a story in a song!

[LunarWeaver]

I used to be a farmer, and I made a living fine,
I had a little stretch of land along the city line
But time went by and though I tried, the money wasnt there
And bankers came and took my land and told me fair is fair
I looked for every kind of job, the answer always no
Hire you now? theyd always laugh, we just let twenty go!
The government, they promised me a measly little sum
But I've got too much pride to end up just another bum.
Then I thought, who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone?
I'm gonna be a pirate on the river Saskatchewan!!!
(arrr! arrr! arrr! arrr! arrr!!)

Cause it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains
It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors
When ya see the jolly roger on reginas mighty shores

Well, you'd think the local farmers would know that I'm at large
But just the other day I found an unprotected barge
I snuck up right behind them and they were none the wiser,
I rammed their ship and sank it and I stole their fertilizer!
A bridge outside of moosejaw spans a mighty river
Farmers cross in so much fear their stomachs are aquiver
Cause they know that tractor jack is hiding in the bay
I'll jump the bridge and knock them cold and sail off with their hay!

Cause it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains
It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors
When ya see the jolly roger on reginas mighty shores

Well, mountie Bob he chased me, he was always at my throat
He'd follow on the shoreline cause he didnt own a boat
But cutbacks were a-coming and the mountie lost his job
And now he's sailing with us, and we call him Salty Bob!
A swingin' sword, a skull and bones and pleasant company
I never pay my income tax and screw the GST (screw it!!)
Prince Albert down to Saskatoon I'm the terror of the seas
If you wanna reach the co-op, boy, you gotta get by me!

Cause it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains
It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors
When ya see the jolly roger on reginas mighty shores
Arrrr, mateys! get it? matey? (hey, that's really funny! you know, Louis real? )

Well, pirate lifes appealing but you just don't find it here,
I've heard that in Alberta theres a band of buccaneers
They roam the Athabaska and sail to Fort Mckay
And you're gonna loose your stetson if you have to pass their way!
Well, winter is a-comin and a chill is in the breeze
My pirate days are over once the river starts to freeze
I'll be back in springtime but now I have to go
I hear theres lots of plundering down in New Mexico!

Cause it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains
It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors
When ya see the jolly roger on reginas mighty shores

Cause it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains
It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors
When ya see the jolly roger on reginas mighty shores
When ya see the jolly roger on reginas mighty shores...

[DK]

Hear the rime of the Ancient Mariner
See his eye as he stops one of three
Mesmerises one of the wedding guests
Stay here and listen to the nightmares
of the Sea

And the music plays on, as the bride passes by
Caught by his spell and
the Mariner tells his tale.

Driven south to the land of the snow and ice
To a place where nobody's been
Through the snow fog flies on the albatross
Hailed in God's name,
hoping good luck it brings.

And the ship sails on, back to the North
Through the fog and ice and
the albatross follows on

The mariner kills the bird of good omen
His shipmates cry against what he's done
But when the fog clears, they justify him
And make themselves a part of the crime.

Sailing on and on and North across the sea
Sailing on and on and North 'till all is calm

The albatross begins with its vengeance
A terrible curse a thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner
About his neck, the dead bird is hung.

And the curse goes on and on at sea
And the curse goes on and on for them and me.

"Day after day, day after day,
we stuck nor breath nor motion
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water everywhere and
all the boards did shrink
Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink."

There, calls the mariner
there comes a ship over the line
But how can she sail with no wind
in her sails and no tide.

See... onward she comes
Onwards she nears, out of the sun
See... she has no crew
She has no life, wait but there's two

Death and she Life in Death,
they throw their dice for the crew
She wins the Mariner and he belongs to her now.
Then ... crew one by one
They drop down dead, two hundred men
She... She, Life in Death.
She lets him live, her chosen one.

"One after one by the star dogged moon,
too quick for groan or sigh
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang
and cursed me with his eye
Four times fifty living men
(and I heard nor sigh nor groan),
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
they dropped down one by one."

The curse it lives on in their eyes
The Mariner he wished he'd die
Along with the sea creatures
But they lived on, so did he.

And by the light of moon
He prays for their beauty not doom
With heart he blesses them
God's creatures all of them too.

Then the spell starts to break
The albatross falls from his neck
Sinks down like lead into the Sea
Then down in falls comes the rain.

Hear the groans of the long dead seamen
See them stir and they start to rise
Bodies lifted by good spirits
None of them speak
and they're lifeless in their eyes

And revenge is still sought, penance starts again
Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on.

Now the curse is finally lifted
And the Mariner sights his home
Spirits go from the long dead bodies
Form their own light and
the Mariner's left alone

And then a boat came sailing towards him
It was a joy he could not believe
The Pilot's boat, his son and the hermit
Penance of life will fall onto Him.

And the ship it sinks like lead into the sea
And the hermit shrieves the mariner of his sins

The Mariner's bound to tell of his story
To tell his tale wherever he goes
To teach God's word by his own example
That we must love all things that God made.

And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man
And the tale goes on and on and on.

