Shadow Puppets by Samm Bennett - Polarity Records

Shadow Puppets

just some silhouettes
silhouettes and nothing more
the audience sits and watches
cross leg on the floor
the show plays out
by candlelight
a flickering dream
in the flickering night

i’m a shadow puppet
you’re a shadow puppet
we’re only shadow puppets ... only shadows

the puppeteer, unseen, controls the movements
decides how the story will go
decides which other puppets we’ll meet along the way
who’ll be friend, and who’ll be foe
the show plays out like that
not under our control
if we’re lucky some other shadow
will throw a coin or two
into our shadow beggar’s bowl

i’m a shadow puppet
you’re a shadow puppet
we’re only shadow puppets ... only shadows

only shadows
barely even there
only shadows
all we got is each other’s
shadow to share

the show goes on all night
right up til the break of dawn
then the audience drifts away
once the sun is up they’re gone
and didn’t we dutifully play our parts
course we had no choice in the matter
gimme those coins in your beggar’s bowl
i’m gonna toss ‘em and watch em’ scatter

and before we’re erased by this sunlight
perhaps we’ll steal a kiss
a fleeting moment of eternal joy
i guess it’s always been like this
for a shadow puppet
we’re only shadow puppets
only shadows
only shadow puppets

• 1 string guitar
• Electro-Americana
• Folk
• blues
• diddley bow
• post-Folk
• shadow puppets
• swamp
• talking drum
• Tokyo