Category: Filk

set list

40 Million Light Years

1 Meat Ball

I Pop Pills

Alexios the Murder Hobo

Co Pilot’s Lament

Paradise (John Prine)

Apprentice

2&20 Blues

 

Grandson Greg was at Tom and Peggy’s, he seemed to be in excellent mood. We sang and played in both yards, following the shade, and it was lovely to be fed veggies and rice and butter chicken while admiring the two weeks of work Dan T. put into their back yard. Those fucking bricks weight 80 pounds kids and there’s a lot of them.

Mostly we talked. We sat on chairs six feet apart and talked. We felt like adults. It was really nice.

scratch track

the distortion is part of the charm – it’s a natural feature of whacking the guitar this hard at a harmonic point with a rubber mallet – yes this is a hammered guitar

It’s the hottest part of the summer and I’m treating myself to beer. God I love this song. Anyway, it sounds MUCH BETTER on headphones, I’m hearing stuff I didn’t hear the first time. It’s just got depth, you know, and then this sort of pounding howl of a chorus, so much pent up jealousy and rage and then back to… I do this, I do this, I do this, life has a rhythm, and then I JUST GET SO MAD. I LOVE IT so there

 

Murderbot TTTO Sugartown

I got some troubles, but they won’t last
I’m gonna lay right down here in the grass
and spring my ambush when these assholes pass
‘Cause I’m a muh-muh-muh, muh-muh-muh
muh-muh, muh- muh, muh-muh Murderbot
I never had a bot that liked me some
Never had a friend or wanted one
So I just sit down and clean all my guns
‘Cause I’m a muh-muh-muh, muh-muh-muh
muh-muh, muh- muh, muh-muh Murderbot
Yesterday it rained in Preservation
I heard it also rained on GrayCris’s fun
But I kept all the rain offa my guns
‘Cause I’m a muh-muh-muh, muh-muh-muh
muh-muh, muh- muh, muh-muh Murderbot
If I had a million dollars or three
I’d buy clothing that remains logo-free
It’s never long before someone’s shooting at me
‘Cause I’m a muh-muh-muh, muh-muh-muh
muh-muh, muh- muh, muh-muh Murderbot

Craig Spencer MD

From his twitter today. He’s the Director of Global Health in Emergency Medicine at Columbia Medical Centre in NYC. He’s also survived Ebola – he caught it in the field, helping people. This guy knows his shit about infectious disease.

When your shift ends, you sign out to the oncoming team. It’s all #COVIDー19. Over the past week, we’ve all learned the signs – low oxygen, lymphopenia, elevated D-dimer. You share concerns of friends throughout the city without PPE. Hospitals running out of ventilators.

Elevated D-dimer is a new clinical symptom, to me, but it’s a really gross & telling one one. It shows up in venous thromboembolism, ARDS and cancer. You have to be genuinely sick like you’ll die without intervention for D-dimer to be high.

 

Flatten the Curve song

fish

We watched Shakespeare and Hathaway and they were eating fish and chips and Jeff got up and went down the hill and got fish and chips for a late lunch and IT WAS NOM. Then I slept for the rest of the day, and we got up and watch some more telly and went back to bed at 9:40.

I need to get out the house today.

So Katie and I were going to go to the fOlks, but they already have house guests that weekend so no grandson for GGma this weekend; we’re going to go on a road trip and visit other rellies instead, more deets as they become available.

OH LOOK WHOSE NAME IS THERE  OR look up Filkcast under Feb 12 2020 for a list of familiar names including whoops mine

DIVE BOMBING SUNS??? Yikes

another song for fawm

The Standard of the Crow (Thorfinn’s Song)

When you’re really in it
As deep as you know how to go
There’s no end, once you begin it
Thorkel had to teach you so
It’s a dream, it’s a trap
For no matter how far down you go
You must rise, refreshed, for battle
And stand under the standard of the crow

Pull the axe from my stiffened hands
There was a lot of blood, not all from my side
I am good at killing men
If you follow, you’d better ride.

