FAWM: "The Gifts of Pluto"

The Gifts of Pluto

Liner Notes

banjolele (as strings and percussion)
tambourine
bodhran
carnelian tapped on wood

My vague theme this year is what we can learn from death, what I’ve learned watching loved ones die, and how it feels now to watch the federal government of the U.S. fall. Surely something new will come after this, but in the meantime we ask to survive long enough to see it.

Carnelian was used in the ancient world in talismans particularly to protect from falling objects
Aquamarine was said to protect sailors (and was a favorite stone of my friend Melissa who passed away)
Opal, when held in the palm, was said to make a person invisible (ymmv lol)

Bonus: this is 101 bpm so you can use it to administer CPR

Lyrics

Dm Gm C F A Nero plays his violin As the city burns I don't think of him Just my insula and the people I love Who wanna spend another day in the above Dm Gm C Dm Carnelian, will you keep me safe As the city falls, pillars and archways Gm C Dm Bb In a concrete rain, some stones remain The gifts of Pluto are a hard reframe

Dm Gm C F A I used to think I had control Bad things happened to other people When I was 29 I lost a friend She was just my age at her story's end Dm Gm C Dm Aquamarine, will you keep me safe From the ocean squall and a watery grave Gm C Dm Bb As the tide pulls out, what is revealed? The gifts of Pluto are a costly deal

Gm Bb Dm C No one's getting out alive Hoard what you can while the empire dies Lose it all and you will finally know All that you have is your soul

Dm Gm C F A The oligarchy plays at a coup As you round up dissenters, I don't think of you Just the ordinary people and the people they love Who wanna spend another day in the above Dm Gm C Dm Opal, make us invisible As we slash the tires of the ICE truck floe Gm C Dm Bb In the sacrifice zones, we still have stones The gifts of Pluto are the last to go

Gm Bb Dm C I can't save the city, I don't have the skill I just tell stories while my friends are killed

Dm Gm C F A Nero plays his violin As the city burns we don't think of him Just our city blocks and the people we love Who wanna spend another day in the above Dm Gm C Dm Carnelian, will you keep us safe As the nation falls, pillars and archways Gm C Dm Bb In a concrete rain, some stones remain The gifts of Pluto are a hard reframe But gifts of Pluto are all that remain

Comments

@rubberbandage 10h

PS I also have a banjolele and love hearing it here ❤️

@rubberbandage 10h

Really powerful and evocative lyrics. I really love the invocations of these talismans. It’s the stories that give them power, and it’s the stories that give us continuity as empires crumble. I think what you do is very important. I also think slashing ICE tires is important ✊

@val 17h

The gifts of Pluto are many, but they are definitely a double edged sword. Love the organic production. the percussion sounds are great. Works perfectly and helps accentuate the folk vibe. You are making want a banjolele too. That thing sounds fantastic.

@intangible 17h

I love how you invoke the power of the stones to defeat evil, and the song itself definitely holds some magic. Very nice!

@nwhosings 17h

Woah! This is awesome! That layered percussion and the upbeat banjolele are foil for the serious layers of mythological storytelling. Your melody is seriously great!