Etheria Lyrics
Lyrics for Rock Opera ETHERIA © 2022 Jeffrey L. Sponsler
Act I
Overture
(No Lyrics)
The Legend
The Legend of Harmonautics
Thalia, The Narrator:
Etheria, a world without much history
had anesthetic winds to dull the misery
a race of sentients had evolved
who toiled fields by day
our lives were simply lead, no complications
no politicians, wars, or automation
we believed the legend of the Harmonauts
who came, who'd come again
their return would bring to us a revival
we'd waited many years for their arrival
they bring no gifts nor gold nor guns
but only verse and song
the elders foretold with no apology
the young ones rebelled against mythology
the travelers had been here before
they would return again
the words they carry would portray
the sights and sounds, light years away
of battles lost, of loved ones gone
of machines and mechanical men
each would come from
some distant part of space
solo voyage exploring some exotic place
the prophecy of Etheria
was waiting to be brought to life
when they return we'd host a celebration
the Festival of Sound an inspiration
the songs would take us far away
and fill our lives again
and then they'd leave
to travel once again
and the legend of the players
would live on
Deep Space
Deep Space
Thalia:
the ship is dark but on-board
sleeps a traveler
who will perform - who may change mythology
he carries song and something else
machines now give him life
Isolier:
1
confusion
awareness comes into focus
as I return from disturbing dreams
one by one
neurons - long in suspension
animate
and recreate - reality
2
who am I? where am I? why am I here?
“distant Etheria approaches”
3
renegade geology -
fumaroles expel ether
noxious sky glowing green -
the ancient magnet that attracts the Harmonauts
the planet appears balanced
in the gravity of deep space
4
through the air I descend
the spaceport is near
(but my mind is distracted by a thought she is here)
and radar reveals other schooners and yachts
the Harmonauts have returned
The Sentinel
The SENTINEL
Vocals: Falerina
the metal ball spins silently
traversing space in orbital plane
with radar tongues that taste the space
and UV eyes that squint in the light
of distant stars
2
waiting - watching - barely thinking
the sentinel stands
regarding heaven - guarding against
invasion force - unseen hand
3
No visitors to Etheria
for many scores of years
but the warrior robot generals
had the sentinel stand near
4
a flicker of light will wake the wires
the circuits spring to life
to analyze - to synthesize - to realize
5
a false alarm the sensors cool
return to ready state
vigilant above the atmosphere
to protect the planet's fate
6
another day another night
another game of solitaire
then frequent photons flash and trigger
the machine to stop and stare
7
stare hard at distant realm of space
sentinel becomes aware
that an enemy of all that lives
has presented incandescent flare
8
the flicker of light has woke the wires
the circuits spring to life
sound alarms cry out for help
to save the sentinel
9
save me it cries I’ve done my job
don’t let them shoot me down
don’t let the evil ship that nears
that fills my processors with fear
10
the ship will know that cover's blown
the ship will seek revenge
and plunge me into eternal sleep
and will I dream of electric sheep
11
and does there exist a wireless god
that waits to judge me, the tireless pod
I can't be accused the sin of hate
It’s just not there within my data
don't turn me OFF
don’t turn me OFF
don't turn me OFF
12
far below in a central command
a technician moves his silent hand
to throw the switch that shuts the power
that kills the computer in sentinel 9
13
Ground System Engineer:
pod 9's offline again
it logged an invasion - do you believe that?
hey look at the sensors - it looks like an armada!
The Arrival
The Arrival
(The Return of the Harmonauts from Space)
Isolier's ship and other spaceships touchdown on the planet's surface and to the waiting crowd.
