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2. |
The Only Path
08:20
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Upon the hills that cross the edge of all these wind-loamed moors
the ghosts of villages scab the grass beneath the dirt
no longer in deep woods I climb a path once thick with trees
no wolves will wait to snatch me, no roots will snare my feet.
Long gone the wooded trails that bravely cut the shadow veils
the skies no longer pierced by rows of spikened wood
above the shapes in grass, raise naked walls to those
who seek to paint their shelter, and step into their world.
To close the door, and walk with kings
who here dares to walk the path of kings?
Over your shoulder, through the closing door
lies a world where all is ours and magic has no place at all
not so for hilltop man, who watched the line where sky meets land
a lone path gave him little choice
and here I know and hear his voice
The cruelty of nature
his reasons to be cruel
his reasons to be harder
his reasons to kill fools
his reasons to be master
through magic might and gods
his reasons to speak truth
and why he had no choice at all
With the wind and the crows
and the big empty space
I humbly walk the only path through this lonely place
Today we choose our cults
false kings that mock and laugh
but on this hill I walk the way
that was the only path
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3. |
On The Winds of Battle
05:28
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On the winds of battle fresh in the sky, loosened and free
drawn by your dark destiny
in the halls you swore that you'd earn your names fame
but the chances are slim
of fighting a man you can see
We will meet your eyes
ours to hypnotise
this begins the end
the end of mine and your songs
On the winds of battle fresh in the skies
the moment is free
our master is your destiny
Flames and blazing fire
all around devoured
this begins the end
the end of mine and your songs
( I will serve no master when unstrung )
Face the iron-tipped shower
raining on our shield wall
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4. |
Peasant King
08:54
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It was a time of noble blood
black from the ground it would flow through their veins
songs of an abundant universe
would dance on the tongues of both peasant and king
But when the fires burn out, will they wear the same chains?
Arise - they deck themselves in furs
soon to forget what was what yesterday
and wars will seek forever more
slaves for the slaves that are freed from their slavery
But when the fires burn out, who will wear the slave chains?
A fisherman in Finland
tell the story of a king
who set upon mother nature
every living thing
dressed in peasant clothes and love within his heart
he sought to place a crown upon the salt of all the earth
He saw a peasant
leading his horse
and asked him this question:
Do you know of a land
where the sun always shines
and the grass is so green
it's like living a dream
''Over the hills
over the seas
only through the curtain of death
lie our riches
and there alone''
The king dressed as a peasant know he could better all gods
and spoke of a salvation on the plains of middle earth
over the hills over the seas is your destiny
where wheels do turn as darkness burns
and black blood carry thee
laughing at gods they rode away into the wonderland
where all was in abundance
and all like them were crowned
the horse rode with his peasant king
beside him in the trap
the straw was gold the lights burned strong
they never once looked back
The weight of ages borrowed would now need paying back
the peasant king threw down his crown
and turned back to his land
But his horse was fucking useless
and thought itself a king
so to get them back he took up the slack
and pulled the trap himself
Passing...
motionless carts
human and horse
skeletons in furs
equally willing
the reins to move them
along.
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5. |
Sheep Devour People
04:03
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Once I lived with my land
and tilled the earth with my hands
the sun bore down on my bare back
the rain it ran down my face
the law as clear as the skies
the days went by as the bird flies
through primogeniture I
can till this piece of green
and only I can afford it
my life was one with pride
I walked around armed to the teeth!
my life was in my own hands
Who has the land we had?
The kingdom drew its lines
that no one else could see
the lines of the earth ignored them
but beaten and cheated by
traitors and money thieves
the lines of the earth moved for them
they took us into darkness
and chained us to machines
that bit and tore at our misery
so when you hear of slaves
you saw it here first
in English woollen slum dwellery
Who has the land we had?
We look back at the green
and the sheep have devoured the people
The scorched earth
precursor of doom
enclosing with time
We're left with the tale of how
sheep devoured people.
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6. |
Interlude III
01:17
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7. |
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(c) Symbel 2013 lyrics adapted from Robert E Howard poem
In their lands they march in steel and glitter
p'on their scales and silk the sun lies golden
under moon we wear the hide of wolves
in our hearts are the kings that beat the primal drum
In their lands they ride brown steeds so gallant
on their shields beset with sparkling jewels
down below we fight with foot in the dirt
in our hearts are kings that sound the ancient horn
In their lands
lions lay counting their treasure
every knight, crowned with golden crests
in the fens we race the heathen stallions
for our hearts hold the riches of the highest towers
Original poem: (c) Robert E Howard
The men of the East are decked in steel,
They march with a trumpet's din,
They glitter with silks and golden scales,
And high kings boast their kin-
We of the West wear the hides of wolves,
But our hearts are steel within.
They of the East ride gallent steeds,
Their spears are long and brown;
Their sheilds are set with sparkling stones
And each knight wears a crown-
We fight on foot as out forebears fought,
And we drag the rider down.
We race the steed of the Saxon knight
Across the naked fen-
They of the East are full of pride,
Cubs of the Lion's den.
They boast they breed a race of kings-
But we of the West breed Men.
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8. |
Bracken Hillside
05:34
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Alone the leaves against me silence my tongue
with each day I come here one day longer I walk
The silence is deafening
all rage so far aside
clouds ride free above me
on the bracken hillside
To drink myself to death
and to sink in the forest floor
or let upon the bracken
oh red and green
what solace will it bring?
The silence is deafening
and calmed I am inside
for when I cast no shadow
on the bracken hillside
The truthful have no choices
the power it steals away
best that the tongue stays mute
I spoke to no one
and no one spoke to me
And thousands asked before me
and thousands will again
when swords have spared the journey
how will it end?
The sky is kind and warming
the flies they will not say
a vessel unseen by the wind
steers its own way
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