Other Serious Songs
by
Isaac Bonewits
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Songs on this page: Arthur's Lullaby The
Ascent, Avalon is Rising!, Come
to Me, Earth First!, Her
Children Must Prevail, I Fell in Love with
the Lady, I Wander Now, Murrayite
Medley, Our Father, She
Wants to Know, Victory, We
Are One Family.
Typographical notes: A tilde (~) is used to indicate
ornamentation throughout, with double tildes indicating more
of the same. Either a slash (/) or an "incorrect" comma
may be used to indicate phrasing. Foreign language text (usually
Irish) is set in a "Plain" typeface, since diacriticals
(accent marks) in italics are too hard to read. Lines in italics
usually indicate a chorus or refrain.
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Arthur's Lullaby
© 1990, 2001 c.e.
words by Isaac Bonewits
music by Brahms ("Lullaby")
Key of A
Lullaby and good night,
With sigils bedight,
With pentagrams bedecked,
Is Baby's wee bed.
Lay thee down now and rest,
By the Goddess be blessed.
Lay thee down now and rest,
By the Goddess be blessed.
Lullaby and good night,
She has banished all fright,
She has banished all woe,
To your slumbers now go.
Lullaby and good night,
Guardian spirits take flight,
They hover overhead,
They suround your sweet bed.
Lullaby... and... good... night...
|
| I wrote this for my son Arthur shortly after
he was born and used it on many occasions to sing him to sleep.
It appears on the "Avalon Is Rising!" album as "Bran's
Lullaby." |
The Ascent
© 1988, 2001 c.e.
words and music by Isaac Bonewits
Key of A
Though there's snow on the ground, I see buds
on the branches.
Winter is going and spring's on Her way.
'Tis sure I am eager for summer's warm laughter,
But I'll have to get there day by day.
The road that I'm walking is high, steep and
narrow;
And all that surrounds me seems hopeless and gray.
I know far ahead is a land of bright beauty,
But I'll have to get there day by day.
The Old Gods, I know, have been there before
me.
I hear their soft whispers sometimes when I pray.
The secrets They've taught me all come to one answer:
I'll have to get there day by day.
My Lady, I'm told, was an innocent Maiden,
When first She descended beneath the cold clay.
She returns every spring to bring me Her wisdom:
I'll have to get there day by day.
Now I walk not alone, for my Lady walks with
me.
Her bright shining love keeps the demons at bay.
She lightens the road, though She can't walk it for me.
I'll have to get there day by day.
So today I'll not hurt myself or my loved
ones,
All that I'll deal with is simply today.
Each step that I take brings my goal a bit closer.
And I know I'll get there day by day.
Though there's snow on the ground, I see buds
on the branches...
|
| I wrote this as a "Pagan 12 Step" song,
based in part on the Greek myth of Persephone's "Descent
to the Underworld." |
Avalon is Rising
© 1985, 2001 c.e.
words by Isaac Bonewits
music trad. ("Babylon is Fallen")
Key of C
Hail the day so long expected, when the Gates
are opened wide.
Magicks old and new collected, have restored the ancient pride.
Throughout Faerie's wide dominion, hear the trumpets swoop and
soar
Avalon is rising, is rising, is rising;
Avalon is rising to fall no more.
Avalon is rising, is rising, is rising; Avalon is rising to fall
no more.
All of us now stand in wonder, as our visions
come to pass.
Earth Mother and God of Thunder, Huntress, Weaver, join the dance.
Swell the sound of joyous laughter, hear immortal voices roar:
Though some thought that all their hating,
had sent Her beneath the waves;
Avalon was merely waiting, for Her folk will not be slaves!
Now the day of freedom's dawning, brings Them back forevermore
Hark all ye in groves and bowers, Pan has
come another time;
Ruling with a rod of flowers, giving us the bliss sublime.
Freyr and Freya now shall guide us, Venus be our counselor
Listen warriors of the Old Gods, as the Wild
Hunt's horn doth sound;
All their works shall fall before us, and the evil ones be bound.
Raise the shield of bright Athena, swing the hammer of great
Thor
Hear me now each dree and bandree, brahman,
volkhvi, flamen too;
Priest and priestess, poet, godi, runemaster and shaman true:
All your faith now is rewarded, prophets of the ancient lore
Some of us shall go a-sailing, through the
void so deep and far.
They will come with us unfailing, plant the seeds from star to
star.
Hear our children's children's voices, join with those from days
of yore:
Avalon is rising...
|
| This is the title song for my second album. I
worked the Indo-European "functions"
pattern into it, with a verse for the servants, the producers,
the warriors and the clergy, as well as adding a science fiction
touch at the end. |
Come to Me
© 1989, 2001 c.e.
words and music by Isaac Bonewits
Key of D-minor
Come to me my beauty, / I've something for
you here;
A mystery you do not know, / there's nothing you should fear.
