I. GOOD EVENING
(interlude)
II. TALES FROM THE GREAT WARS
Hear our tale now, a soldier's story
And his quest for the source of glory
When a lad he had heard it spoken
By an elder both scarred and broken
Warrior of the legion
He had journeyed to the frontier
And had fought bravely
But was wounded, then awarded
For deeds and actions in the fray
He was swept away when hearing
Of the great wars
Not content with the veteran's rambling
Sought he tales of great men, who gambling
In a game of man's decimation
Won the crowns of their conquering nations
Armies marching ever in his young mind
There were great towers, bastions of evil
And the people cried for heroes who would lay siege
And bring them down
He was swept away when hearing
Of the great wars
"I will lead the charge one day," he swore
Dreaming of the day he would make war
Youth soon was spent, came the time to enlist
Rome forged his shield and the sword in his fist
Now at last war is come
And he dreams that he'll find sweet glory here
In the ranks he stands firm
Up ahead, coming fast, the enemy
"Hold the line! Here they come!"
Bearded ones, angry sons, screaming
See his sword rise and fall
Now a man, no more time for dreaming
Fair haired daughters of the land will
Come down and kiss the feet
Of the hero
Laurels, medals they will bestow on
Him who carried battle to the foe
Hero!
Now a captain, and decorated
Back to Rome where the elder waited
There to query the young commander
"Where but battle was glory grander?"
"Glory? You deceived me
I saw nothing in the great battle
If not for killing and much slaughter
Now in dreaming I see the faces
Of those I killed
He was swept away when hearing
Of the great wars
III. ONE KING
So the elder had filled
His head with tales
And led him wrong, led him wrong
Thus the quest for glory
Was put aside
But not for long, not for long
For many a night he awoke with a fright but
Time heals all wounds
So the question remained
And unresolved
As days went by, months went by
And the feeling retained
Was something hard
To classify, classify
Suspicion of something
Majestic and full of wonder
The tugging of fate, to seek out the great
When none around him
Showed themselves
Worthy of
Following
Came the time
Dreams were born
Visions of
One man,
One King,
One Man
IV. FURTHER UP AND FURTHER IN
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Looked for glory in the war
But his spirit longed for more
Cried for something that would last
So he searched for glory past
Scanning tomes of ancient lore
Finding gods from days of yore
So his questing turned from men
Further up and further in
Thus his heart would leap within
Further up and Further in
Closer than he’d ever been
Further up and further in
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He could hear it in the songs
That lovers write and singers sing
Something in the writings of
A prophet and a poet king
There was glory to be had
But only on some distant day
When the greatest son of man
The son of God would lead the way
Here was something worthy of
Pursuing and without delay
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So the soldier reckoned he had heard from God
Surely God had called him from some lofty realm on high
Off to the temples now
Search Him out
But a snare was planted there
Pleasing to the eye
Priestess, beauty
Show me -- glory
Priestess, beauty
Show me -- glory
Oh my heart finds true love
I’ll end my quest for you
Happiness
Did you find it in her arms
Did you sense it in her spirit
Joy like a shadow
Found in her dark embrace
Tell me
Did you promise her the moon
Pledge to her the sunshine
Here on the front line
Where you had fought to free her soul
Where is the warrior
He has lost his sword and
Fallen at the feet of love
Hey now
Did you find that which you longed for
The thing which you called glory
What is the story
Have you forgotten all that you’d learned
Where is the warrior
He has lost his sword and
Fallen at her feet
So she spoke of the hidden things
Elder gods and the fairy kings
That dance in the groves
Bathed in the moonlight they sing
So you had to see for yourself
Now you’ll have to admit to yourself
What waited in dusky dales
Were nothing but fairy tales
And to think you nearly had it once
The hope of glory calls to everyone
Each of us
Who yearning
Will listen
Came the time to bid her farewell
Came the time to be rid of her spell
The ways of a warrior
Are seldom forgotten for long
Say good-bye to hearth and home
Heed the call and return to Rome
Take up the sword once more
And sail to some foreign shore
V. INTERMISSION
