Magna of Illusion

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Magna of Illusion
Imaginos cover.jpg
Artist Blue Öyster Cult
Album Imaginos
Released July 1988
Length 5:53
Writers Sandy Pearlman
Donald Roeser
Albert Bouchard
Lead vocals Donald Roeser

Magna of Illusion is the seventh track from Blue Öyster Cult's eleventh studio album, Imaginos.

Lyrics[edit | edit source]

Cornwall, and the harbor
Where witches went mad more than once
And until this day, in dreams at least
The lighthouse at Lost Christabel
Squat and hugely tilts
Upon the strand where Granddad's house was built
And having stood the test of time
The starry gale, the bloody tide
Granddad's house, though gaped with hooks and filled with books
Could stand no more until a certain prophecy
Once read, now stood before the world, fulfilled

Now of these books in Granddad's keep
Some of them were new, but mostly they were old
And the oldest was a scroll, a prophecy that read
"When the riddle begins, the story will end"

August the First, 1892
And in the guise of destiny
Granddad quit Cornwall
"I'm the captain of a ship,
My ship is charmed and called Plutonia!"

Stories on land, storms at sea
'Tween 1892 and '93
When Granddad sailed for Mexico

Ships charmed and ordinary
Sailed the glidepath to the sun
And when the sun proved false, as it always does
Some of them would be lost
And some would sail back home
It was no star, but a magna of illusion
I mean by that, the mirror found
In the chamber of jade grown like a seed
Deep within the ground, the mirror found, by one man
So, on and off again, he sailed the Europe's rim
On and off, off and on, until his time had come

Through tears and smiles, the last domain
Through rods of broken crystal
On and off, and off again, until his time had come
Late to the story that had been, but early to the riddle not yet begun

August the First, 1893
The charmed ship Plutonia
Sailed like a ray into Cornwall
And none too soon it seems

That night, the Captain’s granddaughter
Would celebrate her birthday
"I've come a long way," said the Captain,
"From Lost Christabel this night,
Accompanied by my dog familiar,
To blast your rafters with my surprise!
Granddaughter, it's a foreign mirror
Taken from the jungle by crime!"

Stories on land, storms at sea
'Tween 1892 and ’93
When Granddad sailed for Mexico

When tables collapse and floors have filled
And the party’s over, it’s all over
Sea-dogs and rockers will dwell on doom
I've warped the stuff of ground, what seems to be is not
Behind closed eyes, realize your sight
Mine, granddaughter, proves a surprise
More light than sun,
More dark than night
And more a snare than lust

Trivia[edit | edit source]

TBA

Songs

Blue Öyster Cult

Transmaniacon MCI'm on the Lamb but I Ain't No SheepThen Came the Last Days of MayStairway to the StarsBefore the Kiss, a RedcapScreamsShe's as Beautiful as a FootCities on Flame with Rock and RollWorkshop of the TelescopesRedeemed

Tyranny and Mutation

The Red and the BlackO.D.'d on Life ItselfHot Rails to Hell7 Screaming Diz-BustersBaby Ice DogWings Wetted DownTeen ArcherMistress of the Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)

Secret Treaties

Career of EvilSubhumanDominance and SubmissionME 262Cagey CretinsHarvester of EyesFlaming TelepathsAstronomy

Agents of Fortune

This Ain't the Summer of LoveTrue Confessions(Don't Fear) The ReaperE.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)The Revenge of Vera GeminiSinful LoveTattoo VampireMorning FinalTenderloinDebbie Denise

Spectres

GodzillaGolden Age of LeatherDeath Valley NightsSearchin' for CelineFireworksR. U. Ready 2 RockCelestial the QueenGoin' Through the MotionsI Love the NightNosferatu

Mirrors

Dr. MusicThe Great Sun JesterIn TheeMirrorsMoon CrazyThe VigilI Am the StormYou're Not the One (I Was Looking For)Lonely Teardrops

Cultösaurus Erectus

Black BladeMonstersDivine WindDeadlineThe Marshall PlanHungry BoysFallen AngelLips in the HillsUnknown Tongue

Fire of Unknown Origin

Fire of Unknown OriginBurnin' For YouVeteran of the Psychic WarsSole SurvivorHeavy Metal: The Black and SilverVengeance (The Pact)After DarkJoan CrawfordDon't Turn Your Back

The Revölution by Night

Take Me AwayEyes on FireShooting SharkVeinsShadow of CaliforniaFeel the ThunderLet GoDragon LadyLight Years of Love

Club Ninja

White FlagsDancin' in the RuinsMake Rock Not WarPerfect WaterSpy in the House of the NightBeat 'Em UpWhen the War ComesShadow WarriorMadness to the Method

Imaginos

I Am the One You Warned Me OfLes InvisiblesIn the Presence of Another WorldDel Rio's SongThe Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein's Castle at WeisseriaAstronomyMagna of IllusionBlue Öyster CultImaginos

Bad Channels

Demon's KissThe Horsemen Arrive

Heaven Forbid

See You In BlackHarvest MoonPower Underneath DespairX-Ray EyesHammer BackDamagedCold Gray Light of DawnReal WorldLive For MeStill Burnin'In Thee

St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings

What Is Quicksand?I'm on the LambGil Blanco CountyDonovan's MonkeyRagamuffin Dumplin'Curse of the Hidden MirrorsArthur ComicsA Fact About SneakersSt. CeciliaBonomo's Turkish Taffy

Curse of the Hidden Mirror

Dance on StiltsShowtimeThe Old Gods ReturnPocketOne Step Ahead of the DevilI Just Like to Be BadHere Comes That FeelingOut of the DarknessStone of LoveEye of the HurricaneGood to Feel Hungry

The Symbol Remains

That Was MeBox in My HeadTainted BloodNightmare EpiphanyEdge of the WorldThe MachineTrain True (Lennie's Song)The Return of St. CeciliaStand and FightFlorida ManThe AlchemistSecret RoadThere's a CrimeFight

Ghost Stories

Late Night Street FightCherrySo SupernaturalWe Gotta Get Out of This PlaceSoul JiveGunShot in the DarkThe Only ThingKick Out the JamsMoney MachineDon't Come Running to MeIf I FellRoadhouse Blues

Rarities

Steppin' RazorDouble TalkRebelSumma Cum LaudeJohn L. Sullivan

Live songs and covers

Buck's Boogie5 GuitarsWings of MercuryBetty Lou's Got a New Pair of ShoesBorn to be WildMaserati GT (I Ain't Got You)I Want You (She's So Heavy)It's Not Easy

Unreleased
(Soft White Underbelly and Stalk-Forrest Group)

Allen's SongAll Night Gas StationHome from the HillsBark in the SunThe Burning ManCheckout GirlFantasy MorassFour Door Blues ('57 Chevy)GreenHangin' RoundHighway SongHoedown on Your PeltJay JayMemphis Slim JamMothraMystic StumpPatron of the ArtsPort JeffersonPot BustQueen's BoulevardRain is FallingRationale PassionaleSitting on the Buddha's KneeSiren Sing AlongSun Comes UpYou Make Me FeelYou