Dark Avenger

(album: Battle Hymns - 1982)

He broke the laws of the elders
So they plucked out his eye,
Took his land and fortune,
Left him to die
Bound on the shoreline,
Left for the tide,
Sees his life-blood leaving...
Circling lower, the vultures fly
His bones may be broken
But the spirit can't die
And the Gods see his anguish
And give him a sign
From the floor of the ocean
The ship of the lost souls rise
And they take him where no one sleeps while the undead cry,
Where no one sleeps while the undead cry...
And in the world above
The elders sing,
On his land they live...
Let death's bell ring
Narration:
He was met at the gate of Hades
By the Guardian of the Lost Souls,
The Keeper of the Unavenged
And He did say to him:
"Let ye not pass
Abaddon
Return to the world
From whence you came
And seek payment
Not only for thy known anguish
But to vindicate the souls
Of the Unavenged"
And they placed in his hands
A sword
Made for him
Called: Vengeance
Forged in brimstone
And tempered
By the woeful tears of the Unavenged
And to carry him up on his journey
Back to the upper world
They brought forth
Their Demon horse
Called: Black Death
A grim steed
So fiercely might
And black in colour
That he could stand as one: Darkness...
Save from his burning eyes
of crimson fire
And on that night
They rode up from Hell
The pounding of his hooves
Did clap like thunder!

[Chorus:]
Burning, death, destruction
Raping the daughters and wives
In blood I take my payment
In full with their lives
No one can escape me
On Black Death I ride
When kissed by the sword of Vengeance
Your head lays there by your side
I take the lives of all that I once knew
The torn flesh of a slow death waits for you

[Chorus:]
Burning, death, destruction
Raping the daughters and wives
In blood I take my payment
In full with their lives
I spare not land or servants
My wake is smoke and flame
I take their wives and daughters
They stand there watching, watching
Hoping to get my life
But when I'm through they know that they must pay

[Chorus:]
Burning, death, destruction
Raping the daughters and wives
In blood I take my payment
In full with their lives
With their lives
With their lives
With their lives