I experienced the emergence of the 17 year cicada in Ohio when my daughter was born and finally got around to writing a song about it. It was inspired, in part, by this awesome natural phenomena but also by a teenage mother I had as a client when a State Public Defender. It is a consideration of human life cycles and struggles. We recorded this version of the song at Canterbury Music Company, incorporating (through Jeremy Darby's techno-wizardry) a looped recording of the 17 year male cicada call. We also had the pleasure of Bob Foster playing Hammond B3 Organ on this.
lyrics
Seventeen Years
Words & Music by Jennifer Schaffer
© 2009 SOCAN
from Fate Line, track released November 15, 2014
Seventeen Years
Jen Schaffer – lead vocals, Guild acoustic guitar
Astrid Foster – Ibanez bass, background vocals
John Teshima – Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, background vocals
Jonathan Marks – David Prentice violin, background vocals
Simon Law – DW drums, percussion, background vocals
Bob Foster – Hammond B3 organ
Cicadas – male mating call
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Lyrics
Waiting to emerge
A cicada from the ground
Lost but then your found
Amongst the decomposed debris
First you die then you are
Reborn amongst the trees
And after 17 long years
You have finally broken free
after 17 long years
You have finally broken free
Mothered way too young
To support a family
The Agency agreed
and took away her baby son
she burrowed deep and dark
and dreamt about a reunion
and for 17 long years
she refused to come undone
and for 17 long years
she refused to come undone
She played house then suffered it
Just a fragile doll herself
She baked a cake once a year
Moved the homestead north of Guelph
Made a world where no one could reach her
Or ever teach her
To feel the shame that was dealt
She’ll use her strong new voice
To call her one true love back home
He may hear it rise above
The cacophony so grand
But it ain’t no siren’s song
The jagged rocks reduced to sand
And after 17 long years
He returns to hold her hand
After 17 long years
He’s prepared to hold her hand
After 17 long years…