Ian Anderson - A Raft Of Penguins

Another track off of Ian Anderson's latest solo album Rupi's Dance.

Lyrics - A raft of penguins on a frozen sea.
Expectant faces look down on me.
Shuffle uneasy. The whistler plays.
Counting eleven, they begin to pray.

Tenuous but clinging, the missing link
Joins us, closer than we might think.
Some half remembered coarse jungle drum
A naked heart-beat, trill and hum.

This worlds no stage for the faint at heart.
Each symphony, a sum of parts.
Each overture, a sweet foreplay.
Lets crash and burn some other day.

Bonded in terror or suspicion deep
Tentative tiptoe or giant leap
Call down the angels to guide them in
A raft of penguins take to the wing.

Ian Anderson Vocals, flute, piccolo, wooden flute, acoustic guitars
Leslie Mandoki Drums, and percussion
Laszlo Bencker Keyboards
The Sturcz String Quartet


Having worked, over these many years, with various orchestral forces from solo woodwind players through string quartets to the more-or-less symphony orchestra, I remain entranced at the differences and misconceptions present in the mutual understanding or lack thereof in such gatherings of minds and music.

Who is the more terrified in such encounters? Me or them? I play a bit out of tune, out of time and read not a not a note of those Dead Sea Scrolls written so carefully upon the stave of life. But when the wind gets up and the music stand blows over, I can busk it with the best of them. Its all in the head, you see. And in the heart. And that improvisational adventure is a mystery to many a first fiddler and his tribe.

Here is an affectionate musing on the scary delights of fronting an orchestra in the face of a paying public.

Funny old birds, penguins

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Ian
• Anderson
• Rupi's
• Dance
• Solo
• Folk
• Acoustic
• Orchestral

[gothling1955]

Wow, I'm impressed, Aqua. You actually went out into the frozen wastelands with your handy digital camera and snapped a couple very spiffy shots of penguins afloat on an ice raft. Oh no? Those weren't really your snapshots at all? Well, you couldn't tell it by me. Regardless, I really enjoyed your tuxedo bird music video, very cool -- no pun intended. (As for "rubbing elbows", do penguins actually have elbows, I wonder???)

[Aqualung71]

Yeah wouldn't that be cool! Yeah, just some pictures I thought would go well with the song. I am pretty sure penguins don't have elbows! They have flippers though!

[roddy76to86]

He sure churns them out, doesn't he? Penguins !!

[Aqualung71]

Yes, a whole raft of them!

[swamirob]

Amazing song... masterpiece! 

[loni50otter]

Ian - we love you. No other musician is so phantastic, no other lyrics so beautiful.



[beardpunk]

Fantastic song one of Andersons best,Orchesta goes right thru your bones

[Giradrot]

freaking epic song :o

[Kuchenwurst]

Man, penguins. I mean, really, penguins. They're cool, they're wearing tuxedos and they're the only spot of life in an otherwise barren wasteland :) In a way, they resemble Mr. Anderson - but he is wearing wastecoats instead.