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Letter From His Sister (Valerie Housden)

by Memory Page for Zan

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about

This is what Valerie says about it:

"Inspired by Zanda’s wife Jan’s “Mershane” stories, this song is from the point of view of an offstage character, a nice, respectable, married woman, a pillar of her local community, who adores her eldest brother.

When their parents died, the brother left school and got work as an unskilled labourer to support the family, while his younger siblings finished their education and got proper qualifications. Once they were all safely established in their respective careers, he was free to seek his fortune. However with very limited education, no qualifications, and his only experience being in unskilled manual labour, he found himself working for the criminal underworld, doing things of which he was not proud.

Meanwhile his sister regularly sent him letters, keeping him up to date with the family, and enclosing pictures. He never replied to any of her letters, but he kept them all, and the pictures, and took them with him wherever he went.

Zanda thought that the sister, who never actually appears in any of the main stories, needed her own little story. This song was the result.

In 2009 Zanda asked me to write the tune, as she wanted Cosmic Trifle to perform the song with me on vocals. I felt very flattered."

lyrics

Letter From His Sister

Hi there, it's Marjan, I'm writing again,
Pushing words into the void.
We're all doing fine, not that you'd give a damn,
Still here, still alive, still employed.
Another year's passed and we're all getting older,
Prices are up and the weather seems colder,
And still not a word, not a whisper from you;
Brother, what can I do?

We used to be closer, I'm sure I recall,
But somehow we drifted apart,
Or not so much drifted –did one of us fall?
Did I fall clean out of your heart?
I told you that Enric was up for promotion,
He got it last summer, and he's got a notion.
He'll make Chapter Leader before winter's through;
Brother, what should I do?

I think I remember the day
When you softly and suddenly vanished away.
I still keep your letters, the ones from before,
But I'd give them all up for just one letter more.

The boys grow so fast now, I wish you could see,
I'd send you a picture, but why?
You don't seem to care about them, about me,
Though I'm sure you could if you try.
I wonder each day how you are, where you're living,
And what I have done that is so past forgiving,
Make up my own answers, though I know they're not true.
Brother, what do you do?

I met an old friend just this year
Who had known you on Salak before coming here.
He told me some story, I called it a lie,
You'd assaulted a woman and left her to die.

I can't think of anything else I can say
So why don't we call this the end?
I'll put in that picture and post it today
To a brother who once was a friend.
I hope you're not hurting, I hope you're not dead,
But this silence hurts far more than anything said.
I don't care what the truth is, I just wish I knew;
Brother, what did you do?

I know things can happen that you never planned,
But as long as I live I will hold out my hand,
And whatever you tell me I will understand;
Brother, what did you do?
Just tell me—what did you do?

credits

released August 26, 2021
Lyrics: Zander Nyrond (Zanda Myrande)
Tune: Valerie Housden

Vocals, guitar: Valerie Housden
Valerie has a Youtube page:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCkNCcRT2GwT_815vicU0DQg

Recorded by Rika Körte and Steve Macdonald at the German filk con Intermezzo, Wernigerode 2019

Photo: Rafe Culpin, at the British filk con in Feb 2020

Thank you for permission to everyone involved!

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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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