Featured in the book trailer for SatyrPhil Brucato's upcoming novel, RED SHOES, "Alchemist Eyes" is a love note to the early 00's Goth scene, and a reminder to magical practitioners of all kinds that you got this...
As long as you remember to open up.
Trust yourself.
And dance.
Dance that dirt into gold, or vice versa, to suit the world you want to hold.

RED SHOES is available for pre-order in print, digital, and audiobook format through IndieGoGo: tinyurl.com/GetRedShoes

Watch the RED SHOES trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YO9Jk5-qEI

LYRICS:
Trust in your Alchemist Eyes.

Follow your haywire heart.

Stand and be enchanted, open minded to what may come.

We are the spark of becoming.

Stand and be enchanted, open minded to what may come.

We are the spark of becoming, becoming one.

CREDITS
Released November 5, 2021
Words, music, cover image, vocals, guitars, bass, drum programming, and mix by S. J. Tucker at the PixieHouse; Ouachita National Forest, AR. Mastered by Ben Deschamps, Amphis Music; Hamilton, ON. Shout out to the members of Soulwriters2 2019, and to Ryan James Loyd for encouraging me to "make it sound like a goth club."

Alchemist Eyes (#RedShoes Teaser Mix)

I wrote this song during the latter half of 2019. Sept 1, 2021, I decided it was time to polish it up for release. A recent live performance of this that I filmed for my YouTube channel less than a week before resonated with a whole lot of people, lots of folx telling me that this was just what they needed to hear.

Since so many people bought a download of this on release day, I was able to donate $ from sales of this track to the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, and to the Lilith Fund of TX.
We are built to outlast. May it be so. --S. J.

LYRICS

We are built for endurance.
That's how the die was cast.
We will see better days than these.
We are built to outlast.
Let us leave our children a world
made of miracles and chance.
These are the times we were made for.
We are built to outlast,
outlast,
outlast.

Let us be herons out hunting
who float when the rivers rise.
Let us take care of each other.
Let us be calm and wise.
We are makers of magic,
so let the spell be cast:
these are the times we were made for,
and we are built to outlast,
outlast,
outlast, oh!

We will see better days than these;
so let the die be cast.
We were built for endurance.
We are built to outlast.
We are makers of magic,
so let our spells be cast!
These are the times we were made for,
and we are built to outlast.

CREDITS

released September 3, 2021
Words, music, cover image, guitars, vocals, bass, and percussion by S. J. Tucker. Mastered by Ben Deschamps, Amphis Music. Special thanks to Laura Tempest Zakroff for coining the affirmation that kicked off the writing of this piece: these are the times we were made for.

Outlast

Ppl have asked me to release some seasonal music for years. This one snuck up on me, on the Longest Night.  I recorded it as fast as I could. Hope you enjoy. :)

Note: counterpoint lyrics directly inspired by "Shalom To You" by Carlton Raymond Young & Elise S. Eslinger, a piece I loved singing in choir with my family when I was younger.


Solstice Night

Composed in honor of my shipmates in the Lost Girls Pirate Academy (search and you'll find the FB group) - the best and most dedicated (and snappily dressed) friends and fans a girl could ask for, and inspired as a companion piece to my songs about Wendy and Peter Pan. :)

Deliver me, Mother, to sword and to sail
to taste of the clouds and to live on the sea.
Deliver me home, Second Star to the Right,
and it's strong, brave, and happy I'll be!

Deliver us home to the dear Jolly Roger
to live, learn and fight through the night and the day!
We'll soon make you proud as the boldest of buccaneers,
riding the waves through the salt sea spray!

Deliver us unto the care of our sisters,
who never will fail to haul that line,
to hoist us high like a sail to the West Wind,
and carry us home with the tide!

We witness this day, hand in hand with each other.
We turn to the West and it's proudly we sing:
we pledge to our ship, to our Captain and all,
TO NEVER GROW UP, AND NEVER GIVE IN!

Lost Girls Pirate Academy Alma Mater: Never Grow Up, Never Give In!

