Dreamer’s Song – Steve Macdonald

Chorus
So, I go
Back to where the monsters lurk;
Comic books, and Captain Kirk.
I remember all their names and faces
I dreamed my days away in other spaces.
Didn’t you know Chris Columbus was a dreamer,
And Neil Armstrong just a kid at heart?
I can be Aragorn or Mr. Spock,
Philip Lynx or old Tick-Tock
Or a Pierson’s Puppeteer-
I’m a Pierson’s Puppeteer.

I want to go to the moon and my friends, they all laugh.
My teachers think I’m a little odd, but they don’t know the half.
‘Cause I see space colonies in the sky
And asteroid miners flying by;
Power stations ’round the Sun
Now the Dyson Sphere’s begun;
And a First Contact I see. . .
Is that Contact with me?
Feels like nobody sees it the way I do.
I get pats on the head,
“He’ll grow out of it.” it’s said.
But even as far as we have come, they still can’t see
Something new.

Now I’m a little older; and my friends, they just giggle.
‘Cause I’ve been playing D&D and reading “Leaf by Niggle”.
Spacemen aren’t cute anymore
The adults think I should mind the store;
To be too old for dreams-
I should get down to earth, it seems.
“Get practical,” say the crowds.
“You’ve no business in the clouds.”
Seems like nobody sees it the way I do.
I am told, “Get to work, frontiers are for jerks.”
But even as far as we have come, the dreamers are
So few.

Chorus

Now I’m a man, I shouldn’t dream anymore.
I’ve got responsibilities and a family to provide for.
But still I reach out for the stars-
We’ll move into the Universe;
Still I read Asimov and Heinlein
Niven and Herbert still blow my mind
And I’ve found others just like me;
With visions of Eternity.
At least a few see it the way I do.
Most people just don’t understand
A dreamer’s touched by God’s own hand.
Now look at how far we have come; the Dreamer
Could be you.

Chorus
So, let’s go
Back to where the monster’s lurk.
Comic books, and Captain Kirk.
Remembering all their names and faces
Dreaming days away in other spaces.
Didn’t you know Chris Columbus was a Dreamer,
And Neil Armstrong just a kid at heart?
You could be Aragorn or Mr. Spock,
Philip Lynx or old Tick-Tock;
Or a Pierson’s Puppeteer-
We’re Pierson’s Puppeteers.

My brother John wrote these lyrics, and they are autobiographical. The hopeful note at the end, however, was just that- hopeful for acceptance. Both John and I were ignorant of Science Fiction fandom and filk in 1979. This song said something very important for me then, as the title implies (John never gave it a title, so I did. He told me it was a stupid title but never gave me anything different to call it…) I was dreaming at that time of how great it would be if that third verse ever came true.