Nov 3, 2025
seen from Philippines
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Ireland
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from China
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Netherlands
Currently transcribing the lyrics for The Traveler’s Vow to add to the wiki/Genius after the Broadcasts have gone up, and tell me why I’m crying. I’ve already listened through this thrice between Patreon watch parties and purchasing the album, AND I took copious notes so I KNOW what happens.
Anyway, Pulp Musicals Episode 5 is out now on iTunes! If you’re caught up on Episodes 1-4 and the minisode, please consider purchasing the album. If you’re unable to at this time, no worries, you can still join us by waiting for the YouTube drops tomorrow, Tuesday, and Thursday- each part running from 8PM and staying on the YouTube account for 24 hours.
If you aren’t currently caught up with Pulp, all of the albums thus far can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and Amazon, and Vow will join them on Spotify sometime next year!
This is a long post as is, but one last thing: If you are interested in how Pulp Musicals in made, and want to experience some behind the scenes and early access content, consider joining the Pulp Musicals Patreon. The Discord server has a lot of fun (how do I even begin to explain the Cyrus memes from the last few months, oh goodness), and we’d love to hear your thoughts too!
(Completely fair if you aren’t in a place to buy the album or join the Patreon at this time for whatever reasons, but if you even just want to reach out and ask questions, I would love to talk Pulp! I take copious notes :P)
Happy Pulping Tumblr!
The Traveler's Vow: Nemo
DAKKAR I’ve stood with moai on Easter Island Braved the dark Sargasso Sea Fought with rebels on the Bay of Bengal Still, it’s not enough for me
Yes, it seems the apple’s Fallen far from its tree If that makes me nobody Then nobody is someone that I’d like to be
CYRUS Permission to come aboard, old friend?
DAKKAR Cyrus! Do you want your ship back yet?
CYRUS Mary Katharine would kill me. She did come up with a name, though. Here, look at this.
(papers shuffle)
DAKKAR The Nautilus? Your wife wants to name the world’s first spaceship after a mollusk?
CYRUS It stays true to our sea-faring roots!
DAKKAR You’ve been spending too much time on land. It’s changed you!
CYRUS (laughs) Says the man with an alias.
DAKKAR We’ve spanned the shores of Honshu
CYRUS Worked with fishermen in Brazil
DAKKAR I drank half my weight at carnival
CYRUS (laughs) I don’t know how we weren’t killed
DAKKAR Finding space to grow
DAKKAR, CYRUS As we sail the vortices
DAKKAR If that makes me nobody Then nobody is someone that I’d like to be
CYRUS (calling out) Forward, helmsman! Forward into tomorrow!
DAKKAR Tides rise and fall Like poetry in motion The water cleans my senses Each moment is an ocean
And I’m moving within the moving element Within the changes, changing Living free when the world around me Keeps rearranging
Voyagers, one and all This Searcher’s standing tall I am mobilis in mobili
CYRUS, CHORUS Mobilis in mobili
DAKKAR And if that makes me nobody
CYRUS, CHORUS Mobilis in mobili
DAKKAR Then nobody
CYRUS, CHORUS Nobody
DAKKAR, CYRUS, CHORUS Is who I’ll be
CYRUS Several of the Nautilus’s systems are theoretical… development would accelerate if we had materials from home.
DAKKAR ‘Home.’ (beat) I haven’t been to the Blazing World since Margaret’s wedding.
CYRUS Your sister wishes to visit, but she’s busier than ever.
DAKKAR (scoffs) With my father’s duties, I’m sure.
CYRUS He’s become more reclusive. The people are worried. I’m worried.
DAKKAR (sighs) So am I.
my only problem with pulp is that i can’t inject it directly into my bloodstream
GO WATCH PULP MUSICALS BY MATT DAHAN
You may not be able to watch the first episode (cause it's only on youtube for four hours to mimic a radio broadcast type situation) but god just keep it in mind it's so good (and you can watch the recaps and the album will be available on iTunes
But like oh my god this is amazing and like theres some starkid people in it and the songs are beautiful and the story is fantastic. My favorite part so far:
"🎵Rose hit john herschel on the head with a printing press
✨Anxietyyy✨🎶"
The Midnight City tarot is up on Kickstarter right now. This deck is by New York-based artist Jackie Franco. The deck itself is themed around New York city, each title a little NYC metro sign. The deck is a 78-cards and fully illustrated on 310gsm matte linen cardstock in a two part box. The deck is fully funded and the campaign ends March 29th!
Get the deck here!
Visit Jackie Franco!
The Traveler's Vow: Nobody / Nemo (Reprise)
NARRATOR, CHORUS The very next day
NARRATOR The Bonaventure passed through the Gates Dakkar had come home
CHORUS Dakkar had come home
NARRATOR Cyrus and Mary Katharine Stood beside him, reassuring
NARRATOR, CHORUS He never had to walk alone
NARRATOR He couldn’t give in to sentiment He knew what had to come first
NARRATOR, CHORUS He made his way to Starhold
NARRATOR To Itzal
(a heavy door opens, then echoing footsteps)
DAKKAR Father?
NARRATOR There was mound after mound Of burnt out firestone Stacked high like coal The king’s chambers were like a tomb Musty and dark Haunted, resigned Dakkar felt something wither In the most fortified place of his soul
(approaching footsteps)
ITZAL Is this not what you expected to find
DAKKAR Father…
What’s become of you
ITZAL (scoffs) Ten years,
And that’s the best that you can do
DAKKAR What’s lost can be regained
ITZAL I heard you changed your name
Are you a coward Or just too weak I don’t need help And I won’t give you the redemption that you seek
You are too late Just like before Captain Nemo You’re not welcome anymore
DAKKAR I’ve followed the wind on every ocean Made camp in every nation I could find But don’t mistake my wandering for weakness The Blazing World never left my mind
Prince Dakkar or Nemo Father, it’s still me If that makes me nobody Then nobody is someone that I’ll always be
Let us help.
