Babylon Five songs

And now for a brief intermission to list some of the B5-related songs that people have posted about that apply to episodes I’ve seen so far. If you know of other songs that won’t give away spoilers about upcoming episodes, feel free to post about them!

I’m compiling this list mainly for my own reference (if I’ve missed any that you’ve posted, please do post about them, thanks):

From Volker, after Season 3, Episode 66: Z’Ha’Dum:

Juliane Honisch and Katy Dröge:
Hooked for Good” (spoiler-safe) or their “Spinning Tower” (mildly spoiling hints before season 5)? Both are on their “Witch Way to Reality” CD.
http://filk.de/jukaty/tapecd.html#witch

From Mike Whitaker, after Season 3, Episodes 62 & 63: Walkabout and Grey 17 Is Missing:
Specially for you - http://www.altrion.org/phoenix/audio/AllOfMe.mp3 - Phoenix covering that very song.

From Tom Smith, Season 3, Episode 49: Voices of Authority:

For quite awhile now, Da Bear has had a song for Booji. Imagine him toddling around with a bucket on his head:

(ttto: “I’ve Been Workin’ On The Railroad”)

“I’m the ancient Vorlon Booji,
Also Huskie Bear,
Here’s my ancient Vorlon bucket,
Hiding ancient Vorlon hair….”

Never got any further, because in the comedy routine in my head, that’s the point where, unable to see ’cause of the bucket, he bumps into a Vorlon….

From Allison, after Season 2, Episode 30: A Race Through Dark Places:

And, of course, this is the episode that inspired Jodi’s song “Dark Places” :).

From Tim Ryan, after Season 2, Episode 29: Soul Mates:

It’s now safe to enjoy another Tom Smith song (Min)Barrette, or Hair (Sa)Tai, this one about Delenn and her hair. As you see on the linked page, this was inspired by this episode.

From Katy Dröge, after Season 1, Episode 21: The Quality Of Mercy:

Awww. You REALLY don’t want to know about Centauri organs? :)))
Bob Kanefsky has this HILARIOUS and totally spoiler free song:

First time I heard it, I almost burst with laughter ;-)

From Phil Mills, after Season 1, Episode 8: And The Sky Full Of Stars:

I have written one B5 song. I don’t play it often because, frankly, it’s not a very good song. The only thing that makes it worth mentioning is that it’s a parody of an old gospel tune that goes, “Farther along, we’ll know all about it. Farther along, we’ll understand why.”

It was irresistible. :-)

From Phil Mills, after B5 Season 1, Episode 4: Infection:

Concerning songs…. One of the first filk songs to really grab my attention was “Annie’s Luck” by Echo’s Children. It’s not about a specific B5 show, but it’s set in that universe and will probably have extra meaning for you after you’ve seen the “Mind War” episode (coming soon).

From Steve Macdonald, after B5 Season 1, Episode 1: Midnight On The Firing Line:

Oh, one more thing. In my parody, “I Am Filker” (sung to “I Am Woman”), I do sing:

Ignoring noise abatement needs
In halls we pop up like strange weeds
Ju-st one more song about poor Londo’s hair…

… not that I’ve ever actually *heard* a song about poor Londo’s hair, mind you…

16 comments ↓

#1 Jim Poltrone on 06.23.08 at 6:03 pm

Joe Ellis has a great song called “And The Sky Full Of Stars” which is based on the Battle of the Line.

#2 Allison on 06.23.08 at 6:12 pm

Andy Eigel’s “Regrets” is my favorite B5 song. It would not be spoilery for you now. I also really like Erica’s “Delenn’s Dilemma”, which would not be spoilery for you now, either.

#3 A_Tim on 06.23.08 at 6:41 pm

I have performed Andy Eigel’s “Regrets” as a performance piece as Londo Molari (instead of singing it) several times now. Most recently this past MarCon (2008)

#4 Randy Hoffman on 06.23.08 at 7:20 pm

I wrote a song titled “Bearing Gifts” for which Morden is the narrator. I don’t think I’ve ever posted it anywhere, though.

#5 Chris Dickenson on 06.23.08 at 8:34 pm

The Duras Sisters had a bunch of B5 songs on “Rubenesque:”

“Messages From Earth,” written from the POV of Sheridan. “Midnight Lullaby,” a haunting song about the relationship between Ivanova, Talia, and Ivanova’s long dead mother, “Jester’s Waltz,” which is a song sung by Londo’s three wives, “Listen to Me,” a harmonic and bittersweet duet sung by Lennier and Veer, “Nine Voices.” which is about the Grey Council, “Ivanova’s Lament,” damn funny and pissy all at the same time with a very Russian flair and “Trick of the Time,” sung by Delenn, Sinclair and Sheridan once they finally figure out that they are all “The One.”

