We have now finished the lyrics for Music of the Spheres, which will be performed in May 4th at 6.00 by The Melody Makers as the centrepiece of their annual concert in Bath Abbey. Tickets are free but space gets filled up fast so if you want me to book you one give me your name and I’ll add it to my list. We have a block reserved.
Last year the lyrics didn’t get published,and many people I know found that irritating as they couldn’t always hear them, so I have published them here, in case you want to take them with you.
As you can see, the concept is simple; we begin with the smallest spheres, the atom and the cell, and then through a fast evolutionary canter in Earth, find ourselves on the lip of the universe – then moon, sun, galaxy and universe take us back to the beginning again. Needless to say, the music makes sense of it all; these are lyrics, not poems. And without the repetitions, which make sense of the rhythms. I have posted several before, but not in order.
The Music of the Spheres
By Jools Scott and Sue Curtis
Movement I: The Spheres
Look up –
Above your head..
In that black sky
Can you see light?
Small points of light
Up in the sky?
If you look
And look
And look,
You’ll see
That darkness is
Not dark at all
But full of light
All full of light.
Do you feel dizzy
Standing there
As if the earth itself is air
Tipping
Under your feet..
All those lights are worlds –
Comets and stars
And suns and moons
All sailing round us
in the night..
And in the day
When we can’t see..
Perhaps one day
We’ll fly right up
And
Touch the stars –
You’ll run along the milky way
I’ll watch the Pleiades at play..
But for tonight
We’re safe on earth
Our feet on earth.
Look up –
Above your head..
In that black sky
Can you see light?
Small points of light
Up in the sky?
In all
Those spinning worlds,
Are smaller worlds
All spinning too
Worlds within worlds,
Worlds within worlds
Worlds within me
Worlds within you…
Inner Space..
Outer Space..
Depending on
Your point of view..
Look up
Look up
Movement 2: The Atom
One two three
One two three
They waltz eternally
Calmly
Externally
But oh the
Fire that burns
In them
Internally!
One two three
One two three
Proton loves yearningly
All of his energy
Is fixed on her
One two three
One to three
Neutron just
Doesn’t care
She hardly
Knows he’s there
Turning with her..
One two three
One two three
Outside their
Cosy sphere
Prowls the
Electron
That burns for them both!
Should he and
Proton meet
Fire would be our fate
Their split would
Kill us all
Such is his hate!
Proton and Neutron turn
Locked in their
Endless dance
Ringed by Electron
Forever alone…
Movement 3: The Cell
I am Nucleus
On me
All things rely.
(factory noises)
Can you hear
through the din?
It’s always loud when
food comes in..
Round and round
the cell it runs
The stream which carries
Crisps and buns..
I am Nucleus
On me
All things rely.
Everything that
Comes in here
We use to make
Your skin and hair..
We engineer
Your molecules
According to
Genetic rules.
Whether you are wise
Or fools
You get it all from us..
(factory noises)
If we don’t need it
Out it all flows
We all of course
Know where it goes..
But with the rest
We power your sight
We light up your brain
We keep you bright
Dance or run
Or sink or swim
Running wild
Or sitting prim..
We help you do it all..
We help you do it all..
You must excuse me
Duty calls
I am Nucleus on me all things rely.
Movement 4: The Earth
Sleep little one
Sleep for your mother
Rocked in the water
of your
Salty sea ..
Sleep little one..
Sleep little cell
Sleep, sleep, sleep …
Swim little one
Swim for your mother
Roll in the surges
of crashing waves
Swim, little one,
Swim little fish
Swim, swim, swim
Hop, little one
Hop for your mother
Up sliding beaches
through
tangling shore
Hop little one
Hop little frog
Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop, hop
Run little one
Run for your mother
Under branches
Over grass
Run little one
Run clever ape
Run . Run… ,
Fly little one
Fly for your mother
From mother earth
To the furthest sky
Fly little one,
Fly lovely bird
Fly, fly , fly , fly, fly
Movement 5: The Moon
The countdown begins
The world watches..
One giant leap for mankind..
FIVE!
FOUR!
THREE!
TWO!
ONE!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
The capsule
Floating down
Words fading
Floating down
Words fading
Floating down
The capsule
Floating down
The moon
The moon
No sound
No waves
I stand
In the shine
Of the Sea
Of Tranquillity..
Under the endless dark of space..
I step
And I float
On the Sea
Of Tranquillity..
Held by the stillness and peace of this place ..
No sound
No waves
No sound
No waves
My footprint
Will stay
On the Sea of
Tranquillity
Here on the moon we have left our trace..
My footprint
Will stay
On the Sea of
Tranquillity
Long past the end of the human race..
No sound
No waves
Movement 6: The Sun
We cannot
look him
in the face
Our eyes
Will turn to glass
We cannot
bear his
touch for long.
Our skin
Will burn so fast..
We circle
him
So warily,
We bow and
Scrape and hide..
We fear
His sudden bursts of rage,
His flaming darts,
His pride.
He could
evaporate
our world
He could destroy us all..
But without him
We die!
Movement 7: The Galaxy
Gliding, sliding, speeding, shooting, riding through the milky way..
Flying, swooping, diving, slipping, swerving through the Galaxy..
Colours whirling, swirling round us –
Dancing in the dark..
Comets hissing loud behind us..
Burning, tearing right beside us!
Here comes another rock
Wow! That was close
Get off the floor, guys
Back to your posts.
Hit on the starboard bow!
Damage in galley three!
Up!
Down!
Dark!
Bright!
Down!
Up!
Left!
Right!
I’ll see us through this
I’ll chase this comet down
I’ll dodge the meteors..
I’ll fix the crash we felt…
I’ve got the tools in
My asteroid belt
Up!
Down!
Dark!
Bright
Down!
Up!
Left!
Right!
Gliding, sliding, speeding, shooting, riding through the milky way..
Flying, swooping, diving, slipping, swerving through the Galaxy..
Asteroids tumbling, rushing, crushing
Dancing in the dark
Fire behind us; fire below us;
Stars exploding burning round us!
Round us..
Round us …
Round us…
Gliding, sliding, speeding, shooting, riding through the milky way..
Flying, swooping, diving, slipping, swerving through the Galaxy..
Stop!
Start!
Near!
Far!
Loud!
Quiet!
Echoes of the Milky Way…..
Echoes of the Milky Way…..
Echoes of the Milky Way…..
Movement 8: The Universe
Dark…
Endless Dark…
Where are we?
When are we?
Why are we?
Why?
Are we?
Movement 9: Music of the Spheres
Look up,
Above your head..
In that black sky
Can you see light?
Small points of light
Up in the sky?
In all
Those spinning worlds,
Are smaller worlds
All spinning too
Worlds within worlds,
Worlds within worlds
Worlds within me
Worlds within you…
Inner Space..
Outer Space..
Depending on
Your point of view..
Look up
Look up
Look up..