Also:

Let me tell you a story to chill the bones
About a thing that I saw
One night wandering in the everglades
I'd one drink but no more

I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight
Gazing up at the stars
Not aware of a presence so near to me
Watching my every move

Feeling scared and I fell to my knees
As something rushed me from the trees
Took me to an unholy place
And that is where I fell from grace

Then they summoned me over to join in with them
To the dance of the dead
Into the circle of fire I followed them
Into the middle I was led

As if time had stopped still I was numb with fear
But still I wanted to go
And the blaze of the fire did no hurt upon me
As I walked onto the coals

And I felt I was in a trance
And my spirit was lifted from me
And if only someone had the chance
To witness what happened to me

And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them
All had death in their eyes
Lifeless figures they were undead all of them
They had ascended from hell

As I danced with the dead
My free spirit was laughing and howling down at me
Below my undead body
Just danced the circle of dead

Until the time came to reunite us both
My spirit came back down to me
I didn't know if I was alive or dead
As the others all joined in with me

By luck then a skirmish started
And took the attention away from me
When they took their gaze from me
Was the moment that I fled

I ran like hell faster than the wind
But behind I did not glance
One thing that I did not dare
Was to look just straight ahead

When you know that your time has come around
You know you'll be prepared for it
Say your last goodbyes to everyone
Drink and say a prayer for it

When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead

To this day I guess I'll never know
Just why they let me go
But I'll never go dancing no more
'Til I dance with the dead

[jrgen]

Although I generally prefer concept albums telling stories, there are some single songs telling stories that are cool.

Such as:
Edge of Sanity - Crimson (I'm aware that the English is occassionally incorrect)

[Prologue:]
In a very distant future, the last generation of planet earth
has come to a point where they cannot breed anymore.
When everybody had lost their faith, a child was born, but no
one could be the father, except for a god.
This child was a gift from the skies of life-divine or...

Another sky is young...
Another frozen future has passed.
Another breed, another cast.
The rivers will run, brought to life by the sun, the circle is
still unbroken.
Oh, what a sight to see.
Reborn life, destined for all eternity.
Hail the king!
For he has chosen not to drain the godsent child, a gift from
the skies of life divine.
Now we know.
A glimpse of hope grow inside, a change of tide.
Answered prayers of survival.
Miracles.
The offspring of the unknown gods beautifies the aura of this
dying breed.
So they succeed in their quest for continued time.
Celebrate.
The knowledge of the everlasting, never-dying.
Cursed to be walkin in the shadows of death for a lifetime.
No more fears for what the years will bring.
Rebuild the shattered dream.
And now a brighter future has come, another end remains undone
and an era begins,
bringing life free from sins.
Oh, it's a token, the circle is broken.
(The drop of blood from her mouth slowly fell down to the
ground.
The child inside dried her out. The king's beloved is no more.)
[03:21]The chosen one felt the time had come to show the world what
had grown within.
This day of life, a sacred moment in time, when joy and pain
collide.
It takes a life to create a life.
Now she's gone.
Anger and hate.
fear and despair fills up his mind.
In search for answers he can't find.
What god would end a life so pure.
She was the one worth dying for.
Alone with princess angel-sent.
Her eyes so blue, my hate relents.
Her destiny is in my hands.
She was born to rule these desert lands.
[05:18]A sacrifice. A life arises, when one love has come, another dies.
I let her go and I do not know where to find her soul so alone.
Oh, does she hold the power, is she a blessing from the skies?
Is this the answer to where the secret lies.
And in her eyes I see a light is shining through.
I feel that there is hope for a world so brave and new.
Many seasons have changed and the king is old and weak.
The princess has come of age, but still the gift of life they seek.
In the chambers of crimson sleep.
In this vault of souls to reap.
The future lies in the hands of the shrewd [Harmony: Andreas]
or the earth will die in solitude.

The darkest night the enchanted skies were united in a storm.
Unholiness and all that's unblessed appeared in another form.
Like a raging plague all across the land all women gave birth to man.
Raped by the wind and forced to bring life to the hundred
bastard sons.
The unholy ones will give strength for all evil to live and
the fires of death burn high.
The time has come for the king to die.

[Lead Guitar: Mike]

A whole world is mourning the loss of their king.
In sorrow a new day dawning.
Now the princess is their everything.
A procession to the chambers where they kiss their fathers ring.
Can you hear the angel of sadness sing... with broken wings.

[Harmony: Andreas]

And with death came disorder, who were they now to obey?
No leader, no followers.
No trust, no faith.
The princess is too young to tame a land, a new king must be
chosen.
In search for such a man of trust there will be contradictions.
Coming forth on desert ground, the incarnation of a king in
sleep profound.
Another self-proclaimed king, set to rule in the new empire.
On a mission to save the forsaken ones and to re-light the
dying fire.
The crowd was confused and divided in two, a battle was about
to begin.
Another man with a will as strong declared a war to win.
His army of believers was faithful, mighty and brave.
Set to capture the liar, to forever enslave.
His troops were marching on to the battlefield to set this
world on fire.
His forces are never giving yield.

[14:22]
War! ...Messengers of hell. They fought for what would be a blood-stained crown.
Utter chaos supreme.
The sand absords the colour of dawn.
Nevermore shall they dream, nevermore!
The years went by under a blood-red sky, the king still suppress
the rebellian lie.
He is the one, the self-chosen son, master of the throne he rules upon.
The sacred child awakened from her crystal sleep.
And the earth was shaking, and the people prayed for their souls to keep.
The light of day is flowing into her virgin eyes.
Oh, the sun is stolen.

