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Drinking alone in the moonlight

by Patrick stefan

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about

‘Drinking alone in the moonlight’ takes its name from a 8th Century poem by Li Bai, known for his poems about wandering, nature, mindfulness & solitude. The poem longs for friends, but settles with the company of his own shadow and the moon -

“When I sing the moon dances, when I dance my shadow dances too”

A fellow wanderer of the world and of the self, the simplicity of the words resonated with the solo experiences that shaped my upcoming album Wayfare. I wrote the song first on a Finnish Kantele - a child’s harp, then brought it to life with a guitar accompaniment & strings that reminded me of Nick Drake in a classic 50’s movie. To a Taoist, Li Bai's drunkenness would not be seen as a vice: I like to connect the idea of drink & dancing alone with your shadow to Carl Jung’s idea of the ‘shadow self’ - the dance with the part of you that you keep hidden

lyrics

I take my wine jug out among the flowers
To drink alone without friends
I take this wine jug out amongst the flowers
To drink alone without friends

I raise my cup to entice the moon
I raise this cup to entice the moon
That and my shadow make us three

I take my wine jug out among the flowers
To drink alone without friends

I raise my cup to entice the moon
I raise this cup to entice the moon
That and my shadow make us three

But the moon doesn't drink, and this shadow silently follows
I will travel with moon and shadow
Happy to the end of spring

When I sing the moon dances
When I dance my shadow dances too
When I sing the moon dances
When I dance my shadow dances too

We share life's joys when sober
Drunk each goes a separate way
We share life's joys when sober
And we go our separate ways

Constant friends although we wander
We'll meet again in the milky way
Constant friends although we wander
We'll meet again in the milky way

We'll meet again in the milky way

credits

released July 5, 2022
Drinking alone In the moonlight length 4:10
ISRC: QZK6P2230039
Recorded at Black Mountain studios & mixed by Alex Borwick
String arrangements by Patrick stefan
Cello & viola by Gabriele Dikciute & Philip Keegan
Produced by Alex Borwick & Patrick stefan
Mastered by Darragh Nolan
Artwork by True Spilt Milk
Photos by Niamh Barry

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Patrick stefan Dublin, Ireland

alt-folk Irish artist

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