February Album Writing Month - FAWM.ORG

The Song of Names (*23599)

peteralway

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Tagged As:

filk filky astronomy science fuc ukulele

Liner Notes:

Last month friend of mine was asking for suggested constellation names for an imaginary world. I replied with a comment list of general rules for naming constellations, and it came out in verse. I saved the comment for FAWM, when I added other bases of celestial names (lots are good and cryptic), and last night I found a melody. This is a one-track recording with baritone ukulele.

Lyrics:

The Song of Names
Peter Alway

There are heroes, monsters, birds and beasts,
And old machines with wheels
Great women, rivers, flocks of geese,
Men’s work and giants’ meals
There are ships and sails and jeweled crowns,
And pairs of glowing eyes
There’s seven sisters in their gowns
And a pulsing star where a demon lies.

Chorus:
Oh can you see the lines engraved
Around the dim starlight
And can you see the ragged man
Who gives the darkness sight
And have you watched the planets trace
The jealous gods in dance
The names are there as plain as night
If you give in to their trance

There’s the stormy ocean, rainbow bay
And the lake of luxury
Theres a marsh of sickness, sea of waves
And a bay of harmony
A hole for the man with the silver nose
Just south of the cloudy sea
And one for the man of the oval path
Far to the west of Tranquility.

(Chorus)

A god of war, godess of love
A god of the underworld
Their king reigns down from high above
Whose eternal stormcloud swirled
As fear and terror chase themselves
Above Olympic heights
And a ferry boatman swings around
The darkest land of the deepest nights

(Chorus)

Feedback:

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suejeffers 3 months ago

Hey Peter! I love this one - I hope to hear you sing it in circle! Yay!
tybarbary 3 months ago

Totally dig this. Fabulous lyrics!
wolfheart 3 months ago

I love it! Really feels like a filk circle, and gets me reminiscing of my filking days I must do it again
heavymetaljew 3 months ago

Nice lyrics.
janeg 3 months ago

A real keeper, Peter! A beautiful and thoughtful response to the question you had in hand.
sexybass 3 months ago

Excellent song Peter
philkmills 3 months ago

Well done. It seems very much a good filk circle song.

The recording makes it sound as if you're right in the room. While listening, I was thinking, "Yep, this is what it sounds like when it's Peter's turn."