Whisky for my men, beer for my horses!

[Vurt]

When I think of the quintessential "paladin song", I immediately think Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around". If you haven't heard it, dig around for a copy.

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder: One of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." And I saw. And behold, a white horse.

[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There's a man goin' 'round takin' names. An' he decides who to free and who to blame. Everybody won't be treated all the same. There'll be a golden ladder reaching down. When the man comes around.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The hairs on your arm will stand up. At the terror in each sip and in each sup. For you partake of that last offered cup, Or disappear into the potter's ground. When the man comes around.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers. One hundred million angels singin'. Multitudes are marching to the big kettle drum. Voices callin', voices cryin'. Some are born an' some are dyin'. It's Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree. The virgins are all trimming their wicks. The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Till Armageddon, no Shalam, no Shalom. Then the father hen will call his chickens home. The wise men will bow down before the throne. And at his feet they'll cast their golden crown. When the man comes around.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still. Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still. Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still. Listen to the words long written down, When the man comes around.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers. One hundred million angels singin'. Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettle drum. Voices callin', voices cryin'. Some are born an' some are dyin'. It's Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree. The virgins are all trimming their wicks. The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In measured hundredweight and penny pound. When the man comes around.

[/font]​

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts, And I looked and behold: a pale horse. And his name, that sat on him, was Death. And Hell followed with him.
​

[/font]
​

 

[jayaint]

There's a nu-metal, hard rock band that has some very close ties to their Eastern European roots (but I can't remember their name right now) but most of their radio-released songs remind me of what the Germanic barbarians would sings as they rode to war against the no-good Roman dogs...picture the first scene from "Gladiator" but with a strained sing-songy "Why have you forsaken me?" followed up by pounding drums and crunching guitar.

it sticks in my mind.

-jay

 

[Gunton The Terrible]

John Fogerty - "The Old Man Down The Road"

He take the thunder from the mountain, he take the lightning from the sky,
He bring the strong man to his begging knee, he make the young girl's mama cry.

You got to hidey-hide, you got to jump and run;
You got to hidey-hidey-hide, the Old Man is down the road.

He got the voices speak in riddles, he got the eye as black as coal,
He got a suitcase covered with rattlesnake hide, and he stands right in the road.

You got to hidey-hide, you got to jump up run away;
You got to hidey-hidey-hide, the Old Man is down the road.

Aaah!

He make the river call your lover, he make the barking of the hound,
Put a shadow 'cross the window, when the Old Man comes around.

You got to hidey-hide, you got to jump and run again;
You got to hidey-hidey-hide, the Old Man is down the road.
The Old Man is down the road.

Aaah!
You got ta, you got ta, you got ta, hidey-hidey-hide!

...

This always made me think of Iuz

 

[eris404]

Perhaps a tad overused, but "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave ans the Bad Seeds conjures up some wicked characters for me.

 

[WayneLigon]

This always made me think of Iuz

I always think of a Lovecraft sroty called 'The Terrible Old Man'. In the first CoC game I played in, one of the NPC's was 'Tom', this old cuss who lived by a pond and knew more than he was telling. We encounterd 'Tom' (Terrible Old Man) a few times and never failed to come away creeped out and wondering if we'd just sold our souls or something.

 

[AuraSeer]

As players or DM's, do certain tunes get your imagination going?

I like The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Always wanted to run a campaign based around it.

In front of my gamer buddies, of course I play the Iron Maiden version, because it's cool. But secretly, inside my head, I've got the original Coleridge poem running-- and it goes to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme.

Try it yourself:

One after one, by the star-dogged Moon
Too quick for groan or sigh,
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang,
And cursed me with his eye.

Four times fifty living men,
(And I heard nor sigh nor groan)
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
They dropped down one by one.
​

Is that awesome or what?

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

I've found there are some bands which just make me want to game... specific albums, really...

For some reason, nothing makes me feel like D&D quite like Type O Negative's October Rust... and listening to Orgy makes me want to break out Shadowrun...

Hmm... particular songs that inspired me... can't name any right now, not really...

 

[the Jester]

A lot of Blackmore's Rainbow's songs are great this way- Temple of the King, 16th Century Greensleeves, the Man on the Silver Mountain... Good stuff. A few samples snatches of verse:

(from TotK)
One day in the year of the fox came a time remembered well
When a strong young man of the rising sun heard the tolling of the great black bell
One day in the year of the fox when the bell began to ring
It meant the time had come for him to go to the Temple of the King.

There in the middle of the circle he stands,
Searching, seeking;
With just one touch of his trembling hand the answer will be found.
Daylight waits while the old man sings
"Heaven help me"
Then like the rush of a thousand wings
It shines upon the one
And the day has just begun.

(from 16th Century...)

It's only been an hour
Since he locked her in the tower,
The time has come,
He must be undone by the morning.

Many times before
The tyrant opened up the door;
Someone cries,
Still we close our eyes- not again!

Meet me when the sun is in the western sky,
The fighting must begin before another someone dies.
Crossbows in the firelight,
Green sleeves waving,
Madmen raving
Through the shattered night- yeah!

Flames are getting higher,
Make it leap onto the spire;
Drawbridge down,
Cut him down
We shall dance around the fire...

from MotSM:

I'm a wheel, I'm a wheel,
I can roll, I can feel,
And you can't stop me turning;
Cause I'm the sun, I'm the sun,
I can move, I can run
But you'll never stop me burning.

Come down with fire, lift my spirit higher;
Someone's screaming my name-
Come and make me holy again,
I'm the Man on the Silver Mountain.
I'm the Man on the Silver Mountain.

I'm the day, I'm the day,
I can show you the way,
And walk and ride beside you.
I'm the night, I'm the night,
I'm the dark and the light
With eyes that see inside you.

Come down with fire, lift my spirit higher;
Someone's screaming my name-
Come and make me holy again,
I'm the Man on the Silver Mountain.
I'm the Man on the Silver Mountain.

***

The Man on the Silver Mountain was actually used by a good friend of mine years ago as the 'dark imprisoned god' of his world.

 

[Mixmaster]

When I first read this thread, It reminded me of Blazing Saddles!!

 

[GandhitheBFG]

There's a nu-metal, hard rock band that has some very close ties to their Eastern European roots (but I can't remember their name right now) but most of their radio-released songs remind me of what the Germanic barbarians would sings as they rode to war against the no-good Roman dogs...picture the first scene from "Gladiator" but with a strained sing-songy "Why have you forsaken me?" followed up by pounding drums and crunching guitar.

it sticks in my mind.

-jay

System of a Down - Chop Suey?