Rest here, Traveller, and enjoy these songs at your leisure.
Rest here, Traveller,
and enjoy these songs at your leasure.
Here, you will find an on-site music player. If you would like to download a song for personal use, kindly consider becoming a TGW Patreon. The Patreon page offers a download option for all members.
TGW BOOK 1
Songs that appeared within the narration, as well as alternate versions.
The list gets longer, so make sure to scroll!
BOOK ONE — LYRICS
Feathers of Varna — B1.C4.P16 — Poetic Rendering of Plot
Poetic plot rendered in song.
FEATHERS OF VARNA
The Witching Hour — B1.C5.P3 — Wizard Nursery Rhyme
THE WITCHING HOUR — WIZARD NURSERY RHYME
One-forty-one, the witching hour’s begun,
When Teharun rises and darkness is spun
Witches emerge, sinister and cold,
With malice and mischief, their curses unfold.
One-forty-one-forty-two, dread the dark brew,
Of potions and hexes, where shadows accrue.
Wizards, take heed, for danger’s afoot,
Under Teharun they dance, spells that none refute.
Wise wizards hush until two-twenty-two,
No words to be spoken, no magic to strew.
The witches are cunning, their tricks hard to see,
In this silent vigil, true safety shall be.
From one-forty-one to two-twenty-two,
A pact with the night makes the deadliest shrew.
Wizards, stand guard, your senses be keen,
For in this darkest hour, the witches convene.
Let not your spirit be twisted or swayed,
By their sly incantations in the moon’s serenade.
A whisper, a cackle, a rustle, a hiss,
Signals the hour when in greatest power they bliss.
In shadows they linger, in secrets they revel,
To thwart their deceptions, stay quiet, stay level.
For the witching hour is a precarious feat,
Within Teharun’s reach, where witch mothers meet.
So heed the warning, oh wizards so wise,
From one-forty-one, till Teharun leaves the skies.
Protecting your magic, your voices, you might
In the silence of night, keep safe from their sight.
To Dwellers in Darkness — B1.C10.P49 — Albweiss Mountain Song
The night Midnight achieved true affinity with darkness,
a new song resonated from the heart of the Albweiss.
TO DWELLERS IN DARKNESS
We asked one hundred bones
Of one hundred lives
Then we would return
The one he desires
Find one hundred beasts
For us on to feast
And we will hold true
The word we give you
Though we won’t satisfy
With any lesser than yours
So have all of them be
Selected by us
But mind you, be wary
For in the mountain they sing
To dwellers in darkness
The darkness will cling
He will capture your essence
But if you take him all in
Your trust be rewarded
With the power he’ll bring
In your quest you became
A formidable beast
You fought eighty-nine
And brought eighty-eight feasts
We admire your progress
And your resolve to compete
But sadly, oh sadly
You faced your defeat
We honour your skill
You were but so close
But this bet is now over
And your familiar still ours
Young wizard, now lay
Your spirit to rest
But rest reassured
You were one of the best
You brought us great fun
And we will sing of your game
When tonight we will feast
your familiar in your name
A Heritage of Flame and Steel — B1.C12.P1 — Dwarven Heritage Song
A Dwarven Song heard within the Dwarven Temple atop the Varren.A HERITAGE OF FLAME AND STEEL
Under the mountain deep and wide
Where stone-carved Kings in shadows bide
The fires burn where Forge was born
Through molten veins the steel is sworn
A thousand Clans now sing their song
In the heart of stone where they belong
The hammer's clang
The Forge's might
Lit up the dark
Defied the night
Beneath the halls where echoes sing
The temple guards the Crown and Ring
Oh halls of granite pride and flame
Each chisel marks a royal name
Beneath the Mountain’s iron Crown
The ancient halls go winding down
Faces carved in rock so grand
Guard the pride of Dwarven land
The echoes sing of Kings of Old
With hammers bright and hearts so bold
Their thrones of stone still hold the lore
Of battles fought and legends more
The halls resound with battle's song
Of Dwarves who stood so fierce and strong
Their axes sang through steel and flame
And carved their glory into fame
The Anvils hum with ancient song
Of forging right and crushing wrong
A heritage of flame and steel
Oh Brothers hear the stories of the Kings who stood so tall
Their shadows dance in firelight upon the temple wall
A tapestry of ages stitched in veins of silver thread
The living honour what was built by those who now are dead
Oh the stone it sings of glory the echoes never fade
Through halls of gold and silver where their mighty hands once laid
Raise the Banner of the Stone
Our blood
Our name
Our temple’s throne
The Mountains hold our ancient lore
A heritage forevermore
Their shields bear scars of battles past
Their spirits forged to ever last
Through endless night and cavern’s wail
They carved their truth in this grand tale
Oh temple deep where Heroes dwell
Where tales of glory rise and swell
The blood of Clans runs through the veins
Of every stone in these remains
The halls resound with spirits’ might
Their wisdom guides us through the night
A treasure greater than all gold
Our history’s worth, more than told
The Anvils hum with ancient song
Of forging right and crushing wrong
A heritage of flame and steel
Oh Brothers hear the stories of the Kings who stood so tall
Their shadows dance in firelight upon the temple wall
Through every crack and crevice the spirit still remains
The courage of a thousand hearts flows within their veins
Oh temple of the ancients your secrets hold the key
To the Dwarves' eternal legacy, their strength and unity
The hammer's clang
The forge's might
Lit up the dark
Defied the night
Beneath the halls where echoes sing
The temple guards the Crown and Ring
Oh halls of granite pride and flame
Each chisel marks a royal name
Guild Guards — B1.C15.P1 — Albweiss Mountain Guild Song
[Excerpt] Sung by those who guard the Albweiss Mountain Guild.
