When Knighthood Was in Flower

 When Knighthood was in flower

The knights were saintly men

They put bubblegum on their lances

And jousted with finger zen

They put iron pants on their ladies

To keep their heart-throbs pure

When they went off with Sancho Panza

To find a midnight cure

The street scenes at night were haunted

The peasants were the honest mass

The kings were their dear fathers

The priests a decent working class

In the bars and in the nightclubs

All night long they sang

Outside the high walls you could hear them

Came the dawn and still the echoes rang

2

In his study we see the doctor

Who nursed them through the plague

With one eye on their suffering

The other eye kind of vague

He tries to turn away their blessings

He knows there was no cure

His medicine was his prayer book

Only the strong ones did endure

And the smell of sulfur from the backroom

Proves that any faith can lag

He knows he is only equal

To the one who wears the killer`s tag

And he swears to give his best to evil

In return for a moment`s grace

He turns his back on the Holy Bible

And greets the devil face to face

3

When the thief and the barber

Agreed to trim the knave

They didn`t know that his saber

Was stuck up in his sleeve

Now the thief is known as "Lefty"

And the barber needs a shave

While the knave raps Rune tunes

In the baron`s cabaret

Well the baroness is fanning

And sneaking looks his way

The knave eyes her mood ring

As in baritone does bray

"The cheese and wine are delicious

I work real hard for my pay

But the baron soon will be sleeping

That`s the time I really play."

4

In his lair the pimpled dragon

Still bears a torch for his love

He probes the lower hillside

With field glasses from above

He only learned in college

That he hates to be alone

When he spies a certain maiden

He knows what must be done

Meanwhile his brother Sheldon

Is fighting for equal pay

If St. George can drive a Porsche

Sheldon needs a Chevrolet

And the maiden and the dragon

Got wed just yesterday

They plan to have six children

And a home right across the bay

5

And I`m on the street to witness

The coming of an age

The children walk in sunflowers

Their parents mock outrage

Philosophers answer questions

They just get paid minimum wage

They get one second to ponder

To be thought of as wise and sage

The rulers get themselves elected

Once they`ve answered duty`s page

They get only two chances

To be up on center stage

And I have the choice of guitar

Or learning of the plumber's trade

But I never get to plunder

Those who`ve rained on my parade