Swato's Choral Squids

[Swatopluk]

Being a shameless occasional poetry committer (and composer dilettante), I will use this place for an exhibition of my questionable taste.

Let the squids begin to sing in true Lovecraftian mood!

[Griffin NoName]

I'm a Squid-Chorister and I'm OK
I swim all night and I sing all day

[Swatopluk]

OK, here are the first ones

Soon all mortal eyes/flesh will see/feel violence
Tune:Picardy
http://www.cyberhymnal.org
http://community.gospelcom.net/Brix?pageID=16829

Soon all mortal eyes/flesh will see/feel violence
Filled with fear we trembling stand
Horrors not of earthly kindred
Our destruction is at hand
Cthulhu from sea ascendeth
His realm again to expand

Beast of Beasts the horrible star-spawn
As of old on earth He stood
Great Old One in slimy vesture
Wastes the bodies drinks the blood
He will take from all the mortals
Their raw flesh for His ghastly food

Rank on rank the host of Yuggoth
Spreads its terror on the way
As the gloom of night descendeth
From the realms of woe and dismay
That the rule of man may vanish
As the darkness kills the day

At His feet the blasphemous shoggoths
Serve the three-lobed burning eye
Wave their pseudopods putrescent
As with eldritch voice they cry
Tekeli-li, Tekeli-li
Tekeli-li, Oh how vile!


The Strife is O'er, the Battle Lost
Tune by Palestrina
http://www.ingeb.org/spiritua/thestrif.html

The strife is o'er the battle lost
Defeated by the Great Old Ones' host
Our life and sanity it will cost
O Cthulhu

From the deep city of R'lyeh
He rises up to our dismay
We have no force/spell to hold him at bay
O Cthulhu

Madly the cultists their vile drums beat
While Old Ones feast on victims' raw meat
Ushering in our final defeat
O Cthulhu

Oh, see the cultists in their mad dance
While the Great Old Ones make their advance
And mankind hasn't the smallest chance
O Cthulhu

Like in old times they'll rule the Earth
Away they'll strip all our joy and mirth
They bring us death with their rebirth
O Cthulhu

He opens wide the gates of hell
His tentacles so foul and fell
Our howls of pain his triumph tell
O Cthulhu
O Cthulhu O Cthulhu O Cthulhu


Iä the mighty Cthulhu comes (G.F.Händel)

Iä the mighty Cthulhu comes
Gather round ye cultists, beat the drums
Fire prepare, the victims bring
Songs of madness to him sing
Iä the mighty Cthulhu comes
Gather round ye cultists, beat the drums
See the star-spawned monster advance
Shrieking flutes and drums lead the/our dance
See the star-spawned monster advance
Shrieking flutes and drums lead the/our dance
Seaweed and slime/goo ornates R'lyeh
Let all mankind fall in deep/be filled with dismay
See the star-spawned monster advance
Shrieking flutes and drums lead the/our dance
Iä the mighty Cthulhu comes
Gather round ye cultists, beat the drums
Iä the mighty Cthulhu comes
Gather round ye cultists, beat the drums
Fire prepare, the victims bring
Songs of madness to him sing
Iä the mighty Cthulhu comes
Gather round ye cultists, beat the drums

Solstice Oratorio (opening chorus) J.S.Bach

Drums beat and flutes shriek, Cthulhu is coming
Terrified screaming is/screams are filling the air
Forlorn is hope, we simply can't cope
Let all of mankind be filled with despair
Worship/Flee from the Great One the terrible star-spawn
Down like ripe cornstalks we will soon be all mown

without title yet
Tune: Mack-the-Knife Song

And the Deep Ones they have gill slits
Though they keep them out of sight
Just their foul fish smell's sufficient
For all sane ones to flee in fright

And my poor friend Edward Derby
Got a Deep One for a wife
Now a thing lies on my doorstep
What a way to end one's life

Should you visit run-down Innsmouth
At Gilman House you should not stay
Lock your door and stay awake, dear
Or you might not get away

