Here are the lyrics for Children of Darkness as sung by Mimi and Richard Farina on their 1965 album Reflections in a Crystal Wind:
CHILDREN OF DARKNESS
(Richard Fariña)
Now is the time for your loving, dear,
And the time for your company
Now when the light of reason fails
And fires burn on the sea
Now in this age of confusion I
Have need for your company.
For I am a wild and a lonely child
And the son of an angry land,
And now with the high wars raging
I would offer you my hand;
For we are the children of darkness and
The prey of a foul command.
It's once I was free to go roaming in
The wind of the springtime mind,
And once the clouds I sailed upon
Were sweet as lilac wine;
Then why have the breezes of summer, dear,
Been laced with a grim design?
And where was the will of my father when
He raised his sword on high?
And where was my mother's wailing when
Our flags were justified?
And where will we take our pleasure when
Our bodies have been denied?
[Verse, instrumental only]
So, now is the time for your loving, dear,
And the time for your company;
Now when the light of reason fails
And fires burn on the sea,
Now in this age of confusion I
Have need for your company.**
The original chords as sung by Mimi and Richard seem to be D#,G#,C#,A#. So stick your capo on the first fret (a favorite place for me to put mine when I'm singing folk music) and try it like this:
{D}Now is the time for your {G}loving, {D}dear,
And the time for your {C}compa{D}ny
Now when the light of reason fails
And {C}fires burn on the {A}sea
{D}Now in this age of con{G}fusion {D} I
Have need for your {C}compa{D}ny.
And here are the lyrics as sung by Joan Baez (Mimi Fariña's sister) on her 1967 album "Joan" (musical arrangement by Peter Schickele), dedicated to Richard Fariña, who had recently died in a motorcycle accident:
Oh, now is the time for your loving, dear,
And the time for your company
Now when the light of reason fails
And fires burn on the sea
Oh, now in this age of confusion I
Have need for your company.
[Bridge]
For I am a wild and a lonely child
And the son of an angry land
And now with the high wars raging I
Would offer you my hand
For we are the children of darkness and
The prey of a foul command.
[Bridge]
It's once I was free to go roaming in
The wind of a springtime mind
And once the clouds I sailed upon
Were sweet as lilac wine
Oh, why have the breezes of summer, dear
Been laced with a grim design?
[Verse, instrumental only]
So, now is the time for your loving, dear,
And the time for your company
Now when the light of reason fails
And fires burn on the sea
Oh, now in this age of confusion I
Have need for your company.
Recording from The Complete Vanguard Recordings: (**I verified the lyrics posted above with this recording. The Digital Tradition has "son of an angry man" and "We raised our swords on high" - I don't think either is correct. -Joe Offer-)
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