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Crystal Singer

from Passing Through by Bill Sutton

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about

Inspired by the "Crystal Singer" series by Anne McCaffrey.

One of those first two songs I sang at Bayfilk II.

lyrics

The whirlwind of the morning air harmoniously sighs
And echoes from the facets of the cliffs into the skies.
We singers of the crystal must begin another day
Forgetting all the beauty in our need to make it pay.

The sled may lift us far above the walls of crystal stone,
And we may not remember all the claims we've called our own -
But now we fly and now we sing and listen for the sound
Of crystal veins that sing reply from cold and barren ground.

Though I have flown a thousand miles and still must fly as far,
I now recall the place I found my pure black crystal spar!
My comp reminds me as I fly of things that I must do
And warns me of the dangers that may keep me from my due.

Suddenly the bells ring out, the whine assails my ears,
A sonic storm is moving in, sled get me out of here!
The skies light up, the blasts of wind are rising to a peak
And every passing moment takes me from the black I seek

BRIDGE:

Racing the wind. Running from the storm,
Escaping from the violence to a shelter safe and warm.
The storm moves ever faster
And ever louder calls.
The sled gives out an anguished cry as to the storm it falls ...

I waken to the howl of wind resounding in my ears.
The nurse the Guild provides for me stands forth to dry my tears.
She cannot understand my weeping or the reason why -
I have forgotten once again where my black crystals lie.

We singers of the crystal live for over eightscore years,
But you who live a shorter span can never know our fears.
Your memories may reach across a gulf ours cannot span -
Remembering makes you the life and me the empty man.

The sled may lift us far above the walls of crystal stone,
And we may not remember all the things we've called our own -
But now we fly and now we sing and listen for the sound
Of crystal veins that sing reply from cold and barren ground.

credits

from Passing Through, released October 31, 1999
Words and music by Bill Sutton ©1984 Mad Tom Music

Performers include one or more of:

Bill Sutton: vocals, guitar
Nate Bucklin: lead guitar
Barry Childs-Helton: lead 12-string guitar
Sally Childs-Helton: congas, frame drum, zils, wind chime, drum kit
Dave Clement: backup vocals and effects, bodhran, cittern, washboard, guitar, dumbek
Kylea Fulton: flute, whistle
Tom Jeffers: backup vocals and effects, bass guitar, mandolin, cittern
Mike Musser: saxophone
Bill Roper: backup vocals and effects
Gretchen Roper: backup vocals and effects
Brenda Sutton: backup vocals

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Bill & Brenda Sutton Indianapolis, Indiana

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