In the heart of the Albweiss cold
Tales of frozen guards unfold,
Who in the frost their purpose found,
And to the guild their lives had bound.
In the snows our stories live,
Legends of the life we give,
Guilds of old and gilded lore,
Keepers of the mountain core.
Albweiss Odyssey — B1.C20.P21 — AM Guild Captain
The Guild Captain's Song
Through the ice the wild winds blow,
Up the peaks where shadows grow.
In the Albweiss storms are born.
To brave the mountain we have sworn.
Fellowship with hearts so bold
Venturing through tales untold,
From the fire to the snow,
Where the fearsome creatures roam.
Albweiss Mountains, oh so high!
Storm and blizzard reign the sky!
Orks, and witches, beasts align!
We shall conquer frozen spines!
Glacial valleys filled with dread,
Haunted whispers of the dead;
Clutch the torch and heed the call,
When the shadows start to crawl.
Frozen rivers swift and wide,
Breaking through the frigid tide.
Side by side we march as one,
‘Till the mountain’s wrath is done.
Armoured hearts and iron shoes,
Every step demands its dues.
Yet our courage guides the way
Through the cursed snow cascades.
Albweiss Mountains, oh so high!
Storm and blizzard reign the sky!
Orks and witches, beasts align!
We shall conquer frozen spines!
THE DUCKMAN'S PLAYLIST
A personal playlist to get in the mood for writing.
DUCK ENCORE
Every song in the universe is either about a duck or not about a duck. I have split my playlist respectively. Mind you, there might be a song about another bird here and there. Also, yes, these ones are in English.
DUCK ENCORE — LYRICS
DUCK ON THE FLOOR — Intense Dance
Intense Dance,
with not much sense.
The Duck is already on the floor.
He is waiting for you. What are you waiting for?
Feathers flying, the beat’s so thick.
Paddle to the left, shake a tail to the right,
Duck's got moves under neon lights.
Beak in the air when the violins clash.
Who’s got wings sharper than this?
It’s the duck,
My dude,
You can’t resist!
Feet slap the floor like an 808.
The crowd goes wild, they scream his name.
Duck’s in the building, changing the game.
Duck on the floor, whoa-oh,
Bass drops hard, feathers explode.
Quack quack quack, let the party go.
Duck on the floor, stealing the show.
Breaks the beat like a pond of glass.
He moonwalks,
Yeah, he glides on water,
Drip so fresh, he’s a dancefloor starter.
Only cashing checks for the moves he invents.
Dapper as heck in his tux so neat,
Duck's the king of this bassline beat.
Bass so hard, make the floor pop,
Feathers fly, crowd can’t stop,
Quack attack, it’s a nonstop bop.
He’s got that strut waddle waddle sway,
Feet slap the floor like an 808.
The crowd goes wild, they scream his name.
Duck’s in the building, changing the game.
Duck on the floor, whoa-oh,
Bass drops hard, feathers explode.
Quack quack quack, let the party go.
Duck on the floor, stealing the show.
[Verse 5]
Feathers slick back, like he's built for speed,
Saw a party flyer floating on the breeze,
Said, “Dance till dawn”.
He waddles to the door, says,
"I don’t need to try."
Security stops him, says,
He smirks, flips shades, drops one word,
"Quack"
— The bassline starts to churn,
Now the club’s on fire. Let the tables turn.
Feet slap the floor like an 808.
The crowd goes wild, they scream his name.
Duck’s in the building, changing the game.
