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The Perfect Map

by Elephants of Scotland

supported by
Stephen Speelman
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Stephen Speelman Another great recording by EOS. Strong songwriting combined with solid musicianship and great melodies! Favorite track: Random Earth.
Chefyego
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Chefyego i heard of these guys from a facebook acquantance in America
And i was impressed with this recommendation. Was curious seeing as im from Scotland it was ironoc really
Have to say i was impressed it reminds me of 80's style prog which i sorely miss. Love Sun-dipped Orphans its a classic style i wanted to hear
If you enjoyed Yes ELP Pallas and very early Marillion this is a band for you
Dam i should have ordered a tshirt when i ordered the cd Favorite track: Random Earth.
The Tentacle
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The Tentacle Terrific stuff from my favorite elephants. Fetch your compass. Favorite track: Counting on a Ghost.
lostontheprairie
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lostontheprairie Fantastic writing and playing
more...
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1.
The sun-dipped orphans scrambled into the castle and in the great hall did make a perfect pyramid of ten. Robot clowns were sent in, programmed with the finest tricks. The orphans showed neither joy nor fear. Destroyed and deposited red noses and fright wigs melted in a sparking metal fire at the bottom of the lake. "When I have a mother some day, I will know how healing works, and that hurting and healing ride the same seesaw." Tumbling out of their pyramid, the orphans circled the Wizard's intoxicating teapot, In they leaned until their heads met temple to temple. Boiling wisdom rose into the air. "After education, surely we will be lovable." Wizard: "No one loves the wise Except the wise. And they are paranoid." “If no one loves the wise except the wise Why learn, then?” A wet boom stopped the lesson. Explosion from the lake.
2.
Counting on a ghost is a losing bet like solitaire mode on Russian Roulette But when they come through with mysterious results Assemble some seekers, fire up a cult Counting on a ghost is a toss into the wind All your prayers end up where they begin Counting on a ghost is a wasted gasp A falsified oath of a truth that never lasts And when nothing comes each time after time Sacrifice the answers, magnify the crime Sing hymns to the means that justify the end Now hide from the sun with zombiefied friends Lauding a diviner bearing hellebore Languid from the years lost to the metaphor Drawn in freely as the ghost ascends Blinded by the light through a sanctified lens Sing hymns to the means that justify the end Now hide from the sun with zombiefied friends Sing hymns to the cult on every station Hell to pay-to-play for mock salvation What we want the most and shout until we're blue Die because they have no bearing on the truth And if we still decide to count upon the ghost Gather all your dreams and nail them to a post
3.
One By Sea 04:38
Oh my love, I'd give you an ocean Give you an ocean as you dream But my love, I must sail on the ocean Sail on the ocean with the stream For I am not alone though I may sail as one Forever on my journey's just begun Oh my love, I'd give you an ocean Give you an ocean as you dream But I am not a ship you anchor in the night For I must sail when come the morning light We're all here finding our way On through the fog and on through the grey A beacon shines out from the shore as captains curse the current's lure I am not an island or a treasure in the deep The waves alone will rock my soul to sleep No, I am not alone though I may sail as one Forever on my journey's just begun
4.
West from The Marches Through the Apennines On toward Florence they went The new magistrate, a miser to the bone Lead his band of cut-rate men A tinker, a tailor, a farmer and a smith But nary a lawman did he bring with Men of ill breeding, men of ill repute Made up the traveling coterie To lay down the law, to preside over it all To play at judge and notary A tinker, a tailor, a cobbler and a cook But nary a wise man who’d once read a book “Why would I pay dear for a bench of my peers When I can buy a neighbor for a song? Let the Florentine all rise for my team for Any Christian man knows right from wrong.” These breaches of justice Speak the truth for all to know Swing the gavel high, swing the gavel low Of the magistrate’s men, was Sir Nick A one-man fashion crime spree For clearly the rules don’t apply to such fools And allow this man to walk free The vair in his cap, blackened from smoke See how his gown