Elfin ballads (?)

Some elfin songs

From 1981 to 1985 I published a little Elfquest fanzine called Howl't. Working at a fairly leisurely pace I managed to finish five issues - roughly one per year - and three issues of a little "inbetween" rag called Whimpers before I threw in the towel
Howl't was (to my knowledge anyway) the first "independent" EQ fan publication (not published by WaRP or EQFC),and to get to the point one of the things I did was print a couple of songs I had written. Without further ado, here they are again...

The following was my first EQ song, written to the tune of "Tom Brown's baby" (aka "John Browns' body") and appeared in Howl't 2. A slightly extended version was also found in Yearnings 1, but the extra verse was kind of based on a misinterpretation of a certain concept, so I deleted it again. This is the "official" version...

Once long ago the High Ones landed on our world.
I don't know if it's true but this is what I've heard:
Once long ago the High Ones landed on our world,
and they all had pointed ears.

  Now they are going on an Elfquest,
  :/:they are going on an Elfquest,:/:
  and they still have pointed ears!

We didn't welcome them, we didn't like their looks;
They had such funny garbs and something they called "books".
We didn't welcome them, we didn't like their looks,
for they all had pointed ears.

  Now they are going on an Elfquest,
  :/:they are going on an Elfquest,:/:
  and they still have pointed ears!

We slew the most of them, the others ran away
into the forest where they're hiding still today.
We slew the most of them, the others ran away,
and they all had pointed ears!

  Now they are going on an Elfquest,
  :/:they are going on an Elfquest,:/:
  and they still have pointed ears!

A bit later Kay Shapero added a verse, which got printed (along with a new version of the chorus by me) in Whimpers 2.

Dreamed I was on Earth (a planet far away)
At a Comic Con (I heard some people say)
When I turned around, I found to my dismay
that they ALL had pointed ears!

  For they had all been reading Elfquest;
  half of them were wearing elf vests.
  They had all been reading Elfquest,
  so they all had pointed ears!

Issue 2 was the first to have a little "supplement" typed on stencils while waiting for the main zine to return from the printer, and printed (and added to the main zine) after the rest was finished. This first little supplement contained two song fragments, one that I did a bit more with later (so will return to it then) and this little verse for Aroree to the tune of "Drive my car":

Skywise, you can fly my bird,
I will show you all the world,
things of which you've never heard,
come on let me show you...

In issue 3 I went a bit further back in the timeline for a little duet between Cutter and Savah (?) to the tune of "Elizabeth's Serenade" (Or whatever the English title is).
As I was finishing up the issue I came up with another verse (for an unspecified singer) and had just time to add a note in the margin. The full three verses appeared in issue 4.

We have travelled long and far;
we were guided by a star.
In search of a home
we've been forced to roam
through deserts of fear,
but now we are here
  And we hoped, my friend,
  you'd welcome us then
  to our Sorrow's End.

Little cousin, have no fear.
Ev'ry elf is welcome here.
Our tribes shall be one
ere two years are gone.
In peace we shall live,
forget and forgive.
  So I say again:
  You're welcome, my friend,
  to your Sorrow's End.

In yon mountain blue and cold
lives an elf who's very old.
As you are no zwoot (!)
I'll tell you the truth:
In silent despair
he's dying in there.
  What he need right now
  is - some way, somehow -
  a spark of your love.

Issue 5 got a bit more irreverent (?) again as I wrote this little doggerel to the tune of "Get back":

Kahvi was a fighter,
nothing could excite her
more than being mean to trolls.
Still she's sometime wishing
fewer would be missing
every time she called the rolls!

  Go-Back! Go-Back!
  Go-Back, what are you fighting for?
  Go back! Go back!
  Go back in peace and fight no more!

Vaya was her daughter,
this verse is about her;
went to war not asking why.
Seizing troll king's knife she
tried to take his life; she
never saw her mother cry.

  Go-Back! Go-Back!
  Go-Back, what are you fighting for?
  Go back! Go back!
  Go back in peace and fight no more!

Next a couple of ditties from Whimpers. These were really released in between issues of Howl't but I haven't kept track of the exact dates, so chronology would have been messed up anyway...
Issue 1 contained a more complete version of the song I started on in the supplement to H'T 1.The first part is supposed to fit the tune of "Itsy titsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini", it then gets mixed up with various other tunes from the "Stars on 45" album...
(Oh yes, that's Dewshine addressing Tyldak...)

I'm afraid to let you get much closer,
for I don't like your look, don't you see?
You are not just a normal "proposer"
nor the one I would like you to be!

  Two - four - six - eight,
  tell me why you are alate!

I feel so strange
and my mind is so hazy!
At point blank range
you are driving me crazy!
It's called Recognition -
searching in my mind
a strong inhibition
is all that I can find.
I can't - can't - can't - can't
join with you - oh no!
I want - want - want - want
to be free - but how?

The stars up in the sky
are reflected in your eye.
I'll never figure out
what this is all about -
You've told me how and what,
now tell me why - why - why - why?

Then in issue 2 I returned to Beatles tunes with this little piece written to "Fool on the hill":

Mistress of pain, born of the night;
the elf lady of Blue Mo(o)untain still fills me with fright.
I've never asked where she came from,
I'll never ask where she's born -
she's a menace!

  She's the foul Winnowill,
  she can do what she likes;
  but she's still overwhelmed
  when the wolfrider strikes!

Still sticking with Beatles tunes I did this litte thing in Whimpers 3 (Tune: "Polythene Pam"):

Well you should see Aroree fly!
She know the what and how but don't ask her why!
When she goes over the hill
upon her bird Littletrill,
then you should see Aroree fly!
Me - oh - my!

Finally W3 contained a little ditty to one of the tunes from "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Not sure about the original title, if there was one):

Come with me to the howl tonight
Stars are shining, the moon is bright
There'll be something for young and old
Songs are sung, there are stories told

And that's the end of the road. For now at least...

More songs * Main site (Norwegian)