. The original version of As Lightning Strikes The Tree of Life has been published in All of Me Vol. III, courtesy of Shadow Spark Publishing. Title art is by Karol Bąk.
Listen to As Lightning Strikes The Tree of Life by Richard Charles Stevens (Nothing Left Suite)
Listen to Nothing Left by Orbital (Tsunami One Remix)
Strike me down
.
Tiny gestures widen eyes
Shiny vestures idolised
By tidal rise revitalised
Defiant eyes then lionised
Within the glare of shining lights
Prepared for when the lightning strikes
.
Tiny gestures widen eyes
Shiny vestures idolised
By tidal rise revitalised
Defiant eyes then lionised
Within the glare of shining lights
Prepared for when the lightning strikes
(Prepared for when the lightning strikes)
.
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
.
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
.
(Strike me)
(Strike me)
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
But I discern a tribe in mighty throng
Tie me up and tie me down
Light me up like Chinatown with piping red-hot prongs
(Strike me)
(Strike me)
Brand me lost
Unlikely to be found again for everlong
Seduce me with the siren song
For I can see the none too distant lights inviting
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
But I discern a tribe in mighty throng
.
Dawn mists rise all misty eyed
Lusting dusk to frisk the tides
Husky tones denote those prone
Condoned to go to giddy heights
The mead it flows
Belief it grows
All gritted teeth and bloody noses
Sick and tired of stricken blind
While ringing round the budding roses
.
Strike me down
.
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
But I discern a tribe in mighty throng
(Strike me down)
Tie me up and tie me down
Light me up like Chinatown with piping red-hot prongs
Brand me lost
Unlikely to be found again for everlong
Seduce me with the siren song
For I can see the none too distant lights inviting
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
But I discern a tribe in mighty throng
I discern a tribe in mighty throng
I discern a tribe in mighty throng
.
Bittersweet the chosen few
No known retreat
Defeat shown no pursuit
For there is industry in numbers indiscreet
This mighty fleet of truth
(Strike me)
.
All I do is set the scene
Suggesting dreams to leap into
Best believe
With vesture cleaved
I’d do my level best to breathe
The air of calm
Declare the psalm
Most charmed for hearts to bleed into
These deeds in lieu
Of seeds that grew
When hands down on my knees
Refused the booming pleas of demons shrieking
Stand down or be seized
Not best pleased with need to stick my neck out
Still at least I had my deepest dreams to weave and deck out
Turns out
I’d been flying all along
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
.
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
.
Tiny gestures widen eyes
Shiny vestures idolised
By tidal rise revitalised
Defiant eyes then lionised
Within the glare of shining lights
Prepared for when the lightning strikes
.
Tiny gestures widen eyes
Shiny vestures idolised
By tidal rise revitalised
Defiant eyes then lionised
Within the glare of shining lights
Prepared for when the lightning strikes
(Strike me down)
.
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
But I discern a mighty tribe
Astride where I belong
These roots they twist and turn inside the earth beneath my feet
I bear the hollow knots of grief
While timely ivy creeps and climbs the sweeping vines to kiss the lips of sorrow whence they weep
No alarming secrets left to keep
Discarded them last Fall amidst a sprawl of Autumn leaves
Breezing straight through winter with the bones of splinter hindering
Found the flame within me in the name of wishful kindling
Made it through first burst of Spring
Thirsting for the sunrise
Immersed in reemerging light
Which called to mind my virgin flight
.
Strike me down
.
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
But I discern a tribe in mighty throng
All I hear are Nordic horns
All I smell is sweat and brawn
All I taste embraces tongue of chivalry and bettered form
All I feel are deep emotions
All I see repeating oceans
All I wish to be is deemed as leagues from the expected norm
All or nothing
Taught me something
Contrary to suffering
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
.
Now you see me
Towering above the ashen remnants
Fashioned from impassioned embers
Burning to in turn remember
Every shattered dream redeemed and scattered beam retrieved
From unretractable belief
Perceived as endless
The river of my soul runs red
The crimson quill forever quenches
Always feeling
Never senseless
Healing whomsoever enters
Neither left or right of centered
Now you see each dream scene rendered
Now I feel a sense that We belong
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
.
Turns out I’ve been flying all along
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
.
Dawn mists rise all misty eyed
Lusting dusk to frisk the tides
Husky tones denote those prone
Condoned to go to giddy heights
The mead it flows
Belief it grows
All gritted teeth and bloody noses
Sick and tired of stricken blind
While ringing round the budding roses
.
Strike me down
Strike me down
.
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
But I discern a tribe in mighty throng
Tie me up and tie me down
Light me up like Chinatown with piping red-hot prongs
Brand me lost
Unlikely to be found again for everlong
Seduce me with the siren song
For I can see the none too distant lights inviting
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
But I discern a tribe in mighty throng
I discern a tribe in mighty throng
I discern a tribe in mighty throng
.
Strike me down
.
Tiny gestures widen eyes
Shiny vestures idolised
By tidal rise revitalised
Defiant eyes then lionised
Within the glare of shining lights
Prepared for when the lightning strikes
.
Tiny gestures widen eyes
Shiny vestures idolised
By tidal rise revitalised
Defiant eyes then lionised
Within the glare of shining lights
Prepared for when the lightning strikes
.
Strike me down
.
Turns out I’ve been flying all along
Strike me down with lightning if I’m wrong
.
Richard Charles Stevens
Keeper of The Crimson Quill
Click here to purchase All of Me Vol. I, II, III, IV, V & VI
Click here to purchase on Amazon
© Copyright: Rivers of Grue™ Orbital™ Shadow Spark Publishing™
This is on another level, wow Lion!!!! Adore Orbital and they work really great with you. You’re hitting a very low key there which Layne Staley often did. Difficult to do but yet again, you’ve pushed your limits.
Posting 🎶
I love that you mentioned the low key. I like to mix it up and throw in some low register as years and years of smoking have helped in that regard. This is a poem I haven’t really explored much to music (only one other version and that needs re-recording) so it was fun to give it a run out. So glad you dug it dear Mouse.
This was so stunning I posted it immediately for you. Smoking really does help with vocals and I was really impressed with this mind blower! The words are beautiful, about encouragement which many people need these days. I got a vibe today and took a hit from your site 🥰
It’s awesome that you did 🥰. Little numbers like this one tend to get lost in the flurry so it’s divine that it has been given light and air.
Anytime you need airing, I’m on it 🌻
Oh… and Orbital. YES! For me, one of the very best electronic artists of the past thirty years. We’re talking very top tier. Did you ever hear my version of My Resident Stranger to Vision OnE? Or Relish to Copenhagen? Those two are awesome Orbital tracks and I wanted both to have a unique feel as the tracks I used are utterly one-offs.
Here are the links for quick access.
https://riversofgrue.com/2022/11/30/my-resident-stranger-vision-one-suite/
https://riversofgrue.com/2022/12/01/relish-copenhagen-suite/
Fantastic… noted 🎶🌳