[16:55]
A dark formation in the skies.
Unites the powers in her eyes.
Her soul's inhaling all the living light.
Bringing on the dark, eternal night.
Gathering evil in all its might.
Seven years.
Purity.
Innocence.
Dignity.
Hail, hail the queen!
Ruling supreme.
She is queen alone in the human zone, dethroned the king unpure.
The masses were assured, she fought without a sword.
She regained their hope and faith.
Draining the liar in the crimson water.
To bring him eternal pain.
His soul is slaughtered.
Eternalizing bane.
Scream in silence, no one shall hear his cries encaged.
The unroyal king, surrended to the child of life divine.
A hundred fortnights passed but still no signs of aging.
Her endless youth... amazed, the world was raging.
A shattered race in this broken land this child came to restore, like an
order from the gods.
The queen and all the children gathered around the chambers
where the elder ones are joined
in sleep profound.
In wrath she crush the tanks of crystal glass.
The crimson water gushed on to the ground in the unholy macecration.
Their souls no longer cried.
Die!
Their gifts are denied.

[21:11]
She drinks the life-blood from the feebled man.
Empty bodies, soul-drained by the virgin queen.
Finally given the pleasure to die.
She aligns the hate inside their hearts.
Her chosen knights will make sure all life departs.
Soon comes the end of all, she watched a chamber fall.
She heard her master call.
"Live my words, oh, sacred child. You're soon to leave this
world defiled."
"Then what awaits me my lord?"
"Trust me my child, your wishes shall not be ignored"
And then he spoke his mind, now his will is hers.
"The earth shall fall. The eternal curse is cast on the sands
they walk.
Now you must use your power. Show the human race you are the one.
Use their trust forever and then deceive their weakened minds.
Fool them to destroy themselves in hopelessness.
Belie their seeds, belie their dreams. Hope has ceased to be."
The people worshiped their queen.
Such beauty before her time was unseen.
Their were fooled by her presence and disguise.
Faithfully they listened and swallowed all her lies.
"The times are changing, re-arranging the pattern of our lives.
So let your heart stop beating beneath this twisted sky."
They were embraced by sadness, but not afraid to die.
"So pass this sacred dagger and let yourself fly free.
So pretend you're dreaming and rise above this world of you and me."

[25:55]
Liar!
All those who died with you by their side were denied access
to the higher ground.
Betrayal!
Eternal detest from the ones left unblessed, so possessed.
Their last caress was your knife in their hearts.
Fed from her deed, watching them bleed.
In her own conceit, a world to delete, lies at her feet.
Her demon inside do no longer hide.
Showing its face of hate and disgrace leaving their saviour
unpraised.

The ones who didn't follow.
Now sharing this moment of grief.
The end of their own existence?
In death they had no belief.
Despite all the faith in their queen they couldn't believe
what they had seen.
What was the reason to this sacrifice.
Nothing is gained from this great demise.
After the ordeal we know she has the powers to decieve us all.
But their dream of sons and daughters has made them standing tall.
For the king had showed them it could be done when his woman
gave birth to the sacred one.
But is she of man, made of flesh and blood, or is she the
offspring of the unholy
God!

A leader was chosen to unveil the hidden truth.
The brave ones were gathered, the strongest were sent to the queen.
Her reason to be must be known.
After many moons the troops reach the temple of their majesty.
Guarded by a hundred faithful knights.
There is no escape, there's no entry to her sacred halls.
Is our vision true or false?
They tried to find the answer but they were led astray into a
maze of slumper far from the light of day.
The riddle remained unanswered.
The queen could read ones mind, make sure that no one will find
the reason for her mission here.
The highness writhe in anger, her trust had been betrayed.
The queen was filled with langour, her decision has been made.
She would unleash her hate.
Destined to devastate.
She heard her demons roar, marching into war.

[32:38]"The spirit of their beloved king ho spoke unto his men,
he came to bring a message of great importance and trust.
The gift from the gods has come to cover the world in dust.
Her forces are closing into your sanctuary.
So use your imagination to end her reign.
Remember these words, and be strong!"

The chosen few were sacrificed for the others life.
They were the bait, they would seal the soldiers fate.
A massive grave, to break the soldiers spell.
The forces fell into the abyss, never to rise again.
Towards the queen the last of the brave ones wandered,
to terminate this creature non-divine.
The loss of troops forced her powers to release the magic
uncontrolled that had wasted a thousand soul.
The palace controlled by demons is the heart of all evil possessed by the
queen and her unholy servants.
"If we destroy it, the earth will be ours and it will bring us
eternal existance.
We'll pray for the gift of breeding. This is a game we can't concede,
it is worth all the blood we may bleed.

[35:31]
We must close the gate
so she can't return. We'll seal her fate, watch her temple
burn and we'll capture her soul in the chambers of crimson sleep.
And there she will suffer eternally for what she has done to man.
We fought our way into her dwelling-place, we searched the corridors
of this infernal maze, to seek our enemy the one to slay.
We are the ones, we will not obey.
A disillusioned servant with great knowledge in her secrets,
we found him walking aimlessly trying to find his peace.
He said:
'Cover her eyes, they are the root of her inhuman forces.
Then she's just the child you thought she,
disconnect all her sources.'"
They found a way to blind her and it could cost some lives.
But they must seal the entry from where all evil derives.
Two of the brave ones were sent to distract her while the
others made their way to behind her throne.
She saw her enemies for the last time
as their leader covered her eyes.
We saw the return of innocence, the symbol of purity we once knew.
We carried her to the chambers to forever lock-up her soul.
The uncovered arise and the crimson waters....
And now the reborn earth, blessed with the gift of birth can
see her in this cage that eternally preserves her rage.
They captured all her soldiers and forever encaged their cries.
They had found a new leader to worship.
A king with her clear-blue eyes.