There are strange things in old Arkham
Don't just trust me, here's the proof
Look to Miscatonic library
There's a Shoggoth on the roof

Randolph Carter has reported
How Harley Warren met his fate
In the crypt he foolishly entered
Hungry undead laid in wait

"If you plan to summon dead ones"
Says a scholar of renown
"Get yourself at least a shotgun
To make sure you can put him down"

You must meet the artist Pickman
Oh, his paintings are so cool
But avoid him when he's working
For his model (it) is a Ghoul

There is buzzing in the night sky
And a whisper in the dark
Mi-Go will soon can your brain, dear
Should you meet them in the park

Are there rats in Exham Priory?
Can you hear them in the wall?
If you do, you are a Delapore
and should prepare for your downfall

A mad Arab named Al-Hazred
Wrote a book called Al Azif
Also known as Nekronomicon
It has brought us lots of grief

In the sunken city of R'lyeh
Waits Cthulhu dreaming dead
When the stars are right again, dear
He will drive us (all) raving mad

Great Cthulhu, Shub Niggurath
Nyarlathotep, Yog Sothoth
Never without two mad flutists
Demon Sultan Azathoth

The Great Old Ones are returning
Soon you too will feel their wrath
|: But for mankind there'll be no place, dear
For they'll destroy all that's in their path :|

[Swatopluk]

Another one, just wait until I get my hand on a collection of carols that are sung in both German and English.

Keep down your heads, ye helpless fools
Tune: Macht hoch die Tür/Lift up your heads ye mighty gates

Keep down your heads, ye helpless fools
A foe is nearing much worse than ghouls
A monster rising from ocean's deep
Leaves nothing for us but to wail and weep
His hideous aura/shadow darkens the sun
Before he gets you do eat your gun
Oh monstrous Cthulhu, your sight we better avoid
-
Light fires, dance and beat the drums
from deep R'lyeh Cthulhu comes
The Beast of Beasts is drawing near
Destroyer of our world he is here
He is the most horrific foe
Brings with him only madness and woe
Oh cursed Cthulhu, you misshaped reptiloid
-
Up from the tomb and down from the skies
To mankind's doom the Great Old Ones rise
What you see now is just a foretaste
When they return our world they will waste
Where once they ruled they will rule again
All human toil will have been in vain
Oh dreadful Cthulhu, you star-spawn from the great void
-
A monster, yes, with powers so great
Wholesale destruction his running mate
He may now lie in his slimy grave
But do not think that you will be safe
When stars are right his dreaming will end
He will wake up and we are all damned
Oh horrid Cthulhu, our hopes are all destroyed

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

ROTFLMAO!

That is fishtastic! it really enhances the Haendel experience... 

[Swatopluk]

From the Carmina Cthulhuiana (Orff version)
Opening Chorus

O Cthulhu
We call to you
Come, destroy the human world!

When You're dreaming,
Some start screaming,
Persons of receptive mind.
They hear talking,
Webbed feet walking,
Beings not of human kind.
They see R'lyeh.
Without delay
Put in art that what they find

Fires are burning
Stars are turning
Constellations, once they're right
Deep in ocean
Starts the motion
Brings His tomb up to the light
Huge doors gaping
No escaping
From Him one can't run or hide
Light is ending
He is sending
Earth into eternal night

Hear the drumming
It is coming
From all corners of the Earth
Hear the yelling
It is telling
Coming soon are woe and dearth
Hope abandon
Don't depend on
There remaining joy or mirth
Just accept it
Mankind's had it
With His violent rebirth

[Swatopluk]

Cthulhu is returning
Tune: Tempus est iocundum from the original medieval Carmina Burana
melody reconstructed from memory, possible errors are mine
|: (agab)8 (cba)4 (bc)8 (d-)4 :|
(a-b-)4 (abab)8 (g-)4
(bbabccbababc)8 (d-)4 (abab)8 (cd)4 (cabg)8 (a-)4
numbers refer to length (4=quarter, 8=eigth), "-" means pause
g is the lowest, d the highest note

1.
Cthulhu is returning
See, here He comes
Keep the fires burning
And beat the drums

Refr.:
Hail! Hail! Hail, the Great Old One!
Through strange eons you will find that even death may die
That is clearly not dead which can eternal lie

Alternative text for Refr.:
Hail! Hail! Hail, the Great Old One!
His vile presence so unpleasant is the reason why
Mankind has not future, we're all gonna die!

