Songs Before Sword
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These songs span the time period from the Second War of the Races until the end of The Sword of Shannara.
Bremen's Song -- by Cee (copyright 1988)
The sun shone brightly on the spears
At the side of the Elven King, rode I,
My son, forgive me what I do,
The dark lord met on the field of war
At the end of power, at the end of life,
My son, forgive me what I do,
The end of his power bound him as well,
My death must wait on his demise,
My son, forgive me what I do,
Innocence Lost -- by Julia Ecklar
Innocence lost
There's nowhere to run
A song
But the music fades fast,
I can't find the peace
I hear, but can't answer the call.
The Color of Right -- words by Neil Peart, music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson
I don't have an explanation
Take it easy on me now---
It's a hopeless situation,
Make it easy on yourself---
A quality of justice,
Gravity and distance
Take it easy on me now---
Make it easy on yourself---
A quality of justice,
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right.
Because of my interest in filk (that is, SF/F folk music), I tried for a long time to write a Shannara filksong. After a few less-than-successful attempts, I finally wrote this song about Bremen...
And the wind blew on the plain.
Ten thousand elves rode out to war.
Pray to come home again.
At the side of the Elven lord,
Who in his hand bore hope and truth;
I forged for him a sword.
Forgive me if you can,
To leave you a fight I could not win
And a shadow on the land.
The Elf King could not abide,
And left me face to face with death
In one who had not died.
He pulled me into hell,
Grey out of time in a limbo world
And bound me with a spell.
Forgive me if you can,
To leave you a fight I could not win
And a shadow on the land.
But I know he shall return.
And I cannot impede his flight,
Or teach all you must learn.
But I'll tell you what little I may,
As now you stand alone to face
Another battle day.
Forgive me if you can,
To leave you a fight I could not win
And a shadow on the land.
In the Alternate Shannara Universe, Allanon was Bremen's natural son. Allanon's mother died at his birth, and he spent his earliest days first at the Druids' Keep, then later in exile with his father in the Westland. While far from perfect, compared to later events his childhood among the great trees of the Westland forests must have seemed idyllic. This haunting song about growing up captures something of how he felt after the Second War of the Races...
as performed by Technical Difficulties on Please Stand By
Like the first winds of summer.
Manhood outrunning me soon.
Daydreams all dead
And I choose to replace them;
I chase them and hear the dark tune.
And no youth to use running.
Nothing but fear spurs me on.
My past is behind
And somehow I can't see it,
Like the words of a forgotten song.
In the midst of the summer
With birds singing love everywhere.
A boy
With his heart overflowing,
In his innocence having no care.
Faster still when I'm trying.
The memories leave echoes behind.
Like the chords of that song,
Now lost in confusion,
My innocence lost back in time.
That should come with the learning.
I can't find the meanings at all.
And the time won't come back,
It just taunts from a distance.
I still hear old innocence call.
From the very first time I heard this song about the pitfalls of duty, it seemed to me to fit Allanon perfectly. Allanon and Adrianne spent much of their long lives apart because of his sense of responsibility to the Four Lands that kept him on the move, trying to solve problems everywhere, always only a few steps ahead of trouble. This song captures the ironies of his character very well.
as performed by Rush on Test For Echo
For another lonely night.
I just feel this sense of mission
And the sense of what is right.
I'd be there if I could.
I'm so full of what is right,
I can't see what is good.
Lie awake for half the night.
You're not sure what's going on here,
But you're sure it isn't right.
There's nothing more you can do.
You're so full of what is right,
You can't see what is true
A quantity of light,
A particle of mercy
Makes the color of right.
Change the passage of light;
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right.
I'd be there if I could.
I'm so full of what is right,
I can't see what is good.
There's nothing more you can do.
You're so full of what is right,
You can't see what is true.
A quantity of light,
A particle of mercy,
Makes the color of right.
Change the passage of light;
Gravity and distance
Change the color of right.