Maps Without Gaps

[bnewman]

The Fool's son has taken up the family trade and become a Cartographer himself.  But the art is changing, and the world with it.  In case it's not clear, in this context this is a villain song.  Will the Cartographer, or one of his children after him, earn redemption?  That part of the story remains unwritten.

lyrics and music by Benjamin Newman

listen to this song
 

/ Am - / - - (-) / F - / E - /

 

We've always made maps,

But now we're making maps without gaps.

What's the point of a gap in a map?

Does it correspond to a hole in the earth?

 

A spot on a map's a location in space.

If you go there, you'll end up in some place,

And -- assuming the world's well-defined --

It ought to be the same place every time!

 

/ " / " / FG -E- / Am - /

 

If that's the case then the gap could be filled,

Such a map would be worth so much more to the Guild

Than the original map -- the one with the gap --

Could ever be worth.

 

I grew up on your travellers' tales

But, these days, tales just won't pay the bills

We're professionals doing our jobs,

We only provide what the market demands.

 

In this business the world's not a song

It's not made up as we go along

I suppose maybe it was, once on a time...

But it won't be for long!

 

/ " / / F - / G - / F G / E - / Am - /

 

Commerce doesn't want wonder or fear

It just asks how to get there from here

And if that means the world grows less strange

If geography ceases to change

That would suit us just fine -- I think it's about time --

And most people won't mind...

If it comes by our hands