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Ahoy! (An Epic Tale of Serology)

from Elephino by Mailbox

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about

Below is the glossary of the many obscure words I used in the song. This does not mean that the song makes any sense but at least you'll understand the nonsense a little better.

burgeon: a buddy, a friend

fisc: the treasury of a kingdom or state

fission: the act or process of splitting into parts

fistic: pugilistic, combative

fistled: roused, riled

Juggernaut: an overwhelming and advancing force

junker: an old car or boat in need of repair

junto: a small group united for a common purpose

knight-errant: one who wanders in search of adventures to prove his chivalry

knivings: little wood carvings such as ones used by sailors as good luck charms

knurls: a knot (as in of wood) or other small protuberance

marvel: an object of amazement

spoo: any form of bodily secretion

squalid: dirty or wretched

squamous: of or relating to the thin, platelike part of the temporal bone

square-rig: a boat fitted with square sails

squib-o-phone: one who delivers a brief satirical tale

squilla: any of various predatory marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda

xanthic: a shade of yellow

xebec: A small three-masted Meditteranean vessel with both square and triangular sails

xylographs: an engraving on wood

xyloid: of or similar to wood

lyrics

I filled up my knapsack with kneecaps and knick-knacks and knivings and knurls of knights I once knew
I jumped in my jumbled and juggled up junker with junto of jubilant jurists named Judah

So call me your knight-errant
call me your burgeon
Call me a Juggernaut or
just call me your surgeon

We squirmed in our square-rig so squalid and squamous with squids and squilla and squinty-eyed squirrels
Our xyloid xebec had xanthic xylographs as we xailed the xeven xeas

So call me a xylophone, call me your burgeon
Call me a squib-o-phone or just call me your surgeon

For 23 days and 23 nights
We ate all the fish that gave us a bite
But biting us harder than any fish can
was the bite of desire to set site of land

We missed all our families,
We missed all our friends
Back in our homeland
where life may soon end
It seems that our children,
our cattle, and our wives
Are dying from something,
they're dropping like flies

Rather do, rather do, rather do I do
Let us sail on save further ado
'Cos all that I see when I cover my eyes
is the land over sea where the jellyfish lies

I once read a book, I know it was true
it told of the magic of jellyfish spoo
And now tis but I and my mateys of three
In the name of our land we've set out to sea

Wave after wave we were looking for shore
To look for the cretin who carries the cure
The first mate cried, "Ay! Land Ho! I see ya!
Behold the fish that secretes panacea!"

Rather do, rather do, rather do I do
Let us sail on save further ado
'Cos all that I see when I open my eyes
is the land over sea where the jellyfish lies

Our maritime marvel marooned in a marsh
We marched toward the mascot to make marinette
But the fish got quite fistic and fiesty and fistled
But we fishers fissioned that fish into fisc

Call me a mariner or
call me your burgeon
Call me a fisherman or
just call your surgeon

We hovered back home to a hero's hurray! (HURRAY!!!)
Peasants and princes they pranced in parade
They summoned a speech shedding salutant sobs
I jestfully jeered, "It's just'a my job!"

credits

from Elephino, released February 2, 1998
music: Adam Rabin
lyrics: Adam Rabin

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Adam Rabin Burlington

Where Prog Rock meets Geek Rock. Adam Rabin is a Vermont songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who has also played with Elephants of Scotland, Mailbox, and musical improv troupe She Thicc. You can also hear Adam’s music on the podcasts: Improvised Weapons, Improv Overdrive, What The Hell Are You Watching, and Vermont Favorites. ... more

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