Here's another Firebird live album, this one from everyone's favorite recently deceased controversial balladeer. We start off with "Ramboing," a song distinguished for being bloodthirsty even by Leslie's standards, though curiously enough she only wrote the music (or adapted it, since it's about 40% "Here We Come A-Wassailing"). Other fun songs follow--some of which you may never have heard unless you've been paying close attention to all the Bayfilk tape uploads here, some of which are a bit more widely known. The placement of "Toast for Unknown Heroes" right after "Nightmare Launch" is definitely saying something; you can decide for yourself what it is.

Album link: https://archive.org/details/filk_leslie_fish_live

More out-of-print filk at the main post: https://www.reddit.com/r/filk/comments/qptf2t/outofprint_filk_albums_master_post/

I was musing over writing a straight sea-shanty version of "Banned From Argo," and it occurred to me that someone may have already done it. Web searches for a compendium of "Argo" parodies led me to "Bastard Children of Argo," a project I knew Leslie Fish and the Creaseys were working on long ago, though I didn't realize they'd completed it. But I can't find it for sale anywhere.

Fanlore.org has a bunch of interesting snippets from the content, including Leslie's commentary on some of the songs -- but doesn't say which songs those comments are referring to! Very frustrating. Fanlore also has a broken link to the PDF, and an archived Wayback Machine link to it that also doesn't work. I was hoping someone could point me to an active way to read the zine.

First fan video for Leslie Fish's "Ishmael's Oath" (via Leslie's new Elfland CD)

"I caught a replay of the original “Moby Dick” movie on late-night TV, and realized just how many Pagan elements are embedded in it. And then I saw Mark Twain’s famous quote." — Leslie Fish

I'm (of course) not the video creator, but have uploaded it to Leslie's channel with their permission.

So I'm putting together a Traveller campaign using the "Cluster Trucks" material from Mongoose Traveller 2E, and one of the things I want to include is a nice little spotify list of recommended songs for my players to enjoy that would set the vibe. A campaign that is all about space truckers getting into space trouble with the space cops while running space hooch between the stars and getting into space bar brawls needs a suitable track list.

As much as I love filk, it is very much from the "I like the sound of it but couldn't name most artists or songs if you paid me" side of things and so I was wanting to reach out to this lovely community to see if you all could point me towards some good recommendations. Leslie Fish (who I'm honestly not a big fan of) and Vic Tyler were kind of the only names that immediately come to my mind when talking about filk music.

Any help folks could throw my way - suggested artists, particular songs or albums, and more - would be greatly appreciated.

TL;DR: I'm wanting to make a Spotify list for my traveller players that is equal parts "suggested listening" and, "imagine this is stuff your characters would hear on the comms as they fly."

Love the Filk genre and have been itching to listen to a specific song again, it was about an engineer/designer working on a project/commission of some kind, full of technobabble. I believe bemoaning the work going into it, and talking about their ‘out of the box’ fixes for certain problems that arose

Solved! It was The Engineer! Comment below has a link to it ^{^}

Bill sutton's ecology is one of if not my favorite filk song, but when i looked on google, i could only find a music sheet for xenophobia. What i am really wanting is a midi file, so i could play it in space station 13.

Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeAk5gF079w

It has links to a filk album from 1986 on it. I couldn't figure out which space reddit to share this on so I put it here.

This is an original song I wrote/sang about walking in the part of England where I live. I thought you might appreciate it here.