Come to me, / come to me.
Countless are the maidens / who've passed
beneath my gate;
But none has ever left again. / I am the hand of Fate.
Come to me, / come to me.
Strip off your gown and jewels / remove all
that you own
There's nothing you can bring below / save naked flesh and bone.
Come to me, / come to me.
Never have I witnessed / such beauty and such
grace
Come here and lie down by my side / accept my cold embrace.
Come to me, / come to me.
You say you cannot love me / for all the things
I kill
But Age and Fate my sweet one / are far beyond my will.
Come to me, / come to me.
If you must still deny me / the passions that
I urge
Then I must bid you to kneel down / you must accept my scourge.
Come to me, / come to me.
The serpent now is rising / so grant to me
the boon
You feel the pangs of love I know / your pain will vanish soon
Come to me, / come to me.
And yes! the worlds are spinning! / and yes!
the Wheel turns round!
Love and Death and sweet Rebirth / within our glory found.
Come with me / yes! you come with me!
(instrumental break)
No one has ever touched me / the way that
you have done
My cold heart you have melted / by surrender you have won.
Stay with me / stay with me.
You've taken in my seed now / it's deep within
you set
No matter what may come to pass / I know you won't forget.
Stay with me / stay with me.
I'll give to you my power / to weild as if
your own
I'll lay my sword down at your feet / I'll share with you my
throne.
Just stay with me / stay with me...
I know you must depart now / to rule your
worlds above
But when cold winds begin to blow / remember our warm love.
And come to me / please come to me / you'll come to me...
|
| This song was originally called, "His Side
of the Story," and is one of several songs I've written
for deities I thought neglected or misunderstood. As written,
this version tells the Wiccan "Descent of the Goddess"
tale from Hade's point of view. |
Earth First!
© 1988, 2001 c.e.
words by Isaac Bonewits
music Irish trad. by Turlough O'Carolyn
("Miss MacDermott's Planxty" a.k.a. "Princess
Royal")
Key of C?
There's a hole in the sky and rains that burn
And forests, lakes, and rivers that are dead,
While the eagle and the whale and the wolf retreat --
Still the hungers of evil are not fed.
There are those who think they can save the
Earth
With heartfelt speeches and letters so polite,
But we~ have~ learn~ed to our regret
There are times when you just have to fight.
[Chorus 1]
So "Earth First!" we shout as
we strike for Her.
We will not let another species die.
We'll fight~ to~ pro~tect all that's wild
On the Land, in the Waters and the Sky.
[Chorus 2]
They~ will kill our pla~net --
And every single creature on it that is still alive
If we're "nice," if we're "good," if we keep
their "laws~."
Men of greed and stupidity
With their dreams of foul "dominion" over all the Earth
Must be stopped -- there can be no higher cause!
We are the knights of the Earth Mother
Reborn unto a path once lost.
And we will fight to protect Her life
No matter what the cost.
So "Earth First!" we shout...
They~ will kill our pla~net...
No compromises will we hear
To rape the Waters, Lands or Skies.
A spe~cies does~ not~ "bargains" make --
If it can~not live, then it dies.
So we'll climb those trees and expose those
crooks.
A monkeywrench we will throw into the gears
Of the dea~th ma~chines~ -- we must stop them all
While the Earth still has left a few years!
So "Earth First!" we shout...
|
| This song was obviously inspired by the Earth
First! movement of eco-activists. The tune is tricky and requires
practice to perform well. Back to Top of Page |
Her Children Must Prevail
© 1989, 2001 c.e.
words by Isaac Bonewits
music English trad. ("Bring Us In Good Ale")
Key of __
Mother's sick and dying / Her life is fading
fast.
We must act now to save Her, / this chance may be our last.
Her children must pre~vail, prevail, /
Her chil~dren must prevail.
For Our Blessed La~dy's sake, / Her chil~dren must prevail.
Land and Sky are poisoned, / the Waters are
also.
We have to save Our Mother, / we've no where else to go.
The whale is almost gone now, / the elephant
is next,
While profit, bloody profit, / is always their pretext.
Human greed is causing / so many now to die.
"Dominion over all the Earth" / was just another lie.
The Old Gods whisper to us. / The dolphins
scream in fear.
The time for talk is over, / the answers now are clear.
It's time to join our voices / into a mighty
shout.
And if our rulers won't agree, / we'll throw the bastards out!
If we work together, / we know we cannot fail.
For Our Blessed Lady's sake, / Her children will prevail!
Her children will pre~vail, prevail, /
Her chil~dren will prevail!
