For space is wide and good friends are too few.
“Mermaids and Queers,” our song based on this Tumblr post about asexuals and sirens. How would mermaids lure people of various sexualities?
This video has captions and ASL interpretation, thanks to the hard work of Kat Sharp (Sharp Productions) and Judi Miller (interpreter). We recorded this in lockdown for our virtual concert at the 2020 Ohio Valley Filk Festival.
The professionally-recorded version can be found on our third album, Swearing is Caring.
Thought I’d get around to putting up the lyrics for the filk I wrote that we debuted on the stream last night, both for folks who joined us and wanted to see them written down and for people who couldn’t make it.
The video from last night should actually stay up on Twitch for a bit, too, so if you want to see our rough performance of it the timestap around 1:08 should take you right to it
Set to the obvious tune. I’m delighted people enjoyed this one.
Just a quiet night
Heard a noise and grabbed a light
Out in the midnight woods, there was something thereJust an empty sky
When suddenly, a flash on high
Sped like a bullet train, there was something thereA searcher in a skeptic’s land
Someday I’ll make them understand
Until then I will document each
Phenomeno-meno-menonLoch Ness Monster
Jackelopes and chupacabras
Find them, searching in the nightBunyips, krakens
Wolpertingers, Ogopogo
Hidin’ somewhere in the nightI will travel far and wide
’Til the truth can’t be denied
Get my footage and I’ll prove to you I was right this timeSomeday soon now we’ll expose
The paranormal and UFOs
You can join me in the search to find each
Phenomeno-meno-menonOzark howlers,
Yetis, and the Jersey Devil
Find them, searching in the nightBigfoot, Mothman,
Snallygasters, Loveland Frogman
Hidin’ somewhere in the nightDon’t stop believin’
Hold on to that feeling
Cryptid seekersDon’t stop believin’
Hold on to that feeling
Cryptid seekersDon’t stop believin’
Hold on to that feeling
Cryptid seekers[Repeat as wished]
Apples, jealousy, and sleep,
Roses, mirrors, and secrets deep.
When I dream, I dream and weep.
I dream I’m the Fairest of them all.
“Fairest of Them All” by Dr. Mary Crowell. Lyrics available on Bandcamp.
Reach for that red rose, my dear, a rose but barely one,
And I will be your love, my dear, and all your life undone
A happy Halloween to all!
This year, instead of simply posting everyone’s favorite trad ballad about getting knocked up by some guy in the woods and having to go steal him back from the Faerie on Halloween, have an alternative (and unnerving) perspective from Tam Lin’s side.
“Discovery” was written by Three Weird Sisters former member Gwen Knighton, singing here along with Brenda Sutton and Teresa Powell. Lyrics are available on the Three Weird Sisters website.
I was looking at the Pegasus Awards brainstorming results poll (keep an eye out for the final ballot here!) and saw this song on there. Playing Rapunzel will be at OVFF this year! This song is haunting and beautiful and I may or may not have included it in my nominating ballot. >_> <_<
Only three left, and there’s power in threes:
In the stories I tell, there’s never a doubt
That the third one is different, the third one has magic
But what will I do, where will I be
What will become of me when the stories run out?
I’ve been out wand’ring,
In foggy country,
Out where strange things exist.The edge of magic,
The edge of science,
Meet and merge in the mist.
Is it about fairies? Is it about revolution? Who knows! Probably both! “Elfland,” by Leslie Fish
full lyrics under cut
This side of the knife
When I was fool enough to wonder
Asked what I should not have asked
Called down rain and called down thunder
“This Side of the Knife,” a wonderfully dark and cryptic song by Talis Kimberley. This version was performed at MarCon by Seanan McGuire and Dead Sexy (Seanan McGuire, Amy McNally, Brenda Sutton, Teresa Powell, Dr. Mary Crowell, & Bill Sutton) with the fabulous Judi Miller providing ASL interpretation.
Talis Kimberley has described this song as a companion story to Crazy Man Michael, which doesn’t necessarily make it any less cryptic, but definitely provides some context.
Tonight’s the night of Halloween,
and the fairy court will ride;
And she that would her true love win
at Miles Cross must bide.Happy Halloween (or Hallowe’en, depending on your spelling preference)!
In celebration, have some filkers performing everyone’s favorite traditional ballad about getting knocked up by a weird guy in the woods and having to go rescue him on Halloween before the Faerie can sacrifice him to the Devil 🙂
This version of Tam Lin is performed by Tricky Pixie, aka S.J. Tucker, Alexander James Adams, and Betsy Tinney. Lyrics are available on bandcamp.
“Who do you belong to, little girl?
Why do you wander in the deep, dark wood?”
It’s not an easy answer, I’m afraid.
She fits your little story, but she’s up to no good.
“Girl into Devil” by S. J. Tucker, a song inspired by Catherynne M. Valente’s Deathless and the Russian folktales the book was based on.
Two the ocean races that of one blood remain;
A single skin encases the slayers and the slain,
But blood will blood deliver, though later comes the fee,
As every rushing river runs to one salt sea.
“One Salt Sea” by Cat Faber, inspired by the book of the same title in Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series. If you’re not familiar with the series the lyrics will sound kinda cryptic, but they’re cool enough that it’s still worth a listen.