And the sequel, Crimson II

Let no man breach the gate to this most blasphemous of halls
Lest bitterness and chaos be the harvest they wouldst reap
He must n'er become a slave to this Child's beck and call
For she must never waken from her Crimson Sleep..
The monastery stood towering above the ruined city
It shadowed all the new emerging settlements and homes
To look down on the ruins was to sympathize and pity
All the suffering and heartache, all the graves and broken bones
For buried there a testament to the evil of a queen
A misery that spread across a weak and stricken land
The crimson birth that swamped the earth in dark and deadly dreams
And all mankind did bow beneath the power of her hand

And in the monastery garden sat a woman with a book
A manuscript that lay within her frail and trembling arms
She looked around her nervously as guilt rose in her heart
But the sway of curiosity had drawn her out too far

She wavered on the threshold of a dangerous decision
For this dark tome was no for human eyes to ever read
The pages dripped with legions of persuasive words and visions
So the volume had been hidden well, but now it had been freed

For no apparent reason had the woman been drawn in
Perhaps it was a twist of fate, an absence of real thought
She wandered to a room that before she'd never been
And all at once the interest of her senses had been caught
For no apparent reason had the women been drawn in
Where rows of dusty books lay in an ominous display

But one ancient leather binding had the grain of human skin
And seized with curiosity she stole this book away

And now she sat alone in the concealment of the night
She was hungry now to liberate the writings from their cage
The glimmer of a feeble moon provided her with light
As she opened up the cover and began to read the page
Fly, soul, the body's guest,
Upon your impish arrant
Let none be guiled by false confession
Truth shall be your warrant
Fly soul for your body must die

But for those who seek eternity
For those who yearn prosperity
From this single act of sanity
Will raise you far above humanity

Oh willing host who doth not know
The full desire of this prisoner
You walk where angels fear to go
Thou shalt soon embrace the reckoner
Thy halo of glory, hope's true gage
May prove to be an evil pilgrimage

Something had happened beyond her control
A moment of madness unfettered a soul
That would relish a freedom denied once before
By a desperate nation with it's back to the wall
Within a split second of reading this text
The spirit was free and had fled from its nest
It was eager to grow from this sudden reprieve
And thus in the woman a life was conceived
From the beginning the world was misled
As a baby was born in a monastery bed
The miracle happening here on this Earth
Was perceived as a glorious new Virgin Birth

From the moment in time that baby was born
The sun did now rise on a new Crimson dawn
And the creature just bided its time undiscovered
So safe in the cradling arms of the mother

[Lead: Dan]

But for those who seek eternity
For those who yearn prosperity
From this single act of sanity
Will raise you far above humanity

Secure from the world, the child remained hidden
A serpent disguised in the Garden of Eden
And all who looked down on this newly born babe
Were ignorant now of the path this would take
The people were blind to the subtle control
That was exercised daily upon every soul
With no room to question this delicate life
All fears would be drowned and all doubts would be stifled

But one single mind did stand out from the crowd
Though quiet at first - with hardly a sound
The Mother Superior harbored suspicion
Brought to her heart by three simple vision

[The Visions:]

The first was a planet engulfed by the sea
No dry land in sight, not a mountain or tree
No rock jutted out from the endless horizon
Or flowers to mark out the changing of seasons

No animals dwelt in the forests or fields
All life was extinct; its fate had been sealed

By the curse of a violent unstoppable flood
Mankind had been drowned in an ocean of blood

The next revelation was vivid and cruel
It depicted two swordsmen engrossed in a duel
The one held a sword that was silver and pure
The other a sword that was red to the core

They fought as the sun rose high in the sky
Their fight would not end until one of them died
No room did they have for an error to make
For the future of life was the trophy at stake

But one of the warriors flouted the rules
And with cunning and guile had the other one fooled
As he held up his hands in a gesture of peace
The silver opponent allowed this retreat

Then the man with the red sword attacked from behind
Left the silver sword fighter defeated and blind
Then carnage ensued that no man could condone
As the bloody red blade sliced through sinew and bone

All day did the swordsman attack without halt
Though the other lay dead from the frenzied assault
Until by the twilight and all that remained
Were the echoes of death and a fresh crimson stain

And so came the third of these unyielding visions
A picture of war and ferocious divisions
An army of saviors marching as one
Aware that the end had already begun

They arrived in a field, which was wide and expansive
They waited in silence both ready and pensive
The grassland was strewn with small crimson petals
Their fragrance was sweet with the stench of the devil

And slowly but surely they fell into sleep
Their consciousness gone as they slumped in defeat
And there they still lie bereft of their willpower
Brought to their knees by the strength of a flower

The three visions, the Mother Superior bore
A bitter forewarning of what was in store
This infant so frail must not grow to be strong
The world was at risk if she waited too long
So veiled by the blackness of night she did creep
And enter where mother and child were both asleep
And onwards she moved to where the crib lay
She leant over the baby and started to pray
She prayed for forgiveness for what she would do
She prayed that the knife in her hand would aim true
But all of a sudden she was now paralyzed
The baby daughter had opened her eyes