Duck on the floor, whoa-oh,
Bass drops hard, feathers explode.
Quack quack quack, let the party go.
Duck on the floor, stealing the show.
He’s a ballroom commander.
Lights flash around,
He's the party's mainstander.
Feet hit the beat,
Got the crowd in a trance.
Who knew webbed toes could deliver this dance?
Bass drops hard, feathers explode.
Quack quack quack, let the party go.
Duck on the floor, stealing the show.
PARANOID NIGHT OWL PATROL — Indie Rock X Chamber Pop
There is more than one kind of bird in the trees, so I thought I might branch out beyond ducks and also dedicate my music to other creatures in the canopy — so here is a song about an owl!
After the last two more sentimental and sombre pieces [The Final Embrace, and A Heart Lost to Be Found], this one needed to be a silly one. This one took a lot of oh so so much editing, but I really wanted to make some indie rock X chamber pop.
PARANOID NIGHT OWL PATROL
[Intro]
(hoo-hoo)
He keeps watch over the trees.
He’s the only one who sees.
(hoo-hoo …)
[Verse 1]
The sun dips low (hoo-hoo), but his eyes stay open wide,
He’s counting every pebble where the garden spiders hide.
He heard a click at seven-ten — the neighbour’s porch light glowed;
Was it a simple circuit break, or a predator that showed?
He’s swivelling his neck around, two hundred seventy degrees,
He’s convinced the lawn is shifting underneath the cedar trees.
[Pre-Chorus]
He’s counting every acorn, he’s mapping every gust;
There’s coded meaning hidden somewhere, and there‘s no one left to trust.
He’s got a list of suspects and he’s checking it for lies,
He doesn't trust the crickets, nor the quiet little mice.
[Chorus]
He’s the paranoid night owl on patrol, (hoo-hoo …)
Eyes like yellow lanterns, keeping tight control. (hoo-hoo …)
He keeps watch over the trees (still decoding every breeze).
He’s the only one who sees what no one else believes.
“Stay alert, don’t blink, don’t ever look away!”
He’s saving everyone until the break of day.
Paranoid night owl patrol!
(hoo-hoo …)
[Verse 2]
He’s checking the perimeter for any hidden flaw,
With a frantic little heart and a very steady claw.
The sky is thick with signals that the pigeons all ignore,
But he’s seen the way the clouds are shaped like omens at the door.
“Keep the tally, watch the grass, don’t you blink or let it pass!”
He’s the guardian of the garden, omniscient to a fault, alas!
[Bridge]
(hoo-hoo …)
Every shadow’s got a motive, every leaf’s a clue,
If nothing’s really wrong, then what’s he supposed to do?
(hoo-hoo …)
[Verse 3]
He’s suspicious of the sprinkler heads, they rotate far too fast,
He’s sure the plastic gnome has moved since Tuesday’s shadows passed.
He measures out the birdseed — Is the volume dropping low?
Is there a hidden meaning in the calling of the crow?
He’s got "Unsolved Noises" etched into the bark of every leaf,
And a theory that the cuckoo bird is a chicklet-stealing thief.
[Pre-Chorus]
He’s counting every acorn, he’s mapping every gust;
There’s coded meaning hidden somewhere, and there‘s no one left to trust.
He’s got a list of suspects and he’s checking it for lies,
He doesn’t trust the fireflies that flicker coded signs.
[Chorus]
He’s the paranoid night owl on patrol, (hoo-hoo …)
Eyes like yellow lanterns, keeping tight control. (hoo-hoo …)
He keeps watch over the trees (still decoding every breeze),
He’s the only one who sees what no one else believes.
“Stay alert, don’t blink, don’t ever look away!”
He’s saving everyone until the break of day.
[Verse 4]
A silhouette on the power line, not a single feather out of place,
Scanning for a breach across the empty suburban space.
He has folders filled with "Leaves That Fell in Patterns Much Too Strange",
And a talon on the pulse of winds that want to rearrange.
He’s sketched a map of every hedge in case they start to creep,
He’s the only one awake because he’s far too wired to sleep.
[Verse 5]
He fluffs his velvet wings for the fourteenth time tonight,
Then clicks his beak in warning just to keep the borders tight.
He rewrites his "Safety Summary" in case he missed a sign,
Then triple-checks again for a hint of grand design.
[Pre-Chorus]
He’s counting every acorn, he’s mapping every gust;
There’s coded meaning hidden somewhere, and there‘s no one left to trust.
He’s got a list of suspects and he’s checking it for lies,
He doesn’t trust the squirrels with their twitching, darting eyes.
