In The Beginning
On April 28, 2011 by Moonlit KnightThis is the song that started it all: Dancing With The Moonlit Knight from the album Selling England By The Pound by Genesis recorded in 1973.
I never did manage to see Genesis live while Pete Gabriel was in it so I missed all this theatricality.
Lyrics
“Can you tell me where my country lies?”
said the unifaun to his true love’s eyes.
“It lies with me!” cried the Queen of Maybe
– for her merchandise, he traded in his prize.
“Paper late!” cried a voice in the crowd.
“Old man dies!” The note he left was signed ‘Old Father Thames’
– it seems that he’s drowned;
selling england by the pound.
Citizens of Hope & Glory,
Time goes by – it’s “the time of your life”.
Easy now, sit you down.
Chewing through your Wimpey dreams,
they eat without a sound;
digesting england by the pound.
Young man says “you are what you eat” – eat well.
Old man says “you are what you wear” – wear well.
You know what you are, you don’t give a damn;
bursting your belt that is your homemade sham.
The Captain leads his dance right on through the night
– join the dance…
Follow on! Till the Grail sun sets in the mould.
Follow on! Till the gold is cold.
Dancing out with the moonlit knight,
Knights of the Green Shield stamp and shout.
There’s a fat old lady outside the saloon;
laying out the credit cards she plays Fortune.
The deck is uneven right from the start;
and all of their hands are playing apart.
The Captain leads his dance right on through the night
– join the dance…
Follow on! A Round Table-talking down we go.
You’re the show!
Off we go with – You play the hobbyhorse,
I’ll play the fool.
We’ll tease the bull
ringing round & loud, loud & round.
Follow on! With a twist of the world we go.
Follow on! Till the gold is cold.
Dancing out with the moonlit knight,
Knights of the Green Shield stamp and shout.
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