There are stories of the Dutchman, the Celeste and Barnham’s Pride
There are stories of the Horseman and the Lady at his side
But the tale that makes my blood run cold, the more because it’s true
Is the tale of Jayme Dawson and his crew
Yes, the tale of Dawson’s Christian and her crew
A newer recording of one of my favorite classic filk songs, “Dawson’s Christian,” a space opera ghost story, originally Duane Elms.
so this whole conversation proved to be a bit inspiring, and I had to record the space shanty @danbensen wrote. :}
Felt like doing a sad space filk cover!
Music and lyric by Leslie Fish
“Will we still have honky tonks and bars
Will we still sing “’Mazing Grace”
Will we still have country music out in space?”
Joe Bethancourt asking the question that forms one of the central tenants of filk as a genre – “Will We Still Have Country Music Out In Space?”
And the stars still dance the spiral dance
And the planets circle far
But the ship who sang will sing no more
Between the distant stars
“Helva’s Song,” by Cecilia Eng, performed by Cecilia Eng and Ernie Mansfield, based on “The Ship Who Sang,” a short story by Anne McCaffrey
They lost the day, they screwed the pooch
They really mucked it up
They found out that reality
Is such a bitter cup
If there’s a lesson to be learned they learned it far too late
That the principles of physics always beat the rules of fate
“Here’s To The Heroes,” by Terence Chua, who understands that narrative convenience, unfortunately, need not always apply.
So show me the gantry, give me the ship,
Give me the fuel and I’ll go on that trip.
Now if I return you can say I was bold,
But my place is in space as the heavens unfold.
“Starsoul,” a good, old-fashioned space song by Urban Tapestry
From Eva Baskins:
Since this is a show theme song, I’m not sure if it counts, but… Rocket Robin Hood! This feels like something that could have a filk following, just because the concept opens up so many questions! (I’ll admit, I’ve never actually watched it, and I only just now found out the thing existed.)
…can’t say I’ve ever heard of it either, but MAN what a concept. And now if I had to explain filk to someone without using any actual filk music…I might just show them this.
Yesterday I journeyed for half a million miles.
Now I’m stacked up on an aircraft’s back.
This last part takes a while.
“Phoenix,” by Julia Eckar (lyrics), is a heartwrenching song about a futuristic space ship with a soul. “By the Time I Get To…”, by Bob Kanefsky (lyrics), is one of those rare parodies that’s almost as poignant as the original song, this time about very realistic spaceflight, and picking up the pieces after re-entry.
(Series: Filksong Genealogy)
“Legacy of Legends,” by Mark Horning, written in memorial for Gene Cernan who passed away on Monday 16 January, 2017. The last man on the moon is with us no more.
Another year goes by,
Another hero fades away.
Another Living Legend,
From a brighter future day…
–When hope rose up on flaming wing
–And dreams were forged of steel
–And the men who strode the heavens
–Were very, very, real…
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,
Nothing worth doing that I haven’t tried.
There ain’t no living on planetside,
Come on with me, baby, on a rocket ride.
“Rocket Ride,” which Tom Smith wrote in a Hyatt food court before his concert at MarsCon 1994, inspired by the con’s theme for the year, which was “Retro SF.”
Dark and cold, dark and cold
The Sun he has perished as ever of old,
And here in the darkness that never knows morn,
We wait for the sun to be born.
“Wait for the Sun to Be Born,” by Ben Newman, downloaded from his website, with lyrics and chords available here.
Out in the dark at the edge of the system,
Drifting along where the comets spin cold,
One frozen planetoid, one lonely victim;
Try to remember the lies you were told…
“If you wish on a star you shall never grow old…”
A cryptic space song on the level of “Ship of Stone,” “Starseer,” by Ben Newman, downloaded from his website, with lyrics and chords available here.
You’re a long way from home, such a long road you’ve traveled,
And while you were away, many years went by…
So feel free to roam, for the world cannot hold you.
Maybe you’ll be the one who will teach us to fly…
“A Long Way From Home,” an oddly cheerful song about temporal distortion by Ben Newman, downloaded from his website, with lyrics and chords available here.