[Lead: Mike]

And into those eyes, the woman gazed
The look in her face was both haunted and crazed
She was smothered and swamped in confusion and sadness
The first to be gripped by this foul crimson madness
This brutal psychosis could not be explained
No one single cause was suggested or blamed
But no one could think that a child was involved
And the mystery illness remained unresolved

So all seemed as normal for seven short years
A veil of deception dissolved any fears
But there was one lapse in the child's disguise
And that could be seen in the depths of her eyes

The message could clearly be discovered there
In the glimpse of the universe found in her stare
Her gaze hypnotic, unbearably strong
Suspicions were growing, it wouldn't be long
Oh willing host who doth not know
The full desire of this prisoner
You walk where angels fear to go
Thou shalt soon embrace the reckoner

Now and then a question would be raised
Strong misgivings threatened to be voiced
But these were judgments wiser not to say
To doubt the child could prove to be a rash and deadly choice
By now the Crimson reign had proved too much
The monastery was shadowed under dread
But fear decreed that hostile thoughts be crushed
For the creature had the power to crawl inside your head
The mother in her darkest moment knew
The time had come for action to be taken

A journey must be made to hidden truths
She must return and read again the book she had forsaken

This tome presented many further views
Essential rules of power were revealed
And thus the pages offered up one clue
The child bore one significant Archilles Heel
Should the Crimson Queen be blinded, then powerless she'll be
Bereft of piercing vision, her victims will be free

Salvation lies in banishing this creature to the dark
Let not your hand be hesitant or death will be your mark
Lest regained sight should speed her flight away from burning hell
A steady heart must seal her back within her crimson cell

And thou who didst release this most vindictive enemy
Must serve to be her warder there for all eternity

One quiet night the lady traveled out beyond the monastery
Her quest was one of urgency and human preservation
She traveled with companions to reach the ruined city
Where lay the means to save her kind, a path to their salvation
When there they searched for evidence of where the Queen once slept
And came upon a gateway, which was tightly closed and barred
A stark inscription warned them of the risk of their next step
But choices were no more; they had already come too far

Let no man breach the gate to this most blasphemous of halls
Lest bitterness and chaos be the harvest they wouldst reap
He must n'er become a slave to this Child's beck and call
For she must never waken from her Crimson Sleep:

[Lead: Mike]

With fresh resolve the women carried on towards their goal
And found themselves a cell where crimson shade were scattered
A sight so dreadful it chilled their very souls
The cell had long been drained and all around the glass lay shattered

A movement in the shadows
A flash of blazing light
The child stood before them
With murder in her eyes
The women ran towards her
To try to stem the tide
Of purse and crimson anger
There was nowhere left to hide
Too slow was their reaction
They were thrown back off their feet
Their throats were filled with panic
As they stared as harsh defeat
Too weak was their protection
They couldn't staunch the trail
Of vitriol and vengeance
Meted out for this betrayal
So the mother's brave compatriots
Consumed with damning pain
Died writhing in the dirt
They were bleeding and insane
They'd looked into the child's eyes
And crumbled in despair
From images too hideous
For human minds to bear
Salvation lies in banishing
This creature to the dark
Let not your hand be hesitant
Or death will be your mark"
But there was still one single hope
No room for fear or doubt
The mother knew there was no choice
She had to end this now

She crawled across the bloodstained ground
Her eyes averted from the steely glare
But secretly she knew she'd found
A way beyond this nightmare

[Lead: Simon/Mike]

A few more seconds spanned the path
Between success or damnation
Mankind would face the aftermath speed
Of this deadly confrontation
Got to strike for the eyes
Leave the monster running blind
Go to cross the line
Got to strike for those unforgiving eyes

She veiled herself with trivial thought
A mask of insignificance
Her daughter failed to see beyond
The fabric of irrelevance

For a moment they were face to face
No sign of what was soon to be
But still her mind refused to break
Those thoughts must not be seen
Got to strike for the eyes
Leave the monster running blind
Go to cross the line
Got to strike for those unforgiving eyes

[Lead: Simon]

Striking hard, striking fast in desperation
The world around is filled with shades of red
Forced to stand in weak anticipation
As rivulets of blood run down the Child's head
The chamber fills with screams of violent rage
Of petulance and impotent frustration
Consumed with frenzied tidal waves of hate
The princess falls to earth in dark sedation

Her blindness stunts the growth of nascent power
That grows within her like some poisonous flower
The blade of darkness strikes her to the hilt
And so the flower inside begins to wilt
But time is short for action to be taken
No chance to dwell on pity or mistakes
No chance for dark excuses to be found
The moment of Salvation must be now!

