Lyrics for On the Drift
The Ballad of Joss
tune by Ben Edlund
lyrics by James Hazlerig
Joss, the man they call Joss . . .
CHORUS:
He wrote about spaceships and shepherds and whores,
Stood up to the networks and gave 'em what for.
Fox cancelled his program, but that was their loss--
The creator of Firefly, the man they call Joss!
Joss saw the viewers' hearts breakin',
He heard the Browncoats' lament,
He saw Fox management takin',
His show in a way that made no sense.
(He said) "You can't do that to my program,
Can't grind it under your heel."
So he took all his cast, and now at last,
They've landed a Big Damn Movie deal!
CHORUS
Now, here is what separates Firefly
From other shows you're likely to see:
It's meaningful and witty, and the setting's really gritty,
And the theme song's about Serenity.
It's a little like a western, (hyah!)
And a little like X-Files,
It's better than Trek, and it's funnier than Shrek,
And it beats out Andromeda by miles!
CHORUS
FIDDLE AND BLUES GUITAR BREAK
Now here is what separates Whedon,
From writers who slave in the core:
The man they call Joss, well, he said to Fox,
"I'm going where no show has gone before."
He told us about reavers,
He told us about sin,
He took us to the black, and we ain't comin' back,
'till all those crazy Browncoats rise again!
CHORUS
On the Drift
tune and lyrics by James Hazlerig
CHORUS:
I'm out of gas; I'm on the drift;
Engine ain't turnin'; and each breath's a gift.
Now when I die, I'll die alone;
If I could reach that button, I'd call you home.
When I reach that button, I'll call you home.
The candles burned, on the birthday cake,
We joked and laughed, not a thing at stake;
One long deep breath, one wish to claim,
Then the air we were laughin', went up in flame.
Then the air we were laughin', went up in flame.
I met a man, in a brown leather coat,
He thought one bullet, could buy my boat,
But there ain't a man, under any sun,
Who can take my boat, when I've got my gun.
Who can take my boat, when I've got my gun.
CHORUS
MANDOLA BREAK
Now, all I needed, was a nothing part,
An old catalyzer, to make the engine start.
Now I've got heat, and I've got air,
And I've got blood, but not enough to spare.
And I've got blood, but not enough to spare.
CHORUS
BASS GUITAR BREAK
My journey's long, and I'm far from port,
Space is cold, my breath is short,
Serenity Valley, is where I'll lie,
Some things stay with you, 'till the day you die.
Some things stay with you, 'till the day you die.
Some things stay with you, 'till the day you die.
The Hero of Canton
tune and lyrics by Ben Edlund
Jayne, the man they call Jayne . . .
CHORUS:
He robbed from the
rich and he gave to the poor.
Stood up to the man and gave him what for.
Our love for him now ain't hard to explain.
The hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne.
Our Jayne saw the mudders' backs breakin'.
He saw the mudders' lament.
And he saw the magistrate takin',
every dollar and leavin' five cents.
"You can't do that to my people.
Can't crush them under your heel."
So Jayne strapped on his hat, and in five seconds flat,
stole everything Boss Higgins had to steal.
CHORUS
Now here is what separates heroes
from common folk like you and I.
The man they call Jayne, he turned 'round his plane
and let that money hit sky.
He dropped it onto our houses
he dropped it into our yards.
The man they called Jayne, he stole away our pain
and headed out for the stars!
CHORUS
Big Damn Trilogy
tune and lyrics by James Hazlerig
CHORUS:
Trilogy, O trilogy, I want my trilogy,
Don't stop at one, Don't stop at two,
Gorramit, gimme three!
Trilogy, O trilogy, that's what I want to see,
Someday I'll own a boxed set
Of that Big Damn Trilogy!
They said we couldn't do it,
They said our show should die,
They took our love, they took our land,
They cancelled our Firefly.
But one thing they didn't reckon,
in our fan psychology:
Browncoats carry Greenbacks,
And we want our trilogy!
