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We Waited Five Years 3:370:00/3:37
The Story and Lyrics
A Sequel to "Ziggy Stardust" in Three Acts
David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars promised that the world would end in five years... but we're still here.
The Fall and Rise of John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas! picks up where the story left off. The record works as a rock opera, with characters and plot, but it is not a musical homage to Bowie. Instead, John Elderkin has collected a group of fellow North Carolinians to create their own Everyperson’s epic story of hope, loss, and resilience.
And a trip to the moon.
ACT 1: The world doesn’t end. John and Danielle start a band. The Cosmos calls.
We Waited Five Years
John: We waited five years for the world to go bust
To explode into space and scatter as dust
I tried to hold on—wasn’t sure who to trust
I didn’t know about love yet
We waited five years, what a grueling routine
The assholes acted nice,
The sweethearts got mean
Mom shooed us outside, said, "Run play while you can"
The Old Man grabbed our necks, shoved shovels in our hands
Said, "We’re perfectly safe, we’ll dig halfway to Japan"
Oh man, I didn’t know about love yet
I ran away, straight to the record store
I charged in singing that song about “Hate and War”
When, who were you, all alone by the used-vinyl bin?
Danielle: I was trying to choose between Molly Hatchet and Ringo Starr
when you stumbled in
John: Stumbled in? You wore an eye patch, what could you see?
Danielle: Even with lazy eye, I could tell you were three inches
shorter than me
John: The record store’s record stopped just as I said out loud,
“World, please, don’t end now!”
We waited five years for the world to shut off
To go still and dark with a whimper and cough
We waited five years and a day
My sis marked the calendar, said, “No freaking way!”
At five years and a week
Mom opened our hatch, took a peek
When five years became six and seven,
The Old Man paced the yard grumbling, “Same hell, same heaven”
I grew at least a foot hanging by the used-vinyl bin
Waiting for a certain someone to walk back in
I didn’t know about love yet
Messy Down Below
John: Well, here we are
Danielle: With bumps and scars
John: We’ve come so far!
Danielle: But true love, don’t you know, gets messy down below
We’re here to tear it up,
Even if nobody shows
We’re aiming high cause it’s messy down below
John: I can dance the Watusi
And the Moray Eel
Danielle: Try the Nae Nae
John: I got no fear
We’re here to tear it up,
Even if nobody knows
We’re aiming high cause it’s messy down below
John: What's your dance?
Danielle: I shake like a rattlesnake
Adam: I do the Americano
Robito: I dance the Shing-a-ling
Paul: The Rickshaw
Carolyn: The Pistol Pete
Phil: I like the Blue Loafer
Bruce: I do the Calzone
The Message (by John Elderkin/Chris Garges)
Song For David Bowie
Why do you run? Where do you hide?
What secret sun lights your half of the sky?
Where it glows, it glows, it glows
George Clinton battled with Sir Nose
The Carpenters welcomed UFOs
What explains what rock stars know?
Are your ears to the tracks, palms toward the ‘om’?
Were you alone when you cracked the astral code?
Oh you know we know you know
Desmond Dekker calls from outer space
Sun Ra quit the human race
What explains a rock star’s grace?
Hey David Bowie, I wrote this song for you
Hey David Bowie, you and Mick Ronson, too
I say David Bowie, ancient prophets got nothing on you
With your voice so true, like Marcel Marceau sniffing glue
ACT 2: The band aims to spread the word. Our heroes are tested.
Gather Your Strength
John: Where can I find a pair of Beatle boots,
Eyeliner and Nudie suit?
I know just the look the spotlight wants
When can I git off?
Play to your strengths—gather your strength
Danielle: Let’s write our names way up in the sky
Then watch the wind blow
Let’s sail a boat to the horizon line
Then feel the wind blow
Gather our friends—play for our friends
John: What can I pawn for a new guitar?
The loudest and brightest
Where can I cop a hot set of wheels?
Let’s turn some heads now
Danielle: Let’s close our eyes and take a breath
Let’s make our work play
Take my wrist, find my pulse
Let’s be here now, okay?
Don’t Look Right at the Sun
Everybody wants the same thing every summer
And everyone gets all burned up by the sun
Go sing songs about the sun
Roll on the grass under the sun
Build a temple to the sun
But man, don’t look right at the sun
When the winter comes we all want to wrap up
Everyone hopes the fire stays lit through the night
Sing songs around the fire
Snuggle up next to the fire
Rub your hands over the fire
But man, don’t jump into the fire
If everyone could hear the same song at the same time
If we could hang a sign that everyone could see
To shine a light bright as the sun
To build a fire that won’t expire
That's our plan, man
That's what needs to be done
Keep It Down (by John Elderkin/Chris Garges/Mark Whelan)
The whole world is always sleeping in
They say keep it down, down
I can keep it down
But in the still morning hush, I hear trouble
Want me to keep it down, down?
