I experimented with one of those on-your-phone loopers for the percussion, then just started it and laid the phone next to the microphone. I'm not entirely satisfied with that part, but fawm is for experimenting, right?
This was inspired by the very fragmentary lyrics @complexissimple posted as the "last night challenge". I'm not sure how much of the original was left after I gleaned the parts I wanted and then tweaked and tweaked and tweaked. But I wouldn't have done this song this way without the challenge, so thank you, @complexissimple .
Call me Master
Deirdre M. Murphy
A2 Am A2 Am
Deafened by a silent beat, he cannot hear the truth
Em Em* Em Em Em*
Dissonance drives him, he feels powerless and penned
A2 Am A2 Am
He’s out to beat the doc who travels in a blue phone booth
Em Em* Em Em Em*
If he can win, he doesn’t care how many lives could end
Dm Dm* Dm Dm*
And when he scores a point in his twisted private game
Am A2 Am A2
He says, Doctor oh my Doctor, just call me by my name:
Em A2 Am
Master ----- Yes, call me by my name.
He’s always tightly wound, counting down like a time-bomb
He too soon trusts his enemies and never trusts his friends
He’s frantic and he’s mantic and he’s never truly calm
No matter what he does, the frantic tapping never ends
And when he scores a point in his twisted private game
He says, Doctor oh my Doctor, just call me by my name:
Master ----- Yes, call me by my name.
Dm Dm* Am A2
Is it the end, my friend? (Say it, call me Master)
Dm Dm* Am A2
I’m going 'round the bend, (faster, always faster)
Dm Dm* Am A2
Half man and half hate (doomed by some disaster)
Em Em* Em
I can’t escape, it’s my fate (cursed by a forecaster)
Dm Dm* Am A2
Say it, call my name (Master, call me Master)
Dm Dm* Am A2
Oh my Doctor, say my name (Master, call me Master)
Em Am A2
Yes, call me Master, Call me by my name! Master
Copyright ©2022 Deirdre M Murphy (2/8/22) #lastnightchallenge #filk
@miga Mar 2022
I enjoyed your description of how the song happened. It's great when FAWM pushes us to try some new way of making music! Whispering "master" sounds sinister - very effective. Good lyrics and the minor key fits the text very well.
@stephenwordsmith Mar 2022
I've never heard percussion quite like that before, but it was very effective. Something about the way it taps taps into the very soul, and heightens the tension massively. This is a lavish portrait of a villain and a glimpse into their deepest desires. The line 'half man and half hate (doomed by some disaster)' is an exquisite lyrical brushstroke. The breathiness with which we hear 'master' hints at the way this desire utterly consumes the villain, in their emotions, their thoughts, and their very sense of purpose.
I enjoyed this one a lot.
#tit4tat
@wolfkier Mar 2022
Which villain exactly is this.... in my mind the only real individual villain (as opposed to an army of things) was Davros. I stopped watchihng a few seasons ago after following for decades and I kinda remember the time lord leader being a meanie who wanted the good Doc back from his gallavanting.... Anyway.. that asside.
I like the way you've taken the story, the tone of the piece is forboding as is the melodic dramatic slow down on "call me by my name". enjoyed my listen. Hope you're enjoying your #tit4tats . Thanks for participating again this year!
@summerrussell Feb 2022
I'm a simple human: I see Doctor Who, I click. I'm glad I did! This is such an effective use of percussion as well as repetition. The line "twisted private game" really captures what the Master's all about, the loneliness of his singular obsession, and the tragedy of his refusal to give it up or to accept any sort of kindness. I especially like the rhyme scheme near the end, the rhyming couplets plus the parenthetical rhymes with "Master." Appropriately hypnotic.
@complexissimple Feb 2022
I heard that beat and immediately knew what this song was going to be about. I'm glad to have inspired a Doctor Who song.
I like how you incorporated the twisting, and I especially like "half man and half hate". I don't know if I would have picked this out as a song that came from finishing those half-finished lyrics, but you can see the lineage and that's pretty cool (like being at the end of a morph chain and being able to trace back one or two things all the way to the seed song).
I also really like the line "Deafened by a silent beat". Way to get people hooked at the beginning of the song.
That image is great too - I'm guessing AI was involved, but what did you input to get that result?
@gmcgath Feb 2022
Mantic: Of or relating to the faculty of divination; prophetic. My new vocabulary word for today. Cursed by a forecaster, indeed.
@elainedimasi Feb 2022
That was a neat challenge and this is a very neat evolution of the "scribbles from last night." I love the frantic tapping and the ramp-up of frantic rhyming with "Master" in growing desperation. Started by kind of creeping up on us and then grew and grew to fill the room. Well done on this!