[Chorus]
He’s the paranoid night owl on patrol, (hoo-hoo …)
Eyes like yellow lanterns, keeping tight control. (hoo-hoo …)
He keeps watch over the trees (still decoding every breeze),
He’s the only one who sees what no one else believes.
“Stay alert, don’t blink, don’t ever look away!”
He’s saving everyone until the break of day.
Paranoid night owl patrol!
(hoo-hoo …)
[Outro]
Every shadow’s got a motive, every leaf’s a clue,
If nothing’s really wrong, then what’s he supposed to do?
(hoo-hoo …)
Night owl (hoo-hoo …)
Night owl (hoo-hoo …)
Paranoid night owl on patrol
(hoo-hoo …)
NO DUCK TO GIVE — HE PADDLES IN PEACE
This duck is not me.
Though at times, I wish I were more like him.
My favourite passage lies in Verses 7 to 9. I am fond of well-shaped verbal rhythm, to lines that carry their own internal music, such as “The storm could roar, the winds could bite”, especially in the pairing of “storm” and “roar,” where similar sound reinforces sense. Also, I love the architecture of the passage as a whole, both the message and the build-up in how the turning point is presented.
A small note on the piece itself: at nearly nine minutes, it took me roughly ninety hours to complete. I have fun making music, but still find myself wondering where all that time went. There were just so many minute adjustments and refinements; layers and additions that may easily disappear within the whole, yet are precisely what give it its form. One might think it becomes easier once the ropes are learned, but it seems there is always more rope to work with. Once you begin to make the rope yourself – and even the threads that form it – the possibilities only multiply, as do the ways of becoming entangled in it.
NO DUCKS TO GIVE
He Paddles in Peace / Duck the System
[Intro]
The headlines suck.
The world yells “WHAT?” (what the fuck)
Yet he paddles in peace.
Yes, the same old duck.
The same old duck.
[Verse 1]
At the municipal pond by the derelict station,
A duck holds court with nonchalance and gravitation.
The swans lodge complaints with rehearsed irritation;
This duck’s booked for indifference — permanent vacation.
[Verse 2]
He’s footnoted deep in the annals of ornithology,
A case study in apathy posing as tautology.
The goose cites rules, demands responsibility. (oh no)
The duck just shrugs, unmoved by their psychology.
[Chorus]
He’s a duck (duck) and he does not give a fuck (fuck),
Never out of luck, with no stress stuck.
While the headlines suck, and the world yells “WHAT?” (what the fuck)
He paddles in peace — Yes, the same old duck.
[Verse 3]
They say: “Monetise passion, extract what you love,
Turn joy into yield with a managerial shove.”
He keeps pleasure unpriced, above and below —
Once love has a ledger, it can never grow.
[Verse 4]
They sell him the grind like a moral condition,
Suffering framed as a noble ambition.
But if all that pain just maintains the position
Of those at the top, duck, that’s not work — it’s submission.
[Verse 5]
The rat race demands ducks running in fear,
Chasing a cheese that’s engineered to disappear.
They say he’ll run better if he keeps his wings clipped.
He just laughs at the trap at the heart of their script.
[Verse 6]
They say: “If you’re tired with no gain, then you didn’t try hard.”
But he knows, profits go north and the workers get scarred.
He opts for enough over endlessly marred:
A pond, a full stomach, no life on a timecard.
[Chorus]
He’s a duck (duck) and he does not give a fuck (fuck),
Never out of luck, with no stress stuck.
While the headlines suck, and the world yells “WHAT?” (what the fuck)
He paddles in peace — Yes, the same old duck.
[Verse 7]
His first swim was into a storm he didn’t invite.
The wind whipped his feathers, the rain stole the light.
Torn from the nest, he tried with all his might,
But the harder he struggled, the more he lost sight.
[Verse 8]
The storm raged around him, no solid shore,
Exhausted and worn, he could paddle no more.
Then it hit him — he wasn’t sinking, for sure,
He was floating on top, despite the downpour.
[Verse 9]
The storm could roar, the winds could bite,
But he’d rise to the surface — he was born to float light.
That day he looked past the chaos, learned not to fight —
Some victory is earned just by staying upright.
[Chorus]
He’s a duck (duck) and he does not give a fuck (fuck),
Never out of luck, with no stress stuck.
While the headlines suck, and the world yells “WHAT?” (what the fuck)
He paddles in peace — Yes, the same old duck.
[Verse 10]
He watched siblings chase crumbs from passer-by hands,
Scramble for scraps at their feet, on the banks.
He realised young that the hunger demands
To follow and bow to the hand that commands. (what)
[Verse 11]
They were fed ambitions like seeds in a pot,
Told: “Grow tall, bear fruit, give all that you’ve got.”
