After the Piper is Gone Lyrics

You know when the sun rises early in the east
You must rise with the sun
Your day begins and when the night comes down
Then you can say you're done

You know he will rise every morning with the sun
To wait til the night has gone
He waits with his flute playing softly in the crowd
The piper at the gates of dawn

And he's waiting there all alone, it's true
And it's like he's there just to wait for you
And you don't know what you will do
After the piper is gone

When the sun hangs high in the midday sky
The piper is out on the town
He's searching for someone to play his song to
'Cause you know how he gets around

If you listen hard he will come to you
He will come when you're on your own
And he'll take you off to talk with you
So you both can be alone

If you listen to the words he'll say
Then you'll know again and you'll see the day
And you can watch him going away
After the piper is gone

There's a man who stands at the eastern door
Waiting around by the gate
When the piper leaves, he will take his place
We need only to sit and wait

He's the piper's son and his father too
And you'll know that he is his brother
In the final hours of the wait for time
They will join and become another

And they all will leave for the eastern shore
To return to us the great evermore
And you won't want to be here anymore
After the piper is gone

Will the real prince please stand up now
And take his place at the throne
For the land of Illenwe is his now
He must claim it for his own

And the people are left without a king
He's long gone since the Greenleaf fall
He went to join his ancestors
To sit in those great hallowed halls.

If he's gone then the eternal night
Will take us all but we have the right
To draw our swords and we all must fight
After the piper is gone

Wouldn't it be best to tell the tale in its own context?
If the storyteller cannot tell it, he is done
Can you make it possible to tell us what we're up against?
Can you tell me who we fought before the battle's won?

If the bell should ring one time then send the news, the king is dead
There was no way he could come from Falamand alive
But if it is rung two times then let the joyous news be spread
The king returns and with him hope that we may yet survive

You know the way you talk about your fighters - is it good enough?
Just to talk and choose no path to go on down the road
Let them speak of heroes bold and see our names writ next to theirs
Soon we leave to journey west into the woods of gold
Even if you spend your life in trying, it's not good enough
Take the piper's hand and he will lead you to the day
I have gone before us and I know that what he says is good
Follow him for when he's gone there'll be no other way

Let there be another life, let this not remain
Our whole tale shall be no more upon the heavy rain
If you would be wise enough then you should see a dawning light
Everything will soon be ours but let us not deny the fight
All will be as one someday and one shall be as all
In the meantime carry on and let the sun's blood fall

And the message he bears is ever true
And he bears it for none but you
But wait and nothing can you do
After the piper is gone