For space is wide and good friends are too few.
“Horsetamer’s Daughter” is set in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover universe, and is really a fanfic in its own right. It was originally written by Leslie Fish, and is infamous for going on… and on… and on… and…
(Probably apocryphal) legend has it that when presented with the song, Marion Zimmer Bradley told Leslie Fish something along the lines of “That’s nice, dear, but isn’t it a bit long?”
Lyrics are available here.
“Captain Jack and the Mermaid” is often considered a filk classic, and I’m kind of surprised we haven’t already posted it.
It’s loads of fun to sing along to, but the backstory behind it is actually a bit sad. Meg Davis comments in the CD release notes:
The true story behind this particular song is that it was written in order for me to deal with the death of my older brother. I received the news while at school in England and I was pretty much in shock for several years after that (as I was unable to come home for the funeral). And so, I imagined that this must be what it was like for the ladies whose men went off to sea, never to return…..you’d never see your loved one again and, the odd thing is that, never having seen them buried, actually keeps them very much alive in your memory. Which is a good thing, I think. Captain Jack’s sweetheart faces the sorrow that many of us face in our lives…..having to love and then let go. By the way, this song is loads of fun to sing along with so, just because the reasons behind the writing are a bit sad, I certainly expect you all to continue to raise your glasses (bifocal or wine) and bellow on regardless. My brother would have wanted it that way !
Lyrics are available on the song’s Pegasus Award page.
Hey people! Last week, you may have been aware, @scribefindegil did a sort of virtual singalong, livestreaming herself singing folksongs with the idea that people could either listen or look up the lyrics and sing along wherever they were. Because it’s really hard to get a bunch of people in one room together to sing anything, and it’s much easier to get people to be on the internet.
Well now it’s MY TURN. Tomorrow starting at 4 PM Pacific Standard Time (an hour later than Araxie did it, because I’ve got things to do) and going as long as people are interested, I will have my guitar and be there for you to request songs from, hopefully with a half-decent microphone, but I make no promises.
Why? Because I like singing, and it’s better with people, and the world is pretty fucked up right now, and singing is good and pure. I’ll post a link to the stream when it’s ready, so stay tuned.VIRTUAL FOLKSING FOR TODAY (NOVEMBER 18TH) IS ONLINE NOW (4:30 PM UNTIL WHENEVER) AT THIS LINK
I rule you, you rule me, someone rules us secretly,
It’s a vast conspiracy, the Illuminati Polka!
It has come to the brain mod’s attention that we haven’t yet posted this gem from Tom Smith. We suspect a conspiracy.
Lyrics available here.
Sleep, my girl, and dream of home
Of lamps alight and hearth aflame
A china cup, a silver comb
An old grey wolf for you to tame
A rider come who knows your name
“Likho’s Lullabye,” based on a traditional Russian lullabye and the novel Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente, with additional lyrics & melody by Michelle Dockrey, sung by Michelle Dockrey of Vixy & Tony
She puts on velvet, fits like a glove
She doesn’t hate and she doesn’t love
She’s a beast without and a woman within
When she puts on velvet like a second skin.
“Velvet,” a werewolf song by Talis Kimberley, with John Jones and Kieran Taaffe
“This is the absolute truth. We used to play every Thursday at a bar in San Francisco. One of the hecklers there, our friend Chuck, used to ask (every week!) if we knew anything Irish. Then he got bored with that and began asking if we knew anything from Antarctica. One day Elton snapped and allowed as to how yes, we did know one. After which, of course, he had to back up that boast.“
“Penguin Lust,” by Annwn. It’s…just about what it says it is. Download and lyrics available here.
Though you’ve made our lives much harder, we’ll remember why and how
For the earth and for each other, we must stand together now;
There are more of us than there are of you and you may have won today
But we’re still here– and we will not go away!
Written Nov 10th, 2016.
Black water, final rescue, dark water, lasting peace
Black water, keeping secrets none may know
Black water, final rescue, bring silence and release
Black water, through the city swiftly flow
“Black Water,” also called “Suicide,” by Mercedes Lackey and C.J. Cherryh, performed by Leslie Fish and Heather Alexander. This is one of those songs that sounds like fantasy until you realize what they’re talking about (obvious, in this case, from the subtitle), and then it’s a little unsettling.
Today in parodies that are significantly better than expected…
“Luke the Son of Anakin” by Nick Jack Pappas, feat. Roger Mulligan, Lauren Burbank, Kent Axell, Alex Ubokudom, Dave Ebert & Maria Christina Perry