Speaking to those of us who keep the fires of magic & wonder alive in our souls, "Alchemist Eyes" was kicked off in Sooj's songwriting brain by a quote from author Jacob Nordby: we wait, starving for moments of high magic to inspire us, but life is full of common enchantment, waiting for our alchemist eyes to notice.

lyrics:
Trust in your alchemist eyes.
Follow your haywire heart.
Trust in your alchemist eyes.
Follow your haywire heart.
Stand and be enchanted,
open-minded to what may come.
We are the spark of becoming, becoming.
Stand and be enchanted,
open-minded to what may come.
We are the spark of becoming,
becoming one.
Becoming one.

Credits:
released October 7, 2022
Music, lyrics, images, this recording, mix, guitars, bass, vocals, synths, zills, and programming by S. J. Tucker. Mastered with CloudBounce. Special thanks to Ryan Loyd, Ben Deschamps, & Sean Christian Cook for encouraging my goth club side, and to Satyros Phil Brucato for believing in this song & encouraging its eventual tie-in with his novel, Red Shoes. Extra special thanks to all who grab this track on #BandcampFriday and to all my fellow spell slingers! You know who you are.

Download here

Alchemist Eyes

From the Stolen Season album
For Lasciel, YoSaffBridge, and all the microphone seductresses who've gone before.
Guitar & vocals by S. J. Tucker
Keys by Heather Dale
Upright bass by Ben Deschamps
Drums by Andy Sagraves

07 Temptress

S. J's 2015 release invites you down the rabbit hole of sultry Fairytale Folk & Jazz.  This record illuminates love and loss with a heavy dose of magic, "tempest tossed, but not about to break".  Jump on in and let it shiver your soul.  Cover art by Elizabeth Jordan Leggett, photo by Sandra Buskirk, and layout by Kevin K. Wiley.  CD currently undergoing printing & replication with Audiographic Masterworks, Memphis.  All tracks mastered by Mark Yoshida at AGMW.  All songs & recordings Copyright S. J. Tucker 2015.  All rights reserved.

Pre-order

11 S. J. Tucker - Believe In Lullabies (After Hours)

10 S. J. Tucker - Little Bird

08 S. J. Tucker - Stolen Season

07 S. J. Tucker - Temptress

06 S. J. Tucker - Wild River Child

05 S. J. Tucker - Girl Into Devil (I Belong To Me)

04 S. J. Tucker - Believe In Lullabies

03 S. J. Tucker - Sultry Summer Night

02 S. J. Tucker - Dream Of Mississippi

01 S. J. Tucker - Black Swan Blues

I'm part of a group this year whose members have accepted a challenge to write a brand new song every week.  My #songwriting prompt for the #Soulwriters2 group last week was "Jokers Wild".  This is what I ended up writing.  Normally I wouldn't share my rough tracks, but it's April Fool's Day. :)  I have several layers of emotional attachment to April 1st, thanks to a spiritual teacher of mine who's passed away.  So this is a bit of a tribute to her, as well as a legit prayer to various Trickster god forms. 

Lyrics
c. S. J. Tucker 2015; all rights reserved.

Jokers wild 
Cloudy skies
Lights go down 
New sunrise
Temple burns 
Mothers weep
Trickster, guard my fitful sleep

Aces high 
Spirits low
Always on 
with the show
Rules to break 
Vows to keep
Trickster, guard my fitful sleep

Pokerface 
Suckerpunch
Amazing Grace 
Naked Lunch
Battlestar 
Quantum Leap
Trickster, guard my fitful sleep

Spidersong 
Rabbitsilk
Jackal purr 
Raven's milk
Fairytales 
softly creep
Trickster, guard my fitful sleep

I know you've been 
As gentle as you can
In sleeping or in waking
I keep my courage
Very close at hand
And pretend I am
Unbreakable

Heavy crown 
Thistledown
Wicked smile 
Silly frown
Love's embrace 
No mistake
Trickster, guide me when I wake

Cuddle tight 
Kill the light
Bring the love 
and not the fight
Morning coffee 
Evening tears
Trickster, please 
stay right here

I know you'll be
As gentle as you can
I'll be at my bravest
Stick to the road
Follow all the plan
No matter how it changes.

