A strange library for Dr. Brisby

One the things I like most about writing music is finding a title for a song. You should always start with a good title. I think « A strange library for Dr. Brisby » is quite a good one. It's quite verbose, a mouthful of a title it is. When you read that you expect a song that would be quite peculiar, rich in mysteries. I like that! Who's Brisby? why is he receiving a library? who gives away a library anyway? finally why the heck is this library strange? ... Or you could just give a damn and think, oh no... here it comes again, Clem is trying to be a grandiloquent as he can be.


Brisby's demo download

Grandiloquent it is! I wrote as much music as I could, and that's why I didn't write anything for the blog for a while.

One day at the beginning of this summer, I was chatting with Quentin (The Acolyts's bassist) and I got this idea for a story. It's set about a century back in time, in a western capital city, say London. A man, Doctor, named Bribsy receives a letter from his old friend from medical university. He hasn't seen him for decades. The letter urges Brisby to come because of a tragedy. The friend is dying, and seems to have aged extremely, much more than he should have. He offers Brisby the rich library he's got because he knows the Doctor has always been into books. The gift comes with a warning, that he shall not open the Red book.

For years Brisby reads all of the contents of the library, each book contains vast amounts of incredible knowledge, superb writings and poems. They are a delight to read (the contrary of my prose).

One day he finishes the last book except the Red one. Only the Red one remains, and becomes an obsession, why shouldn't he read a book, how dangerous a book can be?

You will know if you read the lyrics!! Quentin was quite excited by the idea and wrote the lyrics for the song. I like 'em, they sound mysterious, gloomy...

After Quentin sent me the lyrics I started writing the music. It took me about a month and a half! Of course I've been quite buzy so I actually just spent ... I don't know, about 6 to 10 hours on it.

The result I'm quite proud of, I know many of you guys won't like it. It's long 10 minutes and 34 seconds!! Definitely not a radio song. It has many changes of mood, some of the most aggressive riffs I ever wrote. It's still a demo and it could evolve a bit, the solos, transitions and the voice track are still perfectible. I bet rehearsing this song with the band will be quite a challenge and will bring other touches of influences from Martial (guitarist) and Anto (Drummer).
I can't wait to punch that thing in the face of a public live!

I hope you guys enjoy it. Leave me some thoughts about it!

Paris Clem: You know you like it.

Lyrics
Doctor Brisby please come to me
My life's ending, soon I won't be
Anymore

In my library you'll find wonders
Knowledge and Wisdom you'll discover
But

Don't ever under no circumstance
Open the red book and read its contents
For it is doom!

The book ruined many a man's life throughout the ages
It cannot be destroyed nor can it be harmed
It shall bring you riches should you keep it shut tight
Don't you open it, see my face and behold
The power of the book is not worth getting old

For a few years the book stayed under
A big pile of books still to be read
But one day he glanced at the red cover
And couldn't get it out of his head

His friend's warning came back to him
But that didn't make him yield
Brisby rashly took the book in his hands
And soon his fate would be sealed

Reading the first words he got in a frenzy
Filling his mind with so much knowledge
His head felt like bursting

Turning the pages at a frantic pace
By the power of the book Brisby was possessed
His hands he didn't see

For if he took even a second to stop
The poor cursed man would have seen
The skin of his hands was beginning to rot
As his hair whitened and became thin

While he was turning yet another page
The horror clenched a fist around his soul
He glanced at his reflection in a mirror
And saw how he was getting old

The book fell off his hands as he fell into despair
Shrieking “What has become of me ?”

“This book for sure is a wretched sorcery
what a bitter lesson lies in it
For the knowledge it gave me I'd have found out anyway
If I had taken the time to live
In my greed for sapience I got carried away
And now on myself I can only grieve”

Mr Brisby was in bed, feeling his last hour has come
With his last strength he took his favorite pen
And on a paper he wrote…

–back to part 1–
Sir Flaherty please come to me
My life's ending, soon I won't be
Anymore

In my library you'll find wonders
Knowledge and Wisdom you'll discover