Rite of Passage

Rite of Passage
Words & Music: Conn MacNeill
(edited by Cynan)


In Hyberia born to a father full worthy
Who died fighting Normans with a sword in his hand.
My schooling was then taken up by my uncle
A pirate more clever than the scholars of France.

He said,
I've seen a horse, a fine Andalus stallion,
I've seen a blade of the good Spanish steel
I've seen a bonnet of Rhineland gilt iron,
And a cunning wrought hauberk from over the sea
I've seen them all, I've seen them all-a-all.
I've seen them all in my travels at sea.

The plunder by law, it all went to my uncle
fair weapons and armour were all he gave me
but I drank French wine as a knight spoke of tourney
And the fine things and glories that waited for me.

He said,
You want a horse, a fine Andalus stallion,
You want a blade of the good Spanish steel
The bonnet for thee is of Rhineland gilt iron,
And a cunning wrought hauberk from over the sea.
You'll have them all, You'll have them all-a-all,
You'll have them all if you come back with me.

So I went with the knight for my heart was a lion's
But I had no skill with the horse or the lance
Through the pain and the shame of my training I chanted
When my head hit the ground, or I stumbled at dance.

I'll have a horse, a fine Andalus stallion,
I'll have a blade of the good Spanish steel
I'll have a bonnet of Rhineland gilt iron,
And a cunning wrought hauberk from over the sea.
I'll have them all, I'll have them all-a-all,
I'll have them all when I've mastered these deeds.

The tournament field held both demons and angels
Men well-scarred and ruthless and ladies full fair
My horse and my armour were much cause for laughter
But I laughed right back when I saw the knights there

For
One sat a horse a fine Andalus stallion,
One girt a blade of the good Spanish steel,
Another donned a bonnet of Rhineland gilt iron,
And a cunning wrought hauberk from over the sea
I'll have them all, I'll have them all-a-all,
I'll have them all when I've won them from thee

My hauberk has warded a dozen barbed arrows
My stallion with hoofs shod in iron fells three
The blow of an Emir is turned on my bonnet
My blade swift as lightening flies straight at his teeth

For,
I have a horse, a fine Andalus stallion,
I have a blade of the good Spanish steel
I have a bonnet of Rhineland gilt iron,
And a cunning wrought hauberk from over the sea.
I have them all, I have them all-a-all,
I have them all, all his lands left to me

My fief on the marches looks east on Damascus
A holding fit only for the fierce and the bold
And I need strong vassals with hearts like a lion's
To help me bring back what the caravans hold.

And,
You'll have a horse, a fine Andalus stallion
You'll have a blade of the good Spanish steel
You'll have a bonnet of Rhineland gilt iron
And a cunning wrought hauberk from over the sea.
You'll have them all, You'll have them all-a-all You'll have them all, all the spoils of the east

You'll have them all, You'll have them all-a-all
You'll have them all, if you come back with me.

( to the music of "Bohemian Stairway to the Hills" )

Holy Cow, That's one Long-Ass Song
One might wonder when it might end
It lingers, it stretches, it goes on and on
The audience may wander off to tend
Its cattle, its crops before summer ends

Holy Cow, That's one Long-Ass Song
Remembering it all boggles the mind
How could you not screw up one rime
Writing all of it down onto paper
Would turn the Amazon into the Saharer

( Hurdy-gurdy solo )

Holy Cow, That's one Long-Ass Song
Holy Cow, That's one Long-Ass Song
Holy Cow, That's one Long-Ass Song

( fade out to a scene of bagpipers who, frankly,  could have chosen a less windy hilltop for their video if they wanted to keep their Family rating  )

Hehe, you're right Guibourg, I have been thinking the same thing, and thinking about which verses to trim, because it IS a long assed song....


But who or what is Saharer?

The Sahara Desert

Good thing I didn't use paper :-)

I just realized that this song can effectively become two songs. More on this to follow.

I just cut out a few verses... like 4 or so.... still long but more manageable, smae story, but your mind has to make a a leap when the hero wins the prizes, I figure it kinda goes without saying.... what do you think? Better this way?

and anther one cut!

I found this on you tube... based on the original chords... ben a while since i jeard teh origional...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cwuPm0hB4s