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The Book of Stories

by Veronica Wagner

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meltywords I was surprised by how joyful and good and cute, but also poignant some of the songs were. I thought about my own grandparents, and how I miss them. Thanks for making this.
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1.
some rescue mission you mounted thought you’d have the brute surrounded and soon you found your shining armour conceals a soft centre no match for his temper my dinner companion least we go down together you pray the lord to save your soul i just pray we’re swallowed whole stick a sword in his tongue if you can and give me your hand cause i have a plan we can dance in the belly of the beast put your hands up to the hammer heartbeat we can stand a little more heat if you intend to save a maiden next time know when to retreat while the flames lap at your feet in the tummy of the dragon that’s where the fire happens but i bet you never had a tummy ache like this before we can dance in the belly of the beast put your hands up to the hammer heartbeat we can stand a little more heat if you intend to save a maiden next time know when to retreat while the flames lap at your feet
2.
one soft eye turns to the green hill and the first thing that happens is the cowherd feels drowsy and falls asleep with his cheek on soft soft grass half the hillside pulls back like a curtain fairy footsteps barely bend dandelions and in the sun she casts no shadow she says: hi don’t be afraid and the cow’s brown eye turns if to say if we must, i’ll abide with you in fairyland down the cool hillside cowhide beneath soft hand but why do you take me from the only place i’ve ever known? why do you steal me from the man who said i was his own golden coins, offering coins and covering my ears but no one sells to strangers so i took you from your pen she loved the dairycow safe in fairyland to graze in peace for centuries and be milked underneath the moon but why do you keep me when i cannot be any use paradise feasts every night on golden spice and silver fruits background noise, nothing but noise for many many years endless loveliness sent me to the world of men golden coins, offering coins and covering my ears but no one sells to strangers so i took you from your pen not by choice, never a choice, however it appears i’d do anything again to hear that melody again she loved the dairycow safe in fairyland to graze in peace for centuries and be milked underneath the moon
3.
Alien Walk 03:45
wake from a dream that dissolves in cold light it’s not morning but something’s shining outside silver-green from the window, strong wind from the door leave teddy bear behind, you won’t need him anymore leave everything behind, don’t you want to explore? the milky way is a road before you friend, friend, do you wish to know my purpose? the future is now, your future is here friend, friend, do you wish to know my purpose? and then it leans down and whispers in your ear you will never speak your native language spend eternity on a distant planet where a different beat reverberates outer space awaits so walk away with me wake from a dream, from the husk of your old life limbs uncurling from a journey in the long night you test your new body, crawling on autopilot into a crystal city lit with ultraviolet friend, friend, do you wish to know your purpose? excellent experiment, it’s time to rejoice friend, friend, do you wish to know your purpose? let’s see your wingspan, let’s hear your voice now i speak in shape and symbol an infinity is small and simple and i know i need a new playmate from the human race to walk away with me you will never speak your native language spend eternity on a distant planet where a different beat reverberates outer space awaits so walk away with me
4.
there’s a mansion on a hill no one lives there, no one ever will though it seems inviting in the day but if you go round there at night ready yourself for quite the fright just ask the children who snuck in to play all night long in empty rooms ghosts are grooving to these tunes and if you listen this is what they say: “Bunubub jaknajoo munumunumu hubi hybi ooooooooo” and the little children are frightened away i’m the shade of old bernard spent my days in the stable yard and now I’m here perpetually cutting the rug but no matter how i blow my horn though we go from dusk till dawn the children scream whenever i offer a hug sorrow sorrow sorrow’s me i don’t know who i used to be my soul is stuck inside this music box there’s just one way i can be free if you watch the twirling ballerina and you’ll be stuck inside when it stops i was once felicia jones and now i’m just this pile of bones i was stabbed and strangled with my apron-string and all i want’s a dancing partner in my day i was a charmer but now they scream before we even get in the swing now you’ve heard our little song get on up and play along we have fun giving everybody a fright so come on kids if you dare stay till dawn and don’t be scared soon you’ll be dancing with us every night life and death could both be worse i’d take this over any curse i’m so glad you’ll stay bbbbnnnnbbbbnnnnnbbbbnnbbbnnn jkjkkjkllkjkjkjll mnmnmnmmnmnmmmikiimimimiiimimimimi nvbnvbnv bhyhbhyhbhhyhbhyhbhyhbyh OOOOOOOOOOOOOO and the little children were frightened away
5.
every corner of a street is torture to me every power line you have taken a very wrong turn a very time long ago when you civilised there’s a reason there’s a circle in the seasons every square is paralysed we believe in you even so, we believe in the ring of the moon in the sky this is the only love this is the only love worth having heaven on earth have an M&M have another M&M we play we play we play we play but it’s more than a game someday someday someday someday more than fun we pray we pray we pray we pray gimme gimme M&Ms we say we say we say yum yum yum yum M&Ms for breakfast M&Ms for clothes M&Ms in my pockets M&Ms up my nose M&Ms for my real friends M&Ms to keep your strength up toast our new universe with a glass of blended M&Ms drink up this is the only love this is the only love worth having heaven on earth have an M&M have another M&M we play we play we play we play but it’s more than a game someday someday someday someday more than fun we pray we pray we pray we pray gimme gimme M&Ms we say we say we say yum yum yum yum

about

last year, after my grandmother died, i received a book of short stories called The Book of Stories which i had written and illustrated at age 5 and given to her. i decided to turn this book into a concept album. i also inherited my grandfather's tiny casio keyboard, and since there's no art without resistance in the materials, i created the entire album using only this keyboard + my voice + a very limited understanding of garageband.

the result is a highly varied, extremely lo-fi, kind of bananas collection of songs. they all about kidnapping, eating, and haunting because 5-year-old me only wrote about supernatural threats to bodily autonomy.

along with the songs, i've included the lyrics, the stories themselves, with the illustrations, and the original spelling version which is great because i obviously was learning to spell phonetically and had no idea what words were supposed to look like

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released October 8, 2018

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Veronica Wagner Sydney, Australia

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