I can keep it down
Here comes the sound of keeping it down…
Get Back in the Van (by John Elderkin/Steve Ruppenthal)
It’s fucking cold even for Sioux City
My beer won’t pour out of the can
I’ll load the gear, settle up with the man
Yeah, let’s get back in the van
We swore an oath, we spit in the same cup
We’re volunteers, we raised our hands
It’s been six months, okay a year
Time means nothing in a van
Right, let’s get back in the van
The band: We wanna weigh in, and we want a way out
Why don’t we sing?
Let’s all join in as one: la-la-la, la-la-la-la
We will be heard, spring will thaw our toes
We’ll laugh we almost quit the plan
Please, let’s get back in the van
Help me work it out!
You Got Sick
You got sick and we didn’t know why
The sky was shining, our words were rhyming
You got sick and we don’t know how long
The sky was shining, we honed our timing
We got stoned and we wrote our own song
The sky was shining, all silver lining
I saw you smile, I watched you laugh, I turned my head, I didn’t cry
I saw you smile, I watched you laugh, I turned my head up to the sky
Danielle, Long Gone
Danielle: I count the miles and months gone
I search around on Google Earth
When I sing, you’re with me
I track the moon between us—can we see it the same time?
When I sing, you’re with me
I know you tried hard as me
I slept through a tsunami, I felt an earthquake on the street
When I sing, you’re with me
I went to hear The National, they called out a song for you
When I sing, you’re with me
I know you tried hard as me
Every town we played was a factory town
They all churned out broken hearts
I’m not saying that’s why I got sick
I’m just saying I want a new start, even if this is the end
ACT 3: Is all lost? John and Levon fight the good fight. On the moon.
Fat Levon on Acid
Levon: Hey, man. You know how Marty got all fucked up and passed out on that futon?
I came in, I thought he was my sweet baby. I took off all my clothes. I felt him up. Hey,
man. I saw your cousin Freddy over at the gas station. He had that nasty axle grease
all over his fingers. I watched him stick his hands down his pants and start feeling
around down there. It freaked me out. Hey, man. It kills me to see you so bummed out.
You can’t shut yourself away. I won’t let you. Tell you what—my mom sent me a big,
orange birthday cake. That thing is profound. There could be girls inside it. Come
here, man. I’m gonna toss you right in the middle and let you eat your way out.
Partiers: Fat Levon on acid Levon: Life is not so bad!
Megaphone on the Moon
Off to the moon
Here we come, moon
First thing in the morning, crank up the Internet
Download instructions, we’ll build a rocket
Construction site lumber, hammers and ladders
Correct attitude, to haul this megaphone
Off to the moon
Here we come, moon
By early evening, swab up the flight deck
Run down the checklist—test lift, drag, weight, and thrust
Lunches in Tupperware, map in my back pocket
Just you and me, Levon
Let’s haul this megaphone
Off to the moon
Here we come, moon
This ain’t rocket science
Sore Afraid
I am sore afraid of what comes next
Of losing you, of keeping you
I’m a shepherd in the field, I work nights
Silent nights, gigantic nights
Oh, fantastic light—did we hear it right?
I am sore afraid of leaving here
The work of man, the work of God
Oh, fantastic light—did we hear it right?
I am sore afraid of what comes next
Of losing you, of keeping you
Telstar (by Joe Meek. Used by permission)
A Trip to the Moon
Give Me Your Hands
Stub out that cigarette
Tie those cinderblocks to your shoes, tight.
We’ll set up on that ridge, right there
Where the dark side meets the light.
Friends, can everyone hear?
Friends, look up, look way up here!
Blue ocean fills our eyes
Our bloody canteens ran dry
These jet packs on our backs, they won’t get us home
Friends, we carry rough news
And friends, you’ll have to shoulder it, too
I wrote a rally cry and promised not to cry
But friends, up here you can’t believe the size of the sky
I wish I could reach out, reach out down there
Can you give me your hands?
Give me your hands while I tell you that...