He notes how the soil’s been poisoned and bought;
If you stay too long, it will make you rot.
[Verse 12]
The system promised status if you followed their book,
Dangling praise like bait wherever they could.
He tilted his head, gave it only one look —
This duck ain’t no fish to be caught with a hook.
[Chorus, extended]
He’s a duck (duck) and he does not give a fuck (fuck),
Never out of luck, with no stress stuck.
He’s a duck (duck) and he does not give a fuck (fuck),
Never out of luck, with no stress stuck.
He’s a duck! (duck)
He’s a duck! (duck)
He’s a duck! (duck)
He’s a duck (duck) and he does not give a fuck (fuck),
Never out of luck, with no stress stuck.
While the headlines suck, and the world yells “WHAT?” (what the fuck)
He paddles in peace — Yes, the same old duck.
[Verse 13]
They preach him life like he owes them a debt,
Say: “Opting out’s just a lie you’ve been fed.”
Duck watches the lake do nothing specific,
Still feeding the birds, still perfectly vivid. (just livin’)
[Verse 14]
They want him to care for markets and trends,
Want to make sure that when they point, he bends.
This duck’s busy being alive; the rest all depends —
If you follow every crumb, the chase never ends. (oh no)
[Verse 15]
They warn him of age, of the terror of wasting,
Of minutes like fruit going soft on the tasting.
He notes how the panic improves no one’s pacing —
Fear shouts false predictions, it’s terrible at placing.
[Verse 16]
They say: “Build a legacy, leave something behind you,
A name on a plaque so the future can find you.”
Duck’s already living — What else is there to get?
His future needs no pitch, if he has nothing to regret!
[Chorus]
He’s a duck (duck) and he does not give a fuck (fuck),
Never out of luck, with no stress stuck.
While the headlines suck, and the world yells “WHAT?” (what the fuck)
He paddles in peace — Yes, the same old duck.
[Outro]
They preach him life like he owes them a debt,
Say: “Opting out’s just a lie you’ve been fed.”
Duck’s already living — What else is there to get?
His future needs no pitch, if he has nothing to regret.
QUEEN OF COFFEE — Upbeat
A little silly and upbeat song.
QUEEN OF COFFEE
[Verse 1]
Morning fog breaks with a quack in the air.
The duck’s at the café, pulling up a chair.
Double shot espresso, she demands with flair.
A latte art swan? She doesn’t care.
Feathers ruffle, steam rises high,
Her beak sips the dawn till the sun hits the sky.
[Chorus]
She’s flying on caffeinated wings,
A duck with dreams that caffeine brings.
From the pond to the clouds she reigns supreme,
A cup in her grip fueling every dream.
[Verse 2]
Afternoon brews bring a cappuccino delight.
She grinds her own beans, her focus is tight.
Foam peaks perfect, she hums in delight,
Each sip a sonnet in the golden light.
A barista of grace, a maestro of beans,
She’s the Queen of the Roast in her daily routines.
[Chorus]
She’s flying on caffeinated wings,
A duck with dreams that caffeine brings.
From the pond to the clouds she reigns supreme,
A cup in her grip fueling every dream.
EXTRA
This playlist grows like Barbarthara; more songs by The Duckman.
Here, you will find traditional poetry brought to life, alongside modern creations from silly to serious. They are about writing and everything else that is not ducks, really.
MORE SONGS BY THE DUCKMAN — LYRICS
0,5 ★ WEBNOVEL WRITER LIFE — A Tribute to Royal Road
0,5 ★ WEBNOVEL WRITER LIFE
Into the rising morning light.
"Will they read it, will they care?"
Refresh, refresh; the screen glows bright
Waiting for a single Like.
This royal road, will it take me far?
Let's see just where my ranking's at:
Sixty-thousand fifty — what?
Maybe time to buy an ad?
GHOST IN THE STREAM — ECHOES IN THE STATIC
Make sure you can leave any time you want,
and that such wanting is still within you.
It is called the world wide web for a reason.
GHOST IN THE STREAM — ECHOES IN THE STATIC
[Verse 1]
Digital days and nights so long,
Scrolling, scrolling a siren song,
Lost in the signal, a lonely hum.
Wherever has the real me gone?
[Chorus]
Echoes in the static, now
Whispers in the wires, somehow
Lost my voice in the noise,
Such empty, hollow joys.
[Bridge]
Alone, just so alone.
[Verse 2]
Screens glow bright, a thousand faces,
A million souls lost in a million places
Swipe left swipe right, a vacant stare,
Is anyone even there?
