Arachne Words and music by Joe Ficklin © 2026-02Am G E Am Upon the plains of Lydia / There lived a weaver maid Am G E Em Whose tapistries drew dryads near / And homage to her paid C D Am E Am In pride she boasted of her skill / Earned by practiced art Am G E Am Athena heard the boasting claim / And came to test her heart Am G E Am Donning guise of withered crone / The goddess offered truth Am G E Em "Wisdom comes in time, with age" / She told the scornful youth C D Am E Am "Your words are empty," the girl replied / "Tell them to your kin Am G E Am "For my art makes the heavens sigh / When I set to spin" Am G E Am "If goddess could attend me here / And put my art to test" Am G E Em "Then even Zeus must loud declare / That my work is the best!" C D Am E Am Athena then, in fury stood / The two wove side by side Am G E Am With threads of rainbowed hue and gold / The gods would then decide Am G E Am Arachnae wove the folly of the gods / In contest with Athena Am G E Em Do not think to leave unscathed / Should you enter that arena Am G E Em For gods are jealous of their gifts / Demanding their due praise Am E Am And pride will set you up to hang / Unless you mend your ways Am G E Am The goddess wove a scene long past / Poseidon of the Sea Am G E Em In battle for the city fair / Who's champion she'd be C D Am E Am And warnings, too, of punishments / The mortals who held pride Am G E Am Transformed to icy peaks or beasts / Opposing her they died REFRAIN Am G E Am The girl put thread upon the loom / With purple and with gold Am G E Em And wove the bull of Europa / And many stories told C D Am E Am Of how the gods seduced the fair / And rule by force and fear Am G E Am With warp and weave, heddles and reed / The images appear Am G E Am The tapistry in shining thread / Is perfect in the whole Am G E Em Athena knows that she has lost / But pride must pay the toll C D Am E Am She rends the pattern with a cry / In anger at the sight Am G E Am The girl will hang by her own hand / Extinguishing a light REFRAIN Am G E Am "A mercy then," the goddess said / "Hang, you will not die" Am G E Em "But live, transformed, as spider now / And weave your best, or try" C D Am E Am "For thus it must be ever more / When mortals seek for praise" Am G E Am "From gods above with fickle love / Until the end of days"