Cast me to the crimson flames
Thou hast the power should I be blind
To overthrow my wicked reign
And throw me to the pit of time
Cast me to the crimson flames
Thou shalt bar the doors of hell
Incant these words of sacred rule
Seal me in my crimson cell

[Lead: Dan]

And thus was read the incantation
Voices echoed round and round
The woman smiled in weak elation
Mesmerized inside the sounds

[Lead: Dan]

And with these chants of higher lore
So mortal flesh began to fade
Soon child and mother were no more
Their earthly bodies now decayed

Cast me to the crimson flames
Thou shalt bar the doors of hell
Incant these words of sacred rule
Seal me in my crimson cell

[Lead: Mike]

And still inside the chamber stands
A single cell with crimson hue
Resealed by spoken word of Man
Imbued with power from spiritual Truth
Two souls imprisoned for eternity
Light and dark forever bound
Two souls that never can be freed
A pathway back will not be found
For trapped beyond some foolish reach
And far away from prying eyes

No channel now to lead or preach
No chance to influence or guide
The final sacrifice she took
Ensured the hope of the human race
And thus she holds the sacred book
A captive in her crimson space

Lest bitterness and chaos be the harvest they wouldst reap
For she must never waken from this Crimson Sleep

[Meat Puppet]

Slick Rick’s A Children’s Story. A young boy who perverts to a crooked lifestyle, and is eventually gunned down by the police.

EDIT: what the smurf?

[Shoeberto]

Jowy stole mine >:O

All Decembrists songs are fantastic stories, though. Eli the Barrow Boy tends to kill my soul when I think about it. Same with Play Crack the Sky by Brand New.

I think I'll quote Tonight Is The Night I Fell Asleep At The Wheel by Barenaked Ladies, though. It's a very interesting song.

Driving home to be with you
The highway's dividing, the city's in view
As usual, I'm almost on time
You're the last thing that's on my mind
I wish I could tell you the way that I feel
But tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel

No commotion, no screaming brakes
Most of it's over before I awake
From the ceiling, my coffee cup drips
While out my window, the horizon does flips
The worst part was hitting the ground -
Not the feeling so much as the sound
Can't help but wonder if all this is real
Cause tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel

Rubberneck traffic and passersby
And Slow Motion Walter the fire engine guy
Stand around with their mouths open wide
I heard some idiot ask if someone's inside
With the Jaws of Life they tried and they tried
Nobody here can know how I feel
Cause tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel

I guess it's over now
Cause I've never seen so much
Never seen so much, never seen so much
Never seen so much, never seen so much
I guess it's over now
Cause I've never seen so much
Never seen so much, never seen so much
Never seen so much, never seen so much
So much blood

In all the confusion, there's something serene
I'm just a posthumous part of the scene
Now I'm floating above looking in
As the radio blares and wheels spin
I can see my face slump with a grin
And you...you're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind
You're the last thing on my mind

edit: Man, I didn't even about rap songs. Gonna Be Your Man by MC Frontalot has a funny story. I guess that's all I can think of for that!

[Necronopticous]

<UL><LI><B>The Decemberists</B> - The Island</UL>
<CENTER><TABLE border="1" cellpadding="20" cellspacing="0" width="500"><TR><TD>1. Come and See

There's an island hidden in the sound
Lapping currents lay your boat aground
Affix your barb and bayonet
The curlews carve their arabesques
And sorrow fills the silence all around
Come and see

There's a harbor lost within the reeds
A jetty caught in overhanging trees
Among the bones of cormorants
No boot-mark here nor fingerprint
The rivers roll down to a soundless sea
Come and see

The tides all come and go witnessed by no waking eye
The willows mark the wind
And all we know for sure amidst this fading light
We'll not go home again
Come and see

In the lowlands, nestled in the heath
A briar-cradle rocks its babe to sleep
Its contents watched by Sycorax and Patagon in parallax
A foretold rumbling sounds below the deep
Come and see

Chorus

2. The Landlord's Daughter

As I was a-ramble down by the water
I spied in sable the landlord's daughter

I produced my pistol, then my saber
Said, "Make no whistle or thou will be murdered!"
She cursed, she shivered, she cried for mercy
"My gold and silver if thou will release me!"

"I'll take no gold, miss. I'll take no silver.
But I'll take those sweet lips and thou will deliver!"

3. You'll Not Feel the Drowning

I will dress your eyelids
W' dimes upon your eyes
Lay you close to water
Green your grave will rise

Go to sleep now, little ugly
Go to sleep now, you little fool
Forty winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning

Forget you once had sweethearts
They've forgotten you
Think you not on parents
They've forgotten too

Chorus

Hear you now the captain
Heave his sorrow'd cry
The weight upon your eyelids
Is dimes laid on your eyes</TD></TR></TABLE></CENTER>

[Kirobaito]

I'm going to go with something much less morbid and a little more humorous, though most guys would probably disagree with the morbid part.

<i>The Ballad of Lorena Bobbitt</i>
Tom Paxton

Oh, my wife's name is Lorena
And you really shoulda seen her
She's beautiful is what I always said
My name is John Wayne Bobbitt,
I work hard at my job it
was my right to have a little fun in bed.

Well, she wasn't in the mood then,
And I musta gotten rude then
And I guess I got a little out of line
I was finished, I was sleepin'
When Lorena came a-creepin'
And she took something important that was mine.

My angry little wifey
Took her little kitchen knifey
She did a little homemade surgery.
She took the knife I bought her
And made me a little shorter
She took off with the very best of me.

She hopped in her Toyota
And took off with my promoter
And she knew how much I missed her when she'd gone.
Then Lorena told a coppy
Where she'd flung my little floppy
And a very kindly doctor sewed it on.

I got back my little buddy
It's my little understudy
And it's going to work according to reports.
But it cowers and it cringes
And it's tender round the hinges
So I guess I better keep it in my shorts!

