Lyrics
Orkid
A Fantasy Prog-Rock Opera in Two Acts
Orkid created her all-female people at the beginning of time
They were the most beautiful beings on Earth
Her first creation was Philotheos High Priest of the Orkid people
Thiamer, Orkid's ancient friend is Steward of the East
Trahaldur the Bard accompanies him
Act 1
1. All in the Theme
At the scene of the final battle,
Orkid contemplates her past.
Orkid
There in the West
Where time was born
Opened up my eyes
To all that storm
Saw my own path
From grace to doom
Times of the man
Dawning all too soon
I could see what future brings
And I could see the past
I could see the thought of rings
Hammered all too fast
I could see the fate they face
Their trusting eyes on me
I could see their bondage
Not their due, not their fee
Near now the dark
Where time’s at rest
I weigh my part
Discount the West
Battles that I fought
For whose destiny
Rectitude for me
Must remain unseen
Had my time I chose my foes
I gave myself to charm
Living things innocuous hordes
All seemed a form of harm
Deep down knew much better
‘Cause the warrior in me
Sensed it would be wiser
Let them be – to be free
Philotheos, Thiamer, Trahaldur, and People
All in the theme
No turning back
All in the theme
No turning back
2. Daughter to Our Queen
It all began two thousand years ago, like this…
Queen Orkid is rumoured to have a daughter, and the Orkid people are excited. Philotheos the High Priest is shocked. This should not have happened. Thiamer the Wizard and Trahaldur the Bard walk in on the situation.
People
Daughter to our queen
Daughter to our queen
Daughter to our glorious, gracious queen
Such joy we’ve never seen
Philotheos
This is not how it should have been
There can be no heir to our queen
It is the rule of old and she should know it well enough, now
There can be no heir to our queen
People
Daughter to our queen
Daughter to our queen
Daughter to our glorious, gracious queen
Such joy we’ve never seen
Philotheos
This cannot be, why don’t they see
Immortals are not meant to breed
It is the rule of old and they should know it well enough, now
There can be no heir to our queen
Thiamer and Trahaldur
What’s all this here
Such commotion
How can this be
Philotheos
They’ve all gone insane
Insane
I tell you there’s no sense in all this
It’s got to be restrained
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
We must go to the palace, then
To find out what, how, where, and when
If this is true we have to make her see the light and quickly
There can be no heir to this queen
People
Daughter to our queen
Daughter to our queen
Daughter to our maker, keeper, all
Our queen
3. The One Rule
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur confront Orkid.
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
What did you do?
Orkid
Why, hello my old friends
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
What have you done?
Orkid
What are you talking about?
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
What did you do?
Orkid
Oh, you mean this here reflection
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
What have you done?
Orkid
Well, there’s now two of me
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
One rule you had, and that you have broken
Immortals must be a type, not a token
The law was laid down at the birth of time
When you’re divine you’re not allowed to seed
Fair innings to all kinds or it’s a crime
The life you have was ordered in the Theme
So you must see sense and reason
You must get rid of that thing
You must extinguish this treason
Orkid
This is not what you believe
The people never should have known
It only has to do with me
It’s vital that we have this clone, ‘cause …
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
No more talking
No more talking
No more talking
No more talking
Break it
Orkid
I felt this urge
There must be something
Flesh of my flesh
Dawn of a new spring
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
The law was laid down at the birth of time
When you’re divine you’re not allowed to seed
Fair innings to all kinds or it’s a crime
The life you have was ordered in the Theme
So you must see sense and reason
You must get rid of that thing
You must extinguish this treason
Orkid
I will break the mirror
But the people must not know the sum
We’ll have to go to war of wrath
Secure a decent funeral for my …
Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
No more talking
No more talking
No more talking
No more talking
Break it
4. The Mirror Is Broken
The offending reflection is shattered on the insistence of Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur.
Orkid
When the apple blossoms bloom
In the windmills of your mind
Be sure I’ll be with you
Where I belong
Though the cold and misty morning
Tells you I’ve got to go away
Be sure when the time comes
I’ll be there
And though you must be crying
And though you must be dying, too
Just a small death doesn’t matter
When the time comes
I’ll be there
And though you must be crying
And though you must be dying, too
Just a small death doesn’t matter
When the time comes
I’ll be there
See the world all down above
Be the first one of the ancient time
And realize
It’s all the same
When the apple blossoms bloom
In the windmills of your mind
I’ll be your Valentine
5. 1000 Years
Abandoning their Northern Halls, Orkid and her People go to war to avenge the loss of the daughter. The funeral is to be held only after their enemies have been slain. The war lasts for a thousand years. Trahaldur the Bard recounts the history.