ITZAL Leave now.
DAKKAR It’s not too late-
ITZAL You ask what’s become of me? You did. You did this to me. And no matter how far you travel, you will never - never - escape that.
DAKKAR The master of perception Can’t sense my despair The master of illusion Can’t pretend to care
(sadly) Goodbye, Itzal.
NARRATOR Back on the ship, Cyrus and Mary Could tell by the look on his face
DAKKAR We’re leaving.
MARY KATHARINE I’m sorry.
DAKKAR Me too.
Set a course back to the Gates
(teleportation)
AHLAAM Did any of you see Taavi today?
MARY KATHARINE Ahlaam- No, he was never here.
DAKKAR I didn’t see him at the palace either - what’s going on?
AHLAAM He was acting strange last night, like something scared him. When I woke up, he was gone.
CYRUS Sia and Margaret-
AHLAAM They’re having another look at the Institute. (a bag shuffles) Taavi left these for me to find.
DAKKAR (suspicious) Huh.
MARY KATHARINE Why would he do that?
CYRUS Come inside the ship, Ahlaam. We’ll figure this out.
The Traveler's Vow: The Arms of Tantalus
NARRATOR At that moment Margaret and Sia looked for Taavi At the Paradise Research Institute All the Gatherers worried Kal was throwing a fit At the Paradise Research Institute
GATHERER 1 He’s tearing every lab apart Until there’s only scraps
GATHERER 2 Screaming
GATHERER 1 Sweating
GATHERER 2 Bloodshot eyes
GATHERERS 1-2 He’s completely snapped
MARGARET Do you know where he is now
GATHERER 1 Basement level three
MARGARET Sia, let me talk to him alone
SIA Margaret, please I can’t feel him anymore His presence, his thoughts, a mystery Something inside him’s been knocked loose It’s like we’ve lost him completely
MARGARET You know I have to try My Traveler, stand by
(teleportation)
NARRATOR Everything was ripped up but the walls Each room turned inside out Kal paced like a jackal
MARGARET Tell me what this is all about
KAL Oh, hey, Mags.
I was up all night in virology On orders of the king You know I like to mix and brew So much, I used up everything Everything, everything
I didn’t pay enough attention Can’t be everywhere all the time My property has been stolen I’m the victim of a serious crime
Itzal would be furious If I fail to track them down It might be the end of me
Have you seen Taavi around?
MARGARET What have you gotten into What does my father have you doing
KAL Why are you just standing there Help me look for them or get moving
MARGARET We’re friends Tell me if you’re in over your head
KAL If I catch the one who did this They are dead, dead, dead!
Wait-
I know why you aren’t looking It’s because you did it
MARGARET What?
KAL We can skip the pageantry Now tell me where you hid it
MARGARET Stop-
KAL You knew we were close You spied on us, admit it Well I won’t let you take the credit I forbid it
(Fog bubbles and attacks. Margaret defends. Sia teleports in to help)
SIA Kalfu, what are you doing?!
KAL About time, Sia! You’re just in time to catch the fireworks!
MARGARET (sadly) Please don’t do this!
KAL Give them back!
(another attack and defense)
MARGARET He’s lost his mind.
SIA Get ready to do our combined attack.
MARGARET That could kill him!
KAL (voice splintered) Tell me where they are! The Gates have spoken!
SIA Now, Margaret!
(extreme radiance - the combined attack lands)
NARRATOR With radiance like lightning Kal shattered into fog Pulsing and crashing As total anger filled him
Margaret and Sia Held on to each other As the fog faded away They believed they’d killed him
MARGARET What did he mean ‘the Gates have spoken’?
SIA (breathing heavily) We need to get back to the Bonaventure. Now.
(teleportation)
DAKKAR Sister.
MARGARET Kal… he’s-
SIA Gone.
MARY KATHARINE Gone? What…?
SIA He attacked Margaret. We fought back and he turned into fog.
CYRUS My god.
SIA It’s unclear if he’s dead or if he’s completely transformed. Either way-
AHLAAM Did he know where Taavi was?
MARGARET He asked me the same thing.
DAKKAR Taavi left behind two orreries With firestone fitted in the center Different from any I’d ever seen or used He also stole Kal’s journal A log with careful notes Taavi stumbled onto something huge
I’m sorry, Margaret You need to hear this
In his obsession With seeing mother again Itzal’s tried to go back in time For years, he used firestone Then, Kal made elixirs With shadow powers on both sides
In his addiction With the arms of Tantalus All of it was only in his mind ‘Till they discovered Orreries could help them Tragically, they ventured in a dangerous direction
Of course, there had to be tests The king would find volunteers They’d visit Kal one by one And one by one they disappeared
MARGARET (horrified) No…
DAKKAR Kal has lost his compass The king has gone insane These machines can’t be built Without these notes to help explain Without them, they have nothing These orreries are all that remain
(rushing footsteps)
TAAVI There you are!
AHLAAM Taavi! Taavi, where have you been!?!
TAAVI I was helping other Gatherers. With Kal destroying the Institute, none of them knew what to do…
CYRUS We got the things you left behind.
MARY KATHARINE That was very brave.
AHLAAM And stupid! We were so worried.
TAAVI Of course, my love. I’m sorry.
MARGARET We’re going to put an end to this.
DAKKAR Not without a plan. (beat) This is what we’re going to do.
NARRATOR The Bonaventure swayed In the solace of the harbor Travelers and Searchers Were united on the water Taavi leaned in close With a whisper of a smile