[Resha]

Lots of Dylan songs are stories; has to be "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" for me, though. It's quite sad, but oh-so-beautiful.

[q]The festival was over, the boys were all plannin' for a fall,
The cabaret was quiet except for the drillin' in the wall.
The curfew had been lifted and the gamblin' wheel shut down,
Anyone with any sense had already left town.
He was standin' in the doorway lookin' like the Jack of Hearts.

He moved across the mirrored room, "Set it up for everyone," he said,
Then everyone commenced to do what they were doin' before he turned their heads.
Then he walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin,
"Could you kindly tell me, friend, what time the show begins?"
Then he moved into the corner, face down like the Jack of Hearts.

Backstage the girls were playin' five-card stud by the stairs,
Lily had two queens, she was hopin' for a third to match her pair.
Outside the streets were fillin' up, the window was open wide,
A gentle breeze was blowin', you could feel it from inside.
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts.

Big Jim was no one's fool, he owned the town's only diamond mine,
He made his usual entrance lookin' so dandy and so fine.
With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place,
He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste.
But his bodyguards and silver cane were no match for the Jack of Hearts.

Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town,
She slipped in through the side door lookin' like a queen without a crown.
She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear,
"Sorry, darlin', that I'm late," but he didn't seem to hear.
He was starin' into space over at the Jack of Hearts.

"I know I've seen that face before," Big Jim was thinkin' to himself,
"Maybe down in Mexico or a picture up on somebody's shelf."
But then the crowd began to stamp their feet and the house lights did dim
And in the darkness of the room there was only Jim and him,
Starin' at the butterfly who just drew the Jack of Hearts.

Lily was a princess, she was fair-skinned and precious as a child,
She did whatever she had to do, she had that certain flash every time she smiled.
She'd come away from a broken home, had lots of strange affairs
With men in every walk of life which took her everywhere.
But she'd never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts.

The hangin' judge came in unnoticed and was being wined and dined,
The drillin' in the wall kept up but no one seemed to pay it any mind.
It was known all around that Lily had Jim's ring
And nothing would ever come between Lily and the king.
No, nothin' ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts.

Rosemary started drinkin' hard and seein' her reflection in the knife,
She was tired of the attention, tired of playin' the role of Big Jim's wife.
She had done a lot of bad things, even once tried suicide,
Was lookin' to do just one good deed before she died.
She was gazin' to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts.

Lily washed her face, took her dress off and buried it away.
"Has your luck run out?" she laughed at him, "Well, I guess you must
have known it would someday.
Be careful not to touch the wall, there's a brand-new coat of paint,
I'm glad to see you're still alive, you're lookin' like a saint."
Down the hallway footsteps were comin' for the Jack of Hearts.

The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair.
"There's something funny going on," he said, "I can just feel it in the air."
He went to get the hangin' judge, but the hangin' judge was drunk,
As the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk.
There was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts.

Lily's arms were locked around the man that she dearly loved to touch,
She forgot all about the man she couldn't stand who hounded her so much.
"I've missed you so," she said to him, and he felt she was sincere,
But just beyond the door he felt jealousy and fear.
Just another night in the life of the Jack of Hearts.

No one knew the circumstance but they say that it happened pretty quick,
The door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked.
And Big Jim was standin' there, ya couldn't say surprised,
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes.
She was with Big Jim but she was leanin' to the Jack of Hearts.

Two doors down the boys finally made it through the wall
And cleaned out the bank safe, it's said that they got off with quite a haul.
In the darkness by the riverbed they waited on the ground
For one more member who had business back in town.
But they couldn't go no further without the Jack of Hearts.

The next day was hangin' day, the sky was overcast and black,
Big Jim lay covered up, killed by a penknife in the back.
And Rosemary on the gallows, she didn't even blink,
The hangin' judge was sober, he hadn't had a drink.
The only person on the scene missin' was the Jack of Hearts.

The cabaret was empty now, a sign said, "Closed for repair,"
Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair.
She was thinkin' 'bout her father, who she very rarely saw,
Thinkin' 'bout Rosemary and thinkin' about the law.
But, most of all she was thinkin' 'bout the Jack of Hearts.[/q]

[Croyles]

Whip-crack went his Whoopy tail,
And the beast was done.

[Xander]

Oh yeah, and Tribute by Tenacious D is a great one, hehe I love funny stories more than serious ones maybe ^__^

[XxSephirothxX]

This is a song called Don't Turn Away (The YMCA Sportspark Anti-Massacre) by the band The Lost Trailers. It's kind of a country song, which is usually not my thing, but it's such an entertaining story you can't help but love it. I first heard it from a guy who lived in the town the band was from, and I believe the song is based on a true story.

Well, it was near dark-30 in the soccer field, we were a hundred strong and kids were coming still,
Up the drive of the Y Sportspark, to park beneath the trees.
I hadn't seen that many kids in one place since the Winger Concert or the dirt track race,
And I thought this was definitely the coolest thing that I'd ever seen in Albany.
We had Kodiak and we spit in the dirt, and watched the Senior girls in their skirts,
And prayed for the day when we had girls that looked good and drank beer.
Our lives were filled with nervous excitement as we waited for that epic fight,
Of Clint Cecil and Clay Taylor, and the history they'd make.

So don't turn away, you don't have to run; every day has a rising sun,
And one day yours is gonna come and take your blues away.
So don't turn away.