Trahaldur
With the idol down and the laws observed
It was time to see how to mollify the crowd
They’d set their hopes on the news they heard
Oh, brood would’ve made them proud
They’d grown in loathe with the wanton elves
And their ways of making litter as they please
There must be someone besides themselves
To blame for the joy that ceased
Orkid, Philotheos, and Thiamer
And so we had to go to war
Elves must have slain our precious bud
We’ll have a burial of awe
When they’ve been crushed
Trahaldur
To war they went with gust and zeal
To avenge their treasured flower
Little by little they began to heal
As their foes succumbed to their power
Time went by and the tears were dried
With the slash of the axe, sword, and knife
They fought their demons a thousand years
It was their way of life
Orkid, Philotheos, and Thiamer
They were so valiant and brave
Songs sang at the face of looming death
No fear of pain or open grave
Their own last breath
Trahaldur
Then one day in the morning bright
They saw their work was done
They’d shown their will, they’d shown their might
There were no more devils to outrun
High time to lay the precious one to rest
To have a proper mourning
But if you looked in the eyes of the priest
You could see a different longing
Orkid, Philotheos, and Thiamer
They were so valiant and brave
Songs sang at the face of looming death
No fear of pain or open grave
Their own last breath
6. After Battle Calm
The 1000-year war is over, but Philotheos wants to continue fighting. Others try to calm the priest down.
Philotheos
In cold gray mornings widows cry
But I don’t know where, I don’t know why
When the fighting’s over and the fear is gone
Then we all have lost and we all have won
There’s no more death, no further pain
But there’s no way back to yesterday
It’s been a thousand years, and all I know
Is the taste of blood, my only home
Orkid, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
After battle you can feel a certain calm
All is silent you can breathe the air again
After battle life is full of sudden charm
In the silence you can hear new life begin
Philotheos
You can sing of peace, you can share that dream
You can talk of lives that could have been
But don’t you feel the blood run through your veins
When the struggle’s on and the thrill remains
I was born to peace, I was sworn to god
For the fields of glory that’s not par
I’m a warrior now, make no mistake
And I’ve learned to know just what’s at stake
Orkid, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
After battle you can feel a certain calm
All is silent you can breathe the air again
After battle life is full of sudden charm
In the silence you can hear new life begin
People back home (in Philotheos’s head)
Come back heroes, come back home soon
Come back heroes, come back home again
All will be good, all will be fine,
the air will be filled with church bells
All will be good, all will be fine,
the roads will be paved with silk
All will be good, all will be fine,
the fields will be rife with rapunzels
All will be good, all will be fine,
the cows will be oozing milk
Philotheos
In cold gray mornings widows cry
But I don’t know and I don’t know why
When the fighting’s over and the fear is gone
Then we all have lost and we all have won
There’s no more hurt, no further pain
But there’s no way back to yesterday
It’s been a thousand years and all I know
Is this taste of blood my only home?
People back home (in Philotheos’s head)
Come back heroes, come back home again
7. Ceremony of Death
The long-awaited funeral brings closure to the people after the hardship of the 1000-year war. Philotheos the High Priest and Orkid the Queen seem pensive, though.
Philotheos
It’s what we fought for, now the moment is here
You’ve been invited to this ritual with me
To show devotion, to show emotion and awe
Now call their names twice and they will all be free
People
Their funeral, our funeral
The funeral of our precious
The end of war, the end of strife
Beginning a whole new life for us
Philotheos
Wishful thinking
Mere illusion
Orkid
All over the world times are changing
I’ve seen to its face with a tired eye
And that’s no lie
Deception and loss mark our lives now
So futile their love, faith, and trust in me
How could they see
Prophet from the future
Angels that whisper enter your dreams
Full of nostalgia – or so it seems
Answer your questions one over one
First they are here and then there – gone
Herald and People
Hawthorn your time has come
Hawthorn your time has come
Milfoil your time has come
Milfoil your time has come
Precious your time has come
Precious your time has…
Philotheos
Now it’s all over, so we must be appeased
A masquerade yet one we had to perform
But what’s the next thing, what‘s there in store for me
I’ve tasted blood, so what will it be
People
Their funeral, our funeral
The funeral of our precious
The end of war, the end of strife
Beginning a whole new life for us
Orkid
All over the world times are changing
I’ve seen to its face with a tired eye
And that’s no lie
Deception and loss mark our lives now
So futile their love, faith, and trust in me
How could they see
8. Dreamless Night
Orkid retires to a sleep of oblivion. She is only to be woken up if her people are in distress.
Orkid
I knew when the ravens came
That this would never end
And I sensed without knowing
Life is hard to mend
You can start a trail of vengeance
You can set yourself that goal
But you may find as you reach it
You have lost your soul
It’s not over until you have seen it all
Time after time
Year after year
The heart of the beast keeps calling
Take your best choice
Make your mistakes
The deeper you’ll find you’re falling
It’s not over until you have been it all
Give me darkness
Give me silence within
You can start the trail of vengeance
You can set yourself that goal
But you may find as you reach it
You have lost your soul
Time after time
Year after year
The heart of the beast keeps calling
Take your best choice
Make your mistakes
The deeper you’ll find you’re falling
Dreamless
Dreamless
Dreamless
Night
Act 2
9. Give Me a Break
Insistent voices drift into Orkid’s sleep.
