Words and Music © 2004 Jeffrey L. Sponsler
The Merchant's Tale
Thalia:
a salesman came -
with products for the taking
the Festival -
there was money for the making
his merchandise was on display
esoterica for those who pay
Farbucron, The Merchant
1
please wait your turn
you'll get your chance
experience an erotic fling
to touch the sound
and see the heat
to do the psychic swing
2
gather round and check your cash
imported goods are here for sale
rhino horn and mammoth tongue
and pharmaceutic ale
3
the cargo hold of my ship is filled
with a million metric tons
I deal in life - exotic slaves
and organs - hearts and lungs
4
archaeologists come see
sarcophagi are now in stock
shroud of Turin for just a fee
stone tablets are on the block
Chorus:
if you are looking for goods hard to find
black market sales - you have seen some hard times
if it’s endangered I’ll sell you its skin
if it’s immoral it's time to begin
5
chamber of illusions
telepathic theatre
a courtesan with her hair aflame
you'll be alone in there with her
6
if you have a problem
need some powder to be your all
you feel the need to medicate
this merchant makes house calls
7
perhaps you need a family
to love to give you warmth
check my zombie catalog
they have a quiet sensitive charm
8
if you desire an identity card
if you need a personality
my plastic surgeon can alter your face
psycho-tropics can shape your reality
Chorus:
and if your problems will not go away
and you know in your mind that you’ve tried
to live a good life - just give me a name
and then your problems soon will have died
The Auction:
start the bidding now
a whale skin leather jacket
11 hundred credits to start - 11 11 12
1250 - SOLD !
mountain gorilla liver powder - an aphrodisiac
500 500 550 6 - sold
autographed copy of the Necronomicon
1100 credits 11 11 1150 12 - sold
another classic: the Encyclopedia Galactica
2500 25 30 35 3550 - sold!
here’s an ivory scrimshaw tiara
start bidding at 6500 65 65 70 75 who’ll give me 80
80 85 85 85 - sold!
next up - Excalibur
starting at 10 thousand credits - give me 10 10
11 11 12 12 going once twice sold
and here is an Arrakeen stilsuit
95 hundred 95 95 97 97 98 98 98 - sold!
next item: a stealth bomber with heat seeking missiles
starting at 75 trillion credits
75 75 80 85 85 85 - sold!
and for our final sale:
a white slave girl and a kilogram of powdered poppies
starting at 35 thousand credits
35 35 50 55 65 70 75 75 95 95 95 98 - SOLD!
Instrumental Chorus
9
from a world with an acid rain
in a bottle of formaldehyde
well preserved - this human brain
a politician's - who wants to buy
10
now if you want weapons this
rifle fires a particle flash
pierces armor - lacerates flesh
reduce your enemy to piles of ash
11
consider this - a planet for sale
green and lush in a prehistoric way
and you'd be a king or a president
or a god - you can have it your way
12
the people there are paleoliths
you could give them a new government
mate with their women - create demigods
it’s your planet - you could charge them rent
Chorus:
If you are looking for goods hard to find
black market sales - you have done some hard time
if it’s endangered I’ll sell you its skin
if it’s immoral it’s time to begin
begin
begin