A Substack member tells me today that they received a message yesterday inviting them to upgrade to a paid subscription.
i did not do this. There was no intention for this to happen.
Let me be clear. i appreciate when people send me money as it helps in covering costs, but i am not offering anything extra for this.
i tried it, but felt shitty about excluding those that couldn’t afford a paid subscription, so now everybody’s invited to everything.
Here’s a song that says it better..
Everyone’s Invited (click the link to hear it)
Verse 1
Let me be clear, I won’t dress it up,
No velvet rope, no special cup,
If you send support, I feel the care,
It helps keep things going over here.
I won’t pretend it doesn’t matter,
Every bit steadies the chatter,
But I won’t build a higher tier
That says “you get more if you’re here.”
Pre-Chorus
’Cause I tried that road, I know that feel,
Something in me didn’t sit real…
Chorus
Everyone’s invited, come as you are,
No closer seats, no VIP bar,
No hidden room behind a door—
I’m not dividing this anymore.
If you give, thank you—I mean that true,
But nothing extra is given to you,
Not out of lack, but something clear:
This stays open, everyone’s here.
Verse 2
I tried to draw a careful line,
“Subscribers here, the rest outside,”
But every time I hit “send,”
It felt like I was faking the end.
’Cause what we’re pointing to is already free,
Not owned by you, not owned by me,
And something twisted in my chest
When money decided who got the rest.
Pre-Chorus
So I stepped back, dropped the frame,
And let it all stay just the same…
Chorus
Everyone’s invited, come as you are,
No closer seats, no VIP bar,
No hidden room behind a door—
I’m not dividing this anymore.
If you give, thank you—I mean that true,
But nothing extra is given to you,
Not out of lack, but something clear:
This stays open, everyone’s here.
Bridge
This isn’t something I can sell,
Not a ladder, not a well,
No premium path to what is now,
No better version, no sacred vow.
Support helps keep the lights on bright,
And I’m grateful for that every night,
But what is shared is already whole—
Not something owned or controlled.
Final Chorus
Everyone’s invited, near and far,
No better version of who you are,
No secret truth for those who pay—
It’s all right here, no other way.
So give if you feel, or just come along,
Sit in the silence, or sing the song,
Nothing withheld, nothing to fear—
The door stays open… everyone’s here.*
I love ya man. I loves ya big ole sweet generous heart, your message, your laugh and these fabulous songs you’re creating. But mostly that big ole heart of yours.💜
This is brilliant Vince and so inline with how ordinary and what is true. I’ve always felt that when the message becomes a way of earning a living for the messenger the credibility of the message begins to fade.