S. J. Tucker: #songaweek rough cuts - Trickster Prayer

I've wanted to write a Krampus carol for ages.
This dude: http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/greetings-from-krampus/
He's big in L. A. lately, and also at the box office as of this past weekend, but his roots are in Scandinavian and German Alpine folklore, where he's either Santa/St. Nicholas' right hand man, Loki's grandson, or both.

Other notes:
-This is a song about Krampus, but it is not inspired by the brand new Krampus movie.  While I'm fine writing songs about the source material, I am not brave when it comes to horror flicks.  So I will probably not see the film.  :)  One Krampus-inspired film I DO love is a movie from Finland called Rare Exports, which looks at the legend with equal parts horror and humor (and allows the nerdy kid to save everyone's butts).  I recommend it. 

-I borrowed the cello you hear in the mix from a brand new, Patreon-exclusive Betsy Tinney cello tune, which she herself composed using that same biography prompt as inspiration!  I love collaborating with Betsy every chance I get, but this is actually the first time I've sampled from one of her tunes.  Betsy's song is called "A Dalliance with Darcy", and I used cello licks from the very beginning and very end of the song, with her blessing.  You can hear the rest of Betsy's piece, along with many other exclusives, if you choose to become a supporter of her Patreon campaign:  https://www.patreon.com/betsytinney?ty=h

Lyrics:

Out where the darkness lingers 
Out where the cold wind blows
Someone dreadful waits his turn. 

Better do better next year
If you're hoping for reindeer games
He's already got your number. 
He's already got your name

Teeth and claws and switches and chains
For the wicked kinder there is no escape
The feast of Krampus comes but once a year
It begins tonight. Krampus walks
And he will not be denied. 

Some say he rises from below
But not from the hell that little angels know
Loki's grandchild comes by night. 

Far more than an empty threat 
Far worse than a lump of coal
If he hasn't found you yet, sit tight.

He'll skin you slowly or he'll swallow you whole
Perhaps you'll get off easy, perhaps you won't. 
Stinking breath and pointed tongue
It begins tonight. Krampus comes
and he will not be denied.

Ice and fire hunting,
terror and regret
No gentle ghost of Christmas past

Across the frozen mountains
Through the howling snow
I'm sure he'll save the worst for last
I'm sure he'll save the worst for last. 

Teeth and claws and switches and chains
For the wicked-hearted there is no escape
The feast of Krampus comes but once a year
It begins tonight. Krampus walks
And he will not be denied.


FREE or name yr price

The Feast Of Krampus

My own musical retelling of Andersen's original Little Mermaid story (and what might have happened after), this time from the Sea Witch's point of view.

Lyrics:
She came to find me, little scion of the nerve, 
with sea foam seeded innocence, all milkiness and verve 
and a heart like a lion hell bent on what it wanted, 
regardless of the hell to pay. 

I warned her that the surface was no fairy tale come true, 
that love can do more damage than you think that it can do, 
but she bade me name my price, and so 
I left her mute and haunted, 
winsome in the light of day. 

Where the ocean meets the land, 
grit your teeth and stand upon 
your own two feet, my darling. 
Do take care. 
Guard your precious heart 
in the verdant world apart if you're 
gonna leave the water for the air. 

I kept a distant eye on the new life she was building, 
betting on a love who seemed unhearing and unyielding, 
but her will, like a lion, was too wild for backing down 
or for sensing the time to take wing. 

When her sisters came to see me with their 
wide and tearful eyes, 
the best that I could offer was a blade for her to try 
for stopping the heart that would never bow down 
to a siren who could not sing. 

This is why, my minnow, 
I've been loath to let you go. 

Where the ocean meets the land, 
grit your teeth and stand upon 
your own two feet, my darling. 
Do take care. 
Guard your precious heart in 
the verdant world apart if you're 
gonna leave the water for the air. 

Every word is true. 
You'll do what you have to do. 
I know your spirit cannot stay 
inside its shell, 
but I'll be watching from the deep 
when you wake and as you sleep. 
Take the knife before you leave 
and use it well.

