Biography:
Leslie Fish is one of the most notable American filk singers, and along with the DeHorn crew was the first artist to release a commercial filk recording (Folk Songs for Folk Who Ain't Even Been Yet, 1976). Her second album (Solar Sailors, 1977) contained the now infamous song Banned From Argo, the song that has probably inspired the most parodies and varients in all of filkdom. Both of these albums, originally released on vinyl, have recently been re-released on a single CD called Folk Songs for Solar Sailors.
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Other songs:
Four years of hard work!This month of May we celebrated four years on the air. We continue working on the dissemination of this wonderful instrument, thank you for participating in our story!
This is an adaptation of the poem "Hymn Of Breaking Strain" by Rudyard Kipling (1935)
Em G A C
The careful text-books measure - Let all who build beware!
Em G A C
The load, the shock, the pressure material can bear:
Em Am C D Em
So, when the buckled girder lets down the grinding span
Em Am C D Em
The blame of loss, or murder, is laid upon the man
C D Em
Not on the Steel - the Man!
Em G A C
But, in our daily dealing with stone and steel, we find
Em G A C
The Gods have no such feeling of justice toward mankind
Em Am C D Em
To no set gauge they make us, for no laid course prepare
Em Am C D Em
In time they overtake us with loads we cannot bear:
C D Em
Too merciless to bear
Em G A C
The prudent text-books give it in tables at the end
Em G A C
The stress that shears a rivet, or makes a tie-bar bend
Em Am C D Em
What traffic wrecks macadam - what concrete should endure
Em Am C D Em
But we, poor Sons of Adam, have no such literature
C D Em
To warn us or make sure!
Em G A C
We hold all Earth to plunder - all Time and Space as well
Em G A C
Too wonder-stale to wonder at each new miracle
Em Am C D Em
Till in the mid-illusion of Godhood 'neath our hand
Em Am C D Em
Falls multiple confusion on all we did or planned
C D Em
The mighty works we planned
Em G A C
We only in Creation - how much luckier the bridge and rail!
Em G A C
Abide the twin damnation: to fail and know we fail
Em Am C D Em
Yet we - by which sole token we know we once were Gods
Em Am C D Em
Take shame in being broken, however great the odds
C D Em
The Burden or the Odds
Em G A C
Oh, veiled and secret Power, whose paths we seek in vain
Em G A C
Be with us in our hour of overthrow and pain
Em Am C D Em
That we - by which sure token we know Thy ways are true
Em Am Em Am
In spite of being broken, or because of being broken
C D Em
Rise up and build anew
C D Em
Stand up and build anew!
Em G A C
The careful text-books measure - Let all who build beware!
Em G A C
The load, the shock, the pressure material can bear:
Em Am C D Em
So, when the buckled girder lets down the grinding span
Em Am C D Em
The blame of loss, or murder, is laid upon the man
C D Em
Not on the Steel - the Man!
Em G A C
But, in our daily dealing with stone and steel, we find
Em G A C
The Gods have no such feeling of justice toward mankind
Em Am C D Em
To no set gauge they make us, for no laid course prepare
Em Am C D Em
In time they overtake us with loads we cannot bear:
C D Em
Too merciless to bear
Em G A C
The prudent text-books give it in tables at the end
Em G A C
The stress that shears a rivet, or makes a tie-bar bend
Em Am C D Em
What traffic wrecks macadam - what concrete should endure
Em Am C D Em
But we, poor Sons of Adam, have no such literature
C D Em
To warn us or make sure!
Em G A C
We hold all Earth to plunder - all Time and Space as well
Em G A C
Too wonder-stale to wonder at each new miracle
Em Am C D Em
Till in the mid-illusion of Godhood 'neath our hand
Em Am C D Em
Falls multiple confusion on all we did or planned
C D Em
The mighty works we planned
Em G A C
We only in Creation - how much luckier the bridge and rail!
Em G A C
Abide the twin damnation: to fail and know we fail
Em Am C D Em
Yet we - by which sole token we know we once were Gods
Em Am C D Em
Take shame in being broken, however great the odds
C D Em
The Burden or the Odds
Em G A C
Oh, veiled and secret Power, whose paths we seek in vain
Em G A C
Be with us in our hour of overthrow and pain
Em Am C D Em
That we - by which sure token we know Thy ways are true
Em Am Em Am
In spite of being broken, or because of being broken
C D Em
Rise up and build anew
C D Em
Stand up and build anew!
Leslie West
Leslie West Trio
Leslie Whitely A (...)
Leslies
Lesopoval