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The League

from Bloom and Grow by Kyla Tilley

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about

This came out of a song prompt to write a song about your favourite movie. My favourite movie is Salute of the Juggers staring Rutger Hauer and Joan Chen. It is a post-apocalyptic sports movie about working hard to achieve your goals. I watch it every January to pump myself up for the year ahead. In it, a young Joan Chen strives to better her life by getting into the big leagues of this violent, vaguely football-esque sport called Jugger. I find it very inspiring. I also like that while it portrays a future where our current socio-economic disparities are well entrenched, there aren't any roving bands of outlaws trying to kill anyone. All the poor folk are depicted working together, and hangups over sex are completely absent.

For the lyrics to make sense you need to know that the sport is called Jugger, the position our heroine plays is the Quick, the game lasts three rounds, the length of which is someone throwing 100 stones at a gong, and in order to play in the big leagues, a team must challenge a professional team to a match.

lyrics

The League


The cataclysm swept most life-forms from the earth
Those with the means prepared a refuge underground
While those without sought shelter where they could
And did their best to make a go with what remained

Here up above we toil and bleed and sweat together
Scrounge what we may and force what crops we can
And when the day is done we celebrate our fortunes
We play we dance we feast
We share our bodies and our songs

I will get there
I will play in The League
I will go further than any previous challenger

Everyone needs heroes and we've found ours in this game
Brutal and majestic pieced from memories of those that lived before
I grew up watching Juggers coming through our town
I honed my skills and when the best came I made them take note of me

Down below they've hoarded luxuries from bygone days
Their athletes fed and clothed no harvest chores to cut into their trade
While on the surface we must travel town to town
Our muscle mass depleting with our hopes and dreams of playing in the league

I will get there
I will be the best Quick
I'll know the feeling of silk on my skin

All my lovers will bathe in scented oil
I will never have to scrape in the dust for a meal
All my bruises, wounds and broken bones
Will be tended to and I'll bear the mark of The League

You may see that mark
Think of me a slave
Despite my gains you'll say I never will be one of them
But I don't want their class
I just want what they have
If I'm a slave then I am only a slave to my craft

I will get there
Face their champions
Three rounds one hundred stones
I'll ground them into the earth
And they will salute me

I will get there
I will play in The League
I will go further than any previous challenger
And I will walk slowly
I will walk slowly
I will walk slowly
When I win

credits

from Bloom and Grow, released August 2, 2022
Kyla Tilley: Classical guitar, Vocals
Julian Squires: Bass, Drums

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Kyla Tilley Newfoundland and Labrador

Kyla Tilley plays guitar, wears high heels, and writes sometimes sad, often funny, occasionally disconcerting, story-telling songs which rarely rhyme.

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