Thalia:
The ships arrived - they landed in the desert
the Harmonauts had come to sing their measures
the word was passed
from ear to ear
the music had arrived
Chorus of Etherian People:
The Harmonauts have returned
returned from far beyond
with stories of distant worlds
in never ending songs
the mystics can now celebrate
the priests can mend their robes
prepare for the Festival
to fill the people with hope
Thalia:
Each traveler was greeted with elation
each was told about a coming celebration
The Festival of the Harmonauts
would be written in the chronicles
Chorus:
the skeptics must now hide their faces
hang their heads with shame
they tried to kill the myths of song
to cause the common people pain
for a thousand years, we’ve waited here
now they have returned
to share with us their songs
and all that they have learned
They have returned
They have returned
Thalia:
They knew in their hearts of the returning
the fire of mythology had been burning
the lost had been found
the ethereal sound
would cause the doubters to turn
Chorus:
let the festival begin
let the sound invade our minds
lead us all on a journey within
leave the mundane world behind
The Harmonauts have returned
returned from far beyond
with stories of distant worlds
in never ending songs
The Plot to Steal the Music
The Plot to Steal the Music
Farbucron, the Merchant:
1
what is that you got there lad
in the belly of your flying ship
It’s a design I’ve never seen
don't try to give me the slip
2
let me explain - I specialize
in the traffic of imported goods
if it’s for sale I’d like to know
but can you tell me - what does it do?
Recordist:
3
It’s really nothing
no value at all
please don't be insulted
but I won't say more
Merchant:
4
now you really have me on
the answer no I will not take
just name your price the deal is done
my fever's up I’m on the make
Isolier:
5
all right I’ll tell you
a sound recording machine
but I’ll not sell it
so please don’t ask me again\
Merchant:
6
a machine that records sound
what a fascinating find
why did you bring it - why are you here
can you tell - can you spare the time?
The Recordist's Invention
Isolier:
I have found a way to save notes that I play
the frequencies of sound that I hear
to hear them again
8
the subtle blend of tones painted onto canvas
an electronic fresco of tape
that spins much like the sun
9
when I hear the tapes that play
the echo of my own voice
I feel detached - outside of myself
distraught but I have no choice
10
to record the songs at the festival of Etheria
would be the greatest thrill of my life
the songs would be mine
11
the Etherians could have the tapes - the stories
enrich their lives for one thousand years
until the next return
12
I worry that the Harmonauts would disagree
they may feel that they have been wronged
that I am a thief
I will tape them secretly as I have planned
I will present the songs as a gift
to Etheria
to Etheria
to Etheria
Isolier leaves.
Merchant:
13
stroke of luck - now let me think
what could I do with such a machine
I’ll have a drink and contemplate
a new money making scheme
14
how much would these backward fools
pay to have their songs returned
I’ll play the tapes for this dreary world
they get religion - I make some change
15
if he is able to capture the noise
these naive musicians will make at the show
I’ll know what he's done and I’ll borrow the tapes
religion to Etheria I will sell
I will sell
Spores
Spores
Narrator's introduction.
Thalia:
The Tales began, Etherians were gathered,
The Great Hall filled, the Harmonauts were flattered.
A traveler of space had come
to spin fantastic yarn
The Exobotanist:
1
have you ever wondered how
life began its slimy reach -
formed itself into a ball
and crawled up on the beach?
2
I searched the books of alchemy,
of wizardry, of rhymes
Consulted with the aged monks who
rang the mighty chimes
Bridge 1
I read the ancient charts that list
all the worlds on which things grow;
linear response to time -
there was a vector don't you know
Points to chart showing planets with life
3
if you follow the arrow that moves
into time and though the space
you can think like Darwin and find
the seedpod of our race
4
I made a vow to travel there -
the discovery would be mine;
I built a ship with sails that fill
with the silent breeze of time
bridge 2
there it was - hanging high in space
a clanking box of gears
so I made the dock - traversed airlock
it was rusty from the years
5
the giant ship contained
a factory of living things
spiny beasts with too many legs
and plants with feathered wings.
Chorus:
I KNOW THAT I HAVE SEEN
THE FAMOUS GENE MACHINE
THAT SET THE SPORES ADRIFT
GAVE STERILE PLANETS A LIFT
6
I wandered through the darkened ship
the stench grew with the heat
and from each cage - the lonely sounds -
the calls of the incomplete
7
in a colossal aquarium
there swam a hungry ichthyosaur
it swallowed down a protoplasmic blob
that had rolled across the floor
Bridge 3
I found a room were the motors ran
the lights strobed endlessly
and in the chair - with his flowing hair
sat the captain looking at me
8
I fell on my knees and cried
is it true - and can I believe?
you are the king of space who makes
the spores - the living seeds?
