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There was a Time

from Trepanning by Edward Morneau & Folksonomy

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about

Poetry eases us into abstractions and speaks to the singular voice that can only speak for each of us. While writing the songs for Trepanning, I found myself constantly turning within to find my own hypocrisies, facing lies I propagate through my own inaction. As an American I live as a prince with my own material privileges, some earned, most inherited from the hard work of others. As a teacher of books, I’m reminded of that most privileged of princes, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who, in his most grim moment, asks on behalf of humanity the essential questions of life’s substance and the choices one makes to grind one’s own soul through the cosmic mills of here and beyond. In writing about war, interior calamity, and regret, only Shakespeare can help gather the poetry; so I borrow from him without apology.
In this piece I try to echo Hamlet’s metaphysical doubts as I face my own more earthly ones regarding the terrible misgivings I feel as a helpless citizen living in an America that embraces oppressive fear mongering and desires nothing more of us than to sleep while it shreds the rule of law both here and abroad. A weak citizenry always lies to itself as it willingly gives away right after right for its own security until it becomes fully stripped of the liberties it once possessed but failed to protect. That we stifle our anger because others mock our dissent is the silence fascism loves to hear.

Musically, this continues the open D tuning with a little studio trickery, dropping the second interlude a full octave below. This song also introduces the two main musical collaborators, Paul Lawrence on bass, and Eric Meyer on drums and all manner of percussion. I originally intended the entire CD to be one voice and one guitar, but soon realized the songs could not stand so nakedly. Many of the original tracks had been recorded this way, so Paul & Eric had to struggle with my timing, but they accomplished much, despite this backwards approach. Thanks, Paul & Eric; thanks William Shakespeare.

lyrics

There Was a Time

There was a time when I would look both ways
There was a time when I could see;

There was a time when day held back the night
There was a time when I was free.
To sleep, perchance, to dream all day
To shed this mortal coil

All that’s weary gives me pause

To bring these sins to boil.

There was a time when I could bear the scorn

Of oppression’s wrath and pride

There was a time when law delayed was primed
For love to turn the tide.
To take up arms against the sea
To grunt and sweat and die,

To bear this long calamity
Puzzles me to lie.

(Based on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act III, Scene I)

credits

from Trepanning, track released January 1, 2008

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Edward Morneau Salem, Massachusetts

Edward Morneau has been a musician and songwriter most of his life. His focus on multiple genres and interest on sound collage experimentation makes his music hard to classify. His muses range from Beatles, Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, XTC, Kinks, Iris DeMent to Mahler, Shostakovich, Penderecki & Zappa. His background as an English & Film teacher gives humor and striking imagery to his songs. ... more

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