CHORUS
KAZOO AND BOWED PSALTERY BREAK
CHORUS
They say the best things in this 'verse,
Always come in threes,
Musketeers and stooges,
LOTR DVDs.
When a show's got ships and shepherds,
The Alliance and Blue Sun,
And Gina and Jewel and Morena and Summer,
It's too pretty to stop at one!
CHORUSX2
AMEN FINISH
Theme Song Parody
original lyrics and tune by Joss Whedon
lyrics parodied by James Hazlerig
Take my love, take my land,
Take me where I cannot stand.
I don't care, I'm still free,
You can't take the sky from me.
Take me out into the black,
Tell 'em I ain't comin' back,
Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.
FIDDLE BREAK
There's no place that I can be,
Since I found Serenity.
You can't take the sky from me.
Eight o'clock, Friday night,
Why can't Fox just get it right?
I don't care, 'cause I can see,
The Big Damn Show on DVD.
Put it on before John Doe,
That's no way to treat our show!
I don't care, 'cause I can see,
The Big Damn Show on DVD.
FIDDLE BREAK
There's no part that I can't see,
Since I got my DVD.
You can't take my show from me!
Leaf on the Wind
tune and lyrics by James Hazlerig
I was born on a rock where the stars didn't shine,
now I soar like a leaf on the wind,
The clouds were polluted, the sea filled with brine,
now I soar like a leaf on the wind,
I swore to myself that above it I'd rise,
Sail over the mountains and into the skies,
To see the stars brighter than man can devise,
I'd soar like a leaf on the wind.
When governments quarreled, I was called to the fight,
to soar like a leaf on the wind,
I offered my wings to the side I thought right,
to soar like a leaf on the wind,
Now after two sorties, my boat ran aground,
My captors with laurels of vict'ry were crowned,
When the killing was over, my freedom I found,
to soar like a leaf on the wind.
I wandered the whole 'verse, I went where I'd please,
adrift like a leaf on the wind,
I spent a whole month trying to juggle geese,
adrift like a leaf on the wind,
But wherever I went, there was one thing I'd lack,
The stars, they were calling for me to come back,
Farewell to the land and Ni-Hao to the black!
Once more I'm a leaf on the wind.
The Renshaw Boys begged me; Tanaka he raved,
to soar like a leaf on the wind,
Serenity's crew had the one thing I craved,
as I soared like a leaf on the wind,
The moons and the planets each have their own charms,
But the heavens I sought were in Zoe's strong arms,
A warrior, a Goddess, to keep me from harm,
as I soar like a leaf on the wind.
Now sometimes I carry a gun when I roam,
though I soar like a leaf on the wind,
With puppets and dinosaurs, I'm much more at home,
as I soar like a leaf on the wind,
Laughter was always my ally in life,
And humor has always deflected my strife,
It got me through torture, it won me my wife,
and I soar like a leaf on the wind.
It ain't easy to pilot a ship that can't turn,
but I'll soar like a leaf on the wind,
Can't pull crazy Ivans, can't go for hard burn,
but I'll soar like a leaf on the wind,
Now, once you've made sure that the signal gets through,
There's one final thing that I want you to do,
Put me where I'll see stars, so that I can see you,
and I'll soar like a leaf on the wind.
SAIL THE SKY
tune and lyrics by Brandon Klassen
With all my fears and sorrows close
I'm hanging on--just hanging on
I wish that you were here with me
To sail the sky Serenity
CHORUS:
And take me high or take me low
Through to the end where I may go
If I can stand, then I shall pass
Pass beyond this night of black
Pass beyond this night of black
How many words did you impart
While I chose to close my heart
And unto God you made this plea
Safe sail the sky Serenity
CHORUS
If just once more we dance in light
Or trace our tears through one more fight
What could I say to set you free?
But sail the sky Serenity
CHORUS
FIDDLE BREAK
As stars burn bright and rise the dawn
So our paths must journey on
We lose not hope in family
Still sail the sky Serenity
CHORUS (X2)