Mir
Lyrics & Music: Maureen S. O'Brien, 10/29/97
(Well, I thought of the chorus in July...sorry it doesn't sound more Russian. If y'all can make it sound better, or do that cool Russian chorus thing that can make any song sound gorgeous, that'd be great. And at least I did manage the 'verse in minor, chorus in major' thing. I think. Music theory not being a strong point.)


Tyrant after tyrant, we were made to bow.
We survived, but where are all the tyrants now?
Through the strangest changes, duty held us here,
Stubborn cosmonauts and engineers.

CH:
Mir means 'world'. 
Mir means 'peace'.
Mir means 'town meeting', 
Now all those things are here.
Mir means, someplace people built with hope 
Outlived a reign of fear.
Strong and stubborn, Mir survives --
Around us orbits Mir.

Once we were the warriors of the plains of space;
Once we lost so many lives to run a race.
Now our foes are friends who help to fight the years.
Freedom's bread and salt have bound us near.

Earth is just a gulag if we cannot leave;
If we can, a motherland that we must grieve.
Life is imperfection; lonely means we live.
Every day on Mir's a gift we give.

Conquerors have come to win our endless plain.
Winter passes; land and people still remain.
In the endless winter of the cold of space,
Heroes hold out for the human race.