I hadn’t intended to have the next song be another song about a battle for Thursday, but here we are. In an amusing (to me) note, after The Gates of Vienna was posted and the YouTube video from Sabaton was linked in the comments, I had a lot of views from Sweden.
Behind The Music:
All the songs so far are here (LINK). Still working on the downloadable stuff.
The Last Stand
by John Wilder
In the narrow pass where mountains kiss the sea
Three hundred Spartans stand, awaiting destiny
Xerxes’ hordes descend like bronze tidal waves
Free men stand to stop the Persian slaves
Leonidas commands, his voice a lion’s roar
Allied Greeks, bravely hold the shore
The Hot Gates boil with the clash of spear and shield
Bravery forged in fire, the Greeks refuse to yield
A Persian envoy demands their arms laid down
Leonidas scoffs, his face a stormy frown
“Come and take them” he cries with unyielding might
Molon labe echoes through the endless night
Molon labe
Molon labe
Molon labe
At Thermopylae, where heroes never bend
Spartans and their allies, stand to the bitter end
The future of the West on their shoulders borne
Bravery’s flame against the gathering storm
Thermopylae, the cradle of the free
Western civilization’s legacy
They stood as giants ‘gainst the tyrant’s tide
For Hellas’ soul, they fought and died
Molon labe
Molon labe
Molon labe
Arrows blot out the sun, a deadly Persian rain
A Spartan warrior grins standing on that plain
“Then we will fight in the shade!” Leonidas declares
The arrows fall, but their courage never despairs
Days of slaughter, the pass runs red with blood
Immortals broken, trampled in the mud
A cowardly betrayal reveals the hidden path
The encircled few face Persia’s full wrath
As dawn breaks grim on the final fateful morn
Leonidas rallies, his spirit never battle-worn
“Eat well, men, for tonight in Hades we dine”
No retreat, no surrender, all men back to the line
At Thermopylae, where heroes never bend
Spartans and allies, to the bitter end
The future of the West on their shoulders borne
Bravery’s flame in the gathering storm
Thermopylae, the cradle of the free!
Western civilization’s legacy
They stood as giants against the tyrant’s tide
For Hellas’ soul, they fought and died
Molon labe
Molon labe
Molon labe
From Plataea’s fields to philosophy’s birth
Their sacrifice echoes across the earth
Without their stand, the West would fade to night
Tyranny’s shadow swallowing the right
The West was saved by those who held the line
Eternal glory in the sands of time
At Thermopylae, the legend never dies
Spartans eternal under Grecian skies
The backbone of freedom, their bravery’s call
Stood for the many, sacrificed all
Thermopylae, where the West was won
From three hundred hearts, the dawn begun
Heroes of ages, in valor they strode
For civilization’s unbroken road
Molon labe
Molon labe
Molon labe
Why are you doing all these ai songs all of a sudden? I’m asking politely and seriously, as I’ve been reading and enjoying your writing very much for years.
Sure! A couple of reasons come to mind. I would have shared ’em, but no one asked, and since the most boring thing I can write about is me, I rarely do it unless it proves a point or shows a lesson.
1. Just like the writing, I like doing it. I haven’t made a single dime on publishing it, but have had a significant enjoyment factor. I’ve been writing songs in my head since I was a kid, and this is a chance to get those ideas out onto a Word document, and then play with them (sometimes they sound goofy) until I’m writing a song that I want to hear. I’m in this really word place where my very favorite songs (right now) are songs that I wrote. That’s weird, since my singing is atrocious and my guitar/bass/drum skills are remedial, at best. So, I like doing it and I like listening to it as well.
2. Getting ideas out there. All of my songs are, to a certain extent, based on the things I think are True, Beautiful, and Good. I am certainly subject to being wrong on that. However, music (like humor) is a different way to share ideas than is normally used. It’s not a dry editorial. Yet, you can’t listen to “We Ain’t Done” (I’ve tried to make that line a thing forever) and not know how I feel about the topic. Some songs (like some posts) are just fun, like “Beer Run” which was just me goofing. I have a passion to share ideas, and thus the 165,700 words I’ve published this year in 207 posts (which include the dozen or so songs).
Does that help?
Yep, thanks! Your reply reminded me of an old friend Jeff. He was way into punk and metal music. One day he told me he was going to see the Spice Girls in concert. I was dumbfounded. I asked him why the hell he would do that. I remember his reply to this day: “Because it makes me happy.”
Passion is important. I am not enthusiastic. I am passionate. And I’m having a heck of a good time. Don’t ever be shy about dropping a line on email if you’d like to, and I really appreciate the opportunity to write out my reasons for doing this. Honestly, it makes me so happy I feel like a sixteen-year-old again writing these.