Morning all,

OK, first and foremost, yes, I am a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadhead. I love many bands, but the http://www.dead.net/ are dearest to my heart. Always and forever, I am inspired and influenced by their melodies and lyrics. Finding connections between their music and other aspects of my life, however intangible they may be, is pretty much a reflexive activity for me. That is to say, I am sincerely aware of my gratefully skewed view, and fully realize that what I am about to tear into probably means nothing to almost everyone.

That said, bear with me while I tell you about this particular song, one that happens to be a small piece of a beautiful suite written by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hunter_(lyricist), put to music by http://jerrygarcia.com/, recorded in large part by the Grateful Dead http://www.amazon.com/Terrapin-Station-Grateful-Dead/dp/B000002VCC, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RINFD4bkPP4#t=5854s in smaller part by the Dead for many years... AND THEN I'll try to explain what any of it has to do with Morrowind (besides 3 syllables... Terr-a-pin, Morr-o-wind).

The song that got me thinking about this is "At a Siding", which is a not-so-well-known part of the suite "Terrapin Station Part 1". "At a Siding" appears on the studio album, but was never played live (until http://www.furthur.net/, but that's a whole other story!) Compared to the parts of the suite that precede it, "At a Siding" is ethereal, almost exotic. It fits moving through a harsh land in my mind. And then there are the lyrics. Of course, the word "Terrapin" is used in them, but I'm going to substitute "Morrowind". It works well... it has the same number of syllables, and it even rhymes:


Now, when you hear this in your head with the music that goes with it... it just... works. For me. The verses flow like dunes of ash through an unforgiving landscape. I see Nerevar in Morrowind, for good or ill... again. http://youtu.be/fF0puhrsH9Q to the second half of the Dead's studio recording of Terrapin Station, starting with the segue into "At a Siding". (Don't be confused by the title of the video... the uploader calls it "Terrapin Station [Part 2]", but that's just because he split the studio recording in two. This is part 2 of "Terrapin Station Part 1". ) The song quickly moves into a fast-paced instrumental section called "Terrapin Flyer" (cliff racer?), then wraps up with "Refrain", which is indeed a refrain to the "Terrapin" part earlier in the suite. In the studio, they brought in the English Choral for backing vocals during the refrain, chanting "Terr-a-pin!" to the orchestral arrangement. It's a big, majestic sound, a triumphant finish to an epic song. It is so easy to hear them singing "Morr-o-wind!" instead... for me.

But wait... there's more... if you can stomach it...

http://youtu.be/-YJKcT5_H5g has pieces that kind of fit, too. "Lady with a Fan" is a classic love triangle story. There's a girl, and two guys... one wins, one loses (but it's up to you to decide if the winner is "wise"). I find here a very loose connection here between Almalexia, Nerevar, and Vivec. I realize theirs was not a "love triangle" per se, but the Ashlander's version of what happened at Red Mountain certainly has its fair share of picking sides, you know?

But then there's the "Terrapin Station" section itself. The first verse fits Morrowind very well, I think. Here it is, and again I'll substitute "Morrowind" for "Terrapin":


"Some rise, some fall, some climb to get to Morrowind"... I like that. There's a lot more to the song, but the rest requires a lot more imagination to make any connections (for example, there are some references to our Moon and to Venus... oh yeah, and there's a train... the train probably doesn't fit so well! Ha ha!) Still, the spirit of the song really seems to fit my perception of Morrowind, and I've had the tune in my head for days now. I know there's no "Morrowind Station", but arriving in Seyda Neen... is it the end or beginning? It's close enough for me.

Maybe one day, if I ever figure out how, I'll mod a couple of turtles on to the dock outside the Census and Excise Office... one with a banjo, and one with a tambourine. Then my worlds will have truly collided.

Wow. You read this whole thing? http://images.uesp.net/c/c4/Fishystick.jpg