*
The End
*
All songs by John Elderkin unless noted
(c) 2017 BMI
*
Recorded and mixed by Chris Garges at Old House Studio, Charlotte, NC;
Additional engineering with: Jerry Kee at Duck Kee Studio, Mebane, NC;
Eamonn Aiken at The Bastille Studio, Arlington, VA; Thom Canova and Mark
Simonsen at Studio m, Durham NC
Mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering, South Boston, MA
Vinyl lacquer master cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl, Memphis, TN
Woodwinds arranged by Chris Garges
Instrument/sound loans: Dutch Adkins, Brad Bailey, Jason Hausman,
Mike Jones, Tim Murray
Artwork: Shaun McCarthy at number 09 design
Cover photo: Lucy Collins
John, Mark, Chris photos: Daniel Coston
We are all Moonbeams:
John Elderkin – vocals, guitars, synth, bass, noisemakers
Chris Garges – percussion, drums, synths, glockenspiel, bells, Omnichord
Danielle Howle – vocals
Mark Whelan – bass, banjo, guitars, piano, glockenspiel
Pete Kaperonis – guitars
with:
Voice of the Cosmos – John Ensslin
Bass: Don Dixon, Matt Everhart, Henry Pharr, Robert Sledge; Bassoon:
Sue Heineman; Clarinet: Jennifer Everhart; Drums: Eric Willhelm; Guitar: Dan
Hood; Noisemakers: Chuck Garrison, Stough Garrison, Philip Collins
Piano/Keyboard/Synth: Sam Esquith, Philip Collins; Saxophone: Greg Jarrell;
Stylophone: Kevin Ruppenthal; Theremin: Troy Conn; Trombone: John Plymale;
Violin: Laura Thomas
Vocals: Kent Alphin, Lewis Baucom, Steve Beeson, Philip Collins, Rob Gal,
Jay Garrigan, Erik Johnson, John Plymale, Charlotte Schwartz, Paul Schwartz,
Mark Simonsen, Rett Snotherly, Adam Tamashasky, Cathie Trosch, Lou Trosch,
Andy Ware; Radio Announcers: Roey Haviv, Colman Gota, Hansford Rowe,
Quincas Moriera, Brad Warner, Joe Wilkie, Fatma Daglar, Emily Murphy, Mike
Bridavsky, Carol Stumpf, Grit Denker, Ricardo Cyncynates, Scott Elderkin,
Sam Esquith, Jack Murray
See www.moonbeamsnomas.com for track-by-track breakdown.
Big thanks, Kickstarter partners: Betsy Alperin, Kent Alphin, Steve Balcom,
Martin Baucom, Steve Beeson, Trilby Berger, Glenn Boothe, Dawn Bost, Ann
Bronston, Kelly Bruce, Bill Bryson, Cathy Bryson, Eddie Campbell, Jane
Campbell, Sharon Campon, Thomas Coble, Adam Cohen, Chuck Crews, Jim
Desmond, Jen Divis, Becky Elderkin, Dave Elderkin, Scott Elderkin, Lisa Gray,
Sue Heineman, Mary Anne Hoskins, Dick Huey, Laura Fuller, Chuck Garrison,
Eddie Huffman, Erik Johnson, Andrea Kornstein, Bud Long, Elizabeth Malcom,
Victoria Mattiuzzo, April McCarthy, Heather McDonald, Jay Mebane, Lessley
Merklein, Jeff Middents, Brian Mixon, Juliette Morgan, Kevin Morgan, John Mundt,
Rob Neely, Eric Nolan, Amy and Tom Okel, Mike Olivieri, Ted Pappas, John Priebe,
Jason Reed, Jeff Ruppenthal, John Ruppenthal, Kevin Ruppenthal, Sophie
Sartain, Cal Sawyer, Doug Schoemer, Charlotte and Paul Schwartz, Rett
Snotherly, Adam Steckler, Chad Stern, Drew Stern, Scott Stevens, Adam
Tamashasky, Lou and Cathie Trosch, Henry Underhill, Karl Wachter, Mark Whelan,
Carter Woollen, Steve Yarbrough
Special thanks: Cathy Bryson, Chuck Crews, Mary Crews, Shaun McCarthy, Caroline Rumley,
Josh Starmer, Wiley Stewart, Adam Tamashasky, Karl Wachter...
and David Bowie
Executive Producers: Bill Bryson, Dave Elderkin, Mark Whelan
JOIN US-WRITE US-BOOK US at:
moonbeamsnomas@gmail.com, www.moonbeamsnomas.com,
@moonbeamsnomas, and moonbeamsnomas.bandcamp.com
~ Upon This Rock Records ~