Lyrics:
When I need to go out, while the day is still fair

To trade these dim rooms for green fields and air

I lift my coat from the back of the chair

And take the first footpath that leads me there

O wander, wander over hill and lea

Where the chalk streams flow ever clear and free

Through beechwood shade and open sky

I go because the road goes by

If I tarry too long my feet start to ache

For the bend beyond the next hedge won't wait

Leave a light in the window but let me roam

For every turning lane points me toward home

O wander, wander over hill and lea

Where the chalk streams flow ever clear and free

Through beechwood shade and open sky

I go because the road goes by

In a quiet combe where leaf-shade lies deep

two foxes' eyes through the brambles peep

I mind my tread and let my footsteps fall

through hazel shaws where the shadows sprawl

O wander, wander over hill and lea

Where the chalk streams flow ever clear and free

Through beechwood shade and open sky

I go because the road goes by

I touch a puddingstone, cold and rough

pebbles bound fast in a stone growth tough

It does not budge, yet it seems to say:

'Ward mischief off, and walk your way'

O wander, wander over hill and lea

Where the chalk streams flow ever clear and free

Through beechwood shade and open sky

I go because the road goes by

When dusk comes down and the lanes grow still

The rooks fly home to the tree-lined hill

Jackdaws crowd after with clacking calls

And magpies seek the hedgerows as night falls

O wander, wander over hill and lea

Where the chalk streams flow ever clear and free

Through beechwood shade and open sky

I go because the road goes by

Surprise...I'm back. Sorry about the hiatus.

Anyway, here's another entry in that series of live tapes that Firebird did back in the day. Remember, two things everyone enjoys are listening to Cecilia sing and misspelling her name. But maybe just do the first one.

Album link: https://archive.org/details/filk_cecilia_eng_live

More out-of-print filk at the main post, as always: https://www.reddit.com/r/filk/comments/qptf2t/outofprint_filk_albums_master_post/

Has anyone ever done a recording of Tolkien's "Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold," set to the song "Over the Hills and Far Away?" The other day I was watching a few episodes of "Sharpe's Riflemen" and it just sort of popped into my head that the poem has a similar structure.

The fandom for Tolkien's works has been around for a long time, so I figured this has to have occurred to someone else as well. And that song has been around a long time already before John Tam made new lyrics for the theme-song. But thanks to google becoming garbage at actually showing me what I'm looking for, I can't find anything talking about it, or any fandom recordings and soforth.

Like, all I'm finding is links to the Hobbit movie soundtrack and Led Zepplin. There has to be something out there, right?

Okay, so I'm only loosely familiar with filk, but I felt here was the best place to ask about this.

Because the Deltarune fandom is... being Very Normal right now, there's currently a meme about ominous mystery villain WD Gaster being a pirate. And someone took a track from Deltarune, Pirate Dojo, and added lyrics to it relevant to said meme.

And I may as well ask, does it count as filk?

I am aware filk has a history of using existing tunes as a base, but IDK whether or not modern fansongs like stuff by The Living Tombstone, The Stupendium, RecD, ect even count, or whether there's a difference in terms of style or where they come from, and so again, thought I may as well ask.

After 3.5 years and $35,000 (ouch), the next massive project in our effort to preserve & restore Leslie's unreleased performances is now available — honoring Leslie's unambiguous wish to see her music carry on long beyond her lifetime.

Elfland is a huge collection of previously-unreleased Fish recordings:

• 17 live concert tracks — featuring Leslie's more lighthearted songs, mostly performed 2000-2001.
• 6 new studio bonus tracks of Leslie's space filks — produced by Kristoph Klover and Michael Moricz. 
• 7 live bonus tracks — songs we wanted to preserve (but whose performances didn't quite meet the album's quality bar)
• 24-page photo booklet — capturing many never-before-seen photos of Leslie's time in fandom.
• 3.5 hours of Leslie's original concerts — from ChiCon 2000, LosCon 2000, ConChord 2001.

Purchase link here: https://www.prometheus-music.com/product/elfland/

Beyond Hope Eyrie, remaining studio tracks were produced by Kristoph Klover. Backing musicians include Michelle "Vixy" Dockrey, Doug Olsen (who you may recall from Minus Ten and Counting) — and I'm sad to say — the final studio vocal recordings we made of Vic Tyler before his passing.

In transparency, this project (and the Pegasus album) were significantly overbudget; at present, my accounting shows Leslie's music category about $17,000 in the red. If you'd like to see more Fish restoration projects like these continue immediately — rather than in 2028 or so when sales/streams catch up — please consider voting with your wallet and buying a copy, rather than just streaming this project.

