"Serpent's Song" genre: Folk
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	This is a punkie folk song with east Indian overtones. It's a sarcastic passion play where Earth (and thereby WE) are the victims of our own beliefs.Intended for "Fields in Fall" it was nixed for its attitude by my partner.
	Story Behind the Song As the Asgaard Serpent devours its tail so we in the West use up the earth, satisfied in the belief that this world is disposable, meant to die, so that Christ may return and establish a new earth. What's a planet when we have our spurious religious beliefs? This is my song for the environment. I see most of the U.S. notion of "Manifest Destiny" as a misreading of Christian doctrine in which the Earth and all life upon it are subject to humanity; WHITE humanity;WHITE CHRISTIAN HUMANITY; oh yes and they would be MALE as well. As an ex-seminarian I'm sick of Biblical morons justifying everything frompollution to genocide with a book. The finest verse in that book is "Be silent and know I am God!". That fundamentalist portion of Christianity that confuse a Higher Power with Nationalism, Moralism and the Apocalyptic Baiting of world events is idolatrous in their worship of a BOOK instead of the living face of a creator seen in every suffering human face in the world today. Oh yeah! I wrote the lyrics in one setting. I was thinking about "Dead Can Dance" type music so, lyrics in hand I sat down with my twelve string and banged out the melody. I kept pushing the south Asian drift of the piece as I built the rythym tracks. I used a kind of "Bali-wood" kind of string arrangement and a male chant-like harmony to drive the menacing, xenophobic quality of it. This was recorded on an old Fostex Hard Disk recorder, the DMT-8. I recently moved it over to my new Korg K-1600, augmented the rythym tracks, added some limiter on the mix-down and called it a cut.The dig. samples came from an old Ensonic and a Korg Triton. Lyrics Listen to me! I raise my hand fields will lie barren mountains to sand stands on a hill threatens and warns sackcloth and ashes nettles and thorns who tilts the balance? who draws the sword? who raids the larder? this tyrant turned lord? I burned the forest poisoned the well I am the serpent consuming my tail listen to me best heed the call turn out the stranger live by the law stands on a stone passes 'round blame cancels compassion -the sick and the lame listen to me waving his hand Bood held like axe head awaiting command allegiance to words textual vows slaying by syntax if fate allows

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