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Alfred James Band: Music

Poseidon

(Alfred James Band)
2004-11-01
I fear this song might require a bit of an explanation. I was reading a lot of Alfred Lord Tennyson and I decided to write a song based upon some of his famous poems about the sea. Also during this time I was listening to Sting's "The Soul Cages" an album rich with sea faring themes, which Sting wrote shortly after his father?s death. The song is an attempt at a creation story for the god Poseidon, where Poseidon makes an ill-fated nautical journey. At the nadir of his adventure Poseidon cries out to his brother Thor to save him, and to give him power over the sea and it?s storms. Thus the sometimes-spiteful god of seafaring woes is born. All of this is pure fancy and has nothing to do with ancient Greek mythology, which my mother (who I am not sure would approve) used to teach.
Under the dog star we sail letting all our chances run
Slowly the stars fade away, a red sky greets the rising sun.
And all around a breathless calm tells us to turn back
But pride rests in our foolish hearts we stay,
And the sea turned from green to black.
And then the cold waves drag me down
Foam crashing breaking spinning me round
Into the deep and its echoless sound
I free my last breath and slowly drown.
Oh, brother lord of thunder help me set the seasons right
Let me rule the open seas and remind them of your might
With fire above and deafening clap you can warn them to change tack.
But, I will have my souls revenge and then
Turn the sea from green to black
Oh thunder and light on this magical night
Forgive us our sins
Open the deep and the secrets it keeps
To let us live within
I will hold my high court in the great sea halls
The Kraken itself will heed my call
My word alone will give the storms their track
And smiling turn the sea from green to black.