Feb 2022 filk sciencefiction book translations
Based on Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines. Very funny book. With sincere apologies to Janis Ian for the first two lines, a take-off on her ending to Welcome Home.
Sorry "you'd think space-travelling aliens" got tongue twisted. I don't have the spoons to try again today.
Yes, I know the word "sapiens", which means wise, usually follows the word homo. Isn't it long past time we stopped thinking of ourselves as the only wise beings anywhere ever?
In hindsight, this song is really about two topics I've jammed together. May do something about that after FAWM.
F E7
And when the aliens finally come
Am7 Dm7
They’ll say to each and every one
D G C C
G7
“Take Me to Your Leader” – really?
F
That’s so trite it can’t be right
G
Assuming leaders would be silly
C
An outright lack of fore .... sight
F E7
You'd think space-travelling aliens
Am7 Dm7
Would be, you know, astute and sapiens
D G C
G7
Have met the Borg, have met hive minds
F
Given up their narrow assumptions
G
Of hierarchies and such designs
C
Unfounded theories and presumptions
A
We come in harmony to
D
Defenestrate your dingos
G
We come in harmony to
C G G
Defenestrate your dingos
G7
Even with a common alphabet
F
We find ourselves bemused at best
G
Foreign friends they play a marmoset?
C
Google failed, that is my guess
F E7
So when the Krakau come to Earth
Am7 Dm7
Which was not the planet of their birth
D G C C
G7
And thought their phrasing truly wise
F
Hines knew that they would have regrets
G
Could it have been a real surprise
C
They want to heal our clarinets?
A
We come in harmony to
D
Defenestrate your dingos
G
We come in harmony to
C G G
Defenestrate your dingos
F E7
But when the aliens finally came
Am7 Dm7
They found no human with a brain
D G C C
G7
Translations are no use at all
F
When humans become wendigos
G
Communications will hit a wall
C
Go and feather some fandangos
G7
Nothing left to defenestrate.
F
And nothing left to heal
G
Never trust what you translate
C
Or are you trying to .... conceal?
@jtsteam Mar 2022
I enjoyed this at the circle last night - nice to hear it again!
@danvaillancourt Mar 2022
So fun and quirky. Lots of great lines and fun wordplay. I laughed out loud. Great folky picking and melody.
@karan Feb 2022
Oh wow, this was exactly what I needed to listen to today! Thank you for being both quirky and wise! :-)
@kadmad202 Feb 2022
This is incredibly original and imaginative. I also am a fantasy/SciFi fan, but have never heard of spacefolk. Apparently I have some Googling to do - and possibly some inspiration to acquire : )
@kahlo2013 Feb 2022
I like how you develop this concept about aliens. I like the fun in the lyrics but also appreciate the deeper meanings! Nicely delivered.
@ductapeguy Feb 2022
Ha. Defenestrate your dingos may become my new catch phrase.
@berni1954 Feb 2022
Fun write. Yes our limited imagination when it comes to aliens is sad - from bug eyed monsters to people like us but with pointy ears or antennae... Sigh.
The best alien contact movie ever is surely "Arrival" - its alien truly are... well... alien.
@auditasum Feb 2022
Love John C Hines! Spacefolk is also one of my favorite niche genres :D Great conversational vocal delivery. Combined with the chord progression it is Janis Ian-like, in a good way.
@metricula Feb 2022
That chord progression picked like that is *gorgeoous*!
@headfirstonly Feb 2022
I love the playing with language. Making something incomprehensibly alien and funny at the same time is not easy, but you do it well here (you should read some of the bios of the spammers I've been swatting this year; they make the Krakau sound coherent.)
And now I'm thinking I ought to read some of Hines's work...
@ceilidh Feb 2022
Very nice! Reminds me of the translation from English to Chinese and back to English, from "Rock of Ages cleft for me" to Very Old Stone split for my benefit.
But are the dingos okay? Was the window on the ground floor???
@scubed Feb 2022
This is delightful! Witty lyrics, lovely musical setting, and fun performance - what a terrific collaboration!
@mariekevinkmusic Feb 2022
Oooohhhhh cudos for the Janis Ian reference, both musical and sci-fi legend :-)
Really like this. I have always found it really annoying that humans think they are the clever ones in an alien encounter.
@chipwithrow Feb 2022
You and Phil make me want to get some sci-fi in my life. Your vocal is charming, delivering these clever words, and Phil's guitar rolls along as it always does. Nifty chord changes, too.
@wacha Feb 2022
This is fun and smart, really nice work to both of you. There's a classic folk feel to this that hits me in all the right places.
@infilktion Feb 2022
This was fun! It also reminds me my clarinet is in need of healing (needs re-corked).
@azraelarmond33 Feb 2022
I find this song to be delightfully whimsical. Great job!
@jaegerin Feb 2022
I really need to read the book now! I’m all “wait, what?” after listening to this - in a good way! Great job, JaneG!
@wylddandelyon Feb 2022
Oh, very nice! Fun rhymes, and so true.
And yes, I believe that scientists will use "sapiens" for alien species, once we meet some outside of stories.
@rshakesp Feb 2022
Such fun - great words to play with - nice guitar playing and sweet melodic lines to bring the crazy words to life
@tuneslayer Feb 2022
I don't know why you couldn't near rhyme "aliens" with "sapient." I also don't know why some other species couldn't be "sapiens" as well.
This reminds me of one of those two-sentence stories I read many years ago: "An alien came down and demanded I take it to my leader., I brought it home to meet my wife."
@gmcgath Feb 2022
The Krakau are using a Polish-English dictionary to tell us their hovercraft is full of eels.
@cloudhopper Feb 2022
good one!
"Defenestrate your dingos" Throw them out a window?
@leslie333 Feb 2022
This is awesome! I'm going to have to find that book. Great lyrics, so much fun.