9
oh no, he said, I’m not a god
this is just a job, you see;
the pay is bad - the hours long
and now my health is failing me
Bridge
it must be fate that brought you here
to take my place and fly
this ship and to design more life -
scatter it in the sky
Chorus:
THE CAPTAIN NOW IS GONE
THE SPORING SHIP UNMANNED
THE SPREAD OF LIFE NOW HAS STOPPED
MY RESEARCH DONE NOW AS PLANNED
10
There are a million creatures designed
their blueprints gather dust
it seems sad - almost a crime
to let it end - it is unjust
Chorus:
AND SO I GREET YOU ALL
BUT I MUST CLOSE MY TALE
THE SPORE IS CALLING OUT MY NAME:
INNOCULATE DISTANT WORLDS
I MUST RETURN
TO DRIVE THE SHIP THROUGH THE VOID
I WILL RIDE THE TEMPORAL TIDE
YOU KNOW IT’S ALL RELATIVE
The Tantalum Carbon Alloy Moon
The Tantalum Carbon Alloy Moon
Thalia:
a traveler - a pro at mining mountains
he had a tale to tell of a particular
place in space - he was of a race
not naturally evolved
1
the spectrum indicated
that the rock was prime for change
a mother lode of promethium
in the crystal mountain range
2
a foreman of the drilling teams
The Miners if you will
I was selected and dispatched
was genuinely thrilled
3
to watch the mindless robots
spin an artificial moon
to build a base (profit making haste)
no time to study runes
4
no statement of the ecologic
consequences there
no agencies - no bribes to make
no one to interfere
Chorus:
the satellite was soon complete
three moons then in the sky
soon The Miners would arrive
to bleed the planet dry
and when the precious metals were gone
we'd leave this world behind
no one to stare in wonder at the
tantalum carbon alloy moon
5
I set my feet upon the land
and faced the solar wind
my skin reacted to the light
and no I can't pretend
6
that photosynthesis is wrong
a pleasure and a need
genetic rearrangers spawned
a race who never feed
7
but then my mind became aware
a pool of ocean blue
the particles suspended there
revolving and they grew
Chorus:
and soon a woman stood before
my disbelieving eyes
she turned - she pointed to the Moon
that floated in the sky
there were no words - emotions swept
the surface tension and
I felt the fear - a vision clear -
she moved - she touched me with her hand
8
the mountain spires were fallen, crushed
the fractal patterns gone
volcanic fires - the vision said -
would fuel a smoking dawn
9
the living layer - very thin
would be reduced to sand
the woman and her protozoic
kind gone from the land
Chorus:
the light returned - the vision done
I turned to her to say
I didn't really understand
but she faded into gray
the disassociation came
before she told me why
as she returned to primordic state
I thought I heard a sound - a distant cry
instrumental Section (industrious robot scene)
10
the miners came - their work began
the rocks were cut to size
and placed into the freighters docked
at the Carbon Alloy Moon
11
and all was well as time moved by
then a routine seismic scan
the structure of the planet changed
events not in the plan
12
we analyzed, synthologized,
the numbers were unclear
the crystal mountains began to quake
the Miners ran with fear
13
there was no time for their escape
the magma rivers flowed
the Alloy Moon upset the gravity
equations showed
Chorus:
the mission there was now complete
a fortune had been made
but the planet was returned
to its Precambrian past
I will always see her face
of sadness - I was warned
but I’m controlled by recombinant genes
and Tantalum Carbon Alloy Moon
the Tantalum Carbon Alloy Moon
Where is My Love
Where Is My Love?
(Polyxena's Tale)
Thalia:
she came from a distant crowded city
with words that portray emotion and feeling
she described her life
a single day
a journey she had made ...