It’s not wise to ask them
Folks seeking comfort are rarely wise
The seer told me I’d win half the battle
And mocked me for my doubting eyes
It’s a dream, my heart rattled
I saw her eyes, like oxblood on snow
Hers the first face that I’m seeking
Standing on my stirrups, under the wing of a crow

Pull the axe from my stiffened hands
There was a lot of blood, not all from my side
I am good at killing men
If you follow, you’d better ride.

She has an errand, seaward
I died on land like an aging fool
And she will make my goodbye for me
make herself a young king’s school
It’s a dream, it’s a trap
Knowing that life goes on, just so
But she made it through one last battle
And still stands under the standard of the crow

 

8:55 am 11 Feb the tune is very slowly stabilizing

8:15 Sunday September 13 2020 this is the stabilized lyricset

The Standard of the Crow (Thorfinn’s Song)

When you’re deep down in it
As deep as you know how to go
There’s no end, once you begin it
Thorkel had to teach you so
It’s a dream, it’s a trap
For no matter how far down you go
You must rise up for the next battle
And stand under the standard of the crow
Pull the axe from my stiffened hands (40 miles a day, oh)
There was a lot of blood, not all of it mine (riding in the rain oh)
I am good at killing men (make a joke, run him through, oh)
If you would follow, you’d better ride. (ride ride ride, oh)
It’s not wise to ask them
Folks seeking comfort are rarely wise
The seer told me I’d win half the battle
And mocked me for the doubt in my eyes
It’s a dream, my heart rattled
I saw her eyes, like oxblood on snow
Hers the first face that I’m seeking
Standing on my stirrups—-under the flag of a crow
Pull the axe from my stiffened hands (40 miles a day, oh)
There was a lot of blood, not all of it mine (riding in the rain oh)
I am good at killing men (make a joke, run him through, oh)
If you would follow, you’d better ride. (ride ride ride, oh)
She has an errand, seaward
I die on land like an aging fool
She will make my goodbye for me
make herself a young king’s school
It’s a dream, it’s a trap
Knowing that life goes on, just so
But she made it through one last battle
Stands under the standard of the crow

this is just a test (bones of a new song)

This is just a test!

No, of course not.

You don’t have to.

You don’t need to say it.

Not if you don’t feel it.

You embody it, that’s all.

The way you hold me

kiss me

pass me pepper

bring me coffee

(five long beats) disagreeeeee with me

throw popcorn at me

throw your arm around me

This is just a test!

 

(Think that clunky 80’s 86 bpm dance beat)

 

Just a test

In all the fuss and fury

Just a test

of modern life it comes

Just a test

no speed but hurry

Just a test

no percussion but taiko drums

 

when performing romance

Just a test

a pirouette or two

Just a test

you line out a paraph          (note, you can pronounce it either way, I prefer   

                                                           second syllable emphasis)

on your paragraph

mess it up

with a pedestrian ‘I love you’

Now maybe once in fifteen

Just a test

years I get those magick words

Just a test

Mostly unforeseen

Just a test

it comes out like a blurt

Just a test

I get to wondering

Just a test

Is it really real

but I’m a materialist baby

I’m all about the way you make me feel

extremely horn and reed-intense instrumental, including a bass line that makes you want square up conga style and wend your way through the neighbourhood

This is just a test!

No, of course not.

You don’t have to.

You don’t need to say it.

Not if you don’t feel it.

You embody it, that’s all.

The way you hold me

kiss me

pass me pepper

bring me coffee

(five long beats) disagreeeeee with me

throw popcorn at me

throw your arm around me

This is just a test!

 

 

 

obviously I updated it. The instrumental part is coming along fine, it will all be kazoos very pleased with it so far. Only 13 more songs to write for the end of the month ha ha

 

Ingmar Bergman’s Undead Laugh-o-Rama

 

Ingmar Bergman’s Undead Laugh-o-Rama!

Casting calls for Nordics who get drama

Watch those stony faces soften

As they kill the dead more often

Maybe one day they will crack a smile

(The title is ironic)

 

Ingmar Bergman’s Undead Laugh-a-Minute

What a cast! You won’t believe who’s in it!

Sven Nykvist popped up from his grave

Just to hear the critics rave

Happy that he’s come back in such style

(That part is sardonic)

 

Ingmar Bergman’s Undead Laugh-a-Ganza

More tropes than a season of Bonanza

It’s the movie of my dreams

The ultimate in crossing streams

And there’s old Ingmar turning up the dial!

