I met a man in black upon the road, the road
With bluest eyes above his raven coat, his coat
His store of tales I bade him share with me, with me
In a tavern on the road before the sea
How shall I tell what I've seen, what I've seen?
How shall I tell what I've seen?
I saw the King of Darkness take a bride, a bride
While all the fallow fields around him died, they died
She kissed him in the shadow wood and weeds, the weeds
With lips that taste of pomegranate seeds
Some mad echoes of the rushing wind, the wind
Bring her mother to the river's end, its end
Where once were fields and everything that grows, that grows
The naked earth weeps crystals as she goes
How shall I tell what I've seen?
I saw her weave the garments of the world, the world
A mantle of the fields, the green unfurled, unfurled
With gentle hands she weaves the fire he brings, he brings
A courtesan, anointer of the king
With silken bonds she holds the king enthralled, enthralled
A thousand tales she weaves him after all, after all
Gold her shears, high the mighty throne, the throne
Ere his palace tumbles to the stones
How shall I tell what I've seen?
A thousand weary travellers have I seen, have I seen,
In this brave world and all of those between, between
To each of them I stop and raise a glass, a glass
And toast their absent fire as they pass
And I raise a glass here, sister of the wise, the wise
To the spark of moonlight twinkling in your eyes, your eyes
That when I go you'll tell a tale of me, of me
With lips that taste of pomegranate seeds
Lips that taste of pomegranate seeds
How shall I tell what I've seen?
credits
from Distilled,
released June 24, 2018
Music & Lyrics: Myra Hope Eskridge
Arranged: Alembic
Mixing: Joel Edinburg, www.joeledinberg.com
Alembic is mystic-folk and medieval sounds for the modern city. Myra Hope Eskridge and Johanna Bobrow combine harp, violin, and voice to weave songs dark and light, both old and new.
More folk-inflected confessionals on love, loss, and anxiety — plus a Kacey Musgraves cameo —from the Nashville indie pop auteur. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 11, 2024