Polyxena:
1
I wandered from my lonely home
I left there in the spring
An instinct and an inner voice
My spirit taking wing
2
A promise made eons ago
My mind begins to race
An impulse deep within my heart
Has brought me to this place
3
he waits for me though time stands still
the rain the clouds release
and coiled wires and radio waves
the distances decrease
the distances decrease
4
the images of street invade
my introspective mood
I quicken pace look straight ahead
but poverty intrudes
5
what right to dwell on self
when sadness fills the bitter air
a tattered man - his fiction world
my mind becomes aware
6
a uniform and time stands still
the tattered disappears
the street is safe for working class
they worry when he's near
they worry when he's near
7
the timepiece tells the here and now
my thoughts are years ahead
the gypsy cloth, the dusty gloom
the table glowing red
8
clairvoyant specialists transcend
the constellations said
the fortune told - the path now clear
prefer the dark instead
9
a shop with potions - cures for pain
for sadness and for greed
elixir stings my throat and stills
a hollow aching need
a hollow aching need
Instrumental Break (Bill Cozzo's Electric Guitar Solo)
10
time restarts and tolls and lights
the taxis and the rain
conspire against the elements
of desire within the brain
11
my destination rises on
an avenue of light
an ancient house - the windows watch
me moving through the night
12
the door approached and I stand still
my hand upon the bell
rehearsing all the things I’ll say
and all I have to sell
and all I have to sell
13
we meet, your hands extend to me
words stumble to explain
the time that passed - the emptiness
the feelings will remain
14
your human-ness now reaffirmed
the fallibility
the expectations redefined
don't tell me - I can see
15
you walk away and time stands still
and now I realize
the images that I create
will have to satisfy
will have to satisfy
The Fox
The Fox (The Recordist's Tale)
Thalia:
His name was Isolier and he approached the stage
he told us of a war - where many died in rage
he cued the band - he raised his hand
and took us to a world ...
1
I was flying through the wilderness - an unknown star
I needed fresh provisions - and to breathe some air
so I rode the bigger waves of a magnetic field
to the surface - of the planet I could see it was real
I stood there all alone in an eerie zone
there was gunfire and I felt that I should get out fast
then a soldier with a rifle and coat made of rags
ran up and said: hey man you better hit the pad
- 2 -
there's a fight on and the Council is seeing red
so move for that cave or you’re gonna be dead
cause now you with the rebels you're a human like us
if you were a Shape Changer I could not discuss
because you would have killed me in a terrible way
but now I live to fight them - I will make them pay
a Changer may be hiding as rock or a tree
but I vow to remove them - wont you listen to me
Chorus:
and then we will be
living life in peace
but for now you see
we got nothin’ but heat
we crawled into the darkness - water running cold
and the cavern was filled with the aroma of mold
there was a crowd of people living there in the black
The Leader said to me - I am known as the Fox
cause we live in this hole and we run when it’s night
and we raid on the castle - Council calls us blight
they are creatures unholy - from a faraway place and they have
governed these people for a very long time
- 4 -
they may appear human but that is only a shape
not like us at all - not descended from apes
though they have not harmed us they have stolen our will
they control our every action - it’s a bitter pill
but we have taken steps to overthrow them now
we've got some new weapons and the will to survive
so will you now join us become part of our war
to help regain our freedom - open up that door
and when we are done
the sun will rise
the day will dawn
and blind our eyes
- 5 -
I stopped him short - I said: now why should I fight
I’m here for rest - not for revolution
this is your war I don’t know what's at stake
for all I know - you’re the son of the devil
who is the Council? what is a Shape Changer?
Could they be here now - am I in some danger?
Could you start at the top give me more information?
Hey what is that noise - what is that vibration?
- 6 -
and a column of stone reaching up to the ceiling
turned into a man - a man with no feeling
cause he started to kill any rebel in sight
but we took him out - with our guns and our knives
as he lay there and bled - you know his blood was white
he said: if the Council dies you will not see the future
we protected this rock and your people for years
and you pay us back with anger and fear
and then he died
and lying there cold
the column of stone
an ore - it was gold
- 7 -
are you convinced now - the Fox said to me?
that were justified in fighting - won’t you join our war?
you see he killed my men and they must know of the Cave?
and soon there will be more - our situation is grave.
