Reflections of Amber
This was a hard one to write. When you are telling a story, and you want to base it on some tune where you have no immediate tie-in, it can be very difficult. It is much easier to write one where you have an immediate hook into the original, like ‘Gnomes on the Range’ where an instant changing of a few words creates that spark. Creating a story with no hook is much, much harder. Shirley had read all the Amber books, and I had read only the first one. She started writing it, and came up with a verse which ended up as the third verse in the song. She couldn’t get anywhere else, and gave it to me. I had a few ideas, but couldn’t come up with anything that really fit in. Jan offered to take a try at it, and did very very well. He managed to take the gist of the stories, and put them in the right intonations to fit the tune.
This was performed by the first and second iterations of FreeFall. There were many comments made to us on this by listeners and other filk singers, and they were all very nice, very positive, and greatly appreciated.
Reflections of Amber
By Jan Sayre and Shirley Dean
Based on Roger Zelazny’s Novels of Amber
All worlds are illusion, all we see is but a dream
reflections of a place in the forest .. of Arden
All roads lead to Amber, through the darkness and the light
walk the Pattern now.. to regain your might
(chorus) You hear the sound of Julian’s horn
you are the Son of the Unicorn
Jack of Diamonds is your sign…
Heave the mighty Rune Sword
slay the evil knight
drive back the darkness .. into the night
From the broken courts of Chaos, darkness crawls across the land
with beasts and demons and nightmares in the sand
To a land you craft of Shadow, guarded by the Unicorn you sleep
you’ll walk the fiery pattern to Ganelon’s Keep
(chorus) You hear the sound of Julian’s horn
you are the Son of the Unicorn
Jack of Diamonds is your sign…
Heave the mighty Rune Sword
slay the evil knight
drive back the darkness .. into the night
Mage me a dragon, to fly into the sun
and capture the starlight in your hair
Paint your way through shadow, and draw the Pattern’s light
and drive the Werehounds back into the night
(chorus) You hear the sound of Julian’s horn
you are the Son of the Unicorn
Jack of Diamonds is your sign
You were the Prince of Amber
banished from your rightful throne
Dworkin’s Trump cards.
(bridge) Now the only way back through that gate
When you feel the cards grow cold
form a window through the Shadow
Take the hand of your brothers and join them
but never trust them…
(Chorus) You hear the sound of Julian’s horn
you are the Son of the Unicorn
Jack of Diamonds is your sign
Heave the mighty rune sword
slay the evil knight
drive back the darkness .. into the night