talis kimberley

The Blackthorn Blooms – Talis Kimberley-Fairbourn

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animatedamerican:

elodieunderglass:

Talis Kimberley-Fairbourn

SONG: THE BLACKTHORN BLOOMS

By Talis Kimberley-Fairbourn

I’ve no magic words here

No dice left the throw

But the seeds that I’ve planted

Are willing to grow

We’re all feeling hopeless –

Disaster looms.

But still the bread rises

And the blackthorn blooms.

Here’s fury and fear

Here’s stunned disbelief

That we could lose so much

Our own leaders turned thief

I get that you’re numb

I get that you’re tired

We had a ticket to the future

But the future’s expired

I’ve no magic words…

They’ve played us as pawns

They’ve played us for fools

They want us divided

And to make us cruel

So kindness is sacred

It’s a choice, it’s an art

It’s an act of resistance

From the breaking of heart:

Can you carry a song?

Can you carry a light?

We did not deserve this

And it isn’t alright

We’re all feeling hopeless

Amidst the lies

But the blackthorn is blooming

And the bread will rise

I’ve no magic words

No dice left to throw

But the seeds that I planted

Are going to grow

I know we feel hopeless –

Disaster looms

But still the bread rises

Still the bread rises

Still the bread rises

And the blackthorn blooms.

_______________________________

Words & music by & © Talis Kimberley, 21st March 2019.

Talis Kimberley, one of the finest filkers and social justice bards I know.

This Side of the Knife – Seanan McGuire and Dead Sexy

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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.

Dead Susan – Talis Kimberley

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“Dead Susan,” a deliciously creepy song by Talis Kimberley.

Talis posted it on Halloween a few years back with the following explanation:

Quite one of the nastiest songs I’ve ever written… for those of you who enjoy such things, and especially this day when the veil is thinned between the worlds.

The writer of the vintage postcard I bought at an antique shop many years ago really should have checked her handwriting. I expect she meant ‘Dear Susan’ at the start of her message… let’s hope so.

That’s not what it looked like to me, however.

Available for download on bandcamp.

Filksong Genealogy: Sealskin

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filkyeahfilk:

I never thought that I could hold you forever
Always knew deep down you’d have to go home
I can be grateful for these bright years together
And I know you miss the salt sea foam
If you hurry, you can still catch the tide, my love
If you hurry you can still catch the tide.

“Still Catch the Tide” by Talis Kimberley, performed here by Seanan McGuire with Michelle “Vixy” Dockrey, Tony Fabris, S.J. Tucker, and Amy McNally.  Lyrics are available here.

This is one of my favorite songs to sing along to when I want to be Sad About The Sea (a specific emotion that I experience with alarming regularity.)

If you want a selkie song with a happy ending, check out “The Maiden and the Selkie” by Heather Dale or “Glass Half Full of the Sea” by Benjamin Newman.

She puts on sealskin with a steady hand
Beast at sea, woman on land
She puts on sealskin, the color of foam
She knows what’s next: going home

“Sealskin” by Batya Wittenberg, performed here with the able assistance of Gary Ehrlich (guitar) and Joshua Kronengold (vocals), is the story of “Still Catch the Tide” rearranged to the tune of another Talis Kimberley song about a shapeshifting woman with a human lover: “Velvet” (lyrics and audio here).

… and it owes its existence in no small part to Bob Kanefsky’s “Velvet Tide” (lyrics here), which is a comedic song that takes the story of “Velvet” and rearranges it to the tune of “Still Catch the Tide.”

(Series: Filksong Genealogy)

 

Still Catch the Tide – Seanan McGuire and friends

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I never thought that I could hold you forever
Always knew deep down you’d have to go home
I can be grateful for these bright years together
And I know you miss the salt sea foam
If you hurry, you can still catch the tide, my love
If you hurry you can still catch the tide.

“Still Catch the Tide” by Talis Kimberley, performed here by Seanan McGuire with Michelle “Vixy” Dockrey, Tony Fabris, S.J. Tucker, and Amy McNally.  Lyrics are available here.

This is one of my favorite songs to sing along to when I want to be Sad About The Sea (a specific emotion that I experience with alarming regularity.)

If you want a selkie song with a happy ending, check out “The Maiden and the Selkie” by Heather Dale or “Glass Half Full of the Sea” by Benjamin Newman.

Lady Moon – Talis Kimberley

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Lady Moon, will you dance with me
Just once while I am mortal?
For there is no woman I would rather
Gather in my arms
And though the price of my impertinence
Be such that after just one dance –
I burn away to ashes, so I choose;
Lady Moon, tell me: what have you to lose?

“Lady Moon,” by Talis Kimberley.  I don’t know why people keep trying to date the moon, I thought Avatar taught us all that was a bad idea.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Polly – Talis Kimberley

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The splendid Scottish folksinger Karine Polwart tweeted one day about witnessing a girl being told not to climb a tree because she was in a very nice skirt. Or maybe just in a nice skirt, it was some time ago, and either way, this little song fell happily out and has been sung a handful of times since.
There is a particularly British distinction, I think, betweem a skirt, a nice skirt, and a very nice skirt. And you can climb trees in any of them, so there.

“Polly,” by Talis Kimberley, a very modern song in a charmingly traditional style.

Fences (A Sheep Shanty) – Talis Kimberley and Chantelle Smith

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Alfie Purl, Christopher, Ruby and Zack;
Move the sheep and the fences around!
Take the ones from the front and put these in the back
Move the sheep and the fences around.

Why would you write a shanty about sheep?  Why not.  Sung, appropriately, in a field, by Talis Kimberley and Chantelle Smith.  Featuring the names of real sheep!

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

When I Was a Mermaid – Talis Kimberley

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When I was a mermaid, my daughter, my dear
And a long time before I had you
I lived in the ocean a long way from here
And some of my stories are true

Apparently, Talis Kimberley’s daughter once pointed at a picture of a mermaid and said “That’s you when you were a mermaid”.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)