Words Better Unsung
I've gone and published a poetry book. I'm really sorry.
Dear followers - and now that I’m starting this thing that way, I’m thinking that we should think of a cool name for you guys, a snappy sort of team name for the followers of The Devil’s Mouth. The Devil’s Teeth, maybe? The TDTs? The Hell Tongues? The Imp Army? The Little Mouths? I don’t know, man. Bear with me, it’s early. Anyway. Allow me just a little pause in the onslaught of music to let you know that I’ve put out a poetry book, it’s called ‘Words Better Unsung’. I’ve had a couple of these published before, but this is my first one in English, so I’m putting it out there if anyone wants to take a peek. And you know, this isn’t really a pause in music as such. All of the writings in this book were actually meant to be song lyrics at first, but when it became clear that the project they were meant for was never really going to exist, I took the least worst of them, gave them a little whirl in the old poemizer in my head, and decided to share. There’s even a few musical references in there that, for those who will read it, I think you’ll be able to pick most of them up. Call them, erm, summer eggs. Or something. So yeah, there’s never really a pause in music. Everything stems from it.
But the most exciting thing about the book is actually the foreword. The wonderful Kjetil Nernes from the almighty Årabrot kindly agreed to be a part of this silliness, as if his amazing contributions to The Devil’s Mouth via his A Life In A Church column weren’t enough already. His reflection inspired by my writing is one of the most interesting and touching things I’ve ever read. If you only read one thing in the whole book, make it that please. Also, allow me a little sidebar to congratulate him and Karin Park on the tenth anniversary of their wedding, which was commemorated and remade with a brilliant Midsommar-inspired show at Hellfest, Årabrot Angels dancers and all. Check out their new song ‘The Satantango’ sounding awesome in that format:
So, the book thing is available on all Amazon stores, in eBook, paperback and hardcover formats. A special audiobook version is being prepared right now and will be available in the coming weeks. Here is the general amazon.com link where you can get it from (or just click the cover image up there), but it’ll be available on your specific regional one too, just search for the title and it’ll pop up.
I’ll leave you with the promo blurb we’re using for it. And if you read it this far, thank you for your attention on this one, it means a lot.
“Words Better Unsung is a poetry collection by José Carlos Santos — his first written in English.
These lyrical poems explore themes of loss, identity, and artistic transformation. Originally written as song lyrics for music that never came to be, they now live on the page, reshaped into verse.
This modern poetry book invites readers into quieter, more intimate spaces — where words carry the weight of melody and memory, even in silence.
For fans of introspective poetry, music-inspired writing, and raw emotional honesty, Words Better Unsung offers something unique: a collection born from sound, now distilled into stillness.”