There are demons beneath your bed that are gonna eat you up this year. I am unofficially performing at GaFilk this weekend in Atlanta. And I count down the Best Celtic Bands of 2022.
You can read it all in this Marc’s Musings newsletter or listen to it on the next Pub Songs & Stories podcast.
WATCH. WHAT IS GAFILK?
Filk is the music of fandom. The name started as a misspelling of folk music that was happening at science fiction conventions back in the 60s.
GaFilk, or Georgia Filk, is a convention that happens every year here in Atlanta, Georgia. I was first introduced to it when Brobdingnagian Bards was invited as a Super Secret Guest. We were still performing together in Austin.
It’s a different kind of convention. There aren’t a whole bunch of panels on your favorite fandoms. It’s all about the music… and the people.
Folks from all over the nation gather together to sing songs inspired by science fiction, fantasy, parodies, and just geek out together. And it’s a RelaxaCon. It’s super laid back.
I’ve been a guest about three times, including with the Bards. This year, I’m just going for fun. But I’ll have CDs and album pins and will do my best to entertain you when it’s my turn in the filk circle.
Here are some more shows happening this month:
- JAN 6-8: GaFilk, Atlanta, GA
- JAN 12: Internet Concert with Special Guest @ 6:30 PM EST
- JAN 21: Maggie McGuinness Pub, Huntsville, AL @ 7 PM
- JAN 28: The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates @ 6:30-9:30 PM
READ. COUNTDOWN OF TOP 10 CELTIC BANDS OF 2022?
I was listening to a podcast called Hit Parade. They talk about the hits. The host is a Charts Nerd. Like me, he listened to Casey Kasem’s Top 40 Hits back in the 80s. I wasn’t quite as obsessed as he was. But I did love the show.
My interest in charts really took off in the early 2000s when the Brobdingnagian Bards were topping the charts. I was able to figure out the system and how to maximize our success there.
So now I have Two Charts that I keep track of each year. One is the Celtic Top 20. This is the last episode of the year of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I highlight fan votes for the top 20 songs and tunes of all of the episodes of the year.
The second is my organic pick of the Top 10 Celtic Bands. Meaning, these are the bands I played the most. I didn’t plan to play any band more than any other. But I did.
You can read the blog, Top 10 Celtic Bands of 2022, on my website.
You can also check out my 5 Celtic Bands to Watch in 2023.
LISTEN. SCI F’IRISH PLAYLIST
I have a fun playlist over on Spotify called Sci F’Irish music. I’m still building it. It currently feature songs I featured on the Pub Songs Podcast. It kicks off with some of my favorite Sci F’Irish songs I’ve written.
I want to rework it into a fantastic playlist of Sci F’Irish music. I’d love your thoughts and suggestions.
What are some great Sci F’Irish songs that should be added?
SING. CLOSE YOUR EYES (THE DEMON LULLABY)
I did not write “Close Your Eyes”. The song was written by filker Daniel Glasser. I first heard it at a I-Con Science Fiction Convention in Long Island, New York. I think… It’s a been a while.
Close your eyes and sleep
There are demons in your dreams
Go to sleep my darling
there's a demon underneath your bed
The Demons in your bed
are going to eat you up
Stay in your bed
There are landmines on the floor.
The demons in your bed
are going to eat you up
Sugar and spice and everything nice
Why do you think we say that?
So the demons in your bed
will want to eat you up
You used to have a sister
She wouldn't go to sleep
The demons in her bed
Ate her up
Do not call for your mother;
Who is it you think who let the demons in
to eat you up?
Snakes and Snails and Puppydog tails;
Who can account for the tastes of demons?
The Demons in your bed
are going to eat you up
Baby don't you cry
or the demons won't wait until you're asleep
before they eat you up
My father sang this song to me
But he slipped and fell on a landmine
And the Demons underneath my bed
Ate him up
That is not a blanket.
Goodnight
I recorded the song for my album Kilted For Her Pleasure at Jamie Haeuser's house. I was in her mother in law suite out in the country. A very relaxing way to record a beautiful, funny song.
I started playing “Close Your Eyes” in 2011 at Dragon Con after the album came out. There’s a great video of that performance. The show was awesome. It has since become one of my top-selling CDs, in large part because of that song.
My favorite moments with this song is when the audience sings the refrain “gonna eat you up.” It was a favorite for many years. But one year at Gen Con stood out as even funnier.
I played “Close Your Eyes” for my Firefly Drinking Songs show. I love throwing in slight twists and changes to songs every now and then. Halfway through the song, I removed the demons and replaced it with reavers.
Now that was funny enough. But I didn’t think the reavers from the TV show Firefly would just “eat you up”. No. They were… well… worse than that. So I changed that refrain to “eat your face”. The audience went wild.
The new “Reavers Lullaby” became an essential part of the Firefly Drinking Songs show. After much pressuring by fans on Patreon, I decided to record the Filk of a Filk in 2017. I released this version on As Long As I’m Flyin’.
What’s super funny about the song is that both my kids love it. But they love different versions.
I sang “Close Your Eyes” at a Renaissance festival in Illinois. Kenzie fell asleep on the benches with me singing the song.
Meanwhile, Inara loved the “Reavers Lullaby” version. Every time, I sing, “are gonna eat your face,” Inara would laugh maniacally and yell “HA HA! EAT YOUR FACE!!!”
So… um…. This is a good time to point out that I have CDs and you can help me pay for my daughters’ therapy when they grow up when you buy anything in my store!
The store is up from Jan 3-13. So start shopping now!
DIG DEEPER WITH THE PODCAST
I'm doing something a wee bit different in January. I'm gonna write up a complete newsletter, just like this one. But then a few days later, I will release a podcast edition of that newsletter.
The podcast edition will be available soon. So if you want to hear more in depth thoughts on these songs. Read this newsletter then listen to the podcast edition as well.
THANK YOU!
I really appreciate your your kindness and generosity.
Slainte!
Marc
PS. If you want to support my music, join other Gunn Runners on Patreon. For as little as $5 per month, you’ll get lots of bonus goodies, including MP3s, concert bootlegs, videos and more.
#marcsmusings
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