At Your Peril

by @alyxanderjames

At Your Peril
alyxanderjames
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Liner Notes

Here's a weird little drone-y two-chord song for the #3CardStory challenge from the forums from @orinthebard. These were the cards I got:

[...]
Mischievous Goblin, Sleeping Maiden, Dragon

I immediately knew I had to pull out the #banjo for this one. Played around with several tunings, ended up in gDGCD. Had fun singing in the lower part of my register...I started an octave up, which was nearly falsetto, and also eerie in its own way. If I ever re-record this one I might layer both, but for now, this'll do.

#folk #acoustic #AcousticOneTake #PersonWithBanjo #weird

Lyrics

Wander the woods at your peril
No one can say what lurks here
You may find your tameness turns feral
You may become what men fear

Dance with the mischievous goblin
Beneath the dark moon if you dare
Don't look at your fractured reflection
You might not like what you see in your stare

Wander the woods at your peril
No one can say what lurks here
You may find your tameness turns feral
You may become what men fear

Rest with the sleeping sweet maiden
Beneath the oak, lifeless and bare
But time can play tricks in this forest
You might wake to a head of white hair

Wander the woods at your peril
No one can say what lurks here
You may find your tameness turns feral
You may become what men fear

Perhaps you will find you're a dragon
That soars on strong wings through the air
Unleashing the fire in your belly
On those foolish enough to trespass in your lair

Wander the woods at your peril
No one can say what lurks here
You may find your tameness turns feral
You may become what men fear

You may find your tameness turns feral
You may become what men fear

Comments

[avatar]
@gardeningangel
First off, the obligatory ribbing due to all good-natured banjo players; Wow, you actually managed to tune of those things? šŸ˜‰ But really, sounds great and sets the scene perfectly.
Mesmerizing and menacing... that chorus is well worth repeating and adds to the hypnotic feel. There is danger in the enchanted woods... but the warning in the lyrics tells me that at least the narrator has some benevolence. I think the doubled vocals (maybe on just the verses or chorus?) would add a nice texture, but this is excellent as-is.
[avatar]
@bethdesombre
Gorgeous!!! The banjo is perfect. I love the scene the lyrics set (and the music supports). Love "you may become what men fear" (but also "tameness turns feral"
[avatar]
@nwhosings
So many images in this that I love. Fractured reflections lameness turning feral, goblins, dragons. The mood of this makes me think of The Last Unicorn movie.
Love the use of the banjo and only two chords. Unsettling in a fitting way.
[avatar]
@richardmasters
Haunting and sinister delivery of a great set of lyrics, I really like how you blend our outer and inner worlds so seemlessly, you've got a real keeper here.
[avatar]
@glasscrow
The banjo was perfect for this. You created a wonderfully delicate, haunting tune.
[avatar]
@orinthebard
Yay, thanks for participating in the challenge! The banjo adds a perfect southern gothic touch. I like how this visits each creature in the woods in turn and describes their perils šŸ”„
[avatar]
@coolparadiso Mod
Ooo some nifty finger playing on this, very different accept that lovely softness in the vocal. I like how the lyrics just casually roll out!
[avatar]
@wondertruly
Oooooh, those haunting banjo chords!!! Wowwwwwwww. ā€œ Don't look at your fractured reflection
You might not like what you see in your stare,ā€ are you KIDDING ME?? Hot damn, thems are some LYRICS.
[avatar]
@debs
This is so neat - your voice is so smooth it feels like a lullaby but the banjo underneath is busy-restless-eerie like a creepy, crawly spider. It feels like a perfect treatment for these wonderful lyrics. I love "You may find your tameness turns feral" especially.
[avatar]
@morganxamethyst
Wow I really love the dark and mystical lyrics and also the banjo playing. I also want to experiment with different tunings but Iā€™m a bit afraid that it will go out of tune easier than with its tuning. I usually use
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