(interlude)
VI. MUSIC FOR FOUR HANDS (AND TEMPORAL ANOMOLY)
(instrumental)
VII. A CUP OF TREMBLING
Why
Why do I search for the reasons
Never content just to be
Something is waiting and something is near
Not found in battle and not found in love
Of the earthly sort
These won’t last
Mere shadows of glory
God
Here stands a man who can claim such
What sort of madness is this
Here in Judea- a land full of prophets
And quoters of scriptures
A carpenter’s son has the gall to claim
He is God
The keeper of glory
I’d hoped to find glory
But never like this
See, I thought I could win it
Thought I could make for myself a crown
I would find what I sought at the point of my spear
Yet this man, he speaks so clearly
Heaven, Heaven, and only there
I’ll find what I need
I’ll find what we’ve all lost
That kingdom called glory
No! Maybe I just need to grow up
Starting to sound rather mad
Melodramatic, a hopeless romantic
Just like the rabble, the poor and the blind
They follow him
They can keep him
This won’t last
And this isn’t glory
I’d hoped to find glory
But never like this
I thought I could win it
What I yearn for
Somehow earn more
I’m a soldier and a Roman
And a champion of the law
Yet this man, he speaks so clearly
Heaven, Heaven, there and only there
VIII. CENTURION
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Unto us a child is born
A son is given
Counselor and mighty God
Father
Prince of Peace
Holy Savior
God
Clothed in flesh
He walked among us
Yet, he was nailed to a tree
And the spear of the Roman
Pierced holy flesh
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Rome decrees the King must die
By your spear, a sacrifice
Here your quest for glory ends
For God walks among mankind
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IX. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG
Here I stand
And I’m waiting on something
Night has fallen on me
And the shadows flicker shapes of something
I don’t want to see
All round, not a sound but my heartbeat
All alone, I should have known I am fated so
I wait for some certainty
I wait for eternity
Came the last night and the watch was his
Standing guard at the tomb of a fallen King
And he thought to himself as he cried
“Oh no! Look what I’ve done!”
Ever he thought that the spear was the way
So by its point he’d heap glory upon himself
Like the ancients of Greece and of Rome
Slaying dragons and kings
So he found that the spear would fly true
Straight to the side of the King of the Universe
Poor man, he knows what he’s done
Came the last night and sorrow reigned as king
The kingdom of his heart
A weary broken heart
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Angels descend in light
Came down to kill the night
And then with mighty voices
They shout love of their King
All Heaven rising now
All Heaven singing now
And so the very stars
Give voice to the victory song
“Death is defeated
Death is defeated
Death is defeated
Roll away! Roll away!
Roll away the stone!”
Here is glory
Oh, that the King would give His life
That mankind would grow
That mankind could know
Know Heaven
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Sunshine in the morning sky
Descending from on high
Fierce creatures wrapped in light
Their faces burning bright
Our soldier fears the worst
Fate has bound him a mighty curse
For with glory in his grasp
(He slew the thing he sought)
Here stands Love by an empty grave
That soldier he seeks to save
Is nothing less than every man - every soul
Sons of Adam - daughters of Eve
That’s why we hear him shout
Born to glory, we turn about
And face the Final king - and then we make our choice
rejoice!
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X. GOODNIGHT
(interlude)
XI. HEROES AND DRAGONS
Something has called to us all of our days
Whispering of glory and glorious ways
Someone has reached from an infinite space
Found in our hearts the most secretive place
Planted a vision though not clearly seen
For mankind is fallen
There is a yearning in every heart
Reminding us all who we were from the start
Destined for more than our earthly estate
Heaven may beckon though we're doomed to wait
And so we may search for what truth we can find
For mankind is fallen
There is a dragon as real as can be
Conquered mankind with the fruit of the tree
And he sees the truth of who we're meant to be
Searching for someone that calls from above
A hero to follow, who worthy of love
Has risen from death and then rolled back the stone
Holds high the sword and then urges us on
To put down the dragon we've served all along
For mankind is fallen
