Below are various rewordings of other people's songs, with the new words somehow relating to either one or more of our specific games or - as in the first one below - the greater gaming world and goings-on therein.

Enjoy!

Another shot across the bows of D+D's fourth edition, to the tune of "Mr. Crowley" by Ozzy Osbourne. Rewording by Keith P., November 22 2010.

KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT

Mr. Gygax
Can you see what they've done
Oh Mr. Gygax
Did their dice come up one
      They took all your words and opinions
      And ignored what they said
      Replaced 'em with tieflings and minions
      No wonder the wonder's dead
Mr. Mentor
It's a pity indeed
Mr. Inventor
They don't follow your lead
      No wandering harlots and minstrels
      Ah that flavour's gone stale
      The pack mules and henchmen are dead now
      Buried beside the trail
Mr. Gygax
Is there something to save
Mr. Gygax
Do you just turn in your grave
      The mysteries hiding the magic
      Became completely mundane
      Magnificence now becomes tragic
      Rationale they still won't explain

Now all the goodwill's been spent
They still don't know what you meant
They'll never know
They'll never know what you meant, no

This rewords - of all things - a song by Spinal Tap called "Back From the Dead", and covers a few memorable moments and characters in New Dafan. Rewording by Keith P., September 16 2009

REBORN AGAIN (BACK FROM THE DEAD 2)

It's back from the dead
Rob just sits there laughin'
Hobbitika is Dafan
He's blowing our heads

It's back and it's game
After cataclysm
The world's a 4-way schism
And we were to blame

Still there's optimism as we try to fix our big break
We're like a toothache that won't go away
Serenaded now and then by Sarah's moralizing
She's fantasizing if she thinks we'll obey (we'll obey, we'll obey, we'll obey)

We're back from the blue
Our bodies ever willing
Riff-raff for the killing
And other Dwarves too

We're back in the field
Stories no-one's telling
Aknot's manly smelling
Rekhel's fate was sealed

Roar back into action time to fix somebody's wagon
Kera's a dragon, wins an Arrow or two
Nothing gets us going like the songs of Artemesia
Soothingly please ya while we're running you through (run you through, run you through, run you through)

We're back from the knife
Jett goes through the strainer
Fumbles from Antrayna
Could cost him his life

We're back from goodbye
Flippy-flips from Vishu
She'd prefer to squish you
But she's hung out to dry

Mei-Peng is a salmon now she swims in Marek's cookpot
Ready or not he says, I'm lighting the fire
X is barking orders it's too bad that no-one listens
They're too busy wishin' she'd give up and retire (she'll retire, we'll retire, let's retire)

KEEP ON PLAYING IN THE NEW GAME

Well colour me a fool
That's how this feels
While they're shuffling the rules
Wot-C's sleeping at the wheel
'Cause here's a warning sign for the years ahead
If they keep it up like this the game'll soon be dead
Don't feel like Satan but I am to them
When I hold to tradition any way I can

      ( Keep on playing in the new game
*    ( Keep on playing in the new game
      ( Keep on playing in the new game
      ( Keep on playing in the new game

There's a player here tonight
A stack of rulebooks in his hand
And a worn old die (and a worn old die)
And a new Dew can (and a new Dew can)
Now he puts the books away and he tries to roll a hit
He hates this game and what they've done to it
There's no more Bards no more Druids no more Gnomes
No Illusionists or Monks, might as well have stayed home

   *
And now they tell us points of light
Is the grand new plan
The game is kinder gentler it holds your hand
It comes with death effects made so much tamer
Got a level each minute for the power gamer
And a whole bunch of people saying go with the flow
Got Orcs to kill, got dice to roll

   *

            FRIENDS LIKE THESE

Once there was this guy who
Couldn't seem to stop himself from blowing up his friends but
When they fin'lly killed him
They found
He'd just come back only stronger
Nobody could explain how he always just di-id that
      Mmm mmm mmm mmm
      Mmm mmm mmm mmm
Once there was this girl who
Didn't know she had a sword until it really mattered
But when she fin'lly found it
She took
One swing and killed three companions
Nobody could explain why she thought it was so mu-uch fun
      Mmm mmm mmm mmm
      Mmm mmm mmm mmm

