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Starbuck:

“Captain Ahab I plead and beg you,

You must turn this ship around!

All those who have gone before you

are now homeward bound.”

 

“In your blasphemous vengeance

you must not forget the wives and children

who have gone to their watery graves

drowning in your wake”

 

“A brute that acted out of instinct

Has no motive behind the mask!

To believe a whale can think or reason

is surely madness brought to task.

Captain, I cannot follow

What you seek in me I do not have

Ahab need not fear Starbuck - let Ahab beware Ahab!”

 

Ahab:

“Hear me Starbuck -

Some malevolent thing is behind the whale’s mask!

It is that which I hate - what’s behind the mask --

How can the prisoner see - without smashing the wall?

I’d strike the sun if it angered me - to hell with your blasphemy

All visible objects man, are but paste board masks

If man will strike - strike through the mask!”

 

Starbuck:

“Let Ahab beware Ahab!”

Ahab:

“Strike through the mask -”

 

music and lyrics © 2010 by Tony Garone with excerpts from "Moby Dick"

Produced by Anthony Garone and William Brown

Recorded at Cow Pilot Studios AZ and First Wave Digital NY

 

Tony Garone - vocals, keyboards and drum loops

Anthony Garone Jr. - keyboards, effect voice and percussion 

Johnny Monkey - bass guitar 

William Brown - electric kite guitar and thunder guitars 

 

 

What is this song about? 

 

This song is an attempt at portraying one of the confrontations between Starbuck and Ahab. Starbuck, being the reverent and concerned first mate, was well aware his destiny was at the hands of the megalomaniacal and obsessed Ahab. Starbuck realizes that Ahab is concerned with only one thing; having a face to face confrontation with Moby Dick. He is unconcerned about how many barrels of sperm oil are in the ship's hold and has even less concern for the people who have a financial investment in the voyage; widows and orphans of seamen who were killed on whaling ships. 

 

After the first encounter with Moby Dick, Starbuck realized the whale might kill them all. This song is an attempt to convey both perspectives - Starbuck's compassion and Ahab's madness. 

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