We must strike tonight - and we will finish them off
then we begin to live and be the kings of this world
We run along the river that has formed this room
it branches into darkness several miles away
- 8 -
a feeder stream is born inside the walls of the Realm
the Castle of the Changers we can enter unseen
you rebels take these weapons they will finish the task
And are you with us Space Traveler - then put on this mask
But wait - I said - these weapons they're an alien make
high energy lasers - these are not bows and arrows
where did you get these guns - you don't manufacture
these tools of despair - who is funding you there?
Chorus:
so then the Fox said
oh yes we have friends
they believe in the truth
of our rebellion
- 9 -
so we moved through the Cavern - torches burning bright
and creatures quite blind fleeing out of our light
and then we arrived - crawled through a break in the wall
basement room of the Castle - and we entered the Hall
there was no person there but birds of great size
and they circled the room the Fox said - aim for their eyes
The rebels they shot - pteranodons from the wind
till each was lying on the floor in a pool
- 10 -
a pool of white blood and the Council was gone
the weapons were lethal and the rebels had won
the rebels rejoiced - the women embraced the men
they had taken their land and they raised up a song
then the Castle was filled with machines of great size
the robot allies who had given them guns
the Fox stood tall and he greeted them all
we will live our lives now and rebuild our world
- 11 -
these were deadly Machines and they began to kill
but why screamed the Fox - have you betrayed me this way?
we could not stop the Council - said the Cyberpunk King
The Changers were able to track us too well
But you simple humans are not made of steel
and so you could slip into the Castle at will
and take out the Council with the weapons we gave
and now the planet is ours and the iron we crave
- 12 -
well this was too much for me so I ran for the wall
and I fled through the Cave to the Room to my plane.
And I fired up her rockets and was soon in the sky
I really felt bad leaving the Fox there to die
but the machines were on top - they were sure in control
and it wasn't my world - not my world after all
what happened after that I really don't want to know
I had to survive - so I could come to The Show
Chorus:
he fox is a memory
is story lives on
e humans learn slowly
rust nothing, no one
and when we are done
the sun will rise
the day will dawn
and blind our eyes
Standing With You
Standing With You
-1-
Polyxena:
You have come to Etheria
I was afraid that you would not attend
we are now together
I don’t want these feelings to end
-2-
Isolier:
years have passed and I have missed
the touch of your hand
but we are here as living myths
the faith of this land
Polyxena:
I’m not sure that I want
to play in this role as a priest
if we had not returned
what would these Athenians do?
-4-
Isolier:
don't theorize - it came to pass
according to plan
we play our songs and then we leave
don't misunderstand
we cannot provide
immortality
but we’re free
Polyxena:
there would be rebellion
a reason for anger and war
H. etherius extinct -
no life to see as before
a traveler from space would
find not a trace
of a race
only hieroglyphs
in the ruins of stone
-6-
Isolier:
you place your thoughts so far away
cities buried in sand
but I am here and I can say
beside you, I stand
Instrumental Break
-7-
Polyxena:
No one knows the beginning -
how long has this colony survived?
and are there cults on other worlds
who wait for the sounds to arrive? if time could be changed
and the past rearranged
could Etheria worship the sun
or a prophet of god?
-8-
Isolier:
in the schools of ancient man
metaphysics debate
the Harmonauts must never doubt
that this is our fate
I will study your face
what should I see
educate me
_9_
Polyxena:
I am here - I’m with you
I can't say how long it will last
my thoughts now shaped by ether
I’m afraid - we're moving too fast
the pain that I feel
when I call out in vain
to the sky
for the answers to life
am I wasting my time?
it's true
I must realize
and focus my eyes
on the feelings inside
I must make up my mind
-10-
Isolier:
the festival - it waits for us
we must return
perform the rites of sacred sound
the rhythms that burn
but when it is time
for me to leave
will you come with me?