      All this points to a dire trend
      Who needs foes when you've got friends
      It wasn't always like this…
Once there was this guy who
Got sent away to spy on some assassins in a swamp and
When they fin'lly found him
He'd lost
All of his blood 'cept the last drop
Nobody could explain what it was that made him ta-asty
Mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm
Mmm mmm mmm mmm

            NEW WORLD

In my world
In my world
There's been so much angst and anger
There's been so much death and danger
      Oh
Wake up
Shake my head
From adventures repetition
River rising expectations
Time to move
To a new world

      I
      Feel it starting to go
      What was warm has gone cold
      In this game that we live
      New world, new world, new world, new world
In my world
In my world
I am king and god and pauper
I'm left helpless at the altar
      Oh
Balefire
Rescue this
Burn a path beyond the fences
Burn a hole into the future
      Take me there

      'Cause it's starting to go
      And the blood's running cold
      In this game that we live
      New world, new world, new world, new world

(and it's been) Longer than death
And larger than life
We got to find a new world to play
Here comes the referee

New world, new world, new world, new world
New world, new world, new world, new world

      PEARL JUST WANTS TO HAVE FUN

The team rides through the morning light
There's wrongs in the world they're gonna set them all right
A noble cause perhaps for all except one
That's Pearl, she wants to have fun
Oh, Pearl just wants to have fun

The fireball where the aim isn't right
The fighters yell hey you klutz we value our lives
Oh what's the problem boys, she only cast one
And Pearl just wants to have fun
Oh, Pearl just wants to have fun
      / That's all she really wants
    /   Is fu-un
  *    In the dark a ray of sun
    \   When Pearl, she wants to have fun
      \ Oh that Pearl just wants to have fun

Some guys once adventured with Pearl
And ended up saving this side of the world
She'll let the heroes have their day in the sun
'Cause Pearl just wants to have fun
Oh Pearl just wants to have fun
      *
Pearl just wants to have fun
Pearl just wants to have fun …

This rewords "High Hopes" by Pink Floyd, and comes from too many years of watching our beloved pastime become an industry, dominated by profit instead of passion. Rewording by Keith P., May 26 2009

            EDITION LIST

Beyond the horizons of the game we played when we were young
Lay a world of money and malcontents
Their thoughts strayed down the page and found the bottom line
The roll call of the edition list was begun
Before our pastime was turned into an industry
We took the game and made it ours
There were a ragged few who followed in our footsteps
Who knew the better change was none at all
We've watched the new developments so hopeful but none any good
The greater game divided round us falls
      The nights were endless
      The tales were glory
      With friends surrounded
      The game was wonder
Looking round the game store at the new things trying to tempt us
Not a glimpse of the magic found in the early days
While victims of edition wars lie strewn across the battleground
Many come but rare is the one who stays
With a better attitude we made our choice
Few and far away though for so long a silent voice

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
Theirs a greed that can't be satisfied
Our tearful eyes turn back toward the table
There'll always be a game here true and tried
      Where nights are endless
      Where tales are glory
      With friends surrounded
      The game is wonder
      The taste of magic
      The rain is falling
      Adventures calling
      The sound of laughter

      Forever and after

A GIRL OF COLOURS (APPPPIL'S THEME)

There's a noise out back of the farmhouse
Of a spell going wrong again
By herself she remains undaunted
There's no if, there is only when (she'll say)

/       I
/       I am a girl
/       A simple girl
*      A girl of colours
\       And I can make
\       Make you believe
\       Believe a girl
\       A girl of colours

And her spells dance bright in the danger zone
While emotions run fast and free
Empty heart worn on a naked sleeve
What you get isn't what you see (when she says)
      *
There's a tale writ long in that spellbook
Of this life that she finds her in
Words of woe reward and adventure
Much to lose but so much more to win (and she says)
      *

      She says I
      I am a girl
      A simple girl
      A girl of colours
      And I can make
      Make you believe
      Believe in me
      Me and my colours
      A girl of colours.

A song that tells the sorry tale of New Dafan's Ciaran's loss in a battle vs. a flowerbed and subsequent rescue by his party. These words were produced on the fly by some of the players even as the events depicted were still being played out.
Written February 5 2011. Words and music © Friends of Gravity 2011.

BALLAD OF CIARAN PANSY-BAIT

One day came Ciaran Pansy-Bait
Tiptoeing through the Daisies
Sniffed the blossom scent so sweet
Went stark-raving crazy

Then Taro chanced to prance and dance
Into the flora magic
Ciaran's sword met Taro's shield
His fate becoming tragic

Then Vishu tripped and flippy-flipped
Into the heart of danger
She flailed her fists and twirled and dipped
But couldn't stun the Ranger.