[Chorus]
Echoes in the static, now
Whispers in the wires, somehow
Lost my voice in the noise,
Such empty, hollow joys.
[Verse 3]
Gotta break free from this fake embrace,
Find my own life and my own space,
Real touch real talk, not fantasy,
Be someone I can call truly me.
[Chorus]
Echoes in the static, now
Whispers in the wires, somehow
Lost my voice in the noise,
Such empty, hollow joys.
THE FINAL EMBRACE — SOME LUMINANCE
The Final Embrace belongs to the imminent aftermath — to the space where something is no longer present, yet still deeply felt. While this song is for everyone who finds and perhaps needs it, I chose a male voice out of the quiet care for a kind of sorrow many men carry inwardly: A silence that is not emptiness, but something carefully contained, sometimes for years, without words or witness. Here, that silence becomes love after loss, and memory that does not end with absence.
THE FINAL EMBRACE — SOME LUMINANCE
[Verse 1]
Streetlamps tremble with a requiem of light
Fleeing the shadows that reclaim the night
Another self dissolves like mist at dawn
All that remains is the echo of what’s withdrawn
[Verse 2]
Veins of red wind through cobblestone
Bearing the weight of a future torn
Each stain a testament, how you tried to flee
From the self you were, and ceased to be
[Bridge]
The fates sing their wheel in unseen arcs
Your silence hums with unlit sparks
Time bends in corridors of thought
Where everything that fades is wrought
[Chorus]
Some luminance is never meant to stay
It rises brief, then folds into grey
Let the darkness carve her patient art
And draw your ashes within my heart
Some fires flare, then dissolve to air
They teach the pulse of loss and care
Let the night give cover for the burnt and the bare
and swallow your shadows that never were
[Verse 3]
Vast chambers cradle the ghost of thought
Memories ripple like shadows caught
In the lattice of the mind’s own weave
Where what was burned and dreamed conceive
[Verse 4]
Your reflection fractures, bends, and wanes
Through corridors where silence reigns
No flicker of light, no fleeting sound
Of a heart that was lost, as it sought to be found
[Bridge]
Consider silence a cathedral of the soul
Where fractured light and shadows console
Each glimmer, each tremor, each half-seen gleam
Is a shard of what you were, of what you might have been
[Bridge]
In me, you are neither lost nor found
A suspended echo, that cannot be bound
Let the void instruct, the quiet guide
The flame undone, the self denied
[Chorus]
Some luminance is never meant to stay
It rises brief, then folds into grey
Let the darkness carve her patient art
And draw your hollows within my heart
Some fires flare, then dissolve to air
They teach the pulse of loss and care
Let the night give comfort for those broken in despair
and free them of shadows that never were
[Bridge]
In me, you are neither lost nor found
A suspended echo, that cannot be bound
Let the void instruct those left behind
Without your flame, forlorn and blind
[Chorus / Outro]
Some luminance is never meant to stay
It rises brief, then folds into grey
Let the darkness carve her patient art
And draw your memory within my heart
Some fires flare, then dissolve to air
They teach the pulse of loss and care
Let the night illuminate the space
Between your leaving and our first embrace
[Vocalisation]
A HEART LOST TO BE FOUND — I CARRY WHAT YOU BURN
I wanted this song to pose a contrast to The Final Embrace.
There is, of course, immense potential for this song to become equally emotional — to lean into sorrow, to sharpen the pain, to overwhelm with grief that swells until it breaks. But instead, what you hear is something altogether different: the voice of someone who has seen it coming, who has seen it all before, and who knows she will see it all again. And beneath it all, steady and unhurried, the beating heart that listens.
Now that the storm has passed, it settles into something measured, perhaps resigned. I wanted this song to become so rhythmic and so quietly composed that it is almost entrancing; something to lie back to, close your eyes, and simply let run its course. The words begin to matter less than the feeling they carry. What lingers is the sense that all of this belongs to the past, and that perhaps, this one heart can now rest.
My favourite line lies within the [Chorus] at the end:
“I stood beside you on the ledge
As you fell into the sky, over the edge.”
It holds the heaviest moment of the song. It took me a long to frame it just as I wanted; in a light way — with the deliberate wording of “falling into the sky,” and the gentle, weightless way it is sung.
