Other Songs

…harp strings tell the story's old,
from when the angels fled the fold,
and yet you sing that truth is strong,
when every note you strike is wrong.
Should I trust what singing brings,
when hatred hides in silvered strings?

The way is the way,
as the west mountains are.
The way is the way,
as solid as the sunset towers,
and the southern seas.
The way is the way,
as all life is sorrow.
The way is the way,
as all sorrow is joy.

If I'd held scores of flowers,
or laid within my lady's bowers…
If I'd held reigning powers,
or struck down the sunset's towers…

When I was single, I looked at the skies.
Now I've a consort, I listen to lies,
lies about horses that speak in the darks,
lies about cats and theories of quarks…

…and who will rock you to sleep?
Your daddy will rock and sing you a song,
There's only a cradle and nothing is wrong.
When the sun has set and the stars are so high,
I'll rock you and hold you 'til morning is nigh…

…hush little girl, and don't you sigh,
Daddy's forging toys by and by,
and if those toys should fail to please,
Daddy's going to sing and put you at ease…

Oh, my dear, my dear little child,
What can we do in a place so wild,
Where the sky is so green and so deep
And who will rock you to sleep?
Your daddy is leaving; he's going away
There's only a cradle and nothing to say,
but when the stars shine over the western sky,
try to remember that he once said good-bye.

A captain is a funny thing, a spacer with a net,
an angel gambling with her death, who never lost a bet.
The captain, she took us to those demon-towers,
then brought us back right through Heaven's showers…

Ask not what a man is,
that he scramble after flattery as he can,
or that he bend his soul to a woman's wish…
After all, he is but a man.
Ask not what a man might be,
that he carry a blade like a fan,
and sees only what his ladies wish him to see…
After all, he is but a man…

…holding to the blade,
a-holding to the blade,
He used it like a spade,
A-holding to the blade…

…thirteenth day, they said that he was dead,
but up he rose and bashed the captain's head…

Ohhh…wild was the sailor, wild was the sea,
and wilder still the girl they called Maree…

…he blew so hard the sails came down,
But he rose with the prefect's crown…

Ohhh…wild was the sailor, wild was the sea,
and wilder still the girl they called Maree…

…wild was the sailor, wild was the sea,
and wilder still the girl they called Maree…

…la, la, la-la, and the cat would play
with the dog on the spring's first day…

…the Duke he went a-hunting,
a-hunting he did go…

…if he had a mule, he'd give it to a fool,
and if he had a knife, she'd not be his wife!

Cuera la dierre,
Ne querra dune lamonte,
Pressente da lierra
Queira fasse la fronte…

…had a girl and she was mine…
…had a fire and a cot…
…had a horse and he was fine…
now a blade is all I've got!

…had a girl and she was mine
Had a girl and she was fine.
Took a merchant through design,
But her bouncing boy is mine…
…three, four…out the door…

…got no horse…got no mare…got no pearls…got no girls…

Our brave Lord Ghrant, he ran away,
came back to fight another day.
His found mage fought wizards and even more,
whupped 'em all in the age's shortest war.

Our brave Lord Ghrant, he loved his land,
ran and showed it but his left hand.
His brother lost his mages and his head,
and Lord Ghrant came back from the almost dead.

Our brave Lord Ghrant, he knows so well,
when to fight and when to run and tell.
But better a lord who knows where to flee
than his brother who'd slaughter you and me!