Then wielding arcane magic bold
A ball of living fire
With valiant effort, X did try
To ease his peril dire.

Then Karg, the man of iron balls
Pulled out a ball of iron
Threw it hard and threw it true
And thus subdued the Ciaran.

They hauled him out and patched him up
But lo, what stayed behind?
It took a while until 'twas clear
He'd lost 'most half his mind!

So hail to Ciaran Pansy-Bait
Our hero tried and true
But when pansies lay their subtle trap
What else was he to do?

An adventurer comes back from the field for the last time, having seen and done just one too many horrible things.
Written December 29 2010. Words and music © 2010 Friends of Gravity.

        OLD LIFE FADES AWAY

I've been everywhere unimagined, everything came out too real
The gods and disciples have known me, demons have tasted my steel
      Throw away my sword and shield
   *  It's time to yield the day (It's time to call it a day)
      Light the fires I'm coming home
      The old life fades away
I ran with a pack of marauders, woe for the things I have done
Murderous bastards the lot of us, I wasn't the only one
   *
I saw what they did to the old ones, things nobody should see
Then I discovered a new world, nobody noticed but me
   *
I'm richer than kings but I haven't a thing I can call my own
Your love wisely left me a long time ago, now I come home alone
      Throw away my sword and shield
      It's time to call it a day
      Light the fires I'm coming home
      The old life fades away
I fade away
I fade away …

            FAR AWAY

Cold dawns one morning after
Night filled with endless laughter
Leaves fall the seasons turn and
Once more my heart is yearning
Away
Far away

Life lived yet barely tasted
Pain's hard-won lessons wasted
Gold, glory all I see
Through rose-coloured memory
Away
Far away

Once more ignore the wise ones
Set off for far horizons
Pack full and staff in hand
Most folk don't understand
Away
Far away

Well met with those of like mind
Blind trust in what we might find
Still farther than we have gone
This road goes ever on
Away
Far away
Away...

            SKYBOOT

Here I am again - hey, it's only me
Somebody you thought - you'd never see
Maybe I'll explain - tricky is the light
Now that you I've caught - it feels so right

Who am I, what can I do
Ask you this, I'll answer too
There you are, lost in my spell
And here I am.

In love with everyone - forests and the rain
Anybody cries - I feel the pain
Always on the run - from shadows no-one knows
Dreaming never dies - where I go

Who am I, what can I do
Ask you this, I'll answer too
There you are, lost in my spell
Here I am - I'm Skyboot

Images in mind - nothing's really real
Still I can affect the way you feel
Leave you all behind - when I start to fly
What can you expect from such as I

Who am I, what can I do
Ask you this, I'll answer too
There you are, lost in my spell
And here I am, I'm Skyboot Sharlineriel

Here I am again, hey it's only me
Somebody you thought you'd never see.

I WAS A HERO (ASTACOE'S LAMENT)

west the wind blows softly
west the wind I cannot feel
memories of life so fleeting
what is now and what is real
west the wind blows softly
west the wind I cannot touch
once I had a dream upon it
once I thought it meant so much
      I was a hero then
      long open roads
      I made my fame and fortune
      that life I chose
yeah I was a madman
so my friends said like they knew
you made me that madman
and I fell when I fell I fell for you
      I was a hero then
      who knows me now
      now I've these chains upon me
      who knows me now
once I was a loved man
but my heart was far away
till she made me see me
didn't know the price I'd pay
      I was a hero then
      who knows me now
      now I've these chains upon me
      who knows me now
once I was a loved man
but she was so far away
till she came and freed me
didn't know the price she'd pay
      she was a hero then
      who knows her now
      she's gone and still I stand here
      who knows her now

AREVANE INVOKATION (WATER DANCE 2)

I am the river the lake and the sea
I am the rain from the sky
I am Arevane, water and mist
I am the tear in your eye

I am the river that speeds to the ocean
I am the sea and the rain
I am Arevane, goddess of waters
I am and will be again

Arevane, Arevane, goddess of oceans
Arevane, Arevane, mistress of the waves
Arevane, Arevane, rain upon the mountains
Arevane, Arevane, flowing to the sea.