al stewart • peter white
Besides comfortable listening, Al Stewart's music is often a journey through history and mythology, due to a lifelong passion. He's credited the origin of the genre "historical folk-rock". This song is a lighter side of this, and from his ninth studio album "24 Carrots" (1980), co-written with Peter White, the leader of his new band at that time: Shot in the Dark. Beware, that THIS Merlin is NOT the Magician at the Court of the legendary King Arthur, but the one who appears in "Five Denials On Merlin's Grave", published 1979, written by Robin Williamson (former Incredible String Band).
and I think of you now as a dream that I had long ago
in a kingdom lost to time
in the forest of evening the archer is bending a bow
and I see you bring him bread and wine
down the legions of years the invaders have taken this land
and bent you to their will
and the memories fade of the ancients and all that they had
though the magic lingers round you still
oh who would walk the stoney roads of Merlin's time
and keep the watch along the borderline
and who would hear the legends passed in song and rhyme
upon the shepherd pipes of Merlin's time
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
Am G F Em Dm and I think of you now as a dream that I had long ago C F G in a kingdom lost to time Am G F Em Dm in the forest of evening the archer is bending a bow C F G E and I see you bring him bread and wine Em Am G Am G Dm oh who would walk the stoney roads of Merlin's time Em Am G Dm Am and keep the watch along the borderline Em Am G Am G Dm and who would hear the legends passed in song and rhyme Em Am G Dm Am upon the shepherd pipes of Merlin's time
