Floating In The Water
by Cavedwellers
Spoiler Verse one is set in ancient Egypt. The second verse is set in a modern day Moscow military parade. The third verse is set in the Byzantine empire in the 12th century. “The horn” is the Golden Horn, the natural harbor of Constantinople where the emperor has hidden his fleet awaiting the arrival of the navy of the Egypt-based Fatamid caliphate.

The chorus refers to (naive?) western hopes at the end of the Cold War and a popular Scorpions song that captured those hopes in the context of, well, floating in the water.

A dignified procession
A modal chord progression
And all can see and hear their Pharaoh’s might
Floating down the river
Making a believer
Of everyone who sees the awful sight

Now missiles rumble onward
Fighter planes fly skyward
A military band prepares to play
A drumroll and the anthem
Saluting at the rostrum
All will know just who’s in charge today

When we floated down to Gorky Park
We thought those winds were blowing pipes of peace
But history didn’t float into dark
And war and rumour of war didn’t cease

While the Fatamids made ready
Venetians made spaghetti
The Romans drew their ships into the horn
Sailing through the Bosphorus
To lay a heavy loss for us
The new-look pharaoh’s treaty now is torn

When we floated down to Gorky Park
We thought those winds were blowing pipes of peace
But history didn’t float into dark
And war and rumour of war didn’t cease

When we floated down to Gorky Park
We thought those winds were blowing pipes of peace
But history didn’t float into dark
And war and rumour of war didn’t cease