hangs well below his robe And watch, I beseech. Yes, look & you will see The case of his briefs drooped down to his knees. These breaches of justice Still the truth will always show Swing the gavel high, swing the gavel low A young local man saw this charade “For this my taxes are paid? Time to call some friends and bring this to an end. Time to devise a plan…” The next morning came The courtroom opened up And as the citizenry filed in The young man’s two friends Found that fraud Sir Nick Standing at his rickety bench They each grabbed a side of Nick’s tattered robe and staged a most convincing dispute “Your honor, I insist, this wretch stole my bag.” “Your honor, that one stole my boots.” And then our young man snuck up from behind and brought His Honor’s briefs to the floor The red-faced judge sat to pull them up but only showed Florence so much more This bell rings for justice Speak the truth for all to know Swing the gavel high, swing the gavel low These breaches of justice expose another lie Swing the gavel low, swing the gavel high
5.
A seasoned traveler was I All this way and still hadn’t died Thought I’d seen lands far and near King of the road with no fear Every day I ventured around The path I had so beaten down Knew every curve on the trail Made my way back without fail A perfect map carved into stone Cracked along the roads that I’ve known Seemed to work fine until then Man plans and god laughs again The edge of the world at my feet Spent my days trolling the beach Sifted through chaos and age Boiled it all down to a page Safe in the knowledge I found I built my home on that ground Circled with a towering fence I order the random to sense A perfect map written in sand I held it so tightly in hand I sank in the sea from the shore Man plans and god laughs once more One joke we always fall for We plan and god laughs once more Always time to let this one go Always time to let come what may Always time to take one more chance Always time to throw it away Always time to say what you meant Always time to look back and shout Always time to pull it apart Always time to figure it out A perfect map torn up and tossed Go step by step until I’m lost Trip as I skip to the end Man plans and god laughs again
6.
Random Earth 09:36
i) I still wonder what I am Always marvel at the sight of us That we are here sharing these stories Always believing that our noises go on Alone, I needed someone to reactivate my blood I was missing in my action and I hadn’t understood That some eyes see you clearer Regardless of your blur And the fates will only intervene Once you’ve found your nerve Standing on this Random Earth Reaching through ambient light I am a towering pine in an unkept world With roots that dig through yesterday Tracing my timeline I’ll never know what I am The idea is ever shifting But I am here … a shadow of a story Dimensions away from my own Alone, I’m made of nothing I’m a dream that no one had Calculate my darkness I’m a mass-resistant man The freedom void inspires is the map for every trail Oh, to wend among the treasures On the microstellar scale Passing through this Random Earth Relieved of matter and of might I am a glimmering shine in an untimed world With routes that span ubiquity Chasing the boundary ii) But the beauty of this moment is the view I have right now And all that I choose to see Is the bursting dawn of endless possibility It’s the limit of the brilliance That the sun will fade away So all that I choose to see Are the glowing rays of omnipresent energy But the beauty of this moment Is the view I have right now And all that I choose to see Is the bursting dawn of endless possibility iii) It’s the magic maker’s torment That the trick will be found out So all that I choose to see Is the flowing rush of conquering infinity It’s the end of deception The illusion fades away So all that is left to see Is the endless truth that everything’s a part of me iv) Passing through this Random Earth Relieved of matter and of might I am a glimmering shine
7.
Für Buddy 02:07

about

Our third full-length studio album.

credits

released June 17, 2016

Adam Rabin - keyboards, vocals, other noises
John Whyte - guitar, vocals
Dan MacDonald - bass, vocals
Ornan McLean - drums, percussion

with
Greg Skillman - lyrics on "Orphans," "Ghost," and "Random Earth"
Megan Beaucage - vocals "One By Sea"
Gary Kuo - violin on "One By Sea"
Joe Netzel - doumbek on "The Perfect Map"

View the digital booklet: elephantsofscotland.com/mapbook/

produced and engineered by Adam Rabin in his basement
Remixed and remastered 2020

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Elephants of Scotland Burlington, Vermont

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