chords

Dawn Over September – Will Sturman

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dog-of-ulthar:

But the center is
here, this coal-fired heart
That wants
like a factory wants to make war

I want peace, I want
rest, but I’ll have it no more
Just one last dawn
over September

I finished listening to Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight just before #15DaysofFatT started, so naturally I went into a fugue state and wrote a 6 minute song about the final battle of the campaign for Day 15: Dawn

I’m not sure if this will mean anything to anyone who hasn’t listened to this podcast, but just close your eyes and think about off-brand Gundam, that should do it. And then consider yourself spoiled for the end of the season, but in the vaguest possible terms. Lyrics under the cut:

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Fuel to Feed the Drive/Fool to Feed the Drive – Cynthia McQuillin/Jordin Kare

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What prayers can
stir the gods of space who dwell beyond the stars?
What mortal
words can help or heal an engine without power?
And will we
drift forever lost between the stars? We strive
To find a single
planet with fuel to feed the drive

Cynthia McQuillin’s “Fuel to Feed the Drive” is a “classic” in a very specific filkish way. That way is I heard multiple songs that referenced it before I managed to find a recording, but it’s finally on YouTube!

It also, typical of classic filk of a certain age, has a parody (by Jordin Kare) that’s perhaps even better known than the original – and it is helpfully included in this recording.

Lyrics to both versions and my best stab at the chords under the cut:

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Legacy – Michael Kelly

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We dig too deep
Trying to rival the deeds of our fathers
We dig too deep
The children of giants, trying to stand on their shoulders

“Legacy,” by Michael Kelly.  He mostly does SCA events and the like, but I (dog mod) met him at a post-apocalyptic event, and he’s not only an amazing singer, but incredibly supportive and encouraging.  He got me to sing into a microphone alone for the first time (in the desert, for people wearing only leather and spikes), which took some coaxing, so I feel obligated to plug his Patreon, where he releases new recordings regularly for donors.

This one’s for the dwarves of Middle Earth, hence the beard.  But don’t let the beard fool you!  It’s a beautiful song.  Lyrics and chords under the cut.

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Molly’s Wake Song – Drake Meed

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Say it once, say it
twice, say it so you won’t forget
Live a life, live it
hard, live each day without regret

“Molly’s Wake Song,” written and performed by Drake Meed (@makingcosplay on Twitter) at the Hour of Honor Critical Role meetup at GenCon 2019.  A touching tribute to a fallen friend, and Drake left an equally poignant comment on the video:

“Thank you all, so incredibly much, for listening and allowing me to
share this. And, more importantly, sing this. Share it. Pass it forward
with anyone who will listen, if you feel so compelled. It was written as
a bardic and in the spirit of being carried on.”

In the spirit of that, full lyrics are under the cut, as are the chords Alvaro Alemparte figured out and put in the YouTube comments.  The transcription is mine, so take it with some salt.

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Livejournal Shanty – Brooke vs. John

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And it’s way hey, me lads, click on refresh again
There might be a new posting by one of your friends
Yes it’s way hey, me boys, leave a comment or two
It’s not like you’ve got something better to do

“Livejournal Shanty” by Brooke Abbey with John Caspell. Because as Brooke puts it, “I wanted to write a sea shanty. But I don’t exactly spend all day working on the sea. Or working on anything, really. ‘Gee,’ I thought to myself, ‘what DO I do all day?’ Oh. Oh yeah.”

And as the lyrics prove, while many of us have migrated away from Livejournal, it’s not like things have changed that much.

Lyrics (with chords!) available on Bandcamp.

He’s Dead, Jim – Julia Ecklar

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He’s dead, Jim.
He’s gone and died.
He’s croaked off,
I don’t know why.
Some weird disease we’ve found
Has put him six feet down.
Cremation
Has claimed him.
He’s dead, Jim.

“He’s Dead, Jim,” an early song by Julia Ecklar, which is… pretty much what it says on the tin.

Lyrics, chords, and sheet music are included in the Traveller Songbook, which is available for free download from Prometheus Music as a scanned PDF.

Yehudi Mind Tricks – Benjamin Newman

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I was raised in a desert country
Where the sun burns double and it seldom rains,
So we drew our water from the meager trickle
In the narrow places that became our chains.

Then a cry for rescue was heard in the wasteland,
In the plain disguise of a restless stray,
And this revelation at the edge of freedom:
You have to lose your bearings to find your way.

“Yehudi Mind Tricks” by Benjamin Newman, a gorgeous Jewish interpretation of Luke’s narrative in Star Wars.

Chords, lyrics, and mp3 are all available on Ben Newman’s website.