Magna Carta - Lord of the Ages - Chris Simpson - 1973
Lord of the Ages rode one night
Out through the gateways of time
Astride a great charger
In a cloak of white samite
He flew on the air
Like a storm
Dark was the night
For he gathered the stars in his hand
To light a path through the sky
While the hoofs of his charger
Made comets of fire
Bewitching all eyes
That beheld them
Lord of the Ages, nobody knows
Whether he goes, nobody knows
Below a dark forest in caves of black granite
The children of darkness dwelt in oblivion
Betraying one another in endless confusion
But the Lord of the Dark
Had bewitched them
From time's first creation
The wise men and prophets
And all workers of magic
Had warned of the reckoning
The wind and the fire
And the plague of destruction that follows the path
Of evil
Lord of the Ages, nobody knows
Whether he goes, nobody knows
Far above the wide ocean and thundering rivers
Through the sun and the rain
The turn of the seasons
Rode the God of all knowing
While all around him celestial companions
Friends from the void before time was woven
Honour his crown with words of white fire
And carry his robes with light
Whether he goes, nobody knows
But in the peace of a valley
A young child was born
Filling the night with his crying
And an old man gave thanks to the lord of the ages
Who's battle is not with innocence
But the birds of the air were silent
Knowing that time had come when time was forgotten
The waters were stilled
The mountains stood empty
And the cities were deaf
Long, long ago
Enough
Cried a voice
And the earth was awakend
Poor and the rich fell to ring of the fire
Death and destruction rode out together
Turning the world to a funeral pyre
It was the Lord of the Ages - Gathering in the harvest
I thank the Lord of the Ages - Gathering in the harvest
Oh, Lord - Gathering in the harvest
Gathering in the harvest, gathering in the harvest . . .
And from the blood and the thunder of men in their dying
His eyes dark with sorrow
The Lord of the Ages
Gathered in his harvest
Gathering in the harvest, gathering in the harvest . . .
But to the old and helpless
The weak and the humble
To the children of light
His words of compassion breezed on them gently
Dissolving the darkness across the great valley that rumbled with fire
And from the death and destruction
The Lord of the Ages
Carried the fruit to the harvest
To freedom
Lord of the Ages, nobody knows
Whether he goes, nobody knows
Stirring words with a message of hope that always had an effect on me when I listened to the song, goosebumps and awe. The choice of words is amazing as well, so many of the words allude to the message we know in the Bible.
Chris Simpson and Nick Hall (Magna Carta) will tour South Africa in September and October and they will be performing in Bloemfontein on the 20th at the Vulture Club together with Lucas Maree. I hope to be there, maybe even to chat to Chris about this song. If I manage too I will report back.
UPDATE: The ways of mice and men prevented me to attend... maybe next time?
"If I had words like a hammer
If I had powers unreal
Then I would tear down Megiddo
And I would bring you songs of love
And every child of tomorrow
Safely in his bed could lie
And hate would die of starvation." Wish It Was - Chris Simpson.
