I stumbled upon an old, abandoned thread around noon today here on the ComNet (started by Rogueboy), that was about the possibility of creating a more-or-less official "anthem" for the Vast Empire.  I liked the idea, and immediately started playing old national anthems in the background while I worked, hoping for inspiration.

Well, it worked!  A couple of hours later, I'd found a melody and had written some lyrics that seemed appropriate.  A couple folks in the original abandoned thread requested that it stay dead, so I submit my humble efforts here, instead:

"Rim to Core" (The Galactic Anthem of the Vast Empire)
Prince Alexei Lvov, music; Wyl Trykon, lyrics

Galactic Empire!
Vibrant and Vast!
Hope of the future,
And heir to the past.

Beings of the Galaxy,
Orphaned by war,
Fight for the Empire!
Prosperity procure.

TIE pilots, ship captains,
Stormtroopers and more:
Freeing the Galaxy,
Rim to Core.

Serve the Vast Empire;
Long may it endure!
Unite the Galaxy;
Peace, secure.


The lyrics are sung to the melody of the old national anthem of Imperial Russia (written in 1830), called "God Save the Tsar!"  I found an instrumental version of it here, so you can sing along (the video has about 12 seconds of dead air before the music begins to play)!  But please, don't think too hard about real-life politics... it's just a catchy, militant, easy-to-sing tune.

In fact, it was SO catchy that I sort of inadvertently came up with ANOTHER set of lyrics, this one a sort of out-of-character gently-self-mocking theme song for VE members.  May as well include that one, too (sung to the same tune as the anthem above):

VE Member Theme Song (needs a better title)

I am a member
of the Vast Empire!
Osk, stormies, Navy -
To serve, my desire.

Throughout the Interwebs,
Our stories rage.
Suspense, and action,
And all space-age.

Role-playing characters
Made up on the fly,
With EU canon
We try to comply.

Fan-fiction Star Wars geeks,
Come, and join the choir:
I'm a member of the
Vast Empire!


Hope ya'all enjoy (and even if you don't, this provided some Grade-A procrastination for me)!  If these catch on at all, I'll roll out the lyrics to the anthem's in-universe precursor, "Hail, to our Emperor!" 

EDIT: I think this link http://flvto.com/download/index/id/33598614/title/_____1830_-_Imperial_Russian_Anthem____ will get you an mp3 version of the recording, still with that initial dead air before the music starts.

Riviera Affair

I proclaim this song to be Ron's personal marching tune.

Course if the Vast Empire should adopt it as their own, how can I complain?