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Atheist's Anthem

from The King's Lute by Cat Faber

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about

This song was originally written for a song contest whose theme was “Ringmaster.” I went to bed before the contest with two and a half verses of something I thought had promise, and woke up the morning of the contest and threw it all out and wrote this. It was titled “No Ringmaster.” After a few days I decided “Atheist's Anthem” was a better title for it.

lyrics

Atheist's Anthem
lyrics and melody by Catherine Faber, 2011

Some call it despair or accuse me of pride
In perceiving no purpose laid down from outside
The world that I see calls for hope and resolve,
Full of good to rejoice in, and evils and problems to solve.

There isn't a Ringmaster—life's not a toy,
But surely a pageant of wonder and joy.
I bring what I hope for, when push comes to shove:
Truth and compassion and justice and laughter and love.

Look up, or look down, to the heavens aglow--
So vast even photons seem lazy and slow.
From the dust of beginnings comes all that we are,
Atoms first forged in the death of the heart of a star.

Born of an instinct not easily stilled,
Ravens are tool-users, bowerbirds build.
As our engineering grows tiny or great,
What will we build or become, in our urge to create?

For wrongs to be righted, for evil to fall
The hands must be ours, if it happens at all.
By our eyes and our minds is the universe known;
If you want purpose, then pick one and make it your own!

There isn't a Ringmaster—life's not a toy,
But surely a pageant of wonder and joy.
I bring what I hope for, when push comes to shove:
Truth and compassion and justice and laughter and love.
Truth and compassion and justice and laughter and love.

credits

from The King's Lute, released July 28, 2012

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about

Cat Faber Tennessee

I write music about science fiction and fantasy subjects, commonly referred to as "filk."

I write much faster than I can record. Recent songs may be found at my website--the URL is given below.

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