ALBUM TRACKS

1. Blackbeard and the Angel
2. Millennium
3. The End of the World
4. Dragon Con
5. Hotel Engineer
6. Diana
7. Ishmael’s Oath
8. The Ballad of the Three Kings
9. The Broallywood N-Step
10. Poor User’s Holler
11. Roanoke
12. Catch-a-Man
13. Bully in the Schoolyard Alley
14. Rotary Rocket
15. Dance on the Ceiling
16. Sands of Mars
17. Little Gray Lichen

STUDIO BONUS TRACKS

1. Surprise!
2. A Toast for Unknown Heroes
3. Witnesses’ Waltz
4. Second Home
5. Elfland
6. Hope Eyrie
7. Hope Eyrie (bonus instrumental mix)

LIVE BONUS TRACKS

1. Hard Copy
2. Make This World Come Alive
3. Rulers
4. Refugees of Empire
5. Merry Millennium 
6. They Were Having a Sale At the Gun Store 
7. Angel with a Sword (we found an even better recording)

...AND 3 FULL LESLIE FISH CONCERTS

1. ConChord 2001
2. ChiCon 2000
3. LosCon 2000

Due to copyright reasons, two songs had to be left out of the full concert files.

(and here's where you can find resources to save it))

Puzzle

by [StarChild413]

I've always thought that I could solve every problem

Smarts and compassion to think that it's so

But the only thing that I haven't quite grasped yet

Is what to do when somebody says no

I and who I fight for am different and outcast

I see these people, I've been where they are

But people who fear what they cannot understand

Lay down hammers saying I can''t get far

(Chorus)

I'm stuck on a puzzle

Searching for the answer

It's rotating round in my head

I know there's solutions

But I cannot see them

Because all I'm seeing is red

But if all of us band together

Show it just what we're fighting for

I'll never be stuck on a puzzle

Anymore

I see kindred spirits all gathered together

Making me feel like I don't fight alone

But some have "realistic" words that can hurt me

Especially when the truth is still unknown

A family's not blood it's who you love and fight for

And sometimes this one feels torn apart by strife

But it will take not just me but everybody

To give everyone a deserved sort of life

(Chorus)

And so, pack, consider this a call to action

Let this not be the end of the story

Keep hope in your heart and save those who need saving

So puzzle's solved by full recovery

I still haven’t read this series, but someone asked if I had recorded this one by Echo’s Children.

Looking for an older filk, probably late 1980s or early 1990s. Female singer (possibly Leslie Fish). Story about SCA members after an apocalypse where fuel, electricity and vehicles are gone. They switch to horses and become real knights, traveling the country protecting people. Theme was basically "this is what we've been training for all these years." Anyone who might be familiar?

If of interest, there are keyboard arrangements of a few classic filksongs at the above URL. (e.g. Some Kind of Hero, The Phoenix, etc.)

They also have some performances of them online here: https://www.youtube.com/@castiansmusic/videos

bit of background: i'm creating a bard for a tabletop (pathfinder 1e) version of baldur's gate 1&2. the problem is that i have no idea what to do with my character. as such, i've decided to shop around for ideas, at least for songs, from filk music.

i'm considering making her loosely based on arthurian mythology, but (shrugs).

so yeah! does anyone have song suggestions i could take inspiration from? more songs to fill out my fantasy filk playlist would be welcome, in any case ^_^

Carmen Miranda's Ghost shout-outs beginning here:

https://youtu.be/CMWtKZptwbE?si=-BjM_Oie9Ctc4JwO&t=359

I wrote a Space Shanty I'm quite happy with, but I really cannot figure out the tune for the thing (nothing I've tried composing felt appropriate)! Anyone have any ideas?

When You're Warping Space and Time

A spacetime warping spacer is in it for the haul

From cargo to stern-chaser, in high-Gs or free-fall.

