Singring and the Glass Guitar

Composer: Todd Rundgren/Roger Powell/Kasim Suton/John Wilcox
Duration: 18:21
Utopia: Ra
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(An Electrified Fairy Tale)
This is an electrified fairy tale. If you've never heard of an electrified 
fairy tale, just picture little fairies with wee tiny electric guitars.

Once upon a time [not long ago] in a land not far from here, there was a place 
called Harmony. Everyone in Harmony was happy and this "joie devivre" was 
guarded by their invisible patron, the muse Singring. But jealous forces, and 
there are always jealous forces in such tales, have conspired to capture the 
spirit, imprisoning it in [an instrument of glass, locking it in] a chest with 
four keys, and casting the keys to the four corners of the earth so that only 
four particularly brave and talented individuals might retrieve them. It is 
here that our story begins.

There's a rumor I heard that's going 'round town Someone's captured Singring, Singring Come hear the news, come hurry on down Down to the old town square The announcer wipes at his eyes, he's trying to hide See it in his face, tell by his expression The secret knowledge that claws to escape as he cried Day of infamy, someone's captured Singring Day of tragedy, someone's captured Singring Now what shall we do, what shall we do now? And if you take a look around, Harmony is dying Someone trapped the spirit in a glass guitar And if you listen with your heart, you can hear it crying Free me from my crystal prison in this glass guitar There's a rumor I heard that's going around Someone's saving Singring, Singring Come hear the summons, hurry on down Down to the village green And the spokesman speaks for us all, together we call Brave adventurers, warriors, and free men Conquer self and so in the end save us all Conquer earth and wind, conquer fire and water Brave adventurers, come and save us all And if you fail to win the keys, Harmony is dying Trapped away forever in a glass guitar And if you listen with your heart, you can hear it crying Free me from my crystal prison in this glass guitar

Having gathered on the green, the brave adventurers of the land march off in search of the keys. Their quest leads them first to the river's edge.

Lead me to the water Pass me my flagon of wine I said show me to the water Quick before I change my mind I go down to the river and bravely the rapids I row Over the falls to the bottomless pool and it's down to the bottom I go Only one has the courage to dive into the river and brave the bottomless pool in search of the first key.

Let the four winds blow icy breath before me Storms will never keep me from the glass guitar Hurricanes may scream, I will never feel it 'Til I find the key that leads me to the glass guitar

Only one has the courage to wander the desert [alone] and brave the eternal winds in search of the second key

Fire can never burn me Flames can not catch me - faster am I Blazes never faze me Barefoot I walk hot coals for a mile My sword is tempered, my loins are girded in steel Make my way to the heart of the forest of flames And if I do my best and don't stop to rest I may pass the test and capture the key that opens the chest

Only one has the courage to make his way into the forest of flames and brave the fire-breathing dragon in search of the third key.

I will climb the face of the highest mountain Whilst Singring calls crying from the glass guitar Though the earth may shake let the planet tremble Steady will I struggle onward to the glass guitar

Only one has the courage to climb to the top of the highest mountain in search of the fourth key. Having scaled the mountain and finding no key, the climber begins chopping madly at the ground with his pickax, causing the mountain to split in two, revealing the last key. Now in possession of all four keys, the brave adventurers march triumphantly into the valley of silence to open the chest, smash the glass guitar, and free the spirit of Harmony.


Utopia: Ra
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Lyrics v. 2.4.2
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