Polyxena and Isolier:
oh yeah
Act II
The Cosmic Jam
(No Lyrics)
The Art of Grave Robbing
The Art of Grave Robbing
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
Loners
Loners
Thalia:
this Harmonauts had spent his whole life studying
behaviors of subspecies of humanity
objective observations here
recorded in a song:
Neolithos:
1
I have come from a world
a world not well known
and the people who live
there - they have a way
2
yet I lived in that place
for ten years or more
and I’ve authored a book
on its anthropology
Chorus:
they were loners
on a world with a million loners
and they were humans like you
except they had a Law
3
I learned of their lives
I heard their history
their ancestral fears
you know they had seen war
4
the pain that is there
a question - a hundred answers-
and so to keep peace
solution of geometry
Chorus:
they were loners
in a world with a million other loners
and they could not relate
no parlays - not ever a word
this was their chance
to put war in a grave
no heated exchange
no intellectual slaves
I’m a loner
in a room with thousand other loners
we can learn quite a lot
from distant foreign tribes
4
their ancients had seen
the competitive scheme
like rats in a cage
you automatically rage
5
the Law said no clans
that is larger than one
that was a promise indeed
no anger and no war
Chorus:
they were loners
meditation will bring the trance
they were completely consumed
in the silent mating dance
Instrumental Break
6
ok so now I’m alone
I reject the world
does the world reject me
disappointing but true
7
no turning back
I feel the distances increase
the air becomes thin
will I continue to breathe?
Chorus
I’m a loner
in a city with a million loners
the planet calls me home
and the stress I leave behind
now is my chance
to attain the next sphere
and into the trance
no more sadness and tears
I’m a loner
in a city with a million loners
the planet calls me home
and the stress I leave behind
now is my chance
to attain the next sphere
and into the trance
no more sadness and tears
you’re the loners
can't believe that it’s any other way
don't try to fool yourselves
go solo today
Instrumental finale
The Telepathic War
The Telepathic War
(When Two Magicians Met on a Radioactive Planet)
Thalia:
two Harmonauts portrayed a battle they had fought
a psychic war for the dominion they had sought
they sang their song - but their souls lived on
a distant poisoned realm
1
Falerina:
we met it was prearranged
and the planet was long sterilized
by the wars of a race long dead
their ghosts did cry and the wind through the mist
Psikeros:
mist that lay a sulfuric stage
the light that fell was too dim
to see where Falerina did stand
but soon the fibers of thought reaching through
2
Falerina:
to deep in my head injecting
the anger that you have seen me display
and the pride - a disability
I govern all worlds - but then there is you
Psikeros:
you cannot win this battle
your will is broken - your options are gone
I had offered you apprenticeship
but you stood alone - you must have control
3
Falerina:
control the fires that burn here forever
splitting atoms are all that remain
summon the memory of spirits that fly
they cannot feel pain - for now they are dead
Psikeros:
dead planet continues to spin
though long ago it was home to a world
a crazy chorus - a forest of rain
but steel met steel - and power was king
Brief Instrumental Section
4
Falerina:
when your logic prevails - you lose sight of my kind
we exist for more than your pleasure
the weapons I use are not the ones that you choose
but do I hide them as if they were treasure
Psikeros:
no time for your lies - emotive alibis
the whole world rests on my shoulders
don't show me your tears - I won't spare you the fear
of joining those I have conquered
Chorus of Falerina and Psikeros:
the silent despair of this place
should move us to compromise
the madness distorts local space
light bends round our eyes
Instrumental (Guitar Solo)
5
Falerina:
I summon the tired, the weak, and the raped
the ones who have become wild
those unknowing fools who have broken the rules
to stand, to fight, in this trial
Psikeros:
secret of the sword, gestalt de la guerre -
I amplify aggression to seize her
I call the warriors of time to this field -
take part in this Martian fever
6
Falerina:
the Wiccans of old, Joan of arc, I am told
the sound, the flames, the magic
Appalachian lands stolen from Cherokee hands
the trail of tears, it’s tragic
Psikeros:
the psychosis builds - my fingers are wrapped
you feel your nerve fibers twisted
you can't withstand - the strength of this man
you've lost your chance, you missed it
7
Falerina:
I feel your grasp - your self-confidence
you knew you'd win from the start
You know, you're sharp - but here in my hand
you see that I hold your heart
Chorus:
this struggle can never be finished
locked in deadly embrace
I hope I’ve not hurt your self-image
I see no fear not a trace
Instrumental (harmonized synthesizers)
Realization and Fury
Realization and Fury: The Songs Have Been Stolen
Thalia:
The time had passed
the festival had ended
the songs were stored in electronic memory
the Recordist put the tapes away
in a room but the merchant was there
when the chance arose
the tapes were taken by the man
he tried to sell the sounds
to the people
the Harmonauts they witnessed then
the death of mythology
Neolithos:
Illusions of fear: my song is gone
I’ve traveled so far: to give - to be one
of the Harmonauts: I’ve been betrayed
by a machine - and by my brother
Exobotanist:
this amounts to sacrilege
they taped the festival
and now control the secret faith
of all Etherians
I should have known the merchant was
here to make more then a tune
Isolier and that crazy machine
have landed us in the news
Etherian Chorus:
Return our mythology
The reason of Etheria
And restore our ancient belief
we suffer from hysteria
Photophagus:
the few who have committed
this act we cannot ignore
will hold our songs and Etherians
will live by faith no more
the politics of music now
it wears a different hue
what is the value of a chord?
I think I’ll write some blues
Neolithos:
the feelings of fear: are replaced now by anger
the sound is so near: the sound of the enslaved
I cannot remain: a cynic and a coward
the action is there: we stand on our feet
I’m a loner
in a room with ten other loners
maybe I’ll go outside
to move - to fight - to win
Harmonaut Chorus:
Now is our chance
to control our fate
shape history
and to find those tapes
Etherian Chorus:
Return our mythology
The reason of Etheria
restore our ancient belief
we suffer from hysteria
Polyxena:
I can hear them calling
they long for the life they have known
tapes now hold our stories
religion lies still as a stone
darkness now covers us all
the vision I saw
a world torn apart
and we are to blame
Harmonaut Chorus:
Now is our chance
to control our fate
shape history
to find those tapes
Ah Ah
Etheria
The Explanation
The Explanation
Isolier:
1
all I did was show the world my invention
a way to store a song that I heard
words on a page
capturing your soul was not my intention
your voice has become a slave
a prisoner in a cage
2
how was I to know
that they would corrupt it
take my gift and use it to steal
causing you grief
tell me what can I do now
to make it up?
find the merchant and then burn the tapes
punish the thief
3
I heard you sing at the celebration
filling my mind with light
machines recorded the grand occasion
not knowing wrong from right
4
vibrating strings induce a certain sadness
distant horns that play as the wind
echo through time
talking drums convey a feeling of madness
hypnotizing those who would dance
those who could rhyme
instrumental chorus
5
if I stood alone, awaiting the judgement
what would history say of my crime
does it fill me with fear?
sentenced by the ones whose songs have
been stolen
run the tape of my voice crying out
for the rest of my years
6
I heard you play felt the sounds within me
the recorders there heard you too
locked away now the songs are frozen
the legend that lived is no more
7
I am on my knees seeking your forgiveness
do you remember the love that we shared
It’s hidden by night
the spirit of our youth has gone now it is lost
say you understand what I did
bring me into light
bring me into light
bring me into light
On Forgiving
On Forgiving
Polyxena's Reply
Polyxena:
1
you've come to me
to explain what you have done
You’re genuinely sorry
I can see
a song, most precious
has been taken away
and I can’t get it back
lost forever, gone from me
Chorus:
I cannot forgive you
my anger is deep within
I cannot forgive you
can you forgive me?