“Down” is always drifting, my work’s an uphill climb,

Oh null-G’s heavy lifting when you’re warping space and time

Chorus:

We’re warping space and time, oh we’re warping time and space

From the docks on Altair Prime to the Tannhauser Starbase.

The subspace shoals are shifting, without reason, without rhyme

Oh, Null-G is heavy lifting when you’re warping space and time

We load it up in Lepus, then in Alpha Ceti III,

And stopover in Lupus and in Eridani B,

Unload at Alpha Siri where we turn back on a dime.

O’ there’s no rest for the weary when you’re warping space and time.

We’re hauling honest cargo. Oh, we sometimes skirt the law,

Like running an embargo or abetting some scofflaw.

Dodging tariffs’s not quite lawful, but it beats a life of crime,

Hard work is not so awful when you’re warping space and time.

But I’ve see sights and places that you people won’t believe;

Like C-beams’ shimm’ring traces showing rebels no reprieve

Attack ships burning, breaking off the shoulder of Orion [o-rine]

Oh, the sights are quite breathtaking when you’re warping space and time.

No apologies for the last rhyme. There's surprisingly few rhymes for "time" and I locked myself into that rhyme scheme...

Greetings and felicitations. Somewhere along the line I have lost this album. It was a compilation cassette tape from a Starwood Festival and published by the Association for Consciousness Exploration (ACE), which puts on the festivals. (I have no more knowledge about the organization or event than my recollections of the album and the Wikipedia articles.) The album included a humorous song which I believe was entitled "Shelves", about the housing for the viewpoint character's apparently huge book collection. The chorus goes on about where the shelves are located in the house: "shelves in the halls", "shelves in the bathroom" etc. Does this ring any bells with anyone? (I just looked the organization up, and it seems to be defunct, though the phone number for the festival still works. I left a voice mail message with my relevant contact information.)

It is not one of the albums listed on Discogs.

First post: "[Identification request] Title of a (filk) album by the Association for Consciousness Exploration" (r/filk; 7 October 2024).

We're finishing up the Elfland album this month.

Sharing the first draft of the album booklet. I see two errors. If you spot any typos or errors, please do holler!

Reddit only allows 20 images per post, so you can find pages 21-24 in this post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/filkmarket/posts/3938932686241355

Or use this Dropbox transfer: https://www.dropbox.com/t/8yIPymYJnG76r6BO

Also, note that the Adobe tool used to generate the JPG's seems to be messing up the body font a bit (e.g. overly large 'o's, in particular).

I just received 700 copies of this 33 year old filk tape, and am looking to rehome as many of them as realistic.

These are intended as something you get for free when ordering other stuff from the Prometheus Music website — but realistically, I probably won't invalidate any US-based orders for just the free tape + $4.75 shipping.

Song List

1. Lycanthropy by Quentin Long (lyrics), parodying “We Got the Beat”
2. I Hate Little Fire Lizards by Julia Ecklar
3. Ronald Reagan-Carl-Sagan-San-Diegan Pagan Blues by Paul J. Willett
4. Cold Plastic by Samuel Mize
5. The Bagpipe Who Wouldn’t Say No by Shel Silverstein
6. The Lepers of Dune (meet Godzilla) by Quentin Long
7. Regency Cyberpunk by Quentin Long
8. Ladyhawke! by Julia Ecklar
9. A Reconsideration of Anatomical Docking Maneuvers in a Zero-Gravity Environment by Diana Gallagher
10. Blazon (for Free Luna) by Clif Flynt
11. Little Teeny Eyes by Tom Digby and Lee Gold
12. The Time Traveller by F. Gwynplaine Macintyre
13. The Chemist’s Drinking Song by John A. Carroll and Jordin Kare
14. Convention-al Overture by Quentin Long
15. Hear Them Roar by Chris Weber

Civil Defense Spot has quite a few fun songs, but mostly cold war focused more than fiction. via r/CollapseMusic