Credits:
released September 2, 2016 
Lyrics, music, cover art & this recording copyright S. J. Tucker 2016. 
All guitars, vocals & mixing by S. J. 
Tracked at The Pixiehouse, Camp Timberlake, Arkansas. 
Special thanks to the Soulwriters2 group & Renée Janski.

Get this track!

Where the Ocean Meets the Land

Imbolc, or Imbolg, or Candlemas, on or around Feb 1st or 2nd, is the witchy counterpart of Groundhog Day. Irish goddess Brighid is wrapped up in Imbolc, and lots of folks think of it as her holiday. She's a fire goddess, a hearth goddess, and is also considered the patroness of bards, smiths, and poets- I like her for all of these reasons. She's still celebrated as a goddess in Ireland (and elsewhere), right alongside the Catholic Saint Brigid, in early February. Friends of mine who've visited Brigid's Well in Ireland, where Imbolc involves an amazing candlelit procession, tell me that the nuns there laugh about the separation of goddess and saint where Brighid is concerned- they say she's the same, however you classify her. Maman Brigitte, of Haitian Vodou, is partner to Baron Samedi, loves pepper spiced rum, and is said to be the only known Lwa with pale skin and red hair. She came to the Lwa pantheon in the Caribbean via transported Irish and Scottish indentured workers. Brighid crosses cultures and pantheons, which makes her a great figure to look to where cultural sensitivity is concerned, and how we can step that up as we walk our path "with both eyes open". 

Imbolc is a holiday for celebrating new beginnings and is even observed as the true start of spring. 

Milk is a traditional offering at Imbolc, hence my lyric, "pour the milk upon the ground." 

LYRICS: 

Round 1: 
Just around the corner, 
nobody knows. 

Round 2: 
Witches, trust your intuition 
You never know what will come 
If you believe in divination, 
follow the signs straightaway home 
Pour the milk upon the ground 
Hail the winter winding down 
Walk your path with both eyes open 

Round 3: 
Blessings of now, and future and past 
on every little spell you cast. 

Round 4: 
Pour the milk upon the ground. 
Hail the winter winding down. 

Round 5, offset from round 1: 
Nobody knows. 
Nobody knows.

All vocals, mix, this recording, and images copyright S. J. Tucker 2016-2018; all rights reserved.

Imbolc Song

S. J. Tucker Official: Imbolc Song

STROWLERS is Zombie Orpheus Entertainment's urban fantasy show concept that tells the stories of “hypercreative malcontent[s]” who have the guts to believe in magic (and to keep practicing it, as well as protecting others with magical abilities, when to do so makes them outlaws). Sooj is proud to support the project as a songwriter. 
Watch clips: 
www.zombieorpheus.com/videos/playlist/8/video/0/ 
Learn more: wiki.zombieorpheus.com/index.php/Strowlers:The_Strowlers 

"Burn Me Out" is the series anthem, commissioned by show creator Ben Dobyns in 2014, now released for the first time.
I wanted this one to be something anyone with a guitar could play with just four chords in the following arrangement: 

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 
F F C C G G Am Am F F C C G G G G 

I wanted to write a decent protest song that would honor the Strowlers story and concept, as well as its open source nature. Strowlers believe that magic is for everyone. So is music. Please share and enjoy this tune, and learn to play and sing it yourself if you're inspired to do so. 
--Sooj
lyrics
Burn me out, draw the lightning down 
Stand up, face your equal 
Turn this world around 

Go on and burn me out, 
catch me if you can, I'm gonna 
draw the lightning down 
Coming bold or meek, 
stand and face your equal, and we'll 
turn this world around, oh 

(Burn me out, draw the lightning down 
Stand up, strowler 
Turn this world around) 

Call me an outcast, call me a thief 
Close your eyes to my whole magic show 
Turn away from what I have to say 
The powerless have powers you will never know 
We're all just storytellers 
dreaming out loud to pass the time 
I know my enemy shares my own fragility 
but if you've got the spark, you're 
bound to get fire 

Go on and burn me out, 
catch me if you can, I'm gonna 
draw the lightning down 
Coming strong or weak, 
stand and face your equal, and we'll 
turn this world around 

