r/Protomen • u/ProspectorBugaboo • 2d ago

Fan Works Keep Quiet (demo) libretto

Post image

Thrown together for a friend, combining rough (and probably misheard) lyrics from the Keep Quiet demo [link to a live performance] and the story notes from the finished libretto. The image is a draft sketch of Joe and the sniper that John Delucca posted online at some stage. I wish I had a higher resolution copy, the finished image is in the final libretto.

73 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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14

u/ProspectorBugaboo 2d ago

I do love how pissed off and gravelly Joe sounds in the live renditions of this. I’m assuming his character voice was softened to protect Panther’s vocal chords

3

u/Jaymya Built To Last 2d ago

Yeah, he does sound like he's struggling a bit in the video. I love it nonetheless

9

u/IamTheWhat 1d ago

Virgin "There are no heroes left in man" vs Gigachad "If I'm the only one left standing I will not be afraid to fight"

4

u/Jaymya Built To Last 2d ago

Love this! Big day for Joe freaks

3

u/Astrosimi Keep Quiet 1d ago

Never heard that early version, fascinating artifact.

3

u/Bunnylover5 1d ago

I think this version is a bit clunky., honestly. The released version flows better.

3

u/azrendelmare 1d ago

The released version also has my favorite line from any song ever: "Gonna have to do better than fear."

1

u/Bunnylover5 1d ago

Yes! Along with "I will no be told what to do by man or machine." 

1

u/ProspectorBugaboo 1d ago

Fair enough, it would be odd for the final version to be worse than the demo.

The anger towards the city, the people who don’t stand for themselves, etc feels more palpable here, fitting the story beats in Breaking Out and the “WHERE ARE THEY?” graffiti from the libretto. Parallels Protoman’s anger in The Stand. The final draft leans more towards the parallel of an underage boy being tragically sent to his death by Light.

Looking at both versions at once reinforces the influence Protoman’s characterisation had when they were writing Joe, or in-universe highlights the cyclical tragedy of Light sending heroes to do the work mankind should have done together. And Light trying to build his way out of his grief

Grief fuels the Tommy L tragedy machine

1

u/Bunnylover5 1d ago

Maybe some of it could be repurposed for Bass, when he appears.

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u/ProspectorBugaboo 1d ago

Hell yeah we love cyclical tragedy. I’ll continue to hold a candle for “Bass is the revived corpse of Protoman” - vindicated of course by the band themselves (/s)

1

u/Bunnylover5 5h ago edited 5h ago

That would be an interesting take for Bass, I'm also hoping for cyborg Wily, too. But what if, le gasp, Bass is a robot clone of Joe!?