Sci-Fi Song #15: Leodora

Leodora.mp3

Sci-Fi Song #15 was inspired by the Shadowbridge/Lord Tophet duology by Gregory Frost. This song is sung from the point of view of Diverus, the main character's musical accompanist. To learn more about Shadowbridge and Lord Tophet, check out these great reviews at the following blogs:

• OF Blog of the Fallen
  
• Fantasy Book Critic
  
• Neth Space
  
• Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

Leodora
by John Anealio

Diverus is my name, we're here to entertain you

I play the shawm while Lea works her puppets

We perform our show everywhere we go

But we're running from the agents of Lord Tophet

Can we live happily ever after walking span to span?

Leodora, don't cry.

Leodora, don't walk away.

Leodora, don't cry

Leodora, don't walk away from me now.

Bardsham was her father, Leandra was her mother

but Soter raised her since she was a baby

She wears a painted mask, she says her name is Jax

now she's the only woman who can save me

Can we live happily ever after walking span to span?

Chorus

Here are some of the tools that I used to record the track:

1. Martin Acoustic Guitar in Standard Tuning with a Capo at the 4th Fret for the strummed parts and the backwards arpeggios in the first verse, in Drop D tuning with a capo at the 4th fret for the finger-picking part in the second verse.
   
2. G&L ASAT Telecaster-style Electric Guitar in Standard tuning with a capo at the 2nd fret.
3. Fender Stratocaster for the backwards guitar solo.
4. Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar in open A tuning (EAEAC#E) for the slide guitar solo.
   
5. Washburn Bass Guitar
6. Rode NT-3 microphone (to record the acoustic guitar and my vocals)
7. Apple Logic Pro 8 recording software
   1. The EXS24 Sampler and EVB3 software instrument plug-ins for the piano, organ, and choir sounds.
   2. Logic's included compressor, delay, and reverb plug-ins
   3. The electric guitar parts were recorded through Logic's Guitar Amp Pro plug-in
   4. The drum parts were created using Beta Monkey's Drum Werks V loop collection

Related Posts:

1. Sci-Fi Song #5: Sarene: inspired by Brandon Sanderson's Elantris
   
2. Sci-Fi Song #6: Rachel Rosen : inspired by Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Sci-Fi Song #5: Sarene: inspired by Elantris

Sarene.mp3

My new song Sarene (Sci-Fi song #5) was inspired by Elantris, a great novel by Brandon Sanderson. This song is sung from the point of view of the main character, Prince Raoden. To learn more about Elantris check, out these great reviews and interviews at the following blogs:

1. Fantasy Cafe
2. Fantasy Book Critic
3. Fantasy Book News & Reviews
4. The Book Swede & His Blog
5. Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin' Book Reviews

Here are some of the tools that I used to record the track:

1. Martin Acoustic Guitar for the strummed acoustic parts
2. Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar
1. Standard Tuning for the rhythm parts and riffs in the chorus, the Edge-like delay guitar part in the second verse, and the harmony solo in the outro.
2. Open A (EAEAC#E) for the slide guitar parts in the chorus.
3. Washburn Bass Guitar
4. Rode NT-3 microphone (to record the acoustic guitar and my vocals)
5. Apple Logic Pro 7 recording software
1. The ESP and ES1 software synths for the synthesizer sounds in the beginning
2. Logic's included compressor, delay, phaser, and reverb plug-ins
3. The electric guitar parts were recorded through Logic's Guitar Amp Pro plug-in

Hope you enjoy it,
John

Here are the lyrics:

The city walls are covered with slime and sludge

It's difficult to find someone to trust

The Shaod took a hold of us and left us dead inside

Every scratch is agony where the pain will never subside

Oh Sarene, I wished I could have known you
Oh Sarene, I'm sorry that I'm gone
Oh Sarene, Your the one I wanted all along

I found a friend in Galladon the Duladen

We organized a union of the denizens from Elantris

We washed the walls and planted seed
and scripted Aons of pure light
A princess came to offer us
a solution to our plight

Oh Sarene, I wish that I could tell you
That I'm the Prince of Arelon
Oh Sarene, you think you're doing the right thing but it's wrong

Hrathen has three months to convert the populace of Kae
If he fails than the people of Arelon will be slayed
by the holy soldiers of the Fjordell Empire as they descend upon the innocent
it's up to use to save them

Oh Sarene, I think it's time to tell you
That I'm the Prince of Arelon
Oh Sarene, I think the time has come to claim the throne

Oh Sarene, we must protect the city
from Derethi monks and warriors
Oh Sarene, it's up to us to stop this massacre