For Our Blessed La~dy's sake, / Her chil~dren will prevail!
|
| I got this tune from a wonderful album called,
"Summer Solstice." It's a very simple structure, suitable
for processions. Back to Top of Page |
I Fell in Love with the Lady
© 1973, 2001 c.e.
words by Isaac Bonewits
music by Tim Hardin ("The Lady Came from Baltimore")
Key of G
Her people came from off the moor, / lived
outside the law;
Didn't care about rich or poor, / just the souls they saw.
I was sent to kill Her people / for the
Inquisition.
Then I fell in love with the Lady, / came away with no one,
I came away with none.
I crept into the woods one night, / to spy
upon their dance.
I saw a happy, holy sight, / I fell into a trance.
The Lady that I saw that night, / She wore a robe of blue;
On Her head a crown of stars, / at Her feet the moon.
At Her feet the moon!
Ah but --
I was sent to kill Her people...
I joined into the dancing then / and when
the Great Rite came,
The Lady reached out Her hand to me; / She called me by my name!
The Jesuits are after me, / they know I've changed my side.
But though they search from sea to sea, / I know where I'll hide,
I know where I'll abide.
Though --
I was sent to kill Her people / for the
Inquisition.
I'm going back to the Lady; / they'll come away with no one,
They'll come away with none!
|
| This is one of the first Pagan songs I wrote
and reflects the Murrayite theory of medieval Witches being members
of an underground Pagan religion. |
I Wander Now
© 1981, 2001 c.e.
words by Isaac Bonewits
music by Gwydion Penderwen & Bill Hearne ("Witches'
Tune")
Key of C-minor
I watched my parents die 'neath the sword,
Because they would not break their word
That they had sworn to the Gods above,
To sing their songs of joy and love.
I wander now from village to town,
Up each lonely road and down.
I carry naught save a harp and a staff,
A word of faith, a song and a laugh.
I watched my sister die on the rack.
For strength and will she had no lack.
She swore that she would rather die free,
Than live a lie on bended knee.
... a word of will, a song and a
laugh.
I watched my brother die in the fire.
He cursed them well as the flames rose higher,
Till his wit was lost in the smoke and the haze --
I'll remember his screams till the end of my days.
... a word of rage, a song and a
laugh.
All my family's been taken from me,
All our people forced to flee
The followers of a god insane,
A "Prince of Peace", of death and of pain.
... a word of fear, a song and a
laugh.
(instrumental break)
I watched the young'ns on last May Day.
They went into the woods to pray.
They knew not the right words from the wrong,
But they let their loving sing their song.
... a word of joy, a song and a
laugh.
The ancient wisdom, it still lives on:
It lives in a word and a laugh and a song.
Healers, wizards, bards are we,
And we'll walk our rounds till the Earth is free!
We wander now from village to town,
Up each lonely road and down.
Each carries naught save a harp and a staff,
A word of hope ... a song and a laugh!
|
| This song was originally called, "The Bard's
Lament," and appears on my first album, "Be Pagan Once
Again!" Unlike other songs posted here, the last line of
each chorus is given instead of the first because one word (underlined)
changes in that line each time. |
A Murrayite Medley
arrangement, word changes © Isaac Bonewits,
2001 c.e.
"We All Come & Hoof & Horn," community
chants
"I Wander Now," © 1981, 1999 Isaac Bonewits
"The Burning Times," © 1980 Charlie Murphy
"We Won't Wait Any Longer," © 1973 Gwyddion Penderwen
Keys are A-minor & D-minor
We all come from the Goddess, and to Her
we shall return,
Like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean. [1x]
Hoof & horn, hoof and horn, all that
dies shall be reborn.
Corn and grain, corn and grain, all that falls shall rise again.
[1x]
In the cool of the evening...
Isis, Astarte... [3x]
I watched my parents...
I wander now... word of faith...
I watched my sister...
I wander now... word of will...
There were those who came to conquer...
Isis, Astarte.. [3x]
I watched my brother...
I wander now... word of rage...
All my family's...
I wander now... word of fear...
We all come... [1x]
Hoof & horn... [1x]
We have trusted no man's promise...
We won't wait...
They have grazed away the heather...
We won't wait...
I watched the young'ns...
I wander now... a word of joy...
The ancient wisdom...
We wander now... a word of hope...
Though they thought they had destroyed...
We won't wait...
Through the ages many races have arisen...
We won't wait...
We all come... [1x]
Hoof & horn... [1x]
Now the Earth is a witch...
Isis, Astarte... [3x]
Mingle all choruses ad libitim.
(Drummers can go crazy here!)
|
| I believe it was my third wife, Sally Eaton,
and I who discovered that all these tunes merged into and out
of one another very easily. There are other A-minor/D-minor chants
that can be pulled into the mix at the end as well. This particular
arrangement is based on my minor rewordings of Penderwen's and
Murphy's songs. It takes rehearsal and good musicians, especially
drummers, to pull off the rhythm changes, but the results can
be very satisfying. Back to Top of Page |
Our Father
© 1979, 2001 c.e.
words and music by Isaac Bonewits
Key of __
They told us that You had gone quite mad.