Black country people
The ring has been found
And mine shall be
Underground folk
Magic is in our reach
Power to the folk beneath
Humans confident in reason and magic
Thanks to reason, magic be
Rulers of all we shall be
Infuriatingly chipper elves
To the West we need not go
We can stay and play some more
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up!
Orkid
Why have you entered my dream
What’s going on with me
Who’s are these voices in my head
Why don’t they let me be
Thiamer and Trahaldur
It’s time to make amends now
It’s time to heed your call
You’ve let your people down and now
You have to save them
Orkid
Why should this be me
What have I done
Who are my people
And where is my throne
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up!
Wake up!
Orkid
Who are you
What are you
Why am I
Thiamer and Trahaldur
You are the queen of your people
Their lives are yours and their
Plight is your plight always
Orkid
I have no sense of this
I can’t recall
You overwhelm me
You want me to fall
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Heed
Orkid
No
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Heed
Orkid
No
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Heed
Orkid
No
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Fool you fool
We’ll have to show you
The state of your people
And so make you see
Orkid
Give me a break
10. Behold Your People
Through a Seeing Stone, Thiamer and Trahaldur show Orkid a vision of her people in distress.
People
What have we done to deserve this burden
Life so bleak and blunt it bears no meaning
There’s no will that we can call our own now
We’re adrift with no hope and no feeling
What have we done to deserve this burden
There’s a distant thing we called our daughter
But it’s all too hazy to remember
In the midst of drab and gloomy slaughter
Thiamer and Trahaldur
They’ve been this way since you escaped to dream
In war with every other breed
No saving grace no gentle memories
No one to set their minds at ease
They’ve been searching for the ring
They’ve been waiting for the spring, queen
People
What have we done to deserve this burden
Life so bleak and blunt it bears no meaning
There’s no will that we can call our own now
We’re adrift with no hope and no feeling
What have we done to deserve this burden
There’s a distant thing we called our daughter
But it’s all too hazy to remember
We are lambs led to our pending slaughter
Orkid
I see it now it all comes back to me
I had to leave them to this doom
Lest they fall for the procreative dream
That nearly caught me in my bloom
But I am back and I will end their pain
I am back and I will set them free again
People
What have we done to deserve this burden
11. Covenant
Orkid and Thiamer make a plan to liberate Orkid’s people in the Black Country. Trahaldur tells the story.
Trahaldur
They drew a plan then
Of how to proceed
Through hardship quite unseen
The wizard and the queen
Together they would set her people free
Thiamer
You must tread then
As light as the air
And diversion
Be sure will be there
I’ll engage them
On this side of the wall
All then’s up to you
Be sure to get through
Trahaldur
There was a catch though
Their strength was her strength
To fight against your will
To heal and not to kill
That would require special skill
Orkid
I must use it
I must use their own force
They will know me
That will be the source
My own feeling
Will be echoed by theirs
They’ll see who I am
They’ll be who I am
Orkid and Thiamer
Well this might be the end
So goodbye my oldest friend
I’m sure we’ll do all that we can
And the rest is up to the plan
Trahaldur
This was their covenant
It had to be good
The force of gloom was strong
So much that could go wrong
They had to keep their calm now
Orkid and Thiamer
Let us go then
As light as the air
Last fight for justice
The goal is so near
Past mistakes
Forgotten for good
This is our deal
This is our deal
This is our deal
12. Through the Black Country
Orkid struggles through the resistance offered by her people’s willpower.
Orkid
On and on in shadows
There’s no end in sight for
Me I’m in a limbo
On and on in shadows
People
On our watch no one through
On our watch don’t care who
Thiamer
Clear the border nothing new here
Nothing to see nothing to hear
Trahaldur
On and on and
On and on and
Orkid
It’s my will I’m fighting
Strong and tough my people
Strong and tight their circle
Could I feel I’m losing
People
On our watch no one through
On our watch don’t care who
Orkid
It’s my will I’m fighting
Strong and tough my people
Strong and tight their circle
Now I feel I’m losing – help me
Thiamer
Clear the border nothing new here
Nothing to see nothing to hear
Trahaldur
On and on and
On and on and
13. Presence
Philotheos tells the people about a puzzling encounter.
