richard cortez - to be beautiful

[irwindesign]

You know we all love you sweet heart!

[rickydickypants]

darling. big kisses. -rec

[SurfwaxMax]

I'm still waiting for you to make it big guy.

Great job, and best wishes.

[macupausini]

by the way, good lyrics!

[rickydickypants]

:) hopefully i won't have to write political songs like this for much longer! -rec

[macupausini]

is the bed picture contest thingy still on?

[nakenftw]

cool jazz son

[rickydickypants]

thanks mate.

[Painislife28]

as always, you're amazing love.

haha

so i have the heart on my sleeve shirt.

and its my fave so i don't wear it.

<3

[rickydickypants]

ahem. you gotta sport it!  wear the rec shirts proudly! :)

[Painislife28]

HAHA

i do

i was just being hyperbolic

but still.

you need to come play at some small art space in NYC

[DoomMarco666]

pinche filho da puta homosexual. Come mierda pinche emo. Your music cucks fag.

[rickydickypants]

my music cucks? haha. it's "sucks" - for the record. :)

[MistakenMantis]

What a gorgeous song, you're very very talented. I certainly didn't expect to be brought to tears by a video I randomly stumbled on.

Thanks for making such touching music :D

[rickydickypants]

wow. :) don't cry for me argentina. thanks for the sweet words and your support. stay tuned for more videos.

[GuitaristSasha]

God your awesome!!!

You play the guitar so good.

How long have you been playing?

[rickydickypants]

i've been playing guitar since i was 16 - i'll be 23 next month. :) i'm glad you liked it. however did you find me?

[GuitaristSasha]

Oh thats sweet!!

I looked up I kissed a girl cover and you were under a video response.

so i click on your cover. I really liked that video so i checked out your other videos. :D

[gays2are2cool]

That was horrendously awful, I can not believe that anyone has ever encouraged you to continue singing!!! You had very few good points in your lyrics, and you should also try playing more five notes the same exact way through out the whole song! And most importantly I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU WHERE PUT IN ANYWHERE NEAR THE SAME CATEGORY AS JAY BRANNON HE IS AMAZING AND YOU SUCK ASS!!!

[tomgiammanco]

you're a douche bag for posting this. if you didn't like it, you could have just left nothing. instead, you chose to be rude and inconsiderate.

[HarlequinWays]

I just wanted to show my support for your music. =) I really like when you get into playing your guitar, hehe.

As constructive critisism...so please do not take this as me trying to insult, but trying to help you improve...I've watched several of your videos and sometimes I don't feel that your facial expressions match the words...but that is just my opinion. It just seems sometimes that your expression is happier than it should be, hehe. <3

Oh, and what kind of webcam do you use? =D

[rickydickypants]

haha, no offense taken. :) i get a lot of comments about the way i look when i sing. i don't even realize the faces i'm making. haha. as for the webcam i use - it's just a macbook. thanks for the love.

[ZaccyIsRadx3]

"guess i'm the anti-christ"

that line was the best.

great song ^_^

[rickydickypants]

thanks mister.  :)

[Dusterz]

Walk me through this, Cortez. Sad boy to political damnation and then we end up back with the boy who wants to be more beautiful (and he never will think himself so because he is comparing himself to something artificial and basically unattainable)but...hmmm... is this another discontent with the state of things sort of piece? Another "the only bush i trust is yours" type piece? Or does this stand out as something more cryptic and unique? TELL ME!

[Dusterz]

I mean that in the most curious way. I want to know your take.

[rickydickypants]

i don't really know if that answers your question - i guess what i really should've said was... that first of all, i don't think of him as a sad boy - i see him reveling in his own realizations. it's a coming of age story. his idea of what "beautiful" is changes by the end of the song... and he walks away head held high and uplifted. not sad, just growing.

[Dusterz]

Somewhat, it's just that when you slide into political references in your music (sometimes), due to the fact that any reference to anything in today's "America" is so iconic, simple words wage wars, I have trouble tying them into your mini-richard autobiographies. Do they serve to paint the picture of the world your protagonists live in? Or do you, Richard, have a clear political statement that you are trying to convey with each slightly political song?

[Dusterz]

Just wondering how purposeful all that is. Or if there is a throughline. Sorry for all the questions. A list of questions is a lot more taunting/daunting in text rather than in the midst of an investigative conversation in person.

[rickydickypants]

politics and my views on the world are a part of my every day life - do i have a political agenda? i mean, sure, if someone were to listen to my songs and think to themselves "hey - i never thought of it that way before..." - then i know i've made an impact on someone. but it's not my initial goal - i write what i feel because it helps me understand my thoughts and feelings. when i write a song, my "agenda" is merely to express myself the only way i know how - through music.

[Dusterz]

Thanks.

[rickydickypants]

i wrote this song the first time i went on tour. i was sleeping in the dorms at goucher college, it was 05, and i had just put out craving something beautiful. my cellist, and good friend greg, was attending goucher and we were to do a concert there and then head north. i wrote this song, guitar part and all before bed one night - i was sleeping on the tile floor - no blanket or pillow. haha.

[Shaunpuffyrice]

wow -- but SC is like that. Bet it makes you long for NYC where you can stand at a parade and down a whole bottle of wine in front of the cops lol

Hurry up and finish recording your new cd -- played the others almost worn already :P

[mynamekeisha]

omg. Ok, I read the first comment (mishalmoore) on here before i watched the actual video, I thought you were going to say you put out the cup and played guitar and made $465... but nope! lol Poor thing. Have to run couldnt finish the vid, whats your shirt say?

[rickydickypants]

mrs. brent everett. :) google him. he's a god.

[moonlightgrahm]

After a rough day this is exactly what I needed. I love you more and more every day!

[rickydickypants]

holy cow. thank you so much for such a tremendous compliment. :)

[galadriel6969]

you stole that riff from ani....

[rickydickypants]

haha. totally understandable mistake.  despite the likeness in sound, that is an original riff. i will say that ani difranco is a huge inspiration to me - and i guess this song is very much so in her way. political, driving - open tuning... no stealing though. :) just imitation - which they say is the sincerest form of flattery.

[MzNezbit]

oh Richard Cortez, how you make me smile! stay amazing! and don't EVER die!

[rickydickypants]

oh trust me - i don't plan on it! and thank you! :) stay tuned for more vids!  :) your comments are always welcome.

[mishalmooremusic]

$465!!! You've got to be fuckin kidding me Richard!

[rickydickypants]

yeah. exactly. i'm bout to start turning tricks or something girl. haha. just kidding. but seriously though. south carolina. that's right.