A Pail of Air by Fritz Leiber

Promotional music for Fritz Leiber's story "A Pail of Air" featured in "The Pitch Science Fiction 3Q2024" available at: https://lphi.top/p-tpsf-2
Logophilia official website: https://lphi.top/lh
Logophilia official X link: https://x.com/ToeiIdoru

Lyrics SRT:

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,000
[Intro]
[instrumental]

2
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:18,280
[Verse 1]
Pa sent me out, a chilling task,

3
00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,740
To scoop the air, behind a frosted mask.

4
00:00:21,740 --> 00:00:25,220
Fingers numb, a light I saw so bright,

5
00:00:25,220 --> 00:00:28,620
A face in darkness, bathed in ghostly light.

6
00:00:28,620 --> 00:00:32,320
Thought it was a lady, beautiful and fair,

7
00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,900
Dropped the pail, lost in frozen air.

8
00:00:35,900 --> 00:00:44,820
[Chorus]
A pail of air, a fragile hold,

9
00:00:44,820 --> 00:00:48,300
On life itself, against the cold.

10
00:00:48,300 --> 00:00:51,860
Earth is silent, stars above,

11
00:00:51,860 --> 00:00:55,580
Is there hope? Is there love?

12
00:00:55,580 --> 00:00:59,280
Just a flicker, a distant gleam,

13
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,980
Lost in a frozen, endless dream.

14
00:01:02,980 --> 00:01:13,160
[Verse 2]
Ma’s eyes bug out, she screams and cries,

15
00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,820
Pa says it's natural, beneath the icy skies.

16
00:01:16,820 --> 00:01:20,240
A light that moves, a creeping dread,

17
00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,660
Like starlight fallen, searching overhead.

18
00:01:23,660 --> 00:01:27,360
Crawling slowly, window to window bright,

19
00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,060
Hunting shadows in the endless night.

20
00:01:31,060 --> 00:01:39,900
[Bridge]
The Nest is warm, blankets piled so high,

21
00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:43,540
Clocks ticking softly as the hours drift by.

22
00:01:43,540 --> 00:01:46,860
Fire’s a guardian, burning ever low,

23
00:01:46,860 --> 00:01:50,460
Keeping out the darkness, letting warmth flow.

24
00:01:50,460 --> 00:01:53,980
Air molecules escaping, swift and free,

25
00:01:53,980 --> 00:01:57,680
A constant battle for you and me.

26
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:01,300
[Chorus]
A pail of air, a fragile hold,

27
00:02:01,300 --> 00:02:04,800
On life itself, against the cold.

28
00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,320
Earth is silent, stars above,

29
00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,000
Is there hope? Is there love?

30
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,380
Just a flicker, a distant gleam,

31
00:02:15,380 --> 00:02:18,980
Lost in a frozen, endless dream.

32
00:02:18,980 --> 00:02:29,820
[Verse 3]
Saw it again, that light so strange,

33
00:02:29,820 --> 00:02:33,400
A face I thought, beyond the frozen range.

34
00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,620
Pa came out, his brow etched deep,

35
00:02:36,620 --> 00:02:40,300
To chase away the secrets shadows keep.

36
00:02:40,300 --> 00:02:43,800
Frozen folk, a chilling sight,

37
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,100
Waiting in darkness, bathed in starlight.

38
00:02:47,100 --> 00:02:56,280
[Bridge]
Courage is a ball, we toss it around,

39
00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,860
Hoping someone else will hold it safe and sound.

40
00:02:59,860 --> 00:03:03,320
The dark star captured, Earth pulled away,

41
00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,940
Lost beyond Pluto, fading day by day.

42
00:03:06,940 --> 00:03:10,480
A world of layers, gases cold and deep,

43
00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,940
Secrets buried where frozen shadows sleep.

44
00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,000
A pail of air…

45
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,000
a fragile hold…

46
00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,000
Against the cold…

47
00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:56,980
[Outro]
A pail of air… a fragile hold…
Against the cold…