Cause when you're in ninth grade it's a big deal, to stand shoulder to shoulder on a soccer field,
With 18 year olds who are too preoccupied to punch you in the gut.
Yeah these people came for just one thing, to see Clay and Clint in this human ring,
Cause both guys were tough as nails, and roughest of the rough.
Well, Clay we didn't know so good cause he grew up outside our neighborhood,
But I guess I first heard of him in Merry Acres Middle School.
Some are just fighters, and Clay always was,
But he never used a knife or a gun,
He preferred to win or get beat on the strength of his will.
Consequently, Clint was notoriously known, for being bit by a rattlesnake in a berry grove,
He was only ten then, and he swelled up like a weather balloon.
But it couldn't kill him, it only hardened 'em a bit,
And after that he never took no stuff, and that'prob'ly why he and Clay met that afternoon.

So don't turn away, you don't have to run; every day has a rising sun,
And one day yours is gonna come and take your blues away.
So don't turn away.

Well, Clint and Clay should have never a fought, it was a lie that was started by my friends dad's daughter,
Which would usually be called a sister but she was more than that.
Cause his dad had an affair with my friend's mom's mother,
And had two kids, and maybe others, One was my friends uncle, and the other was his aunt.
So his quasi-aunt-step-sister-person had done a bad thing and worsened it,
By hitting Clay's parked car and starting a lie.
She was confused already with the way she was, and she didn't want to piss off the boy she loved,
Cause she had a crush on Clay since she was nine.
Which was something we didn't quite understand, cause girls dug Clay but he was an ugly man,
Much like us, so he gave us hope, or at least a fighting chance.
We just knew he wasn't someone to mess with, so it was no surprise when he got the message,
That he skipped his class and ran out in a rage.
He yelled, "Whichever dead man hit my car, you know what you did and you know who you are,
And if you was worth a damn, you'd fess up to what you did."
From the group of kids rose a shaking hand, it was the one of my friend's sister-aunt,
And she said, "Clay, I saw it all and it was Clint!"
Well, Clint yelled out, "You lyin' inbred!" and Clay cried, "You little punk, you're dead!
You meet me at the Y soccer fields a quarter after dark."
Clint said, "I didn't hit that piece of crap, but nobody talks to me like that,
And you're gonna wish you never called me out to that park."

So don't turn away, you don't have to run; every day has a rising sun,
And one day yours is gonna come and take your blues away.
So don't turn away, keep your toes on the line,
Keep your head up kid, everything will be fine.
Those bitter grapes are gonna turn to wine,
And wash your blues away. So don't turn away.

Well, dusk bit into the far horizon, it's teethmarks found a dust trail rising,
Across the clay alley towards the vending machines.
At first nobody really noticed, 'till the dustcloud hit the soccer goals,
Then some kid yelled, "Hey, I think that's Clay Taylor's Jeep!"
He was gunning it, with the hammer down,
And when he got near us he spun it around and stuck the brakes until the gravel bled.
And we all stared at disbelief at the strangest sight I'd ever seen,
A butt naked Clay Taylor, with pantyhose on his head.
Now, you've got to know what this meant to us, this was pre-Braveheart and William Wallace,
Clay was revolutionizing the art of war in 1991.
It was weird as hell, downright frightening, as he called for the man he was supposed to fight,
But who could know the horrorshow had only just begun.

So don't turn away, you don't have to run; every day has a rising sun,
And one day yours is gonna come and take your blues away.
So don't turn away.

We were shocked, speechless, the field was silent,
'till a growl pierced the air like a mountain lion's,
and got closer and closer shaking needles from the trees.
Kids were looking around, all confused, cause the sound grew near but there was still no view,
'Till the southside of the crowd let out in screams.
And the sea of people all around, parted to reveal a clown, running full speed with a chainsaw in his hands,
I'd never seen a clown in full sprint, then I realized "Hey, that's really Clint. And I do believe he aims to kill a man."
Now there is one thing scarier than a mad clown, that's a midget on crank and there ain't many around,
To be honest, I've never seen one in the real.
So the whole crowd got spooked and ran, and left a solitary man,
Standing in the middle of a trampled soccer field.

Well it really doesn't matter who won or lost, I can only say that Clint paid the cost,
Of an ill-fated rumor and a heart of pride.
It wasn't his fault how things turned out, he tried to have something that he was born without,
The kind of toughness a few like Clay keep trapped inside.
The kind that looks someone square in the eye, as he's rushin' at you in a clown disguise,
Brandishing a Yamaha chainsaw from his Daddy's toolshed.
And not flinchin' a bit, not bitin' yer lip,
Not quiverin' shiverin', or faking a limp.
Just spittin' out whiskey right there in the mud, and sayin' "Bring it on, son."
Well, that's the stuff you only see in Albany,
Clay might have been crazy but he was braver than any other SOB I've seen in all my years.
So when the taxman calls, or rent gets late,
Or we've played a show, and we didn't get paid,
I think, "Well it ain't no chainsaw bearing clown, so what do I got to fear."

So don't turn away, you don't have to run; every day brings a rising sun,
And one day yours is gonna come and take your blues away.
So don't turn away, keep your toes on the line,
Keep your head up kid, everything will be fine,
Those bitter grapes are gonna turn to wine,
And take your blues away.

[Lawr]

How about this?