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I'm Asking (Thomas Ibbs with BtD Band) - a Before the Dawn song

by Memory Page for Zan

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about

First, there was a song. Then someone came up with a follower.
More filkers started taking part. And what had become some kind of "shared universe" ended up as a musical: Before The Dawn.

The main songwriters were Mike Whitaker, Phil Allcock, Valerie Housden, and Zander Nyrond, and yes, there were more, and the first live performance was at the UK filk con 2009.
More spectacular, though, was the Worldcon (Loncon 3) show in 2014. Among other things worth noticing it also had some of the youngest musicians: Thomas Ibbs, 15, as one of the main characters, and James Whitaker, 14, playing drums in the band.

More about Before The Dawn can be found here: www.beforethedawn.org.uk/home.html

lyrics

I'm Asking

I know that you speak truly,
I feel that you are wise.
Perhaps then you can help me ease my mind.
My teacher told me once that
You can see with inner eyes.
Now I need such sight - my role is ill-defined.

So tell me now - I'm asking.
Is this what you'd have me do?
Would it make life any better
For the poorer folk like you?
The only skill I've learned
Is how to rhyme and sing.
So tell me now - I'm asking:
Would you have me as your king?

My grandsire and his father,
They made our nation great,
And my own sire gave us peace until he died.
But none of them could see you
From the prison of their state,
But I have walked these streets - have heard their children cry.

So tell me now - I'm asking.
How would you have me rule?
If I try to help the helpless
Would it make me just a fool?
There have always been poor people
And I suppose there'll always be,
So tell me now - I'm asking:
What would you ask of me?

For the help that you have given
I'd cover you with gold,
Though the burden and the choice still rest on me.
I ask you now again to tell me
What might be foretold:
Could I have saved this land
And who then should I be?

So tell me now - I'm asking,
As my forebears never could:
If I help the greatest number
Will I do the greatest good?
I trust your gift and wisdom
To show me what is true,
So tell me now - I'm asking,
Don't turn away - I'm asking,
Don't laugh at me - I'm asking.
I'm asking you.

credits

released August 26, 2021
Lyrics: Zander Nyrond (Zanda Myrande) & Phil Allcock
Tune: Phil Allcock

Vocals: Thomas Ibbs (The Prince)
Before the Dawn Band: Mal Mortimore, bass / Chris O'Shea, guitars / Anne Whitaker, keyboard / James Whitaker, drums & percussion / Mike Whitaker, guitars

Thomas is now a musical theatre actor and can be found on Youtube, too: www.youtube.com/channel/UCb3Rqtx6A84RMgKyvbLa85Q

Recorded live at the Worldcon in London, Loncon 3, in 2014

Photo: Steffi Zurek

Many thankyous to everybody for permission!

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about

Memory Page for Zan image

Memory Page for Zan England, UK

Zanda Myrande/Zander Nyrond/Jonathan Waite/Andrew Lyng had many names. Zanda was the newest (only found in 2016) and probably the most important one.

Zan was an amazing writer, songwriter, and person, and her brain was basically an ant hill where every ant carried a book around.
She died very suddenly in July 2019, aged 63.

This page tries to collect what friends did and do with her songs. ... more

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