Call me a criminal for what I hold inside 
Behind your eyes you know we are the same 
Call on the Storyteller, what's in the cards for you? 
I know the choice is clear: 
compassion over fear for the 
magic we can do 

Go on and burn me out, 
catch me if you can, I'm gonna 
draw the lightning down 
Coming strong or weak, 
stand and face your equal, and we'll 
turn this world around 

Call me an outcast, call me a thief 
Close your eyes to my whole magic show 
Turn away from what I have to say 
The powerless have powers you will never know 
If you don't have the spark you'll 
never see fire, but we've got the match right here 
Let the world awake. Make no mistake 
we will still be standing when the 
smoke has cleared 

Go on and burn me out, 
catch me if you can, I'm gonna 
draw the lightning down 
Coming bold or meek, 
stand and face your equal, and we'll 
turn this world around 
Go on and burn me out, 
catch me if you can, I'm gonna 
draw the lightning down 
There's only one ride 
if we're gonna survive, we gotta 
turn this world around 

We may be out of focus, but we're 
proud to let it show 
We burn without the burning and we 
do not care who knows 
Try to kill what's beautiful, 
stand back and watch it grow 
Got a different kind of burning and we 
do not care who knows 

Renegades and rascals, we are 
all the same as you 
standing up for magic and the 
magic we can do 
Try to hide the mystery, it's 
gonna shine through 
We stand up for magic and the 
magic we can do 

Burn me out, draw the lightning down 
Stand up, face your equal 
Turn this world around
 
Guitars, lead vocals, music, lyrics, and mixing by S. J. Tucker 
Strowlers choir: Cade Tinney, Betsy Tinney, Phil Brucato, Damiana Swan, Ryan Loyd, Clint McCune, and S. J. Tucker 
Bass by Phil Brucato 
Djembe by Clint McCune 
Cello by Betsy Tinney 
Initial tracking & mix-down at Pinecoon Studio, Redmond; 2018 tracking and remix at The PixieHouse, Petit Jean Mtn.

Burn Me Out: Songs from the World of Strowlers

Buy (name your price)

Burn Me Out (a #Strowlers Anthem)

STROWLERS is Zombie Orpheus Entertainment's urban fantasy show concept that tells the stories of “hypercreative malcontent[s]” who have the guts to believe in magic (and to keep practicing it, as well as protecting others with magical abilities, when to do so makes them outlaws). Sooj is proud to support the project as a songwriter.
Watch clips: 
www.zombieorpheus.com/videos/playlist/8/video/0/ 
Learn more: wiki.zombieorpheus.com/index.php/Strowlers:The_Strowlers

The central rhyme for this song was taken directly from the Strowlers pilot script, where it appears as part of a story read aloud to the episode's children characters, at least one of whom has a lot of magic (and a lot of danger) ahead of her.  I wrote the song on my flight home from Seattle in October 2016, just after a meeting with Ben Dobyns & Steve Wolbrecht, during which I got to view a nearly finished cut of the episode for the first time. The scene to which the Mirror Self rhyme is critical, needless to say, had a deep effect on me. I'd say be careful about singing this one into an actual mirror, unless you mean it.
--Sooj

lyrics:
Mirror self, reflect my face 
Hear my words, take my place 
Breath and blood will make you whole 
You have my heart, and I my soul 

Mirror self, reflect my face 
Hear my words, take my place 
Breath and blood will make you whole 
Take my heart and leave my soul 

Wolves know their work, so be ready, 
ready to run and hide 
"Is this the magic mirror?" 
Finish the tale and decide. 

Between the worlds, to and fro 
Hand in hand, it's time to go 
Never fear, my mirror girl 
Step by step, between the worlds 

Wolves know their work, so be ready 
to split yourself in two 
Trust in the tale that you carry 
Step on through, oh 

You have my heart, I have my soul 
Breath and my blood will make you whole 
Mirror self, reflect my face 
Hear my words, take my place 

Breath and blood will make you whole 
Take my heart, leave my soul 
Mirror self, reflect my face 
Hear my words 
and take my place

Guitars, vocals, bass, programming, mix, music, and lyrics by S. J. Tucker 
Special thanks to Ben, Steve, and Soulwriters 2 2016.

