The Lady Of Shalott Prelude

Part 1

He canters down the dusty road,

Alongside where the river flows,

The wing, through his fair hair, it blows,

His cheeks, with happiness, they glow,

As he rides down to Camelot.

The sheep and cows in fields he had passed,

To the travelling pair, a glance they cast,

The distance to go seemed so vast,

To Gregory Shallot.

Shallot be his name, shalotts be his trade,

To his family, farewell he had bade,

Ha had run away under night's shade,

He goes with horse, but not with blade,

To fabled Camelot.

Just him, his horse, the wind and rain,

On the ground, each night he'd lain,

He meets no suffering, nor pain,

Free was Gregory Shallot.

To seek his fortune is his aim,

So everyone would know his name,

For all young men, it is the same,

To seek their wealth and hunt their fame,

In grand Camelot.

And at last he saw the mighty sight,

The towers that shone ever bright,

A miracle in the sunlight,

To young Gregory Shallot.

At dawn he reached the stone-paved streets,

With women washing linen and sheets,

And every passing soul he meets,

With kindness and a smile he greets,

Riding through Camelot.

And as she is a-walking by,

A fair young maiden caught his eye,

For when she sees him, she prettily smiles,

At Gregory Shallot.

He calls her over, says, "Good day,

I saw you as I was on my way,

To seek my fortune and my fame,

And what may be your name, pray"

On the streets of Camelot.

She has fair golden hair, blown back by the wind,

And says her name is Marilyn,

And tells him of her father's inn,

Who could rent a room to Gregory Shallot.

And as he reaches the centre of town,

He looks upon it with a frown,

For over the heads of the crowd,

With jeers and shouts ever loud,

In cruel Camelot.

A man, bent over at the back,

Had been tied to a small shack,

And all defence, he seemed to lack,

To Gregory Shallot.

A whip of toughened animal hide,

Three feet long, two inches wide,

Hit his back and hide his side,

With each new sting, the poor man cries,

Which rings through Camelot.

And so, to end this hellish beating,

He runs into the square, entreating;

"Can you not hear this poor man's screaming?"

Asked Gregory Shallot.

Into the square come running soldiers,

Who seize him roughly by the shoulders,

They pull as if dragging a boulder,

Into a cell designed to hold a

Criminal in Camelot.

The poor young man knows not why,

For the night they make him lie,

In a sheetless bed, so hard and dry,

Poor Gregory Shallot.

The morning was to be his trial,

So he will not have to wait a-while,

The jailer tells him with a smile,

To escape, he'd have to run a mile,

Away from Camelot.

As he shuffles along, not looking proud,

He spies Marylyn among the crowd,

He longs to cry to her out loud,

Lovesick Gregory Shallot.

All through the trial, he glances at her,

Her fair hair now in golden curls,

It seems his looks she stunningly returns,

When she does, his face red burns,

In the court of Camelot.

At the closure, he is told,

To hurry to the castle gold,

An audience with the King, to hold,

Is Gregory Shallot.

Uther tells him with a frown,

He has to hurry out of town,

For he has disturbed an order of the Crown,

And Gregory knows not how,

To leave Marylyn and Camelot.

He runs away down to the shore,

To sail away forevermore,

A talentless man, homeless and poor,

The tragic life of Gregory Shallot.

Out of the mist, came Marylyn,

Who had run away from her father's inn,

Which was to her a deathly sin,

And proves her complete love for him,

The maiden from Camelot.

That evening, they are to sail away,

Together, forever, they would stay

But to live another day,

Was the best thing for Gregory Shallot.

They came upon a small isle,

On which they both could stay a while,

The tower made both of them smile,

Grey walls, as high as a mile,

Outside of Camelot.

Gregory sets up shalott fields,

Marylyn kept their new home clean,

Forever happy they would be,

Marylyn and Gregory Shallot.