I need a weird song I can take literally

[ejja_1]

Just some favs

She came to me with a serpent's kiss,
As the Eye of the Sun Rose on her lips,
Moonlight catches silver tears I cry,
So we lay in the black embrace,
And the Seed is sown in a holy place
And I watched, and I waited for the dawn.

Iron Maiden/Revelations/Piece of Mind

Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems
The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me
But I will pray for you and some day I may return
Don't you cry for me beyond is where I learn

Iron Maiden/The evil That Men Do/Seventh Son of a
Seventh Son

Pay me I'll be your surgeon,
I'd like to pick your brains
Capture you, Inject you,
leave you kneeling in the rain
I choose to steal what you chose to show
And you know I will not apologize
Your mine for the taking
I'm making a career of evil

Blue Oyster Cult/ career of evil


White lightning man
Kill the night
Bring the light for those who need to hide
When your glowing known he stills the cold
In psychic heat begin to fall apart
Commit some social suicide
You can run but never hide away
Kill the night!

Sattelite/Pig face/Washing machine Mouth

 

[Ethernaut]

Waaaaay back in the day, I ran a campaign story arc based on the Police's "King of Pain". The song prophesized the return of a long lost God of Pain. As the party observed the signs of each verse, the party's assassin slowly began to take on aspects of the God.

 

[Shroomy]

"Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan:

Thrown like a star in my vast sleep
I open my eyes to take a peep
To find that I was by the sea
Gazing with tranquillity.
'Twas then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Came singing songs of love,
Then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Came singing songs of love.
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy he sang.
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy he sang.
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy he sang.
Histories of ages past
Unenlightened shadows cast
Down through all eternity
The crying of humanity.
'Tis then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Comes singing songs of love,
Then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Comes singing songs of love.
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy he sang.
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy.
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy he sang.
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy he sang.
Here comes the roly poly man and he's singing songs of love,
Roly poly, roly poly, roly poly, poly he sang.
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy he sang,
Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy he sang

 

[William Ronald]

Maybe try Cities in Dust by Siouxsie and the Banshees?

Water was running; children were running
You were running out of time
Under the mountain, a golden fountain
Were you praying at the Lares shrine?
But ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend
ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend

We found you hiding, we found you lying
Choking on the dirt and sand
Your former glories and all the stories
Dragged and washed with eager hands

But ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend
ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend
your city lies in dust

Water was running; children were running
We found you hiding, we found you lying
Water was running; children were running
We found you hiding, we found you lying
your city lies in dust
ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend

Hot and burning in your nostrils
Pouring down your gaping mouth
Your molten bodies blanket of cinders
Caught in the throes .......

Ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend
Ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend
Ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend
Ohh oh your city lies in dust, my friend

Your city lies in dust

Or how about The Point of Know Return by Kansas?

I heard the men saying something
The captains tell they pay you well
And they say they need sailing men to
Show the way, and leave today
Was it you that said, "How long, how long?"

They say the sea turns so dark that
You know it's time, you see the sign
They say the point demons guard is
An ocean grave, for all the brave,
Was it you that said, "How long, how long,
How long to the point of know return?"

Your father, he said he needs you
Your mother, she says she loves you
Your brothers, they echo your words:
"How far to the point of know return?"
"Well, how long?"

Today I found a message floating
In the sea from you to me
It said that when you could see it
You cried with fear, the Point was near
Was it you that said, "How long, how long
To the Point of Know Return?"

 

[Nerfwright]

"Baltimore" by Lyle Lovett

I've always wanted to run a haunting/mystery theme based on this song, which is quite haunting and brooding with a fevered deathbed theme. The mystery would revolve around a dying man (or possibly his ghost) tortured by a matrilineal curse. I'd change the name of the city or town mentioned to 'Baldemore' for a better fantasy feel.


I know I’ve seen this place before
Lord can’t you hear me screaming
As a young man long ago
When I was twenty-one

And I know I’ve seen this house before
With people all around it
With my baby cousin on the floor
And mama in the kitchen

And a woman lies upon the bed
I think she must be dying
And I recall the words she said
As she began to cry

She begged son please don’t go to baltimore
And leave me where I’m lying
For you will son but I no more
Walk among the living

And if you go to baltimore
Then I’ll see you in heaven
And as you breathe I’ll breathe no more
And I will surely die

Well you know I went to baltimore
So confident and wise
And as I breathed she breathed no more
And she did surely die

And now as I lie upon my bed
I pray I must be dreaming
With faces all around my head
And strangers at my door

And a woman’s voice calls out to me
Bring unto you your children
And let them see these things you see
And hear the words you say

Beg them to go to baltimore
And leave you where you’re lying
Just like you did one time before
When you were twenty-one

And if they go to baltimore
Then I’ll see you in heaven
And as they breathe you’ll breathe no more
And you will surely die

And I know I’ve seen this place before
Lord can’t you hear me screaming
And if I should awaken lord
Then answer me my plea

What makes the sun set in the west
And birds fly in the sky
And what makes a woman beat her breast
When her children start to cry

And what makes those little ones grow old
To find eternity
And what takes the wise
And leaves behind
A foolish one like me

 

[Merkuri]

I thought of another one, also from Toad the Wet Sprocket, this one called "Walk on the Ocean"

We spotted the ocean at the head of the trail
Where are we going, so far away
And somebody told me that this is the place
Where everything's better, everything's safe

Walk on the ocean
Step on the stones
Flesh becomes water
Wood becomes bone

And half and hour later we packed up our things
We said we'd send letters and all those little things
And they knew we were lying but they smiled just the same
It seemed they'd already forgotten we'd came

Walk on the ocean
Step on the stones
Flesh becomes water
Wood becomes bone

Now we're back at the homestead
Where the air makes you choke
And people don't know you
And trust is a joke

We don't even have pictures
Just memories to hold
That grow sweeter each season
As we slowly grow old

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
Breathe
Breathe, breathe in the air
Don't be afraid to care
Leave, but don't leave me
Look around
Choose your own ground

Long you live and high you fly
And smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be

Run, rabbit run
Dig that hole, forget the sun
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down
It's time to dig another one

For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race towards an early grave

Time
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but youre older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say

Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
Its good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spell.

 

[haakon1]

Something you're players know instantly.

For most gamer groups familiar with music beyond the latest top 40, "Stairway to Heaven", "Hotel California", or "Dark Side of the Moon" certainly fit the bill.

I'd add "All Along the Watchtower" (Jimi Hendrix did it best, though Bob Dylan wrote it), which has deeply foreboding fantasy lyrics.

For one of my groups, Rush and Metalicca would also work fine as they are well known to several players.

In a recent scene, I had a bard quoting the Rush song "Madrigal" and the Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir".

Something like "Am I Evil" from Metalicca already has a built in fantasy plot -- I remember an RPGA adventure that seemed inspired by it, about a son having revenge for his mom being executed as a witch.

 

[Zelligars Apprentice]

Just two off the top of my head...

For a macabre comedy/horror mix, how about "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo.

Or, for a modern espionage thriller, "Secret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers.

 

[Ander00]

So, a few months back a friend and I talked about making a campaign out of Beatles' songs. Maybe one of those could work?

Yeah, Beatles songs taken literally can yield interesting results.

On a more serious note, though these have all been mentioned, "White Rabbit", "Stairway to Heaven", "All Along the Watchtower" and various songs by Tool come to mind immediately.

Or by A Perfect Circle. I've always wanted to base an enchanter type character on "Pet". Other songs by them that could work well include "The Hollow", "Passive" and "Weak and Powerless".


cheers