Mirror Self (Strowlers Mix)

Inspired by the short life of Helen Ruth Spence, lesser known Arkansan outlaw and child of the early Twentieth Century Delta houseboat community known as the River People, this single S. J. intends to be the seed of a future full-length release composed all of songs inspired by local Arkansas history and family stories. As this song is featured on her local NPR affiliate KUAR 89.1's Arts & Letters program in its 2-part episode all about Helen Spence (air date for part one: May 11, 2019), Sooj realized it prudent to release this demo mix as a single, stark and sparse and raw though it may be. Every word of the lyrics is true, except that since the writing of this piece, Miss Spence's gravesite has finally received the memorial it deserves, thanks to the Morris Foundation and the tireless efforts of author Denise Parkinson, who wrote Daughter of the White River: Depression Era Treachery and Vengeance in the Arkansas Delta-the very book which inspired this song. The audiobook is a collaboration between Denise and S. J., and is coming soon to Audible. In the meantime, you can visit Helen's grave in the cemetery at St. Charles, Arkansas. 

The bridge in the cover image is the historic White River Bridge at Clarendon, and it's under threat. Find out more about local conservation efforts here: www.whiteriverbridge.org 

More about the Arts & Letters radio show: 
www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/she-was-river-part-i

lyrics:  https://music.sjtucker.com/track/girl-from-the-river
 
lyrics, music, vocals, percussion, mix, and cover design all by S. J. Tucker. Original photo by Denise Parkinson; used with her blessing. 
Special thanks to Soulwriters 2 for the prompt that got this tune going back in 2017, and to Denise for telling Helen's story in prose.

Girl from the River digital single

Girl from the River

get this track

Girl From The River

My first real chance to get all NIN/Skinny Puppy on something: bonus track on the Ember Days soundtrack album, released March 5 2013. The original is instrumental; this is v2.0 I'm not normally this scary...
Lyrics here: http://music.sjtucker.com/track/we-were-angels-once-wake-the-fallen
Inspired by a line in the Ember Days script: it is raining in the city, and the gods are going to war. Hoping to make a music video for this ASAP. I'll link that here when it comes to be. Thx for listening. :)

More about the film: http://www.emberdaysmovie.com

We Were Angels Once (Wake the Fallen)

Everybody's favorite salad (w)rap.  :D  Hoping to take this one all the way to Sesame Street!  Lyrics here: http://music.sjtucker.com/track/beetz-in-my-salad

Beetz in my Salad_SJ and BBG

My sisters Renée Janski & Ginger Doss, with whom I shared the #MusesontheRoad tour in late 2017, helped me give this song a glowup in hopes it'll help some people out with remembering that our kids & all the young people coming up right now, and BIPOC & allies/accomplices who put their bodies on the line for positive change deserve a world that's worthy of them, no matter who their people are, where they grew up, or how they look.

Chalk on the Sidewalk single

Chalk on the Sidewalk

Buy Me Here

Sometimes a prayer to the unpredictable is something worth clinging to.
This is one of my top favorites of all the oodles of songs I've written in my life.  Cello by Betsy Tinney.

Trickster Prayer

I swear I wrote this in 2017 and not during quarantine, but now was a great time to record a solid version of it and put it out there for y'all.  Hang in there, ok?

Star Maps

S. J. Tucker, Star Maps

Lol, remember back when the Doomsday Clock said we had 3 minutes before oh-fuck-o'clock?  Those were good days.

This mix has been in my head since I recorded the original.  Thanks to my bandmates Alec (violin) and Betsy (cello) for helping it shine.

1157 ('Til It's Over) 2020 Remixes

1157 ('Til It's Over) Chamber Rock Remix

Lol, remember back when the Doomsday Clock still said we had three minutes before oh-fuck-o'clock? Those were the days.  (It's at 100 seconds as of this posting. Hahahahaha this is fine.)

