Changing of the Guards

16 years (16 years)
16 banners united over the fields (over the fields)
Where the good shepherd grieves
Desperate men (desperate men)
Desperate women divided
Spreading their wings (spreading their wings)
'Neath the falling leaves

Fortune calls (fortune calls)
I stepped forth from the shadows, to the marketplace (marketplace)
Merchants and thieves hungry for power
My last deal gone down (last deal gone down)
She's smelling sweet like the meadows
Where she was born (where she was born)
On midsummer's eve, near the tower

The cold-blooded moon (cold-blooded moon)
The captain waits above the celebration
Sending his thoughts (sending his thoughts)
To a beloved maid
Whose ebony face (ebony face)
Is beyond communication
The captain is down, but still believing that his love will be repaid

They shaved her head (shaved her head)
She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo
A messenger arrived (messenger arrived)
With a black nightingale
I seen her on the stairs (seen her on the stairs)
And I couldn't help but follow, follow her down
Past the fountain where they lifted her veil

I stumbled to my feet (stumbled to my feet)
I rode past destruction in the ditches
With the stitches still mending
'Neath a heart-shaped tattoo
Renegade priests (renegade priests)
And treacherous young witches
Were handing out the flowers that I'd given to you

The palace of mirrors (palace of mirrors)
Where dog soldiers are reflected
The endless road (endless road)
And the wailing of chimes
The empty rooms (empty rooms)
Where her memory is protected
Where the angel's voices whisper
To the souls of previous times

She wakes him up (wakes him up)
48 hours later, the sun is breaking
Near broken chains (broken chains)
Mountain laurel and rolling rocks
She's begging to know (begging to know)
What measures he now will be taking
He's pulling her down and she's clutching
On to his long golden locks

"Gentlemen", he said (gentleman, he said)
"I don't need your organization"
"I've shined your shoes" (shined your shoes)
I've moved your mountains and marked your cards
But Eden is burning (Eden is burning)
Either get ready for elimination
Or else your hearts must have the courage
For the changing of the guards

Peace will come (peace will come)
With tranquility and splendor
On the wheels of fire (wheels of fire)
But will offer no reward
When her false idols fall (false idols fall)
And cruel death surrenders
With its pale ghost retreating
Between the king and the queen of swords