It's Gonna be a Long Arctic Night

[This song is essentially the theme of the chapter story I'm writing. We hear Alyx sing a small portion of this in the tavern in chapter 3 where the splooshers gather during their time off for some nourishment in ale, vittles, company & song. They've been carried off into this arctic wasteland as lives that do not matter to the powers that be to mine the ancient ice in order to provide safe water for those same powers after most of the world's water supplies have been contaminated. Between their mining, resting, sleeping, & questing out on the frozen bay, these words they sing bind them together in an unlikely hope & an impossible dream.]

[Above you will find my thoroughly inadequate rendition of this song. Below you will see my shorthand system of notation for melodies & chords. Numbers reference the steps of the diatonic major scale where the Roman numeral I is for the root & alterations are signified by ɓ or #. Eighth note durations are indicated by ' with sixteenth durations indicated by x & sustained notes by a long dash. Measures are separated by |. Anything in italics that is not a part of the actual song are stage directions or explanatory notes. I hope you enjoy.]

Am Dm

I | ɓ3’ ‘ I ‘ ‘ |ɓ3’ 4’ 5’ ɓ6’|

The world’s gone dark in this pit of Ha-des.

Am Dm

ɓ3’ ‘ I ‘ 2 | ɓ3 ‘ 4 5’ ɓ6’|

All is stark & our movements are bradys.

G Am Dm G

ɓ7 ‘ ‘ 8’ ‘ | ɓ6 ‘ ‘ ɓ7’ ‘’’|

The world so cold, my friends I’m a-fraid it’s

Am G

Ix x ‘ 2 ɓ3 ‘ 4 | 2--

gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Above us reign the Devil’s alcaides.

‘mpris’ning here, they constant upbraid us.

No one remembers, my friends I’m afraid it’s

gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Dm G Dm G

ɓ3 | 4’’ ɓ6’’ | 5’’’ 4 ɓ3| 4’’ ɓ6’’ | 5--|

Yet touch my hand & it’s al-most warm.

Dm Am D

ɓ6’’ ɓ7’’| 8 8-- I | I’’ ɓ3’ ‘ | 4-- | -- |

E’en in this land a bond can be formed.

~~~

Stolen from where e’er they knew me,

Treated so fecal as down they threw me,

Nothing to them but a dint of stew meat,

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Grind us down forever to prove thee.

Work so hard ‘til no breath moves through thee.

Whip until there’s nothing can move thee.

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Yet look e’en now into my eyes deep,

find ye there these tears that they weep.

~~~

“Work makes free!” Their lies never soothing.

“Sing merrily!” demanding our crooning.

“Die for me!”? We contemplate brooding.

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

“Bend the knee & bow to me swooning!

Kiss the ring for what remains looming!

Abandon hope, for all are a dooming!”

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Yet touch my hand & it’s almost warm.

E’en in this land a bond can be formed.

~~~

Whip our backs, all that they care for.

Breaking backs, the work we are there for.

Bleeding backs, our lives wasting wherefore?

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Eyes downcast, they don’t see us glancing,

Happenchance, the signals we’re passing,

Circumstance, not for us lasting,

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

So look e’en now into my eyes deep,

find ye there these tears that they weep.

~~~

Think they we do nothing but sleep,

Close our eyes with nothing but sleep,

Too tired be we for nothing but sleep,

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Hearts burn dim, compassion’s a-growing,

Hopes are slim, but mercy keeps flowing,

Thought & whim with each of us knowing,

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

So know ye now, this night soon shall pass.

Keep thee close, this next happens fast.

~~~

Moments come when their eyes do not linger,

Moments when we, though they be meager,

Friendships bond, our strength growing bigger,

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

For hope denied cannot last forever.

These masses despised, see how they quiver,

Not with fear, no fright makes them shiver,

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Beware, ye lords, ye who think us naught,

Meet ye now these terrors you’ve wrought.

~~~

From these pits, those you have abandoned,

Rising up, these souls you have tamped down,

Broken not, for you this must happen,

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Rage unfurled for all you have done here.

See our faces, know we are done here.

One last time, for we will move from here.

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

And for these pains you’ve inflicted ‘pon us,

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Think you still that you are our betters?

Bind them fast, secure them with fetters!

To the judge, the jury, ex’cutors!

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Let us treat as you’ve taught us to treat!

Beat your hands, your backs & your feet!

Let your lives as one be count forfeit!

It’s gonna be a long arctic night.

~~~

Still there must be one prophet to rise,

Let us not react out of spite.

~~~

“Mercy, please, I beg you consider.

Do not return with hearts that are bitter,

A verdict just, let’s do something better,

Let’s end this long arctic night.

~~~

Look upon these ones we would slaughter,

Mother, father, son & granddaughter,

Mete with grace, we’ve better to offer,

Please end this long arctic night.

~~~

See, touch my hand & it’s almost warm.

E’en in this land new bonds can be formed.

~~~

Lost are we if we’re not together,

Working all toward something that’s better,

Let’s all for one, be ready unfettered,

& warm this long arctic night.

~~~

Let love prevail, forgiveness rule in us.

Through all travail, unite in this chorus,

Together let us march ever for us

Am D

& banish…, this long arctic night.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Bradys—slow, delayed, tardy ("bradys" meaning - Search)

Alcaide/Alcayde—a commander of a castle or fortress, or a jailer or prison warden. (ALCAIDE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster)

The tune is in 6/8 meter with the exception of those phrases which are underlined & in italics which are in 4/4 time where the eighth notes remain the same length.

There is an emptiness in every soul which may only be filled with an honest recollection of the past accompanied by both repentance & reconciliation. The price of giving into the fear that such a reckoning will cost too much, more than the soul is willing to bear, is that soul remains hollow & fails to discover the true depth of what it means to be within this world.