I think that Rubenesque had an amazing concentration of original material by Debbie Baudion that stands up incredibly well as time passes. And three of the B5 songs listed above were, in my humble opinion, were among the best the Duras Sisters ever recorded. The album was originally released in 1994 and reissued last month with two bonus tracks.

Also the first track on Harmony Heifers is “Heart’s Path,” which is from the POV of Lennier. Jeff Bohnhoff turned a very simple, modest little song into a musical extravaganza. Jeff Bohnhoff is amazing.

The Bohnhoffs “Aliens Ate My Homework” boasts not one but two B5 songs: “Sympathy for Mr. Morden,” and “Byron,” which is the funniest parody of any Elton John song ever written.

All three albums are available through Mystic Fig if anyone wants to buy them.

#6 Chris Dickenson on 06.23.08 at 8:50 pm

I accidentally deleted which ones were early songs and which ones wouldn’t be spoilery. Ivanova’s Lament is safe, cause it is from her first episode on the show. Trick of the Time, if you haven’t already heard it, makes more sense after you see the episode it is named for, Jester’s Waltz can be appreciated best after the episode where his three wives first appear, “Listen to me” is pretty general and “Messages from Earth” should be safe enough as well. “Midnight Lullaby” might be one you listen to later as it touches on Ivanova’s troubled past, and her relationship with her mother and I honestly can’t recall when in the series it would become totally spoiler free.

“Byron” and “Sympathy for Mr. Mordon,”should wait until you actually meet those characters and their story arcs are complete. When the time comes, you will know it.

Of course, you may have been exposed to these songs already, they have out there for some time, but as you play catch-up, they will take on new meaning because you will get all the references.

My brain is pretty woolly, too much pain medicine on board tonight. Sorry for rambling.

#7 Aryana on 06.23.08 at 9:51 pm

I think now it is safe for you to look at my song “Chrysalis”, inspired by the episode, found here:
http://aryana-filk.de/filk_chrysalis.html
When you have finished Season 4, you can also look at this one: “Vir to Londo”, to the tune of “Sometimes after Dark” by Cynthia McQuillin:
http://aryana-filk.de/filk_virtolondo.html

Anke Teschke wrote a heartbreaking song about the Battle of the Line called “Broken Wings”.

#8 Steve Brinich on 06.24.08 at 12:10 am

There’s “Into The Fire” from Phoenix’ CD of that name (and no longer spoilery after the episode of that name).

Also, Harold Feld wrote a “Londo’s Regrets” song that covers the same plot thread as Andy Eigel’s (and is also no longer spoilery as of “Into The Fire”).

#9 JaneG on 06.24.08 at 5:17 am

Also Erica Neely’s Was It Real, about the Narn world under Centauri occupation (pre-B5 timeline).

#10 Paul B. =:o} on 06.24.08 at 5:18 am

There’s a spin-off novel that tells the story of how Morden, Anna et. al. me the shadows.

Based on that, Annie Walker wrote a song called, I think, “The Shadow Within”(?), telling Morden’s story from his perspective. Sad and chilling stuff. It’s on the Wilderwood (aka Tim & Annie) album “Dreams Incarnate”.

#11 Gary Ehrlich on 06.24.08 at 4:09 pm

My “Beyond The Rim” filk of “Under The Sea” is now safe. Although I see I have to fix a bust in the html file…two lines of the ORIGINAL magically appear in the bridge.

Phil Allcock’s parody of “Falling Down on New Jersey” and Harold Feld’s parody of “March of Cambreadth”, both inspired by “Z’ha’dum” (which I never can remember how to spell…*grin*)

#12 Jeff Bohnhoff on 06.24.08 at 5:03 pm

Chris kindly mentioned my two B5 songs. Sympathy for Mr Morden is safe now. Byron won’t be spoiler free until sometime in season 5.

#13 Monica on 06.24.08 at 5:50 pm

“Londo’s Regrets” by Harold Feld is safe now. So is “As the Darkness Grows” by Brian and Shirley Dean, filking the same tune (”When the Wind Blows” by Eric Bogle). This started because On the Mark used to perform the Bogle song, and on stage at a con I said something like “gee, I’ll bet there’s a B5 filk in there”, and before long we’d been presented with two songs. :-)

#14 A_Tim on 06.24.08 at 6:52 pm

I knew I found another one for you in Season 2:
Okay, now you can follow the link to read the lyrics to Tom Smith’s Purple and Green inspired by this episode.
Season 2, Episode 25: The Geometry Of Shadows

#15 alulargekeeta on 08.03.08 at 12:46 pm

Thanks for the post

#16 Matt G. Leger on 08.18.08 at 3:44 pm

I’m pretty sure you’ve seen the episode that includes our dear Susan’s instructions to incoming pilots about the “Babylon 5 Mantra.” With that in mind, you may enjoy my own filk, “The Ivanova Blasphemy Song” (inspired by a two-line starter Abby Cinii tossed out at a Balticon some years back) a bit more.

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