A HEART LOST TO BE FOUND — I CARRY WHAT YOU BURN
[Verse 1]
Born with the morning of hopeful spring
So very small, a cheerful thing
It beat so fast, this tiny drum
Before the darker days had come
It leaned for light, it reached for grace
It learned the shape of a gentle face
[Verse 2]
With scraped-raw knees and palms of grass-stained green
You traded marbles, hoarded whispered schemes
Entrusted trees with all your secret dreams
You chased bright kites that looped and wound
Your laugh the loudest living sound
You named the stars from a blanket on the lawn
Made lists of wishes until the curtains were drawn
[Verse 3]
Back then, each farewell felt like ruin, stark and vast
Yet still you slept, believing all the storms would pass
[Pre-Chorus]
I sat beside you then, unseen in the game
A hush caught in the swing-set chain
You did not yet understand my name
And I was learning yours the same
[Chorus]
I am The One who looks up at the edge
Counting the cracks as hope and love unwound
When your heart got lost as it sought to be found
Chasing every echo calling “home”
I hold the map of all that’s known
But I never guide the turn
I just carry what you burn
[Bridge]
The heart
The heart
It wanders far
Chasing a distant, fading star
It searches, searches
Day and night
For just a trace of loving light
[Verse 4]
You were always looking for a home
Little drum in borrowed bone
You swore you’d leave this hollow town
Yet every street dragged you back down
[Verse 5]
I walked just behind, and heard the silence loud
Catching every of your tears just before they drowned
A heart misled, rehearsing what it knew
That searching was the one thing it could do
[Verse 6]
You tasted shame, painted your eyes
Dressed up your monsters in disguise
Traded softness for a mask
Learned to laugh too loud, and much too fast
Then turned up the noise
Just to mute your own voice
[Bridge]
You hid your ache in screens that never slept
The louder life became, the softer your heart wept
[Pre-Chorus]
I walked beside you through the halls
Through all the days that made you small
And all the way in search of home
But you only found yourself alone
[Chorus]
I am The One who walks up to the ledge
Counting the cracks as hope and love unwound
When your heart got lost as it hoped to be found
Dreaming of an echo calling “home”
I hold the map of all that’s known
But I never show the turn
I just carry what you burn
[Verse 7]
Then came the ache, a sudden sting
A broken vow, on fragile wings
The world grew sharp, the edges keen
Oh, all the pain that it had seen
The heart built walls, so cold and high
To cage itself, to never fly
[Verse 8]
You traced the veins along your wrist
Tears in your eyes, your hand a fist
Past all that hurts, and all that bleeds
Much deeper lies what silence breeds
[Bridge]
I followed in nights that ran too late
Cheap scent, false name, and borrowed face
You kissed dull mouths that eased your doubt
Confusing desire for a way back out.
You bargained with shadows that led and held the door
“If no one will claim me, what am I living for?”
[Verse 9]
Still you were searching for a place to stay
Little drum offered up to anyone who’d play
The louder life demanded you perform
The softer wept the heart you forced deform
Offering your pulse to whoever was around
A heart lost in the act, as it bled to be found
[Verse 10]
The rhythm slowed and deepened, as silence grew
Too heavy for the pain it never knew
The heart sealed itself, and then it burrowed low
Hoping that grief could nevermore grow
The light grew dim, The colours grey
As hope itself began to fray
[Verse 11]
You found the app at 2 a.m.
Typed, erased, then typed again:
“I’m tired of trying to belong
Tired of staying when it’s me that’s wrong
I’m tired of feeling hard to love
Tired of never being enough”
[Pre-Chorus]
I sat beside you, in that dark
And watched you lose the final spark
[Chorus]
I am The One who waits at the edge
Counting the cracks as hope and love unwound
When your heart got lost as it begged to be found
Bleeding for an echo calling “home”
I hold the map of all that’s known
But I never name the turn
I just carry what you burn
[Bridge]
Oh
The heart
The heart
It fell so far
Praying for one last fading star
It calls and calls
All day and night
For even one remaining light
So lost and buried
Still crying to be found
[Verse 12]
By the time you reached the rooftop air
Your hands had lost the weight of prayer
You asked the dark a final thing
It answered only with the wind
You thought no one was listening
But I was hearing everything
You ran from pain till hope came loose
A heart worn thin by endless use
[Chorus]
I stood beside you on the ledge
As you fell into the sky, over the edge
I lifted your heart, that little burned-out flame
And it asked me, in darkness, and full of shame:
"Was I a burden? Am I to blame?"
[Vocalisation]
[Verse 13]
“Dear heart, you never were a weight.
You were fire, so, so bright."
You never were for me to claim
Only mine to catch, when no one came
[Vocalisation]
[Outro]
Every lost heart believes it ends alone
But I always come to lead them home
TRUTH — A Kipling Poem Rendered Song
This piece is my humble attempt to render into song a poem by Rudyard Kipling, a writer whose work I have long admired. Kipling’s poetry holds a rare quality: the ability to distil the most complex and often troubling themes into art that feels at once profound and accessible. Whether in the cadence of his verse or in the narrative force of works such as The Jungle Book, his gift was not simply to write, but to shape thought into enduring form. He was the voice of a century.