This is my remix of the version we released on The Green Album back in 2016.
Music, lyrics, vocals, guitars, bass, drum programming, synths, and mixdown by S. J. Tucker at The Pixie House.
Cello by Betsy Tinney
Violin by Alexander James Adams
Produced by S. J. Tucker
Special thanks to Green Album alums Tuatha Dea, Ginger Doss, Wendy Rule, Bekah Kelso, Sharon Knight & Winter, Murphy's Midnight Rounders, Spiral Rhythm, Mama Gina, Damh the Bard, Spiral Dance, Kellianna, Celia Farran, and Brian Henke.
Extra special thanks to Danny Mullikin & Phil Brucato for the encouragement.

1157 ('Til It's Over) 2020 Remix

Get this track: http://music.sjtucker.com/track/wild-...
More music: http://music.sjtucker.com
Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/sjtuckermusic
Blog & show info: http://sjtucker.com
Online shows: https://onlineconcertthing.com

"All the old familiar rhymes are not gonna fit these wild, wild times.
What's familiar's gotta be run out on a rail."

Magical practitioners and creative types have not been idle during this summer of upheaval. The call has gone out for us all to uplift BIPOC voices, to listen and learn, and to be the change of dismantling systemic racism worldwide. That call, recent protests across the US and beyond in support of an end to police brutality, and documented acts of magical activism brought S. J. to the place she needed to get to in order to be the conduit for this song.

More about the sevenfold waning moon spell for magical resistance:
www.patheos.com/blogs/tempest/2020/06/a-witchs-sevenfold-waning-moon-spell-for-magical-resistance.html

Donate to Black Lives Matter Seattle/King County:
blacklivesseattle.org/donate/

List of Bail Funds for Protestors across the United States + Toronto & Montreal:
bailfunds.github.io

National Community Bail Fund Network:
www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory

Arkansas Freedom Fund bail fund info:
www.arfreedomfund.com

Lyrics:
I stand between the wild and the familiar
wondering if they've always been the same.
Tonight's is a moon worth drawing down.
We are witches worthy of the name.
Comes a gathering of signals from far and wide,
little candles burning on both sides
of all our dirty screens tonight.

All the old familiar rhymes are not
gonna fit these wild, wild times.
What's familiar's gotta be
run out on a rail.
So let it begin right here, right now.
Let it begin with me, oh, let it begin.

Picking up the call to action,
wands ready and tears held back,
let's send out everything we've got
that the blue would pale before the black.
"Red, White, and Had It Up To Here!"
comes a gathering of signals from everywhere.
Here comes that moon, and the sky is clear.

All the old familiar rhymes are not
gonna fit these wild, wild times.
What's familiar's gotta be
run out on a rail.
All the old familiar rhymes are not
gonna fit these wild, wild times.
What's familiar's gotta be
run out on a rail.

Darling, you are not the only one.
Everything you need to feel,
go ahead and feel it 'til it's done
and after, take some time to heal.
This machine and I
know the work continues over time.
No vacation from the lies.

All the old familiar rhymes
do not suit our changing times.
Damned if the revolution ain't televised
and broadcast far and wide.
Keep documenting all that's ours.
Keep on speaking truth to power.
Listen, learn, lift up, survive.
Survive.

released July 3, 2020
Lyrics, music, guitars, bass, vocals, drum programming, mix, and cover image by S. J. Tucker. Recorded at The Pixiehouse, Camp Timberlake, Arkansas, US.
Mastered by Ben Deschamps, Amphis Music, Hamilton, Ontario, CAN.
Special thanks to Laura Tempest Zakroff, and to all who put their lives on the line for positive change.

Wild Times

Pixie Pirate Minstrel, musical magical practitioner. Also known as singer-songwriter, producer, composer, Burner, nomad, witchy woman, instigator, facilitator, narrator, creatrix, and Jesse's mama. Currently performing live again a little at a time while not at home recording my face off & giving online shows to try to lift spirits, in these years of the virus.  Love dabbling in electronica/belly dance mixes/industrial/dubstep, though jazz/mythic/acoustic/fannish/folk/fun is how most folks find me. Thx for stopping by. :-)

Sjtuckermusic

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