Death and The Lady
Bellowhead Lyrics


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As I walked out alone one day
All in the merry month of May
I met an old man on my way
All in the morning early

His head was bald his beard was grey
His cheeks were like the mortal clay
I asked him how he came that way
All in the morning early

My name is Death oh don't you see
Lords, dukes and squires bow down to me
And you must come along with me
All in the morning early

I'll give you gold and riches rare
I'll give you costly robes to wear
I'll give you all my earthly share
If you'll spare me a little while longer

Lady leave your robes aside
No longer glory in your pride
No more in life you may abide
So come along with me

And then the mortal toll was paid
And all alone this pretty maid




By death so cruelly was betrayed
And we all come stumbling after

Overall Meaning

Bellowhead's song "Death and The Lady" begins with a man walking alone in the merry month of May when he comes across an old man who he engages in conversation. The old man turns out to be Death himself, and he offers the man gold, riches, and costly robes in exchange for his life. The man bargains with him, asking for a little while longer to live, to which Death agrees. Then the song takes a shift, and Death turns his attention to a lady, urging her to leave her pride and glory behind as her time has come to an end. The lyrics then reveal that Death has indeed claimed the lady's life, and in the end, we are all destined to face a similar fate.


The song is essentially a reminder of the inevitability of death, and how it comes to claim us all, no matter how rich or poor, powerful or not. It is also a call to embrace the fleeting nature of life and to let go of all earthly possessions that ultimately do not matter in the face of death. The lyrics of the song help to paint a vivid picture of these themes with stunning visuals like an old man with a bald head, grey beard, and cheeks like mortal clay.


Line by Line Meaning

As I walked out alone one day
While I wandered alone on a general day


All in the merry month of May
It happened to be in the cheerful month of May


I met an old man on my way
I bumped into an elderly gentleman while walking


All in the morning early
During the early hours of the morning


His head was bald his beard was grey
The man had no hair on his head, only a grey beard


His cheeks were like the mortal clay
His cheeks had the texture and color of earthly mud


I asked him how he came that way
I inquired how he ended up like that


All in the morning early
Still during the early hours of the morning


My name is Death oh don't you see
The old man revealed himself to be Death itself


Lords, dukes, and squires bow down to me
Reigning officials and members of the elite pay homage to me


And you must come along with me
Death demanded company from me


All in the morning early
Still during the early hours of the morning


I'll give you gold and riches rare
Death offered to provide me with valuable and luxurious items


I'll give you costly robes to wear
Another offer of expensive clothing was put forth


I'll give you all my earthly share
A promise of relinquishing all personal possessions was made


If you'll spare me a little while longer
In return for buying me more time, Death asked for cooperation


Lady leave your robes aside
A lady was requested to take off her elegant clothes


No longer glory in your pride
The young woman was told to let go of her vanity


No more in life you may abide
The girl was warned that she would no longer be able to continue living


So come along with me
In effect, the young woman was asked to go with Death


And then the mortal toll was paid
The girl had to succumb to the inevitable fate of all mortals


And all alone this pretty maid
The beautiful girl was left to her own devices


By death so cruelly was betrayed
Death was harsh and ruthless towards her


And we all come stumbling after
It was a reminder that eventually, we all follow the same path




Contributed by Connor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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