Wintermute   -  Song Page

Tags: 1187 AD   70s Era Progressive   Digital Kingdoms   Hospitaller   Knightly Orders  

Envisions a lone Hospitaller knight surviving the debacle at the Battle of "The horns of Hattin" (July 4 1187). Hear as the sun beats him down despite his prayers...

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A Hospitaller Knight (An order of Knights founded during the Crusades) lies dying on the battle field after a great defeat--Jerusalem is soon to be lost. A murder of Crows compete for the flesh of a fallen Templar Knight near by, The air hangs hang heavy with death. The song opens as the Hospitaller is praying to god to protect him and let him return to his Order and defend Jerusalem. A wind sweeps over the battle field and lifts the Knight high into the air--soon he is set upon his great steed heading toward the Holy City. He hold his sword outward as he races toward the shimmering gates of the City--The Brothers of his Order thunder behind him a thousand strong! As the Gates of the City are neared, the gates turn to Pearl and Gold.
The gates open to welcome him; Towers of Ivory rise out of the sand, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand to usher his Holy deed--Defend Jerusalem. As he nears the threshold of the Gate the Ivory towers darken and crumble, the Pearl fades to sand--The thunder of his brothers behind him fade to wind. His steed stumbles to the ground nearly crushing him under its great weight. The Knight tumbles to the ground broken and confused--The City fades to sand and crows. His eyes close as he exhales his final breath--The glorious ride but an Illusion of his dying mind...



Early in the song the knight utters the Lords Prayer in Latin with a French accent. The sun beats down on him (the strong Prophet lines at 1:22. At 3:41 he falls to the ground uttering the prayer still--at 3:41 the Kingdom of Heaven appears before him as he mounts his horse to ride into the opening gates characterize by the Hammond B4(NI version of B3) lines at 5:58 the vision erodes into sand and wind as he falls to his knees again sick with delirium--this begins the "harsh" bass and piano at 6:40 as he slowly fades toward deaths waiting arms...at 7:12 any hope and faith he has dies away...remainder--sun beats over the land scape of the dead, his survival in the beginning, a mere illusion as he has never left the battle field...