The Looking Glass Suite by Dave Walmsley from Barrow-in-furness United Kingdom

the looking glass suite (medley) (8.48)
written, arranged & performed by dave walmsley (c) 2023 silent songs
a short cat production of a heavy folk recording...
recorded in the musical box using the reaper daw...

amazingly this idea for a 4 part medley goes as far back as 1972. i had a vague idea of what i wanted to do with it but never got round to taking it any further ~ essentially then it's been on the proverbial “back burner” for over 50 years. the backing track is completely new as are the lyrics for pts 1 & 4. the rest of the lyrics are a combination of several songs i wrote around the same time during the early 70s (“together for the last time /arcade / destiny / flight of icarus”)...

what's it about? conscience, the break up of a relationship (was it your fault?) and it's after effects, what to do and where to go afterwards and finally finding peace (it was your fault wasn't it)...

pt 1: brief encounter ~ “the train now leaving platform 2...”

“tell me something what frightens you most?”
a ragged voice behind me cried...
somewhat taken by surprise...
“not being loved” i answered with a sigh....

he seemed reasonably happy...
went quiet for a while...
then he tapped me on the shoulder...
“tell me do you feel guilty?”
he whispered with a smile...

i felt his icy breath on my face...
i could feel my skin crawl...
the ground seemed to open up beneath me...
i knew into darkness i would fall...

i looked around but there was no one there...
empty space where someone might've been...
i shook my head in silence..
had i been asleep was it just a dream?

“here we are together for the last time...
no place left to go...”

pt 2: neither here nor there...

i saw you in another world...
in the arcade dressed in black...
you said i'm alone again now...
won't you come and take me back...

as you rested in my gaze...
i watched your tears roll by...
but before i could answer you...
the sun splintered in my eye...

morning carved away the night...
let your colours run to earth...
so when i awoke i then knew...
what my time with you had been worth...

for deep inside on the day you left...
a part of me had died...
so if i ever said “i don't love you...”
then now you know that i've lied...

pt 3: icarus descending

flying through the air...
melted by the sun...
the wings that carried me so far away...
now burn and melt and run...

so here we are again...
alone and together at childhood's end...
i need to open my eyes and see...
to help me find my destiny...

like the clouds that pass above me...
i can only watch you drift on by...
never nearing always fearing...
like the sun your love's too high...

so here we are again...
alone and together at childhood's end...
i need to open my eyes and see...
to help me find my destiny...

pt 4: “'night all!”

in the dark...
in the fading light...
i can see much clearer now...

in the dark...
in the fading light...
i can see much clearer now...

in the dark...
in the fading light...
i can see much clearer now...