƒูŠุŒ ููŽุตู‘ู„ูŠ ูˆ ุญุจูƒูŠ
ุถู…ู‘ูŠ ูˆ ุดุจูƒูŠุŒ ุฅู†ุถูŽู…ู‘ูŠ ูˆ ุฏุจูƒูŠ!
ุจูƒูŠ ู‚ูŽู„ุจูŠ ุฅู†ุนูุฏุงู… ุงู„ูˆุณูŠู„ุฉ
ุจูƒู ูƒูŽูŠุงู† ุฃุดู„ุงุก ุงู„ู‚ูŽุตูŠุฏุฉ!
ุจุชู‘ู…ู†ู‰ ุงู„ุตุฏูุฉ ุชุฌู…ูŽุนู†ูŠ ููŠูƒ
ุฃุนุทูŠูƒ ุฏูŠูู†ุดู† ู…ุคู…ู† ููŠูƒ
ููŽุฎู‘ุงู…ุชูŽูƒ ุงู„ุนุงู„ู… ุจุถูŽุฎุงู…ุชูŽูƒุŸ!
ุฃู†ุง ู„ุงุฌุฆุŸ! ูˆูŽุฑุฌูŠู†ูŠ ุณูŽู†ูŽุฏ ุฅู‚ุงู…ุชูŽูƒ
ูˆูŽุถุนูŠ ุบูŠุฑ ู…ูู‡ู…ุŒ ูู€ ุงู„ุชูŽู‘ุณู‚ูŠุท ุตุงุฑ ู…ูˆุถูŽู‡!
ุตูŽุบู‘ุฑ ุฑุงุณูŽูƒ ูƒูŽุจู‘ุฑ ู…ุฎูƒ ุทู„ุงุน ู…ู† ู‡ู€ุงู„ุฃูˆุถูŽุฉ
ุตูŽุบู‘ุฑ ุฑุงุณูŽูƒ ูƒูŽุจู‘ุฑ ู…ุฎูƒ ุทู„ุงุน ู…ู† ู‡ู€ุงู„ุฃูˆุถูŽุฉ!
ุดูุชูŽูƒ ู…ูŽุฑู‘ูŽุฉ ุจูŽุฑู‘ูŽู‰ ู…ุฑู‘ุช ู„ูŽุญุธูŽุฉ ู…ูุฑู‘ูŽุฉ
ุณูŽุฃู„ุช ุงู„ูƒูŽุฑู‘ูŽุฉ ูˆูŠู† ุจุชูˆูŽุฏูŠ ูˆุงู„ุนูŠู† ู…ุญู…ูŽุฑู‘ูŽุฉุŸ (ูˆูŠู†)
ุตุฑุช ุชุถุญูŽูƒ ู„ูŠ ูˆ ุชุณุชูŽุญู„ูŠ ุชุทู„ูุจ ู…ู†ู‘ูŠ
ู‚ูŽุจู„ ู…ุง ุงู„ุฃุฒุฑูŽู‚ ุงู„ุนู…ู„ุงู‚ ูŠู…ุฑู‘ู…ุท ููŠูƒ ุงู„ุฃุฑุถ ุนูŽู†ู‘ูŠ
xูข ุฎูŽู„ู‘ูŠ ุตูˆุฑุชูŽูƒ ุนุงู„ูŠุฉ ูˆ ู„ุชู„ุชูŽู‚ู‰ ุจุฏู‘ู‰ ู‡ู…ู‘ุฉ
ูŠุงุจุง ู…ุงุฑูŽุญ ูŠู‡ู†ุงู„ูŠ ุนูŠุด ู„ุฃู…ูŽุณู‘ุญ ููŠูƒ ุงู„ู‚ู…ุฉ!
When I get angry, I don't try to catch you like a fish
And I'm not trying to take my anger out on you
So don't tell me thereโ€™s no such thing
Cause on the screens they don't show you machine guns
They just spray their poison on you like a smiling flower
Aleppian, Scotch, Ottoman, white-ish
Without snapping and the music is fetish
Dude, don't treat me like a rejected ball
I'm the referee in the middle and your stadium is my stage
And I brought all the equipment with me
You received a shot from me and it reached the middle of the goal
So I broke a record and I destroy the biggest score
Don't ash on my head; find yourself an ashtray
Youโ€™ll find me inside it creating an intifadah
Hey Madiha/compliment, boycott the leaders of the nations
And stay dark, I'll meet you on top
Boycott.. boycott.. boycott.. the leaders of the nations
And stay dark, I'll meet you on top

The Blue Giant Man, he filled the ways with bullshit
His facade is a vivid color
So he painted the whole world with piece of coal
Piece of Coal..
So he painted the whole world with a piece of coal
Piece of Coal.. Piece of Coal.. Piece of Coal
Yaba/Dude, this is craziness

These words are original, create and stitch
Put them together and make them battle, join, and dance
My heart tore because of your killing way
And I find the poem, shrapnel inside you
I wish coincidence would make me meet you
To impress the definition of โ€œI believeโ€ on you
Your Majesty, the world is big as you
I'm a refugee, so show me your residency
My situation is not important, so failing has became a habit
Make your head smaller and your brain bigger and get out of this room
I saw you once outside and I asked the litany
Where it's gonna take us, when the eye is already red
So you started smiling at me and asking me for favors
Before the Blue Giant comes and sweeps the floor with your body before I do
Keep your image high and unattainable
I promise I'll keep climbing to your height to show you who we are

After recording a demo during the jam sessions at Mike O’Hehir’s studio, I decided to re-record my vocals in my own home studio. Catch my best furry friend Amira at the end of the video ๐Ÿ˜ธ.

Tracking vocals for “The Blue Giant” in my home studio

Then, we got invited to open for dub band Zion Train at their comeback show in Portland, Maine. I invited my friend Duncan Hardy to play qanun for our cover of Abdelkader. But during the very first rehearsal, we realized that the qanun sounded incredible on ALL the songs in the set.

Assasi performs “The Blue Giant” live with Bilad El-Sham at Portland House of Music on August 6, 2022

So I invited Duncan over to record some magic for this new version of “The Blue Giant” too! I love how the track ends with his qanun solo.

Want to hear the finished song?

Buy it on iTunes to listen instantly!

Or watch the livestream premiere from this Tuesday:

Assasi premieres “THE BLUE GIANT (SPECIAL VERSION)” and introduces the Deebak EP, Tuesday, September 6, 2022
“The Blue Giant (Special Version)” drops worldwide on Friday, September 9.
Click here to listen to it on your favorite music platform!

โ†ฉ๏ธ Go back to the Coyote Studio

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