Ship of Stone

© 1981 Don Simpson. All rights reserved

In my opinion the best filksong ever written. If one of the songs we're singing now is still being sung a thousand years from now, it will probably be this one.

Recordings:

[ogg] [mp3]

Lyrics [pdf] [txt] [cho]

2019 Pegasus Award winner: Best Classic Filk Song.

	Am
	Once there was a Ship of Stone

	G6
That orbitted a	mighty star

	Am	G	Am	Em	Am
And	from	it	flew the first	ship's	crew

	Em	Am
Whose children we	all	are;

	C
And no	matter how long

	G6
We've	drawn our track,

	Am	Em
Still	over our shoulder,	looking back

	Am
Through the	hydrogen's hiss

	Gm	Esus4
And the meth	ane's	moan,

	D5	G	Am
Past the	poly	mer	clouds

	C	G6	F
Of the d	ead	stars'	shrouds,

	Am	G	Am	Em	Am
	All our roads	run	back to the Ship	of	Stone.

There the first crew all were made

And wakened from unknowing sleep

By the boundless sight of Heaven's height

And the fires on the deep;

And no matter how strange

the forms we wear,

How warped and wild, how rich and rare,

How changed we've made the seed we've sown;

We are blood of those who singing rose

From the body of the Ship of Stone.

There our own ships' frames were formed

To grow blue glowing wings,

And spread them wide to the farthest tide

Where the last, lone beacon sings;

And no matter how tight the net they knot

Of our web where the wheel of light is caught,

How strange and lost,

How grand they've grown,

They too desire all Heaven's fire:

Our companions since the Ship of Stone.

one verse instrumental

Once there was a Ship of Stone,

Clear-domed, broad-hulled, and clean,

Where the air shone blue,

Through whose holds birds flew,

Whose decks were growing green;

And no matter how odd

These things may seem,

As madly mazed as shards of dream,

They are not a dream that you dream alone--

All ships, all men are of one kin;

We shall not forget the Ship of Stone.

If any of the songs we filkers are writing and singing now deserves to be remembered a thousand years from now, this is it. My all-time favorite.