Philotheos
Right at the end of my round
I saw this small and fragile thing
I don’t know what that’s about
It felt more precious than the ring
It had the air of lost grace
It had the tone of something good
And for a moment in there
I thought I should have understood
People
What’s this sudden loss of mind now
Our priest has gobbled too much wine
Philotheos
I could have killed it in there
But it was more than I could take
There was no challenge no dare
No harm in giving the poor thing a break
It was the right thing to do
Why do I feel that it was wrong
I know the moment was true
What do I do now to be strong
People
What’s with you, you know the score here
No one shall be let inside
Never mind how much to you dear
Can’t be left free making stride
You should have killed it
Philotheos
I felt a presence
It was more than me
I felt a presence
It was more than we
I can’t explain it
Just something I’ve always known
Can I just share this
Or is it fantasy I’ve sown
People
What’s with you, you know the score here
No one shall be let inside
Never mind how much to your dear
Can’t be left free making stride
Now we’re to face it
14. Final Push
Thiamer and Trahaldur enter the scene just in time to see the decisive battle between Philotheos and Orkid who has regained her strength and broken into the Ring.
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Our last stair
People
Get back
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Take care
People
Get back
Thiamer and Trahaldur
No fear
People
Get back
Thiamer and Trahaldur
All clear
People
Get back
Thiamer and Trahaldur
We’re here now
We must take this mission to its end
People
We are here to serve and to defend
Thiamer and Trahaldur
You don’t stand a chance against the queen
People
We don’t even know what that might mean
Thiamer and Trahaldur
This will be the ruin of your old rule
People
Who would rise against us – what a fool
Thiamer and Trahaldur
You will hear her song and yield
People
No, you will die on this here field
Thiamer and Trahaldur
See the duel between those two
People
Get back
Thiamer and Trahaldur
For what’s right and what’s true
People
Get back
Thiamer and Trahaldur
They fight like enemies
People
Get back
Thiamer and Trahaldur
But there’s some undue ease
People
What’s that
Thiamer and Trahaldur
What’s going on in here
This is not the way it should have been
People
Why’s the priest not taking out that queen
Thiamer and Trahaldur
What’s all this we hear about a priest
People
Where’s our stable leader, where’s the beast
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Are they fighting with conviction or
People
Why are you retreating, land your sword
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Are they making love in some disguise
People
Stand up don’t you dare to be so nice
Thiamer and Trahaldur
Now, this is the feel
That makes them unreel
Dance, dance to your doom
Way right to the tomb
People
Now, why do I feel
That this tune makes me unreel
Dance, dance at my doom
Way back to the womb
Orkid
This is the song you know
This is the song we sang back home
This is the song of queen
Song of dream
Thiamer, Trahaldur, and People
This is the song
This is the song
This is the song of Eden
This is the song
This is the song
This is the song we know
This is the song
This is the song
This is the song of Eden
This is the song
It’s the song of our queen of our dream
15. Identities
Philotheos has lingering doubts about the identity of the queen.
Orkid
We’re back together then
It was always you
I couldn’t stay as I was
For the blood craze too
Had I enslaved them
And that’s what I’d have done
There would have been no one to
Sing back the sun
So the years went by
But we’re back together
I’m going out, I’m worn
Now it’s up to you
To see them right
Remove their blight
Philotheos
It’s not really you
You’re not Orkid, my creator
Who are you to say these things
You’re just a clone
Not the one I owe
Orkid
There was a flaw in me
And I fixed it
No one was meant to see how I
Made the fit
The will to procreate
Was in the air
I had to stop myself all these
Dreams of an heir
But it’s still me
I am no other
Your first companion just as
You are mine
Just see them right
Philotheos
You’re the one they called
Priceless flower precious daughter
They were wrong and now I see
You are the one
Thy will be done
16. Here Comes the Dark
Orkid is ready to leave this world and Philotheos resolves to join her. With the power of the people they summon the dark.
Herald and People
Precious your time has come
Precious your time has come
Orkid your time has come
Orkid your time has come
Orkid and Philotheos
Here in the East
Where sun was born
Opened up my eyes
To all that storm
Near now the dark
Where time’s at rest
I weigh my part
Discount the West
Had my time I chose my foes
I gave myself to charm
Living things innocuous hordes
All seemed a form of harm
Deep down knew much better
‘Cause the warrior in me
Sensed it would be wiser
Let them be – to be free
Philotheos, Thiamer, Trahaldur, and People
All in the theme
No turning back
All in the theme
No turning back
Orkid
Here comes the dark
Orkid and Philotheos
Here comes the dark
Orkid, Philotheos, Thiamer, and Trahaldur
Here comes the dark
Orkid, Philotheos, Thiamer, Trahaldur, and People
The dark is here
© All lyrics Polite Bystander Productions and Matti Häyry; except 1, 9, 11, 16 Polite Bystander Productions, Matti Häyry, and Tuija Takala; and 7 Polite Bystander Productions, Lee Kerslake, Matti Häyry, and Tuija Takala