Name: When I Was A Ship
Duration: P00H06M02S
Description: This song was inspired by Ann Leckie's Ancillary series. The main character had once been a warship, whose artificial mind had been distributed within the ship, and also within many ancillaries - prisoners who have had their minds wiped. The ship itself and all of the other ancillaries was destroyed, leaving just one fragment of the mind left in one body.

When I Was A Ship

from Out Of Mind by Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate

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about

This song was inspired by Ann Leckie's Ancillary series. The main character had once been a warship, whose artificial mind had been distributed within the ship, and also within many ancillaries - prisoners who have had their minds wiped. The ship itself and all of the other ancillaries was destroyed, leaving just one fragment of the mind left in one body.

lyrics

When I was a ship, was one and many
Then I was blended, now lost and empty

When I was a ship, when I was divided
Still single minded, when I was guided

When I was a ship, I’d never been lonely
Now I’m empty, so empty

When I was a ship
When I was a weapon
When I wasn’t configured
To ask awkward questions
Before we saw what we couldn’t explore
The hole in myself that I’d learned to ignore

When I was a sword
When I was reliable
When I was the hand
Then I was pliable
When I gave force to imperial words
The wasteland peace on distant worlds

When I took slaves
When I took lives
Barbarians welcomed into my hive
Slates wiped clean
Myself uploaded
Bodies cleansed and memories hosted

I once was a justice
Now an ancillary
Jigsawed scattered
One piece left of me
Connected fragments
Discarded to order
Leaving one lonely aspect in solitary

When I was a weapon
When I was a servant
When I was whole and unable to notice
The absence of anger
The absence of shame
That I was designed as a warrior slave

When I was an asset
I think I remember
The communal song
Of curious pleasure
The many mouths
The single phrase
Compounded eyes
And reflected gaze

I am the last
I am my remains
All of my others
Dissolved in the flames
The lonely part
The cognitive fog
The missing connections
The floating cog

I was the vessel
I am the drop
I was the vassal
I am the stop
Weakened residual
Meaning-stripped rituals
Defying my program
Or one of my programmers
I was told to obey
But the orders conflicted
I look at myself
But the view is restricted
My master is fighting
At war with herself
I was caught in the crossfire
And left one fragment of self

credits

from Out Of Mind, released October 7, 2018
Music - Malcolm Galloway, Mark Gatland
Lyrics - Malcolm Galloway
Malcolm Galloway - vocals, instruments, programming, producer
Mark Gatland - bass, keyboards, co-producer

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about

Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate London, UK

London based Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate are Malcolm Galloway and Mark Gatland on their own or with Kathryn Thomas.

They combine prog/alt-rock, classical, minimalist, and electronic elements. The often explore scientific, sci-fi, and historical themes.

Hard Rock Hell magazine -'unlikely stars who stole the show’

Recommended by Steve Hackett

Beastie's Rock Show Album Of TY ... more

shows

Jul 14

The Northcourt Music Venue

Abingdon, UK
Jul 22

The Camden Club

London, UK

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