2.
Now the constellations
Are right again
Soon come depredation
Terror and pain
Refr.

3.
Deep down from the ocean
Monsters arise
Set the plan in motion
for our demise
Refr.

4.
When Cthulhu conquers
Day turns to night
We will all go bonkers
Then die of fright
Refr.

5.
Hear the shoggoths howling
On this sad day
Bent on disemboweling
All in their way
Refr.

6.
Better choose your own end
Gun to the head
Than to fall in His hand
Ripped to a shred
Refr.

[Swatopluk]

Cultist Men
Tune: Men of Harlech

Hail, oh Great Old One Cthulhu
Hear the cultists call out to you
Tell us what perversions to do
For your swift return
Stranger take it as a warning
Here we are the rites performing
Drums we/are beat from eve to/till morning/straight on till morning
Bright the fires burn
Hear he victims crying
Soon they will be dying
See us in our loathsome dance all earthly law defying
Hail Cthulhu, Lord of R'lyeh
Come in haste and without delay
Here to taste some/feast on human filet
Brought by cultist men

May the cultists rant and rave
While Cthulhu's in his grave
Mankind seems completely safe
But that will not last
Soon will come the great transition
When fulfilled is the condition
Stars are in the right position
Like in distant past
Sea and earth are shaking/quaking
Cthulhu is awaking
Cyclopean buildings through the ocean's surface are breaking
For the Lord of devastation
Filled with anxious expectation
Waits a special delegation
Of us cultist men

Woe, ye cultists, thou art fools
Don't you know you are just tools
Where one of the Old Ones rules
Humans have no place
All your hopes will be in vain
Feel but agony and pain
When you're mercilessly slain
By the elder race
Wake up from your dreaming
Now will start the screaming
From earth's face each tiny trace of human race they'll be cleaning
Like your victims you will howl
When the shoggoths vile and foul
Start to rip and disembowel
You the cultist men

[Swatopluk]

Solstice Day is here again
Tune: Happy Days are here again

Innsmouth sleepeth
Nothing creepeth
Nothing stirs at Devil's Reef
Winter keepeth
Silence deepest
But let not the peace you deceive
Cause:

Solstice Day is here again
Assembling is the Deep One Clan
Round Obed Marsh their leading man
Hatching some devious plan
In the deep Y'ha N'thlei
And even deeper dark R'lyeh
Where Great Cthulhu lies in wait
For the final Solstice Day
Still just few are hearing his call
When he rises, he'll kill us all
He will rule the world once more
Just as he did in the days of yore
Bathing in a flood of slime and gore
When it's Solstice Day again

(When) Solstice Day is here for good
We all will end as Shoggoth food
They tear our bodies, drink our blood
(Just) For the sake of being (c)rude
(We) Cultists worship Cthulhu
In Greenland, Leng and foul bayou
"Oh, Great Old One we call to you:
Pray, Return this Solstice Day!"
He will rule with terror and pain
All resistance will be in vain
Mankind's hope is all forlorn
You'll wish that you had not been born
When your body is/gets all ripped and torn
On that fatal Solstice Day

[Sibling Chatty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA8OmK3qslw
(I actually can't watch this, but i'll assume it's her usual version, which starts slow and smooth.

Ok, the first bit should be smoother...

