Quote of the Week - Hunter

"Inspiration, move me brightly
Light the song with sense and colour
Hold away despair
More than this I will not ask
Faced with mysteries dark and vast
Statements just seem vain at last
Some rise, some fall, some climb
To get to Terrapin" 

~ Robert Hunter 

It's Robert Hunter's birthday! This is one of my favorite lyrics - it mixes story with mystery and some of the tropes of ecstatic poetry.


Terrapin Station
Robert Hunter

Let my inspiration flow, 
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm
That will not forsake me, 
till my tale is told and done

While the fire light's aglow, 
strange shadows from the flames will grow
Till things we've never seen will seem familiar

Shadows of a sailor forming 
winds both foul and fair, all swarm
Down in Carlisle he loved a lady many years ago

Here beside him stands a man, 
a soldier by the looks of him
Who came through many fights, but lost at love

While the story teller speaks, 
a door within the fire creaks,
Suddenly flies open, 
and a girl is standing there

Eyes alight, with glowing hair, 
all that fancy paints as fair
She takes her fan and throws it in the lion's den

Which of you to gain me, tell, 
will risk uncertain pains of hell?
I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance

The sailor gave at least a try; 
the soldier, being much too wise,
Strategy was his strength, and not disaster

The sailor, coming out again, 
the lady fairly leapt at him
That's how it stands today. 
You decide if he was wise

The story teller makes no choice, 
soon you will not hear his voice
His job is to shed light, and not to master

Since the end is never told 
we paid the teller off in gold
In hopes he will come back, 
but he cannot be bought or sold

Inspiration, move me brightly
Light the song with sense and colour
Hold away despair
More than this I will not ask
Faced with mysteries dark and vast
Statements just seem vain at last
Some rise, some fall, some climb
To get to Terrapin

Counting stars by candlelight
All are dim but one is bright
The spiral light on Venus
Rising first and shining best
Oh, from the north-west corner
Of a brand new crescent moon
Where crickets and cicadas sing
A rare and different tune

Terrapin Station

In the shadow of the moon
Terrapin Station

And I know we'll be there soon
(Terrapin)

I can't figure out
(Terrapin)

If it's the end or beginning
(Terrapin)

But the train's put it brakes on
(Terrapin)

And the whistle is screaming
Terrapin


While you were gone
These faces filled with darkness
The obvious was hidden
With nothing to believe in
The compass always points to Terrapin
Sullen wings of fortune beat like rain
You're back in Terrapin for good or ill again
For good or ill again


Looking up Hunter's lyrics to choose a quote, I found many links to The Well - the precursor to every social network!

Researching Hunter, I learned that Reuben & Cerise is not only a retelling of the classical myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, but that it was inspired by one of the most wonderful films ever made - Black Orpheus. 

Black Orpheus sets the myth Brazil. Maybe a good thing to check out during the World Cup if you might not be too much of a football fan (like me) you could still get into the spirit.



The Orpheus myth is rich and seems to always be culturally relevant. Monteverdi's opera is getting a new version and before Black Orpheus, French filmmaker and poet
Jean Cocteau filmed his beautiful lyrical version.

Happy Monday!

Hope this is enough stuff for you to procrastinate with as you start the week! (It certainly helped me procrastinate!)

p.s. The pic is Klimt's Lady with a Fan