There is great musicality embedded within Kipling's words, which is but the reflection of his skill. Even when read silently, his lines seem to carry their own rhythm, a natural melody that lends itself effortlessly to song. The transformation of his poetry into music reveals this quality even more clearly — the subtle balance of word, tone, and cadence becomes audible, almost as if the poem had been waiting for its notes all along.
“Truth” is my small contribution to this tradition: a tribute to Kipling’s artistry, and to the way his words continue to resonate for centuries.
TRUTH
[Intro]
She faced herself at last, the story runs,
And telegraphed her sister: "Come at once!
Facts out of hand. Unable overtake
Without your aid. Come back for Truth's own sake!
Co-equal rank and powers if you agree.
They need us both, but you far more than me!"
[Verse 1]
Once on a time, the ancient legends tell,
Truth, rising from the bottom of her well,
Looked on the world, but, hearing how it lied,
Returned to her seclusion horrified.
[Verse 2]
There she abode, so conscious of her worth,
Not even Pilate's Question called her forth,
Nor Galileo, kneeling to deny
The Laws that hold our Planet 'neath the sky.
[Verse 3]
Meantime, her kindlier sister, whom men call
Fiction, did all her work and more than all,
With so much zeal, devotion, tact, and care,
That no one noticed Truth was otherwhere.
[Bridge]
Then came a War when, bombed and gassed and mined,
Truth rose once more, perforce, to meet mankind
And through the dust and glare and wreck of things
Beheld a phantom on unbalanced wings,
Reeling and groping, dazed, dishevelled, dumb,
But semaphoring direr deeds to come.
[Chorus]
She faced herself at last, the story runs,
And telegraphed her sister: "Come at once!
Facts out of hand. Unable overtake
Without your aid. Come back for Truth's own sake!
Co-equal rank and powers if you agree.
They need us both, but you far more than me!"
[Verse 4]
Truth hailed and bade her stand; the quavering shade
Clung to her knees and babbled, "Sister, aid!
I am – I was – thy Deputy, and men
Besought me for my useful tongue or pen,"
[Verse 5]
"To gloss their gentle deeds, and I complied,
And they, and thy demands, were satisfied.
But this –" she pointed o'er the blistered plain,
Where men as Gods and devils wrought amain –
"This is beyond me! Take thy work again."
[Bridge]
Tablets and pen transferred, she fled afar,
And Truth assumed the record of the War ...
She saw, she heard, she read, she tried to tell
Facts beyond precedent and parallel —
Unfit to hint or breathe, much less to write,
But happening every minute, day and night.
[Verse 6]
She called for proof. It came. The dossiers grew.
She marked them, first, "Return. This can't be true."
Then, underneath the cold official word:
"This is not really half of what occurred."
[Chorus]
She faced herself at last, the story runs,
And telegraphed her sister: "Come at once!
Facts out of hand. Unable overtake
Without your aid. Come back for Truth's own sake!
Co-equal rank and powers if you agree.
They need us both, but you far more than me!"
SKIBIDI DOOM [ - _ - ]
I have studied my fair share of Shakespeare, London, Kipling, and more. Every now and then, I come across something modern like Skibidi Toilet. As absurd as the premise may seem at first glance, there is a surprising sense of rhythm, escalation, and visual storytelling at work. Beneath the chaos, the animation understands tension, repetition, and payoff. This song is a small nod to that — to the strange places where storytelling continues to evolve, even when ... it appears at its most absurd.
SKIBIDI DOOM [ - _ - ]
[Intro]
Oooh-a skibidi dop dop dop yes yes yes, Skibidi dabudu neep neep,
Oooh-a Skibidi dop dop dop yes yes yes, Skibidi dabudu neep neep.
[Verse 1]
Oooh-a skibidi dop dop dop yes yes yes, Skibidi dabudu neep neep,
Oooh-a Skibidi dop dop dop yes yes yes, Skibidi dabudu neep neep.
[Bridge]
Oooh-a skibidi dop dop dop yes yes yes, Skibidi dabudu neep neep,
Oooh-a Skibidi dop dop dop yes yes yes, Skibidi dabudu neep neep.
[Chorus]
Oooh-a skibidi dop dop dop yes yes yes, Skibidi dabudu neep neep,
Oooh-a Skibidi dop dop dop yes yes yes, Skibidi dabudu neep neep.