of the wedding guests Stay here and listen to the nightmares of the Sea
And the music plays on, as the bride passes by Caught by his spell and the Mariner tells his tale.
Driven south to the land of the snow and ice To a place where nobodys been Through the snow fog flies on the albatross Hailed in Gods name, hoping good luck it brings.
And the ship sails on, back to the North Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on
The mariner kills the bird of good omen His shipmates cry against what hes done
But when the fog clears, they justify him And make themselves a part of the crime.
Sailing on and on and North across the sea Sailing on and on and North till all is calm
The albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse a thirst has begun His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner About his neck, the dead bird is hung.
And the curse goes on and on at sea And the curse goes on and on for them and me.
"Day after day, day after day, we stuck nor breath nor motion As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean Water, water everywhere and all the boards did shrink Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink."
[SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1798-1834)]
There, calls the mariner there comes a ship over the line But how can she sail with no wind in her sails and no tide.
See... onward she comes Onwards she nears, out of the sun See... she has no crew She has no life, wait but theres two
Death and she Life in Death, they throw their dice for the crew She wins the Mariner and he belongs to her now. Then ... crew one
by the star dogged moon, too quick for groan or sigh Each turned his face with a ghastly pang and cursed me with his eye Four times fifty living men (and I heard nor sigh nor groan), With heavy tramp, a lifeless lump, they dropped down one
And then a boat came sailing towards him It was a joy he could not believe The Pilots boat, his son and the hermit Penance of life will fall onto Him.
And the ship it sinks like lead into the sea And the hermit shrieves the mariner of his sins
The Mariners bound to tell of his story To tell his tale wherever he goes To teach Gods word by his own example That we must love all things that God made.
And the wedding guests a sad and wiser man And the tale goes on and on and on.