2
when I was young
emotion colored my dreams
and the world existed just for me
as experience and knowledge
they gave me harmony
my song became my biography
3
sound became thought
and the feelings within
that could not be spoken were revealed
but now my mind is filled
with darkness the storm is near
love has left me now
and that's how I feel
Chorus:
I cannot forgive you
my anger is deep within
I cannot forgive you
I could try ... I could lie
instrumental break: organ solo
4
you've made a mistake
you gave away my soul
the melody that defines me
I s gone
and you hope I can understand
and say it’s all right
but I’m not a spirit - I am human
and you've done me wrong
5
the end of our love
is hardest of all
the final act, the encore,
curtain call but once, you meant a lot to me
an inspiration for all I achieved
and now it's my fault, I’m sorry
I have to leave
Chorus:
I cannot forgive you
my anger is deep within
I cannot forgive you
can you forgive me?
can you forgive me?
can you forgive me?
oh oh
Two Swords, Neurotoxin, Fire (Destroy the Tapes)
Two Swords, Neurotoxin, Fire (Destroy The Tapes)
Merchant:
On board his ship readying for take-off.
1
to err is human - escape is divine
before the blood begins to spill
their religion has taken a hit
and they’re looking for someone to kill
2
I was only doing my job
playing the angle - making a score
not the first time the ancient art
of merchantry has started a war
The Recordist comes into the freighter.
Recordist:
3
You will not be leaving
your troubles have just begun
no longer deceiving
I have come for those tapes
Merchant:
4
Don't be a hero - don’t be a fool
Etheria is not a worthy stage
You' re the Recordist - you broke the rules
don't look at me with eyes of rage
5
I possess them - the tapes are mine
and I’m headed for the black of space
if you’re wise - you'll do the same
I’d disappear soon without a trace
Recordist:
Grabs a long sword from a rack.
You will stand and fight
I’m here - for Etheria
you will do what's right
or fear will invade your mind
Merchant obtains another sword and they duel. Merchant scratches the Recordist. Recordist then stabs the Merchant
Merchant:
if you are thinking that I’ll die alone
the poisonous sword that I hold in my hand
has scratched you and later your breathing will stop
the end of the wonderful life you had planned
ah ah
The merchant ceases to be physiologically active.
Isolier:
8
here they are - the tapes
the music - the curse
how could I have been so blind
it’s cost me so much
9
now I watch them burn
the dark flames consuming
and I feel the chemistry now
it drags me away
10 - Bridge
will my ghost journey there to the canyon
cut by glaciers from stone
will it join with the wind in a chorus
or freeze like ice - all alone
11
I have felt the cold of space
emptiness there
I have walked through the river of time
I’ve seen a thousand suns
12
I can only wish my work here
has touched her
she'll reflect - and I’ll be alive
alive in her mind
alive in her mind
alive in her mind
The Departure
The Departure
Etherian Crowd:
the Harmonauts will return
return in a thousand years
but now their engines burn
and we watch them through our tears
Thalia:
the tapes destroyed
the festival now over
the rockets left the surface
of Etheria
their myth alive
their spirits revived
await the next return
Etherian Chorus:
the Harmonauts will return
return in a thousand years
but now their engines burn
and we watch them through our tears
now deep in space
Thalia:
Polyxena was alone
her course was set
for a new aquatic home
a liquid world where life was young
no humans to hear her words
Polyxena, alone in her rocket ship, readies herself for lengthy hibersleep.
Polyxena:
1
I prepare now to hibernate
and I wonder will it be deep
in the dreamless time of the journey
my anguish will sleep
2
and you - you made the sacrifice
the tapes destroyed - you saved the Cult of Sound
and your memory becomes a fable
but you're not around
and I - I have forgiven you
I was wrong - I was filled with pride
I - I may have driven you
to be reckless to forfeit your life
3
my thoughts will fade quickly
while Etheria fades now from view
I’ll never go back
to perform there
I know it's true
4
as the threads of my vision
are tangled and pulled into night
the image I see in my head
the picture is you
and I - I have forgiven you
I was angry - I was filled with pride
I - I have forgiven you
did you forgive me?
did you forgive me?