Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Shakespeare’s Lost Song Lyrics

I bought a box of junk at a yard sale and at the bottom I found a batch of parchment being held together by paper clips and rubber bands. When I unfolded them I discovered they were song lyrics written by the bard himself, William Shakespeare. It turns out Shakespeare was ahead of his time musically as well as with the written word. He wrote songs in many different genres. Check these lyrics out:

Heavy Metal

Devil, Steal My Life


Death, thy sting produces mortal wounds
upon my flesh.
Off this blackened coil I must flee,
a rose in my hand for you.
Where art thou, devil, a hoof for my soul,
and horn for my all-seeing eye.
Dost thou allow thyself humor at my expense,
for there is my might.

By another name blood still flows in ribbons.
Any other name bespoke is still blood.
Beyond my countenance, devil, steal my life.


Rap

What Dost Thou Say?


What dost thou say, woman of low quality?
What dost thou say?
What dost thou say, man of uncoupled birth?
What dost thou say?

These are my words arranged in a rhyme
I am a troubadour lost out of time
Say what name is thou low-formed female
I am a ram of power, bull of spirit, a high born he-male

Hear me, see me, allow me room to move
My especial dreams bring you to hove
Feel me, lest all the world break me down
My name is a taste on your tongue that I own

Blues

The Baying of the Hounds


I dost lost my hound today,
yea, and a woman too.
I dost lost my best hound today,
verily my woman has gone as well.
I rue this day and the sun that rose because of it.

Where have mine coins gone?
I am bereft.
Where, oh where, didst mine coins go?
I am lost.
I wish to return to whence I had value.

Keep these dogs of violent refrain.
I shout to the abraded heavens to
keep thou dogs for work of the devil’s hand
and leave me to mine own council.


Now if I could just get Patrick Stewart to record these songs . . .

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