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Charlemagne Lyrics
The manager is waiting to be paid
Along with priests and deacons of his court
A quartermaster, quite a man, a mistress of the line
Has found a last cent avenue of pain
A Mardi Gras just passed this way a while ago
Making hungry people of us all
Along the Mississippi you can hear the fiddlers play
Fandangos and boleros to the lord
Many times, many tried,
Simple stories are the best
Keep in mind, the wishful kind,
Don't wanna be like all the rest.
My uncle was a vicar in the big parade
Selling fountain pens that never write
San Sebastian gamblers never cheat nor lie
They know good fences make good neighbours
I wish I knew what time of year it was What kind of people will be there When gruesome tales of two cities ran Running all the way Father might have heard his prayers were answered Inhibitions all the way from home Consider now, consider then before the deed is done The blood of consolation runs so true Many times, many tried, Simple stories are the best Keep in mind, the wishful kind, Don't wanna be like all the rest
Along with priests and deacons of his court
A quartermaster, quite a man, a mistress of the line
Has found a last cent avenue of pain
Making hungry people of us all
Along the Mississippi you can hear the fiddlers play
Fandangos and boleros to the lord
Simple stories are the best
Keep in mind, the wishful kind,
Don't wanna be like all the rest.
Selling fountain pens that never write
San Sebastian gamblers never cheat nor lie
They know good fences make good neighbours
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I have never known what this song is about exactly, but the words are evocative, there is a storyline in there. Cale takes literary ideas from classical European history and mixes them with American images. The court of King Charlemagne of France in a song set in America pilgrim fathers in a new world. What it means exactly doesn't matter to me, the tunes are strong, that is the beauty of his music some arcane poetry set to lovely melodies from piano and steel guitar.