Long Song

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The "Long Song" was, in the words of the Eleventh Doctor, a "lullaby without end" sung to feed the Old God and keep him asleep. By the time of its ending, it had been going on for millions of years, Chorister handing it to Chorister, from generation after generation.

It was sung by the Queen of Years along with the Chorister at the Festival of Offerings, where all the species from the local system would gather, and offer valuable things to the Old God.

The Eleventh Doctor was familiar with the song, although he had trouble keeping up with the chorus in practice.

When the Eleventh Doctor and Clara Oswald visited the planet to watch the Festival, the song ended with the Chorister, and both the Mummy and the Old God woke up. The Chorister kept on singing, trying to soothe them back to sleep. When the Queen and the Chorister were captured, the Chorister teleported out, and the Doctor saved the Queen. (TV: The Rings of Akhaten [+]Loading...["The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)"])

Lyrics[[edit] | [edit source]]

Rest now, my warrior
Rest now, your hardship is oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-over
Way-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay, wake up, wake up
And let the cloak of life cling to your bones
Cling to your bones
Wake up, wake up
Way-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay, wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up
And let the cloak of life cling to your bones
Cling to your bones
Wake up, wake up
Way-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay, wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up
And let the cloak of life cling to your bones
Cling to your bones
Wake up, wake up
Wake up, wake up

(TV: The Rings of Akhaten [+]Loading...["The Rings of Akhaten (TV story)"])

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Interestingly enough, the series 7 soundtrack lists the music sung by the Chorister and Merry during the Doctor's speech as "The Long Song", while the song definitively referred to in the episode as the Long Song is entitled "God of Akhaten".
  • An instrumental arrangement of the Long Song, entitled "Infinite Potential" on the soundtrack, played as Clara sacrificed her leaf in The Rings of Akhaten, and as the Eleventh Doctor delivered his final speech in The Time of the Doctor [+]Loading...["The Time of the Doctor (TV story)"].
  • A choir only version of this song was performed as part of Doctor Who: Lockdown!.[1]

References[[edit] | [edit source]]