Strawbs - The Vision Of The Lady Of The Lake lyrics
rate meThe boatman rose to the sound of his heartbeat<br />
Loud in the silent approach of the dawn<br />
He glanced through the window at mist on the lake<br />
Which hung like a shroud in the still of the morn<br />
The silver cobwebs spun with the dew<br />
Hung from the bushes in filigree splendour<br />
And water lilies asleep on the lake<br />
Were reflected so delicate, tranquil and tender.<br />
<br />
The boat man sighed as he strode through the woods<br />
To the place where his boat lay moored to a stake<br />
The hollow sound as his footsteps echoed<br />
Until the sound was lost on the lake<br />
He cast off, poling the boat from the shore<br />
Peering a head through damp clinging haze<br />
He thought that he saw strange swirling shapes<br />
A trick on the eyes that the mist often plays.<br />
<br />
So intent was the boatman on crossing the lake<br />
That he failed to notice the current that flowed<br />
Leading his boat from familiar parts<br />
He was firmly, yet somehow unknowingly, towed<br />
All at once the mist seemed to lift<br />
Sufficient to show the boatman a pool<br />
That he'd never seen in the whole of his life<br />
Unnaturally deep, black and silent, and cool.<br />
<br />
The boatman's shirt clung to his back<br />
He was sweating both from exertion and fear<br />
He had the sensation that someone was watching<br />
He felt the presence of somebody near<br />
An invisible force prevented him moving<br />
The strength of his arms was utterly sapped<br />
The twisted bushes converged round the lake<br />
Like a fish in a net he was trapped.<br />
<br />
Suddenly out of the water before him<br />
The wraith-like form of a maiden appeared<br />
Clad in shimmering radiant robes<br />
The maiden materialised as she neared<br />
The hair which finely crowned her head<br />
Was a halo of golden reflecting the sun<br />
All of the beautiful women of time<br />
Were formed all at once into one.<br />
<br />
She handed the boatman the sword she was holding<br />
Which flashed irridescent before his eyes<br />
Excalibur surely was hardly a match<br />
For a sword that simple description defies<br />
The boatman stood transfixed by her gaze<br />
Which reached to the depths of his very soul<br />
To he who could conquer the evils of life<br />
She offered herself as a whole.<br />
<br />
The maiden vanished before his gaze<br />
Leaving him clutching the sword in his fist<br />
The hairs on the nape of his neck seemed to stiffen<br />
A creature approached him from out of the mist<br />
It was powerful, huge and yet stupid indeed<br />
For it held right back and failed to attack<br />
The boatman struck at its small stupid eyes<br />
And it crashed to the ground and lay on its back.<br />
<br />
Without a warning the sky seemed to blacken<br />
As though the sun were in total eclipse<br />
The boatman crouched low as a vast eagle swooped<br />
And a horrified cry escaped from his lips<br />
It strutted before him with pride in its bearing<br />
Admiring its talons both vicious and cruel<br />
Taking advantage the boatman struck fast<br />
And the eagle slid to the depths of the pool.<br />
<br />
The terrified boatman tried moving his boat<br />
But his pole had grown roots in the watery deep<br />
The bank grew alive with the coils of a snake<br />
And all you could hear was its slither and creep<br />
It cast an envious stare at the boatman<br />
Slid into the water and swam to the boat<br />
He stood hypnotised by its green jealous eyes<br />
As it came from the water and coiled round his throat.<br />
<br />
As its coils tightened slowly his breath came in gasps<br />
As he choked so he lifted the sword in despair<br />
As the snake was still gloating he severed its head<br />
And in death the snake's coils thrashed wild in the air<br />
The boatman wiped the sweat from his brow<br />
His heart was pounding as never before<br />
His eyes like a lizard's tongue darted around<br />
Not daring to rest for a minute or more.<br />
<br />
An involuntary shiver went up his spine<br />
As he heard the sound of eerie howls<br />
A wolf appeared on the banks of the pool<br />
Saliva dripped from its loathsome jowls<br />
Hatred smouldered deep in his eyes<br />
Which glowed like coals from Hades fire<br />
It seemed to grow as it crouched and snarled<br />
And watched as the boatman began to tire.<br />
<br />
It was almost as though the wolf had learned<br />
For it did not attack as the others had done<br />
But bided its time until the moment was right<br />
And sprang as the boatman stared into the sun<br />
But the boatman too had learned to hold back<br />
And holding his sword as though a knife<br />
He plunged it deep into the wolf's heart<br />
Then fell to his knees and prayed for his life.<br />
<br />
As he felt a hand on his shoulder he whirled<br />
To find the maiden by his side<br />
She smiled and the world seemed to open before him<br />
He tried to speak but his tongue was tied<br />
You must plunge the sword deep into my heart<br />
Lest I should crumble into dust<br />
She offered the boatman the meaning of life<br />
And love, if he could but conquer lust.<br />
<br />
She bared her breasts before his eyes<br />
The boatman still was stricken dumb<br />
He flung the sword back into the water<br />
Back to the depths from which it had come<br />
The water around him began to boil<br />
The maiden began to wither away<br />
His boat was swamped as the creatures arose<br />
And evil lived for another day.