They told us that You were insane.
You were the Lord of Love and Light,
And they made You the God of Pain.
Our Father...
Earth Shaker, Sky Mover,
Lord of the Wind and the Waves.
You were the joy of all free hearts,
And they made You the God of Slaves.
Our Father...
Lord of Lust and God of the Hunt,
Brother, lover true.
Often a warrior, seldom a soldier,
They took Your own sword and cut You in two.
Our Father...
The love that You hold for Your Lady dear,
Brought You both great joy and fame;
Till they made You a figure of hate and fear.
Now even Your daughters curse Your name!
Our Father...
Father, Mother and Holy Child,
A trinity once true.
Come back to us both tender and strong,
The Father we once knew.
Our Father...
By the Sun and the Star and the Standing Stone,
By the Hammer and the Spear;
Your children call You back to us,
We need Your power here.
We need Your beauty here.
We need Your loving here.
Our Father... Our Father... Our Father...
|
| I wrote this song at a time when I felt that
many in the Neopagan community had forgotten that our Paleopagan
ancestors had worshipped positive male deities, even if the monotheists
had presented only negative ones for the last 3,000 years. Back to Top of Page |
She Wants to Know
© 1997, 2001 c.e.
words and music by Isaac Bonewits
Key of __
The Earth doesn't care about your guilt
And She doesn't care about your shame.
She doesn't care who your ancestors were
Nor where you point the finger of blame.
She wants to know: What will you do for
Her today?
She wants to know: When will you act and not just pray?
She wants to know: Will your words be followed by deeds?
She wants to know: When will you plant some seeds?
The Earth doesn't care about your comfort
Or your bloody property rights.
She doesn't care about your profit or loss
Nor your social and political fights.
She wants to know: When will you clean
up all of your mess?
She wants to know: When will you work more and talk less?
She wants to know: When will you clear Her skies of your haze?
She wants to know: When will you mend your ways?
The Earth doesn't care about your priests
And their otherworldly creeds,
If they haven't the wit or the courage to change
To fit our planet's needs.
She wants to know: What will you do for
Her today?
She wants to know: When will you act and not just pray?
She wants to know: Will your words be followed by deeds?
She wants to know: When will you plant some seeds?
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| This song was inspired by one-too-many New Age
rituals "to heal the Earth" done by people who couldn't
be bothered to clean up after themselves. Back
to Top of Page |
Victory
© 1967, 2001 c.e.
words and music by Isaac Bonewits
Key of __
They're cutting rations again today,
They found some more people in what's left of L.A.
Another kid was born with no hands to play.
But what does it matter?
'Cause we won the war, yeah.
We won the war, yeah!
We've thirty-seven million now, they've only
twenty-five,
And the children that we're starting now are seldom born alive,
And hardly any of them ever make it past five.
Whenever it rains we've got to hide,
For the bombs they fell and the heavens they cried
Descending on us all as a result of our pride.
And over and over it goes through each mind,
How could we have been so blind?
We won the war but we lost mankind!
And what does it matter?
That we won the war, yeah.
Or they won the war, yeah.
We all lost the war.
|
| One of the first songs I ever wrote, back when
we were expecting the USA and the USSR to exchange nuclear missles
at any time. The central point of the song, however, is still
appropriate in the age of biological weapons and multiple terrorist
groups. Back to Top of Page |
We Are One Family
© 1983, 2001 c.e.
words & music by Isaac Bonewits
Key of C
We are the children of the Earth.
She is our Mother!
Offspring of the Sungod's bright mirth.
He is our Father!
We have our siblings in the air,
On the land, in the sea.~
We are one family!
We are one family:
Kin to the whale and the dove.
We are one family,
We are one family;
Joined by the strength of our love,
Of our love,~
Joined by the strength of our love!
The dolphin so free and alive,
He is our brother!
The wolf who must kill to survive,
She is our sister!
We are the cousins of the eagle
Who soars in ecstacy.~
We are one family!
Sequoia and bristlecone pine,
They are ancestors!
The cactus and mushroom divine,
We are related!
The D.N.A. that runs through us all,
Is the key.~
We are one family!
Throughout all of time and of space,
Life has been granted!
Every intelligent race --
We have been planted!
And those who have sown the seeds
Now await patiently.~
We are one family!
|
| This song was written to celebrate humanity's
links to the rest of Gaia's children, and possibly to Others
far away. |
|
All songs are copyright © as marked and renewed in
2005 c.e., by Isaac Bonewits (and co-authors). Individual song
lyrics by Isaac Bonewits may be freely distributed on the Net,
provided that no editing is done, copyright dates and names are
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