> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.tom-shaw.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # [Poem] Apocalypse Lyricists - URL: https://www.tom-shaw.uk/poem-apocalypse-lyricists/ - Published: 2026-07-07T16:01:59.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-07T16:01:59.000Z - Author: Tom Shaw - Tags: Poems, #substack, #substack-type-newsletter, #substack-access-everyone, #Import 2026-10-24 12:50 Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedBalance this weighty world and its trance Without seeking the urge to tap-out. Holding out through all that's unfolding, You bring the dark to light as you sing. Harness the truths that you channel in earnest; They'll learn from your alchemical turn. Being the change you wish to be seeing, You bring the dark to light as you sing. Welcome, old soul - for you are the sum Of all your ancestor's heights and falls. Bridging to a future worth living, You bring the dark to light as you sing. Evil charging at you like a bull May, at times, feel worthy of dismay. But let your heart hear how we're cheering: You bring the dark to light as you sing. The time will come where all you will rhyme Are tunes to help children with their blues. The times we're in is just your training, So bring the dark to light as you sing. ###### Apocalypse Lyricists \~ A Poem by Tom Shaw --- [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) --- I find the “dance” of writing song lyrics to be very different from writing poetry. In poetry, the words themselves and their delivery dictate the rhythm of a piece - and it demands the attention of the audience in a very different way to music. Undefined by any sense of time from others, the words can speed up and slow down to give emphasis to certain ideas and phrases. Generally, the rhythm and melodic components of music comes from the instrumentation - normally percussion - and the vocals have to fit around that. The focus is not solely on vocals: it is on the piece as a cohesive whole. The words have to be selected in a way that tangos with the other instruments; they don’t just stand on their own. The very vocal frequencies used cannot interfere with the other instruments. I enjoy the challenge of using purely words to convey ideas and emotions. In music, however, it is not on the words alone to convey the overall emotional effect. It is often why lyrics are often “simpler” than what poetry provides, purely because the other instruments also need room to breathe and do their job. That’s not a bad thing at all. It simply means the goals and constraints of a songwriter are different to that of a poet - something I’ve found when experimenting with songwriting in the past: [The Painter's SongThis piece is a “song” after all, so here’s a rough demo I put together while visiting family in the UK. Listen along as you read, if you wish:![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/068343a6-57a3-4030-bc68-967f8bf1705f_1280x1280.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1507010444286-828ea71bfac7?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyMXx8cGFpbnRlcnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MzEzMTY5NDZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=1080)](https://www.tom-shaw.uk/the-painters-song/) As such, I admire the work of songwriters as a related, but different, discipline to poetry. There’s a real art to writing song lyrics that aren’t just cliche or cringe but that still speak to truth, all while remaining cohesive with the instrumental parts that accompany it. There are certainly great songwriters working on using their art form to explore the state of the world and “bring light” to what’s at play. There are many I could mention here, but here’s a few of my personal favourites: - [Iyah May](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlqCLBNVzvg&ref=tom-shaw.uk) - [Kyron Murrell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFTkHWcxggA&list=RDVFTkHWcxggA&start%5Fradio=1&ref=tom-shaw.uk) - [Mobius Loop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pkGIUXLqCw&ref=tom-shaw.uk) - [Thomas Atlas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVZApdCrTyU&list=RDMVZApdCrTyU&start%5Fradio=1&ref=tom-shaw.uk) (with contributions from [Robin Monotti ](https://open.substack.com/users/1453912)) Let me know some of your favourites in the comments below: [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) With this said, I don’t think music - and poetry - needs to be so “on-the-nose” all of the time to have a beneficial impact on our culture. Sometimes, [simply creating something beautiful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjYRDnlxcAQ&ref=tom-shaw.uk) that speaks to our shared humanity is not only “enough”, but also the most powerful and timeless thing we can do. My own work has been gradually shifting in this direction. Moreover, I know from speaking to other creative minds who’ve been using their art to challenge the insanity of the past few years that I am not the only one in this kind of inquiry. [Poems For BobBob Moran has been a refreshing beacon of light these past few years. Fired from The Telegraph for doing his job as a political cartoonist, his artworks seem to have reached people in a way that conversations…![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/068343a6-57a3-4030-bc68-967f8bf1705f_1280x1280.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/323836fc-a4ed-48f5-937a-fcd14f46f626_1000x716.jpg)](https://www.tom-shaw.uk/poems-for-bob/) I’m beginning to see how this pursuit of broader beauty is the hallmark of a masterful creator - even in pieces that show the “darker side” of where we find ourselves. The best creatives are those who can tune in to the sentiments and feelings of the time, but then re-present them in a way that not only helps the current generation of humanity process the world around them, but also future generations. That is the power of pieces like the Homeric Epics or the work of W.E. Henley, and why we keep returning to them generation after generation. [Under The Bludgeonings of ChanceOut of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of …![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/068343a6-57a3-4030-bc68-967f8bf1705f_1280x1280.png)Tom ShawTom Shaw![](https://cdn.mymidnight.blog/a14ac55a4f27472c5d894ec1c3c743d2/substack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com/public/images/e898c996-3cbe-477e-9b28-68981cb29475_1067x600.jpg)](https://www.tom-shaw.uk/under-the-bludgeonings-of-chance/) I’ll let you as my readers be the judge of whether my own works fit this mould - that’s not for me to decide. In my view, the work is never over, and there is always a place for me to continue refining my craft and producing better and better creations for you all. And that’s exactly what I’ll be continuing to do. Thank you all for making time to read this piece. I look forward to bringing you more soon. With gratitude, Tom [Subscribe now](#/portal/signup)