Innsmouth sleepeth, Nothing creepeth
Nothing stirs at Devil's Reef
Winter keeps a Silence deep, so
Do not let the peace deceive - you ...'cause

Solstice Day is here again
Assemble now our Deep One Clan
Round Obed Marsh, the leading man
(Let's)Hatch some devious plan
In the deep Y'ha N'thlei
And even deeper dark R'lyeh
Where Great Cthulhu lies in wait
For the final Solstice Day

A few will hear his dark call
He'll rise up and kill us all

He will rule the world once more
Just as he did in the days of yore
Bathe in a flood of slime and gore
When it's Solstice Day again

(When) Solstice Day is here for good
We all will end as Shoggoth food
They'll tear our bodies, drink our blood
For the sake of being (c)rude

(We) Cultists worship Cthulhu
In Greenland, Leng and foul bayou
"Oh, Great Old One we call to you:
Pray, Return this Solstice Day!"

He'll rule with terror and pain
Resistance will be in vain

Mankind's hope is all forlorn
You'll wish that you had not been born
When your body gets all ripped and torn
On that fatal Solstice Day
On that fa-tal Sol-stice Daaaay!!

That should scan a little better with the music.

The beat, if you listen closely, is slightly offbeat for emphasis, then reverses, using the last half-beat of the first measure as a definite pick up for the second...

1&2&3&4 &
1&2&3&4

[Swatopluk]

Thank you Auntie!
That way it's also a bit more consistent between 1st/3rd person perspective.
It's always a question what will happen to the cultists after Cthulhu rises (devoured last I presume)
(I can't watch the clip at home, so that will have to wait till to-morrow)

Update: Have now seen the clip. The Comdedian Harmonists did the song about thrice as fast

[Swatopluk]

tune: Der alte Dessauer aka So leben wir alle Tage
http://www.ingeb.org/images/dessauem.GIF

1.
Oh Cthulhu, we call to you: Arise from sunken R'lyeh
Can't you see, the stars in the sky are a-right?
Oh Star-Spawn Great, pray, don't be late come fast and without delay! (and Delay neither )
Can't you hear the whisper and the buzz in the night?
If you don't come with proper haste, the Mi-Go can our brains
It's time for you to vanquish them and take the reins!
If you can't come this Solstice Night, then set the Shoggoths free
Or send your dreams that drive us to insanity!

2.
Oh Cthulhu, we call to you, we keep the fires burning
Can't you hear the drums and he victims' cries
Oh Great Old One from Aldeb'ran with constellations turning
Wake up from your sleep and break free from your ties
We surely know that is not dead which can eternal lie
And after strange eons have passed, Death too may die
But should you choose to not come soon but wait until you rot
We'll find before next Solctice day another God

[Swatopluk]

Tune: the British Grenadiers

1.
Some worship foul Tsathoggua and other Yog-Sothoth
Or fertile goat Shub-Niggurath or Demon Sultan Azathtoth
But we the cultists and Deep Ones we sing yet another chant
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh R'lyeh Cthulhu wgah'nagl fhtagn!
(pronounce: phin-GLUI mo-gel-WNAF ree-ee-LAY ka-thu-LU wa-ga-NA-gel fa-a-ta-a-gen)

2.
In remote places we do meet, in Northern ice and Southern mud
For all n ight long our drums we beat and spill an awful lot of blood
Without a pause we also sing the cultist's ancient gruesome chant
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh R'lyeh Cthulhu wgah'nagl fhtagn!

3. But when our wait is over, to Southern seas we'll sail
Regaining his old power the Old One will rise from the swell
And then before he vanquish(e)s us a last time we will sing that chant
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh R'lyeh Cthulhu wgah'nagl fhtagn!

underlined syllables are on the same note

[Swatopluk]

Now instead of nasty lyrics a few bits of music of my own.

The piece attached was written in memory of someone I had great affection for.
Unfortunately she married someone else and died of cancer 7 years ago yesterday.
I consider it to be both my best and most personal composition yet.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I liked it very much, I wanna hear more.