This song came about as a series of images, with each verse describing a sort of snapshot of a moment in time. It is based off of the Arthurian legend, and set in a time after Merlin had been imprisoned by Vivian. I imagined the helplessness he might have felt, being able to see what was going on and being unable to do anything about it.
The version of this song on this website is a live performance I did for my minor in music theory. Apologies for the poor sound quality.
- An old man is standing
- ‘Midst fog pale and grey
- With tears on his cheeks,
- Alas for this day
- He falls to his knees
- And so softly he cries
- “Oh Arthur, my King,
- Why did you have to die?”
- CHORUS:
- “Oh Arthur, my King,
- How did this come to be?
- That you were so slain
- By such foul trechery
- While I with my ancient
- And druidic arts
- I could not save you
- Oh son of my heart!”
- A tall ship’s seen sailing
- ‘Cross a lake dark and still
- While his knights stand on shore
- As they cry out their fill
- For the boat sails to land
- On an island of your
- To bury their King
- On Avalon’s fair shore.
- (Chorus)
- Slain by his son
- Born through foul trickery
- To his sister, fair Morgan
- And her treachery
- A kingdom asunder
- Thrown into decline
- But his legend lives on
- Well after its time.
- (Chorus)
- The wind stirs a breeze
- That dries all their tears
- And a voice is still heard
- After all of these years.
- “I’ll wait, my old friends,
- ‘Til the Island needs me.
- I’ll rest from my wounds
- In my tomb near the sea.”
- (chorus)
- “And you, my old councilor,
- Advisor, and friend.
- You were still with me
- Right up ‘til the end.
- Now don’t weep, Old Father
- For days gone before
- Our ideals live on
- Forevermore.”
- LAST CHORUS:
- “Oh Arthur, my King,
- Now we say our farewells.
- Will we meet again?
- Even I cannot tell.
- Your deeds will live on
- In song evermore.”
- And he waits ‘til this day
- On Avalon’s fair shore.