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It seems to me that this song describes a location, but it's too abstract to identify. My initial thought was Little Lamplight, but that's west (and perhaps would be a little too obvious). Because of this, I feel like it could be a rejected quest-item of sorts that was placed in the game simply for content. This is all just speculation. --70.238.111.101 21:34, 2 January 2009 (UTC) Takkun
Song of the Lightman Interpretation[]
I have a theory about this passage, but as it is only a theory, I'm posting this as part of the discussion rather than on the main page. Since the Brotherhood of Steel is based in large part on the traditions and organization of the Knights of the Round Table, and the history of the Brotherhood is very similar to the story of King Arthur, I believe this passage is a reference to either Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came by Robert Browning or the Dark Tower by Stephen King, both of which are retellings of this story. In Browning’s poem, Roland sound the horn of Arthur when he arrives at the tower (“So sound the trumpets, clear and loud!”), and Roland himself (in both stories) is a decendent of Arthur (“The Lightman's progeny”). Also, in the Dark Tower, the Roland’s ka-tet consists of five: Roland, three other Gunslingers, and a Billy Bumbler (“these five of sun”) and the Dark Tower lies East beyond the wasteland known as Thunderclap (“And think beyond the Eastern shroud”).
All that being said, the poem is more likely a retelling of Squire Maxson’s story. He is the last in the line of John Maxson “the lightman’s progeny” and was sent “beyond the Eastern shroud” to live in the Capitol Wasteland. And, though this may be a stretch, “Five made one in the Lightman's tower” may be referring to the five walls of the Citadel (the Pentagon) forming one building. “Curse the younglings” is probably the lasting effects of radiation and devastation following the Great War.
Anyway, that’s how I saw this poem. I’m sure that there are plenty who think I’m full of it, but if I’m on to something, feel free to use any of this for the main article.
Doomlad 22:31, March 5, 2010 (UTC) Doomlad
Possibly a coincidence, Alan Lightman is a real-life physicist most famous for writing the book "Einstein's Dreams"; this book is made up of 5 parts. However, I haven't found any other connections to Lightman or his works in the poem.
lrw757 19:58, 14 April, 2019 (UTC) lrw757