(And it went supersonic)

(jet roar – bombs falling, abrupt end)

 

Image

Tobie the doctor had one of these – it’s a picture of the wounds of battle done up renaissance style

My concert went well

The Tapioca Song singalong and recording beforehand went reasonably well, but I was sweating my god.

The concerts were recorded and livestreamed. I will provide links if and when I find out what they are. John Seghers has indicated he’ll provide wav files recorded from the board, which would be nice. BUT I HAVE TO EMAIL HIM FIRST hint hint I have to remember that.

Paul sat in the back and provided comment afterward. He said my stagecraft has improved and I was entertaining as hell. Also, and he was really surprised, he is used to being the first person who hears a new song (sometimes it’s Mike, but 90% it’s Paul) and he DID NOT KNOW I had learned the Lousy Cutters on dulcimer and so sat with his mouth hanging open, which was fun to hear about afterward. I COULD SEE CINDY SINGING ALONG FOR HALF OF MY STUFF IT WAS AWESOME. Also, there was some guy in the audience – new to me, youngish by filk standards, who started smirking as soon as I fired up Alexios and laughed aloud repeatedly so goodie.

I played Way up in the Sky, (everybody laughed in the right places and the ONE PLACE I WANTED TO GET A LAUGH made the whole room shout with laughter – such a lovely feeling – the line is “The sun’s hot (semi longish pause) … don’t touch it”,  Gelis and Nicolas, Zero-G (the Bed), Dishing with Joyce, The Friend who Gave Me This Ukelele, The Lousy Cutters, The Anarchist Parade Marshall, An invocation to my ancestors, Alexios the Murder Hobo, Pardon me is that stool taken, and possibly one other song that currently escapes. I had a good time and it really showed, according to BL Chiffon, whom I ran into along with Frank Hayes in the Con suite after. Also I said, “I play the song of my people” and blasted the slide whistle and cracked everyone up.

I forgot to take my meds so that probably explains why I was sweating like a pig.  I took them late, apparently suffered no problems.

I AM THE TOASTED MASTER.

In an hour I have to do a seminar.

I have a long long day ahead but I et my brekky and I’ve had my coffee and I’m ready to go more or less.

 

Vanessa Cardui’s concert was fantastic. Her song “Made it” which is an intense family history song that is completely a true story made me want to hug my fOlks and brother so damned hard you have no idea, and her song from Data to Spot was SO WONDERFUL I must obtain a copy for Jeff. She sang in OCCITAN F’CHRISSAKE don’t let anyone tell you that filk isn’t educational. Anyway wonderful guitarist and vocalist. Her only song not self written was about the Molasses Flood of Boston and despite the horror we all laughed.

AND I wrote and delivered a land acknowledgement which covered all the territory I could. I didn’t use the word unceded because this is their land, and I’d prefer to just call it what it is, stolen, if I have to.

 

I live upon and come to you from the shared lands of the Sto:lo and Coast Salish, and we are gathered now on the lands of the Coast Salish, Duwamish and Puget Sound Salish peoples. May our time together at Conflikt 13 be a living memorial to the values of sharing and community, and to our deep appreciation for the beauty of this land and its first peoples. May we especially honor the frogs and all the creatures of the wetlands, the salmon and all the creatures of the ocean, the wolves and all the creatures and plants of the forests, the elders and the children in all their beauty, and all the remaining Sasquatches. Dear ones, let us make a memorable festival, and let us be thankful.

pumpkin carved candy purchased

Gelis and Nicholas scratch track.

I stuck the pumpkin out front this morning so people could smile at it on their way to work.

Buster is really really really tired of the cone of shame. He’s getting noisier in the morning and he just wants to cuddle all the time. We’ve taken it off so he could at least wash his front paws but THEN he wants to clean his sore eye, and NOPE. Back it goes. Saturday can’t come fast enough for our animal companion.

There’s a load of laundry in the dryer and coffee’s been made. The day hath commenced.

Must buy glowsticks for the rest of the decoration but unfortunately there’s a bus strike, or is there? Nope, starts tomorrow. All good for today.