Paganistan: Notes from the Secret Commonwealth
In Which One Midwest Man-in-Black Confers, Converses & Otherwise Hob-Nobs with his Fellow Hob-Men (& -Women) Concerning the Sundry Ways of the Famed but Ill-Starred Tribe of Witches.
Sparky T. Rabbit 1954-2014
Lament for the Queer Dead
Gone away into the night
Gone away into the ground
Gone away into the fire
So many gone
Ashes flying on the wind
Ashes scattered on the sea
Ashes turned into the earth
So many gone
Empty house and empty bed
Empty room and empty town
Empty sky and empty arms
So many gone
Falling down a well of grief
Drowning in a sea of despair
How can love begin again
So many gone
Oh I can see you now standing with the others
On the deck in the blue and purple twilight
And we hold each other close on a ship of many lovers
And we talk hand in hand before you go
I can see the faces there many ages many colors
And they all gaze far away into the evening
There are friends there that I know and so many many others
And they're eager for their journey to begin
Some have come there with their loves and some have come alone
They all embrace in the light and in the shadow
And we say our farewells with our arms around each other
And you tell me I will see you again
And you tell me I will see you again
I am happy for you then
On your journey to a home
But when I wake all that I know
Is you are gone
I can dream you in that place
Laughing smiling healthy and strong
But when I wake all that I know
Is you are gone
Some days tears are all I have
Some days anger and despair
And some days dreams are all I have
Since you are gone
So fly away my love on the violet ship of beauty
Fly away through the night into the morning
Oh fly away my love on the silken purple sails
Fly away through the darkness to the dawn
Oh fly away my love on the violet ship of beauty
Fly away through the night in the morning
Oh fly away my love on the silken purple sails
Fly away through the darkness to the dawn
Fly away into the night
Fly away into the stars
Fly away into the dawn
To lovers arms
To lovers arms
Lyrics: Sparky T. Rabbit
Tune: Greg Johnson and Sparky T. Rabbit
From their 1983 album Lunacy: Hand of Desire
Photo: Macha Nightmare
Shown (L-R): Steven Posch, Sparky T. Rabbit, Wren Swart
Comments
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Wednesday, 04 June 2014Keith, here's the website for the first CD: http://lunacymusic.blogspot.com/ I don't know what will happen next to this precious, spectacular music. We'll have to wait till Ray and others sort things out in the wake of this tragic loss. In the meantime, however, if there's a specific song on the first album you'd like, say for a memorial, I can email it to you if you send your email to herself@machanightmare.com. I know there will be a memorial in Minneapolis.
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Wednesday, 04 June 2014Macha, thank you. That blog was the only info I had, and I'm assuming that info isn't useful until things settle down and someone figures out whether anyone is picking up that torch. No rush on that.
I will email you about a song for the memorial, thank you. -
Wednesday, 04 June 2014
Missing him greatly as I write. Thank you so much for posting this as it was the first song I thought of also when I heard the news. My thoughts are with you all. Hugs~ Raspberry.
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Thursday, 05 June 2014
All day yesterday the calls have been coming in from people all over the country who remembered Sparky and whose lives he touched with his art. If the dead can know, I hope that he can see this massive outpouring of love. Sparky's was a life led for love, and I know that when he lived there were times when he doubted the love of others.
I can tell you that before Sparky slipped into his final depression last fall--he wrestled with depression all his life--he was taking up the necessary work to remaster and rerelease the second album, Hand of Desire, with enthusiasm. For now, what I can tell you is that both his husband of 30 years, Ray, and Keith Ward, the artist who crafted the masterful and masterfully understated layout, design, and art for the first album, are committed to seeing the project through, perhaps via Kickstart. Surely, as Macha says, this will wait until affairs are settled. Keep listening. There will be future word.
Sparky's death has come as a heavy blow to all those of us that loved him. When the traditional three days of mourning are over and regular life resumes, I'll certainly have more to say. -
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Steven, I'm so sorry to hear this. I learned of it earlier this morning, and this is the first public announcement I've seen.
What is remembered lives.
Side note: Do you know for sure what the status is on the availability of the CDs? I've had a couple of inquiries as to whether the music is available, from people who are planning memorials. I know only what his blog said a couple years ago, that he had the first CD back from the printer and was selling them by check/mail, but I don't know of anyone who actually has it, and his plans to sell it through CD Baby do not seem to have born fruit.